The Divorce Quick Start
Every Texas divorce follows these steps from start to finish: Petition for Divorce — this is the document that opens your case at the courthouse. The legal document ranges from two to 20 pages in length, depending on the circumstances. Every petition will include the basics such as names of the parties and children, dates of […]
How can you think when you’re losing your mind?
Life’s most important decisions are always made during the worst of times. A crisis never knocks before entering. Many times you don’t see a divorce or change in relationship status coming. Here’s one of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes: “Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and […]
Lessons from the Woodshed: How to Testify in Divorce Court
I’ve seen some pretty slick lawyers in my day. Polished, glib, and oh so charming, they run interference for their clients, putting lipstick on the proverbial pig. It’s times like these I wonder if the client presents as well in court as their lawyer, so I call their bluff. When a divorce lawyer marches […]
Settle is Not a Four-Letter Word
Settle is a bad word in our individualistic, success-driven culture. To settle is to fail. If you google “never settle” you’ll see just how many companies have built their brand on our core belief that you should always strive for perfection, get exactly what you want, and never be satisfied with lesser alternatives. Now, let’s […]
How To Testify in Family Court
I’ve seen some pretty slick lawyers in my day. Polished, glib, and oh so charming, they run interference for their clients, putting lipstick on the proverbial pig. It’s times like these I wonder if the client presents as well in court as their lawyer, so I call their bluff. When a divorce lawyer marches […]
Children of Divorce During the Holidays
Divorce affects children in many ways. The feelings of loss that accompany a divorce are heightened around the holidays, when kids are forced to adjust to life with only one parent at a time. With the holiday season approaching, there’s potential for stress and conflict over visitation schedules, but it is important that you put […]
Looking back, looking forward: when dinosaurs and family law attorneys roamed the earth
I found myself trapped in a musty old law library last week. Seeing those aging tomes on the shelf sparked a tinge of nostalgia as I remembered the lawyers of my youth and how they were always hunkered-down over a stack of law books while scribbling notes on legal pads. Without thinking much about it, […]
Why Family Courts Should Not Order Equal Periods of Child Possession
As the old saying goes, “be careful for what you ask for.” I’ve spent years complaining that our family court judges are out of touch with modern family life in their refusal to order equal periods of possession in child custody cases. The rule at the courthouse has always been that no judge would order […]
The Attorney General Just put your ride up on blocks
Behind on child support payments? The Texas attorney general’s office can now penalize you by blocking your vehicle registration renewal. Beginning this fall, if you have more than six months of unpaid child support, you will be unable to renew your vehicle registration, essentially losing the right to drive your vehicle. The attorney general’s office […]
Can I get a witness? How the Rules of Evidence can torpedo your family law case
I know it’s summertime, but let’s pull out the old barrister wig, channel our inner Blackstone, and talk about evidence in family law. In most family law cases, there’s what you know … and then there’s what you can prove. Proof comes in the form of admissible evidence. Admissibility is determined by the Texas […]