Plano Family Law Blog

Business assets and fair property division in divorce

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office on Sunday, June 23, 2019.

If you are facing divorce, you probably have serious concerns about what this process will mean for your financial future. The implications of divorce are serious, and you know it is important to secure a fair financial settlement. This is especially important for Texas business owners.

A family-owned business is one of the most financially complex assets to address in a divorce. There is often significant disagreement over how the two parties should share business assets, whether they should sell or whether one party should buy out the other. One of the most important steps in this process is the business valuation process – this is the first step in determining the division of business-related assets.

Is it ever a good idea to get CPS involved in a custody battle?

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office on Saturday, June 22, 2019.

In high-conflict divorce cases, custody battles are fairly common. In an attempt to help their cases, some parents in Texas may think that calling Child Protective Services will allow them to receive the custody arrangements that they desire. The truth is, though, it can have the opposite effect. This may leave you wondering if it is ever a good idea to get CPS involved.

The Texas Department of Family And Protective Services does not exist to help divorcing parents with their custody battles. The goal of this department is to remove children from harmful home situations. If you believe that your child is unsafe being around your soon-to-be ex, then it is appropriate to report the issue to CPS. However, some parents call CPS for the wrong reasons.

A second divorce can be more complex than the first

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office on Thursday, June 20, 2019.

When a first marriage ends in divorce, many people either vow to stay single or try to learn from their mistakes. If your divorce was especially painful, you may have had even more incentive to make the second one work.

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in life or love. The breakup of your second marriage can be equally as emotional as the first, but you now have many things to focus on as you walk through the divorce process a second time. This may be quite different from your first divorce, so having support from an experienced Board-certified Family Law expert attorney in Collin County, Denton County, Dallas County, Midland County, Ector County, or elsewhere throughout Texas is a critical first step.

Strategies for maintaining work performance during divorce

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office posted in Divorce on Wednesday, June 19, 2019.

Divorce is one of the most difficult challenges that many of us will face. So regardless of how hard we try, it is likely that one's divorce will impact his or her ability to do their job. Along with taking off time for court or meetings it will also be harder to focus as well as meet deadlines or sales goals.

It is generally best to inform a manager or human resources person that a divorce is happening, and hopefully they will be understanding and patient. A good advisor will even listen with compassion, and may offer strategies for managing workload, but hopefully they will refrain from offering unsolicited advice regarding this personal matter.

How fathers can foster close relationships with their children

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office posted in Fathers' Rights on Tuesday, June 11, 2019.

Father’s day is coming soon, so we thought we’d share some thoughts on fatherhood after a divorce. Before the divorce, dad was just dad with all the usual roles it involves. Now, the process of divorce will likely impact a father’s relationship with his children. Regardless of how amicable the divorce may be, it is a fact that mom and dad are no longer together living under the same roof.

Steps for maintaining the bonds

Divorce when a spouse loses a job

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office posted in Divorce on Monday, June 3, 2019.

It can be challenging to keep one’s personal life from intersecting with one’s professional life during a divorce. The task becomes impossible when a spouse loses their job while going through the process. Regardless of whether it is a client or their spouse, there are immediate concerns about how this affects negotiations as well as the final settlement.

First things first

Opioids tied to increase in grandparents caring for grandchildren

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office posted in Child Custody on Thursday, May 30, 2019.

The opioid epidemic is a national health emergency that impacts individuals, families and municipalities. Nevertheless, researchers were still surprised when they found a new connection between areas with higher levels of opioid prescriptions and addiction and grandparents over 30 who are actively raising grandchildren. While Texas does not see the highest numbers of addiction, the state does rank in the top tier of 1.76% or higher number of grandparents responsible for their grandchildren. The national average is 1.38%.

Census Bureau data

The challenges of a grey divorce

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office posted in Divorce on Friday, May 24, 2019.

Divorce rates have flattened out or gone down in most age groups. However, couples over the age of 50 are the exception – in the 1990s, 1 in 10 couples in this age group filed for divorce, but now it is 1 in 4 with experts predicting it will become increasingly common. Known as the “grey divorce”, this phenomenon involves couples who raised a family, grew apart over the years or have different goals for how to spend their final years, whether it is starting a business, traveling more, relaxing or maintaining the current course.

Long marriages can present a range of challenges for couples who divorce. The hardest part may be explaining it to the adult children and grandchildren, but there are other complex issues to resolve.

When infidelity is an issue, a fault divorce may be the way to go

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office on Sunday, May 19, 2019.

Married life may have started out great, but over time, your relationship with your spouse started breaking down. At some point, your spouse decided to look elsewhere for companionship. You learned of the infidelity, and now, you are looking at your divorce options.

The State of Texas offers the ability to apply for either a fault or no-fault divorce. You are probably wondering what the difference is between these two. You likely also want to know if there any benefits to choosing a fault divorce over a no-fault divorce.

Are you and your kids victims of parental alienation?

On behalf of Luke Gunnstaks of Gunnstaks Law Office on Thursday, May 16, 2019.

You may hear stories about divorces being amicable and exes who share children while being able to get along with one another. You hoped that your own divorce would turn out that way, but that is far from reality. You share your children with your ex, and he or she is doing everything possible to disrupt your relationship with them. If you believe you and your children are the victims of parental alienation as a severe form of emotional child abuse, what can you do?

Parental alienation is not new. Sadly, it is something that family law attorneys in Texas see far too often. The good news is that victims of this behavior can take steps to preserve their relationships with their children and protect their children from harm.