The holidays are often a stressful time of year. It can involve end-of-the-year deadlines at work, or it may be additional demands on your time because of social and family obligations. Even the forced cheer in the stores, on television and just about everywhere else...
Year: 2021
Is it time to change your child support agreement?
Times have been tough for many for countless reasons. Nonetheless, families enduring significant changes in circumstances, such as losing or switching jobs, may need to change their child support agreement. If the need is obvious to both parties, couples can mutually...
Understanding child custody modification in Texas
Custody modification is possible in Texas when parents agree to change their parenting plan. Either parent or another family member or guardian who appears on the current agreement can ask for the modification. Factors weighed for modification Families should...
Defining the best interests of the child
The best interests of the child doctrine is the basis of any Standard Possession Order (SPO) or custody issue. As explained previously, all decisions during a divorce involving the children theoretically use the best interests of the children doctrine. Everyone seems...
What is a standard possession order?
We do things differently in Texas. This even applies to family law matters. For example, we use the term “standard possession orders” (SPO) rather than the typically used “visitation” or “custody” terminology. SPOs dictate when each parent (or non-parent) has the...
Can I kick out my spouse during the divorce?
Some people like to take action and initiate real change. So it stands to reason that some want their spouse to leave once it's clear that the marriage is broken and they should file for divorce. If the couple has a fiery or confrontational relationship, this seems...
Prenups can protect your children
You and your future spouse will hopefully go into marriage with a tremendous sense of optimism, but there may be many unanswered questions, never more so than when one or both spouses bring children to the union. With so many questions, it may make sense to have a...
Kelly Clarkson’s prenup holds up in court
The contract's validity is a common issue when couples with a prenuptial/premarital agreement choose to divorce. Sometimes judges will rule that all or parts of the agreement are unfair and invalid, while at other times, they rule that they are valid. The latter was...
Common mistakes made by newly separated coparents
Divorce or separation is a time of great upheaval for everyone in the family. Divorce agreements, parenting plans and other legal agreements will provide a legal template for the parents regarding visitation schedules, financial responsibility, decision-making...
Can individuals challenge the community property presumption?
Texas is one of a handful of community property states. In simple terms, property accrued by each spouse during the marriage is rebuttably presumed to be community property that is subject to a "fair and just" division by the Court if the couple divorces. Property...