With many recent corporate relocations to Texas, a particular custody conflict scenario is becoming increasingly common, relocation litigation. A typical scenario starts like this: Dad’s company transfers him to an office in another state. The family is excited for this new opportunity and packs up to move away from friends and family. Dad starts work […]
Act Now for Tax-Deductible Alimony – It Expires in Three Months
Alimony payments are about to undergo a radical change from a taxation perspective as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Currently, alimony payments to an ex-spouse can be written off come tax season. However, these deductions will soon become a thing of the past. The new tax reform law goes into […]
Back to School: Splitting the Cost
The end of August brings something every parent looks forward to and every kid dreads: back-to-school. For parents this means new clothes, shoes, supplies, maybe a backpack or lunch box. If your child is involved in any sports or other extracurricular activities that start up in the fall, you can also count on fees, uniforms, […]
Regain Your Financial Stability
When a Texas couple goes through a divorce, the net effect can be a significant reduction in each spouse’s financial standing once the divorce settlement is complete. This does not have to be the case for every divorcing couple, however, and there are a number of measures that can be taken to minimize the financial […]
529 Account: Holy Grail of College Tuition During a Divorce
Saving money for children’s college tuition and expenses is a common goal for many parents. This can be simple enough while the parents are married, but can be tricky if the couple is no longer together. However once a couple decides to divorce, new arrangements can be made in order to continue saving for children’s […]
Modify a Child Custody Agreement: The Basics
One of the most important issues to be resolved during a divorce is how child custody and visitation rights will be split between the separating parents. In most circumstances, certain presumptions under Texas law dictate that divorced parents should be considered joint managing conservators. This essentially means that both parents will have equal authority regarding […]
What Women Risk Losing After Divorce
Whether you are thinking about getting a divorce or already deep in the process, health insurance may not be on the forefront of your mind. While this may seem like a minor detail in the face of child custody or property division concerns, losing your existing health insurance coverage can create several financial problems in […]
Soldiers, Sailors & Military Divorces
How do you handle a divorce if one or both spouses currently serves in the military? What if a soldier, sailor, marine, airman or coast guardsman that is a respondent in a divorce or child custody/support/visitation suit is on active duty in another state or country? If a party serves that service member, can he […]
The Growing Trend of ‘Pet Custody’
When you hear property division in divorce proceedings, you tend to think of furniture, large electronics, houses, and other miscellaneous items. However, one of the most complicated and popular topics in property division is pets. Under Texas law, pets are considered to be property and they often become part of a heated and emotional dispute […]
Dividing Assets in a Down Market
Clients sometimes fear what impact stock market fluctuations will have on asset division in their divorce. This is an important question when you consider that a divorce is not technically final until the judge has executed the decree, which could take a week or a few months. To further complicate matters, assets are typically considered […]
Why Hidden Spending can Lead to Divorce
Secrets within a marriage are never a good thing. When one spouse is secretly spending money that the other is unaware of, the matter can lead to serious marital trouble, including divorce. A poll in 2013 found that among those who hide purchases, nearly a third do so in order to prevent their partner from […]
Facebook is Changing the Divorce Playing Field
Social networking has changed the way a lot of people communicate, and now it may be changing marriage and divorce as well in Texas and elsewhere. More and more, evidence gathered from Facebook is being used to pit spouses against each other in the courtroom. According to a survey conducted by the American Academy of […]
Your Child Support Questions Answered
Navigating the complicated world of child support can be overwhelming. We’ve compiled and answered a common list of questions we receive from clients. Who pays child support and how is the amount determined? In Texas, there is one parent who is the primary custodial parent and the non-custodial parent has the Standard Possession Order, meaning […]
Preparing for a Divorce
Picking an attorney is your first step in preparing for a divorce. The relationship between a family law attorney and his client is different than the relationship between attorneys and clients in any other litigation cases. Their relationship truly is both business and personal. You should walk out of the initial consultation feeling that the […]
How to Handle a Divorce as a Business Owner
Going through a divorce can be tough on anyone, but it is amplified when one or both parties is a business owner and is even further amplified when the business becomes the center of divorce negotiations. Valuing your business Valuing your business for divorce purposes is vastly different than valuing your business for selling purposes. […]
Your Child Custody Questions Answered
Navigating the complicated world of child custody can be overwhelming. We’ve compiled and answered a common list of questions we receive from clients. How is sole custody versus joint custody decided? In Texas, each parent gets assigned a label; sole managing conservators or joint managing conservators. These titles indicate the rights and duties that you […]
Division of Property: Fact or Fiction
There are a lot of misconceptions floating around regarding property in a divorce. Know the facts before you meet with your attorney. Fiction: Community property is always divided 50/50. When you start talking about community property, people automatically assume that it’s a 50/50 division, but that’s not what community property means. Community property means that […]