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Allowable Grounds for Texas No-Fault Divorce

Texas is a no-fault divorce state, but this does not mean that the fault of one party cannot enter into the process. When spouses first seek legal advice about the possibility of filing for divorce,...

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Establishing Paternity Resolves an Array of Issues

In accordance with Texas law, husbands are presumed to be the biological fathers of any children born within a marriage. When children are born out of wedlock, however, mothers often go through a legal...

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High Net Worth Divorce Does Not Have to Be High Stress

Significant conflict within a relationship leads to just about every divorce and that conflict naturally flows through the actual divorce process as well. Even after many years of marriage, the...

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Children May Need Their Own Attorneys in Certain Family Law Issues

By law, any legal decisions involving children must first and foremost serve their best interests. Particularly in divorce cases, both parents retain their own attorneys and they generally negotiate...

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Advanced Preparation Makes Adult Name Changes Easier

An adult name may not be unique like a Social Security number, but it is still attached to a wide array of legal relationships. Assuming that the reasons for changing a name (such as returning to one’s...

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Spousal Support May Require Preparation for Independence During the Divorce...

Not all parties of divorce are financially prepared to live on their own once the court signs the Final Decree of Divorce. However, according to the Texas Family Code, receipt of spousal maintenance...

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What Does Joint Custody Really Mean?

Few issues of divorce are as emotionally-charged as those that cause parents to lose time with their children. This is why many parents fight hard to gain sole custody of their children — or at least...

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Dissolving Common Law Marriage is Still Divorce

Contrary to common myth, no TX law declares that two people are married under common law (known as informal marriage) just because they live together for a specific number of years. Particularly if...

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Grandparents Can Take Legal Action to Gain Access to the Children of Divorce

Even after divorce, parents generally recognize the importance of providing their children with quality time with both sets of grandparents. Unfortunately, the contentious nature of divorce sometimes...

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Proposed Bill Would Make Divorce More Difficult and Expensive

One Texas State Representative closed out 2016 by proposing two Bills, according to an article in San Antonio Current.

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How Much Weight Do Texas Courts Place on Custody Wishes of the Children?

As a general rule, both parents know what is best for their children, but when parents decide to divorce, their opinions often diverge when it comes to child custody decisions. Many factors go into...

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Sealed TX Adoption Records Don’t Always Prevent Access to Vital Info

In accordance with Texas Family Code, Texas adoption and termination records are sealed. However, adoptees and both biological and adoptive family members may have good reason to view the information,...

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Not All Family Law Issues Need to Go to Court

Texas courtrooms are busy places and essential when addressing criminal complaints and child protection issues. Still, an experienced Dallas family law attorney would advise clients that busy court...

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Are There Advantages to Common Law Versus Traditional Marriage in TX?

Contrary to popular belief, living together for a prescribed time period does not automatically create a common law marriage. Any type of marriage is a legal relationship, subject to Texas legal...

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How Long Can My Children Receive Child Support?

When a divorce occurs, you have a lot of questions and concerns about the child support process. Many people do not know how long a duration their child will receive support, or how much or how little...

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How Long Will It Take to Get a Divorce In Texas?

Everyone knows divorce is a tough time in anyone’s life. With so much going on and so much uncertainty, you need a Dallas divorce attorney on your side to guide you through the process.

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Advantages of Divorce Mediation

Divorce is difficult; there is no getting around that. However, mediation can improve the experience and result in a more equitable divorce judgment. Mediation reduces costs and time of your divorce,...

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Challenging Paternity in Texas Courts

Fatherhood is an honor and a joy. However, if the child is not yours, paternity creates an unfair, burdensome obligation to pay child support. What should you do if you are named as the father of a...

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How Tax Reform Changed Divorce

Divorce has long been a stressful and contentious process, which is why it is so important for any person who is going through a divorce to be represented by an attorney. Dallas divorce lawyers help...

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Bird's Nest Custody Arrangements: What Are They?

When parents separate or divorce, a decision on custody must be made. A Dallas child custody attorney can help parents to understand different options for custody so they can try to come to an...

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Community Property: How Does it Impact Your Divorce?

If you are ending your marriage, division of property is likely going to be one of the most important and contentious issues that you will face. Deciding how to divide up property as your marriage ends...

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Key Factors to Consider in Stepparent Adoptions

Adoption can be complicated under Texas law, but there is a more streamlined process to make stepparent adoption easier. Stepparent adoption occurs when a new spouse adopts his or her husband's or...

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Changing Your Name After a Divorce

Ending a marriage involves taking many formal legal steps to dissolve your partnership. In addition to getting a final decree of divorce, you may want to take another step to permanently end your...

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Prenuptial Agreements: Can You Waive Spousal Support in a Prenup?

A prenuptial agreement is one of the most important ways to protect yourself when you are entering into a marriage. When you create a prenuptial agreement, you can work with your soon-to-be spouse to...

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Hiding Assets: What Happens When One Spouse Isn't Honest?

Texas is a community property state, so money and assets that were acquired during the course of the marriage belong to both spouses under the law. If you decide to get a divorce, each spouse is...

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Reducing Your Divorce Costs

Divorce can be an expensive process, and many couples find themselves facing financial hardship due to the fact they must end their marriage. Divorce costs can include not just court fees and legal...

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Child Custody Issues: Parental Relocation

A Dallas child custody attorney can provide assistance with custody issues that arise when a couple separates or divorces. One of the most difficult custody issues that comes up occurs when one parents...

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Separate vs. Marital Property

If you are ending a marriage, it is important to understand what will happen to your assets. You want to protect your right to your share of property, so you should talk with Dallas divorce lawyers...

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Who Can Claim the Kids as Dependents After the Divorce?

Having a child as a dependent used to entitle a parent to claim a dependency exemption, which was quite valuable. In 2017, for example, the credit was worth $4,050, which meant each child reduced a...

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When is Joint Custody Appropriate?

When parents separate or divorce, it becomes necessary to make a custody decision so that it is clear where a child will spend time, which parent will be responsible for providing care, and which...

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How Does Divorce Affect Your Taxes?

If you are ending your marriage, there are many financial issues that you will need to address when you dissolve your union. While many people focus primarily on the big issues such as how marital...

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Divorce: What Small Business Owners Need to Know

Many marriages end in divorce, and no matter how good things seem, you never know when you might become half of a separated or divorced couple in the future.  If you run your own business, the fact...

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Five Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Divorce Attorney

Going through the dissolution of a marriage is difficult enough. The last thing you need is to worry about whether or not you selected the right Dallas divorce attorney to represent you.

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Divorce and the Family Pets: Who Gets the Fur Babies?

If determining who gets the family pet could be a point of contention in your divorce, you should consult with Dallas divorce lawyers about your options. Emotions can run high during a divorce and the...

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What Kind of Alimony Is Allowed in Texas?

Texas law recognizes two types of spousal support in a divorce: contractual alimony and spousal maintenance. The first is based on an agreement between the parties while the second is subject to an...

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Can I Get My Child Custody Arrangement Modified?

The only thing we can be certain of in life is that there will be change. Some changes will be for the better, while others will come with varying degrees of difficulty and challenges.

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Legal Separation in Texas

Sometimes a married couple approaches their Dallas family law attorney to inquire about options for a legal separation.

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When Is a Prenup a Good Idea?

The easy part is over. One of you proposed and the other said “yes.” There was a ring and maybe a party and now wedding plans are in full swing.

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My Spouse Accumulated a Lot of Debt. Am I Responsible For It if We Get Divorced?

Divorce can be overwhelming. As if the emotional stress were not enough, there are significant financial matters that need to be addressed. And one of the most stressful and distressing issues concerns...

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Do the Kids Get to Choose Which Parent to Live With?

It is kind of an urban myth that during a divorce children have the right to choose which parent they are going to live with.

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When Violence is an Issue: What You Need to Know About Obtaining a Protective...

One in three Texans will experience family violence in their lifetimes, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. In 2015 alone, more than 211,000 people in Texas were the victims of family...

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Getting Your Marriage Annulled in Texas: What You Need to Know

Marriages might not work out for a variety of reasons. You might realize, years after saying “I do” that you have grown apart as a couple. Or you might know right away that getting married was a big...

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Paternity Rights and Obligations: What Every Texas Father Needs to Know

Paternal rights and obligations in the Lone Star State are a matter of Texas law. And understanding those rights and obligations goes a long way in determining issues like whether or not you are on the...

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What You Need to Know About Modifying Child Support

Let’s face it. Life’s circumstances can change. You can lose your job or become ill or have some other setback that makes paying your bills and meeting your legal obligations tough. But there is one...

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Understanding Private Adoptions in Dallas, Texas

If you are contemplating adoption, then you already know that it is the legal mechanism that allows a child to gain a parent who is not their birth parent. Adoption is a lifelong, permanent commitment...

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Helping Children Adjust to Divorce

While divorce is hard on everyone involved, children are the most at risk for harm when a family unit splits up. This is true even when a divorce is cooperative and relatively amicable.

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How to Get a Divorce When Your Spouse Has Gone Missing

If you want to get a divorce but your spouse is nowhere to be found, don’t lose hope. Under Texas law, as long as you meet the state’s legal residency requirements, there are ways to obtain a divorce...

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Do I Need An Attorney For a Friendly Divorce?

You and your spouse have decided to call it quits and get a divorce. You feel that the two of you have discussed everything important and are in agreement about how all of your property should be...

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Can You Claim Common Law Marriage in Texas?

Although it sounds decidedly old-fashioned, common law marriage is alive and well and recognized in a few states, including Texas.

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Drug Abuse and Divorce in Texas

Drug addiction and abuse affects every aspects of a person’s life, including their marriage. And when drug use is an issue, it is not unusual that it becomes the underlying reason for a divorce.

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