The image of an unhappy couple fighting out their acrimonious divorce in court is a familiar one. People who have never been divorced or even in divorce court can picture that scene because of how often it is played out on the TV screen. However, there are many couples, particularly parents, who would rather resolve their divorce amicably while making sure that their children’s best interests are the main motivator behind any decisions made. While this is not a possibility for many divorces, collaborative divorce can be an excellent option for divorcing couples who want to try to remain civil ..read more

When divorce is looming, people often feel panicked. It is a time of upheaval and transition, and while change is an unavoidable fact of life, it still tends to be something people try to avoid at all costs. There is also the added aspect of a breakup with someone you were in a serious committed relationship with and the emotional impact that can have, not to mention concerns about how a divorce will affect your financial future. People going through divorce can experience any combination of emotions, including anger, heartbreak, disappointment, and anxiety. In addition to all that, there are ..read more

When one or both spouses own a company that is incorporated, divorce can become complicated. Even if one spouse had nothing to do with the company’s operations, the court may find that that spouse contributed to the other spouse’s ability to focus on the corporation by taking care of the household and children. A lot of decisions will need to be made about how corporate ownership and rights to future profits will be divided. Generally, spouses in Texas own every marital asset 50/50. Unless you have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement in place setting aside the corporation as one spouse’s ind ..read more

Divorce after the age of 50 years old used to be very uncommon. Now, gray divorce is far less unusual for a number of reasons. Society has changed a lot in the last few decades. Numerous cultural and societal factors make it much more possible to get divorced when you are nearing retirement or have already retired. Being older - or being an older woman - is not the barrier to divorce it used to be. Women today are less likely to need alimony, meaning there is less concern over needing one pension to support two households. However, gray divorcees are likely to have some special concerns, like ..read more

It is a fairly common situation for a spouse who has just graduated with an advanced degree to promptly divorce the spouse who supported them through school. Students who are pursuing a doctoral or professional degree often rely on their spouse for financial support while they focus on their education. You may have worked and paid your family’s bills so that your spouse could be a full-time student, believing that once they graduated, they would be able to earn more money to support the family. If your spouse instead divorces you, you might be left feeling as if you have been cheated or scamme ..read more

Making the decision to end your marriage can be complicated. It is a very big decision that comes with a lot of ramifications. If you are considering divorcing your spouse, you will likely experience a wide range of emotions. You may go back and forth between definitely wanting a divorce and wanting to try counseling. There are a handful of grounds for divorce in Texas. The most commonly cited ground for divorce is that the marriage has become “unsupportable” because there is a lot of discord or a personality conflict, leaving little hope of reconciliation. People get divorced for all sorts of ..read more

A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement can be a valuable tool for a married couple, whether they get divorced or not. For those who are getting divorced, having this type of contract signed in advance can make the division of marital property go very smoothly. Engaged or married couples can use a marital agreement to control many aspects of a potential divorce this way. However, there are legal limits regarding what you can and cannot accomplish with a prenuptial agreement. While you could agree to anything you like in your marital agreement, the courts will not enforce certain clauses. If you ..read more

The holiday season can be challenging for people who are going through divorce. You may have spent the holidays with your spouse for many years. Being apart from them can feel strange, even if you are happy to be getting divorced. About half of all parents going through a divorce will be spending at least one major holiday away from their children, many for the first time ever. Another half are no longer in their marital residence and may have even been forced out by a temporary court order or protection order. All of this can take its toll and drive emotional decision-making. You should speak ..read more

Child custody cases can be very emotionally driven. Many parents become despondent at the thought of not being able to spend as much time with their children as they would like. In other cases, a parent worries about the physical or emotional well-being of their child when they are with the other parent. Then, there are cases where the parents are having a high-conflict divorce in general and every issue, including child custody, is being litigated. If you anticipate that your child custody case will be a high-conflict battle that must be decided by the court, it is important to carefully sele ..read more

It is, sadly, not uncommon for a man to deny being the father of a child who is in fact, theirs. This can leave mothers without a secondary source of support or care for their babies. Being a single mother can be hard enough when the father does take responsibility. When the father denies paternity and refuses to pay child support or spend time caring for the child, the mother can be left in a very difficult position. Fortunately, in Texas, there is a way for a mother to bring a paternity suit and ultimately force a DNA test if needed. Paternity suits are relatively uncomplicated as far as fam ..read more