In Re the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services v. the State of Texas, 04-23-00027-CV

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (the Department) filed a petition for writ of mandamus on January 12, 2023 challenging two orders (a tutoring order and a deposition order) tied to its role as managing conservator of M.S.V.L.
At the time of filing the mandamus petition, M.S.V.L. was 17; after filing she turned 18 and became an adult, exiting extended foster care.
The challenged orders arose from a permanency hearing held after a final order appointing the Department as managing conservator.
The Fourth Court of Appeals sua sponte raised mootness and ordered the Department to show cause why the petition was not moot.
The Department acknowledged the child reached majority but argued the issues were not moot or that a mootness exception applied; the court rejected those contentions.
The court concluded conservatorship-related issues became moot once the child reached 18 and dismissed the mandamus petition as moot.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Whether the mandamus challenges to tutoring and deposition orders are moot after the child reached majority	Department: Not moot; alternatively, an exception to mootness applies	Opposing parties: Moot because the child turned 18 and conservatorship ended	Court: Moot; conservatorship issues ended at majority and no mootness exception applies; mandamus dismissed

Heckman v. Williamson Cty., 369 S.W.3d 137 (Tex. 2012) (courts must account for intervening events that may render a case moot)
Ngo v. Ngo, 133 S.W.3d 688 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2003) (mootness exceptions generally do not apply to conservatorship issues)