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Recent Blog Posts
Could a Collaborative Divorce Benefit My Family?
There is good news for advocates of family stability - not only are divorce rates falling, especially among younger age groups, but couples who do divorce are acting more carefully about how they choose to go about the divorce process. One option that has gained popularity in recent years is known as “collaborative divorce,” and it is particularly helpful to those who are concerned about avoiding unnecessary conflict throughout the divorce process. If you have children under age 18 or are simply looking for a peaceful resolution to the end of your marriage, collaborative divorce could be the right choice for you.
What is Collaborative Divorce?
Divorce has traditionally been a combative experience, and no wonder; many of the elements of divorce can feel zero-sum to both parties. After all, time a child spends living with one parent is time she does not spend in the other parent’s home. However, collaborative divorce still recognizes some of the inherent conflicts of interest while still respecting the effort to minimize hostility and protect minor children.
What is a Custody Evaluation and What Should I Do if A Court Orders One?
Parents frequently disagree about how to resolve matters related to child custody in a divorce, but sometimes these conflicts can become extreme. This is especially true when there are allegations of abuse or neglect from one or both parties. Getting to the truth can be difficult, and judges may be unsure of the best outcome for a particular case. When this happens, a common solution is for a judge to appoint a professional known as a “child custody evaluator” to a particular case. If you are involved in a court dispute over your minor children, whether during or after divorce, and a custody evaluator has been assigned to your case, it is important to understand the role of this professional and how you should behave to optimize your case’s outcome.
What is a Custody Evaluator?
A custody evaluator is a mental health professional who is also sometimes an attorney. Her job is to gather as much information as possible about a particular case. In order to get the information she needs, she can do the following:
How Do My Spouse and I Divide Our Business in a Divorce?
Enterprising spouses often start up businesses together, finding interesting and unique ways to bring extra money into their family coffer. Sometimes this looks like a formal business establishment, and other times it might be gradually buying up real estate to rent out on platforms like AirBNB. Whatever the format, when it comes time to divorce, a couple’s business needs to be divided just like any other marital asset.
Dividing a business can be very difficult, however, as spouses often disagree about how much of the business is marital vs. personal property or what the true value of the business is. In cases like this, make sure you have the help of an experienced business owners’ divorce attorney who can assist you in resolving these tricky issues.
Can One of the Spouses Keep the Business in a Divorce?
Texas law requires community property to be divided in a “just and right” manner, which usually means something close to 50/50. If one of the spouses owned the business before getting married and did not protect that business with a prenuptial agreement, it can be very difficult to determine how much of that business is community property rather than the personal property of the spouse who originally owned the business.
What Can I Do if I Think My Ex is Manipulating Income for Child Support?
Child support might be determined by a state formula, but that does not stop it from becoming a high-conflict part of a divorced or separated couple’s relationship. The parent paying child support often feels angry and taken advantage of, while the parent receiving child support often feels as though the amount is insufficient to properly care for the child’s needs. Whatever the reason for dissatisfaction, the end result is sometimes that the parent paying for child support will try to hide income to avoid paying the full support payments he or she would otherwise be obligated to make. If you think this is happening in your case, it is important to contact a Texas child support attorney who can help you secure the support you need.
Child Support Income Guidelines in Texas
Before a court can set child support payments, the judge needs to know how much money the paying parent makes and whether the child’s needs justify deviating from state child support guidelines (the paying parent is the parent who does not have primary possession of the child, meaning the child spends most of his or her time with the other parent).
How Can I Recover Assets My Spouse is Trying to Hide?
Texas law requires couples who are getting divorced to divide their assets and debt. Usually, though not always, Texas - which is a community property state - divides assets equally between spouses. However, spouses who are afraid of getting shortchanged in their divorce or who are willing to take advantage of their spouse may be willing to hide assets to tip the asset division process unfairly in their favor. If you are getting divorced and are worried that your spouse may try to hide assets, make sure you have an experienced Texas divorce attorney.
How Will I Know if My Spouse is Hiding Assets?
Often, spouses will divide and conquer chores and responsibilities within a marriage. This often leaves one spouse in charge of managing a family’s financial affairs. If your spouse has been responsible for paying bills, tracking your bank account balances, and managing your retirement accounts, you may not have a full picture of your financial affairs, which could make it easier for your spouse to deceive you during the asset division process.
A Detailed Discussion on Texas’s Grounds for Divorce
Fault & No-Fault Grounds for Divorce
The State of Texas is a “no-fault state,” which means, first and foremost, that fault is not required to obtain a divorce. In addition, this also means that Texas doesn’t have any disadvantages for those who initiate a divorce with no-fault grounds. In other words, if someone files for divorce with no-fault grounds in Texas, that person won’t automatically face any disadvantages when it comes to property division, or any other issue of the divorce. Of course, a spouse’s conduct during the marriage can still be consequential even when there are no fault grounds cited; but, a spouse will not be necessarily disadvantaged simply on the basis of filing with no-fault grounds.
The Three No-Fault Grounds
In total, Texas law has 7 grounds for divorce, and this total includes both the fault grounds and no-fault grounds. There are 3 no-fault grounds: (1) insupportability, (2) living separately, and (3) mental disorder. The first no-fault ground – insupportability – is the most frequently cited ground of all and is interchangeable with the concept of “irreconcilable differences” which is often used in other jurisdictions. Essentially, this ground means that the couple simply cannot coexist successfully and needs a separation. The next no-fault ground – living separately – may apply whenever spouses live apart for 3 years or longer. If this occurs, then a spouse can use this as a basis for divorce. The final no-fault ground may apply whenever a spouse is involuntarily confined to a mental hospital and there is a general consensus that the underlying disorder is permanent.
Child Protective Services in Texas: When CPS Can Terminate Parental Rights
If you’re a parent, or grandparent, or even merely a concerned member of society, you should be aware of the basic purpose and operations of Child Protective Services (CPS) here in Texas. CPS performs a variety of specific functions, but all functions are ultimately carried out for the purpose of maximizing the safety and wellbeing of children. Here in the State of Texas, CPS is actually one of the departments of the Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS).
We will devote several articles to CPS, with each article focusing on one particular aspect of its operations. In this post, we will concentrate on the termination of parental rights. As many people are aware, CPS can file a petition to terminate parental rights if CPS feels that such a motion is necessary. However, this can only be successful if certain conditions are met.
Grounds for Termination
In order for CPS to terminate a parent’s parental rights, two hurdles must be met: (1) CPS must identify and demonstrate the ground for termination, and (2) the termination must be in the child’s best interests. On the first hurdle, CPS must show through “clear and convincing” evidence to a judge or jury that the cited ground for termination exists. At the present time, the Texas Family Code recognizes a total of 21 separate grounds for termination of parental rights. The rationale of these grounds is self-evident; for instance, the first ground referenced in the Texas Family Code is leaving the child with another person, not the other parent, with no intent to return. Another ground is engaging in conduct which places the child at risk of serious physical or emotional harm.
How Can I Prepare for My Texas Divorce?
Divorce looks a little different for everyone, but one thing is certain: Your life is about to change - a lot. Whether you anticipate a fairly peaceful divorce or a hostile separation, there are certain things you can do to get ready for divorce that will help the process move faster and more easily, plus help you recover more quickly once your divorce is finalized. Read on to learn more about divorce preparation and then contact a Texas divorce attorney for help with your case.
Start Prioritizing Now
You may wish you could have your entire savings account and your full 401(k) balance, but that is probably not compatible with Texas divorce law - and even if it were, your spouse would hardly agree to it. Instead of thinking about everything you could have in a perfect world, think about what is really important to you. Do you want to keep your marital home? Do you hope to spend every Christmas with your children? Whatever the most important things are, start thinking about them now so you can discuss them with your attorney.
Grandparent Visitation Orders in Texas
In an ideal situation, a child is brought up with healthy regular contact with both parents, as well as all grandparents. In reality, of course, things don’t always work out this way, particularly when it comes to grandparents. Grandparents often play a vital role in the development of children, but the law simply doesn’t give too much weight to grandparents when it comes to legal rights with respect to grandchildren. In the State of Texas, grandparents can obtain legal custody of a grandchild, but doing so is quite difficult. When compared with legal custody, grandparents may seek a visitation order with grandchildren. But, as we will discuss, even obtaining a visitation order from a Texas court isn’t easy.
The Basics of Grandparent Visitation Orders
The difficulty in obtaining a visitation order for grandparents ultimately derives from the simple fact that parents have the highest influence when it comes to their children. Consider this point: if grandparents can simply acquire a visitation order without much trouble, how would this affect the parents’ ability to raise their child? Texas courts recognize the importance of grandparents, and the role that grandparents play in the lives of grandchildren, but courts must follow the principle that parents have the ultimate authority.
How to Enforce a Visitation Order in Texas
Parental visitation is a very serious matter. The State of Texas believes firmly that children do best when they have regular, supportive interaction with both biological parents – or, with both adoptive parents, as the case may be. This is why Texas courts have an elaborate system in place to ensure that court-ordered visitation schedules are enforced properly. In a typical scenario, parents develop a custody agreement, and as part of that agreement one parent has a visitation schedule. That visitation schedule allows the non-custodial parent to visit his or her child in a predictable fashion.
The problem, however, is that sometimes the visitation schedule is denied or not honored by the other parent. Sad though this may sound, sometimes the other parent may attempt to block contact between the children and the non-custodial parent. In these unfortunate scenarios, how can the visitation order be enforced? Let’s look at the steps involved.
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