Question:
Can a wife bring a lawsuit in Texas without her husband’s involvement, or must he be joined as a party?
Answer:
Yes, a wife has the legal right to sue on her own. In Few v. Charter Oak Fire Insurance Co., 463 S.W.2d 424 (Tex. 1971), the Texas Supreme Court held that a married woman could file suit without her husband joining as a party. This ruling reflects the shift away from older doctrines that treated a wife’s legal identity as merged with her husband’s. The Court recognized her standing to protect her own legal interests, and upheld her autonomy in litigation. Her right to be heard does not ride on his coattails.