Call for a Free Consultation

call us972-422-2424

Recent blog posts

How Does a DFPS Investigation Work in Texas?

Posted on in Family Law

Collin County CPS investigation lawyerThe Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) has a Child Protective Investigations (CPI) division that is responsible for investigating and managing allegations of child abuse and neglect. 

Finding out that you are being investigated by DFPS can trigger many emotions - fear, confusion, anger - and you may have no idea what to expect from a child protective services investigation. If you are worried that you could lose your kids because of an investigation, make sure you have a Texas family lawyer who can help you fight against any accusations and prove your parental fitness. 

Did Someone Report Me to DFPS? 

The first question parents generally ask themselves after they are notified of a DFPS investigation is, “Why is this happening to me?” Usually, CPI gets involved because someone has made a report concerning the welfare of your child. This person may be worried that your child is being abused or neglected, or they may have ulterior motives. But it does not necessarily mean that you have done anything wrong, and an investigation certainly does not automatically mean that you will lose your children. 

...
Continue reading

This Is Taking Forever! How Can I Make My Divorce Move Faster?

Posted on in Divorce

Collin County family law attorneyMaking the decision to get divorced can involve a lot of time and heartache. Once the process has begun, however, both spouses are usually eager to move along as quickly as possible - not only to save money, but to begin life after going their separate ways. 

Unfortunately, some divorces take longer than others. This could be because there is a particularly complex asset portfolio, a lack of compromise over child custody, or an attorney who seems to be dragging the case out for their own benefit. If you are looking for ways to speed up your divorce, read on - and then contact a Texas divorce attorney if necessary. 

Allow the Minimum Waiting Period to Pass 

Texas has a mandatory waiting period of 60 days before divorce can be finalized. The only exceptions are cases involving domestic violence or some other urgent issue that presents a danger to the spouse who has filed for divorce. Most people have to wait at least 60 days before having their divorce granted, so if you are still under this time limit, sit tight - this waiting period is normal. 

...
Continue reading

Parallel Parenting After a High-Conflict Texas Divorce

Posted on in Child Custody

Texas family law attorneyMost divorcing couples would probably agree that by the time they began getting divorced, their interpersonal relationship had mostly fallen apart. This loss of respect and compassion can make negotiations about important issues like property division and child custody, which can feel zero-sum to both parties, particularly difficult.

When a relationship is particularly high-conflict and the couple shares children under age 18, the prospect of continuing to co-parent peacefully after the divorce is finalized may be inconceivable to both parties. While many divorced couples prefer to interact as little as possible, some actually need strict boundaries around their interactions for the sake of protecting each other and the children. If you are considering divorce in Texas and this sounds familiar to you, you may want to look into parallel parenting. 

What is Parallel Parenting? 

Even when parents do not get along well, children still benefit from having both parents involved in their lives unless a parent poses a danger of abuse and neglect. And despite their dislike of each other and their longstanding personal disagreements, most parents continue to seek warm relationships with their children after divorce. 

...
Continue reading

Should Child Support Payments Cover the Cost of Preschool?

Posted on in Family Law

Collin County child support attorneyChild support is often one of the most contentious elements of divorce, but parental disagreements about child support and what it should cover often endure long after a divorce is finalized. As long as a child is under 18 or is still in high school, child support payments are usually required so one parent is not left meeting the entire financial burden of a child’s needs. 

Texas child support laws are quite conservative compared to many other states. Child support is intended to cover the basic housing, clothing, health, educational, and nutritional needs of a child, but will often cover nothing else. This can leave the parent who has a child most of the time scrambling to meet the child’s needs. If you are a parent who needs childcare in Texas, read on to find out whether you can ask your child’s other parent to help cover this important expense. 

Childcare Costs Are Rising Around the County

While the cost of childcare varies depending on the part of Texas in which a family lives, even less expensive areas have childcare costs that can far exceed one parent’s ability to pay by themselves. Parents of infants can expect to pay at least $1,000 a month, and childcare for older children is not much less. 

...
Continue reading

How Does Personal Property Become Commingled with Marital Property?

Posted on in Property Division

Collin County divorce attorneyOne of the most difficult and complex issues a couple getting divorced in Texas must resolve is that of dividing marital property. For couples who have been married for a long time - especially those who enjoy a high net worth - this process can be exponentially more complicated, thanks to many years of combined finances and issues like asset commingling. 

Texas requires marital property to be divided “justly.” Leaving aside the question of what might be considered “just” by either party, dividing marital property is obviously complicated by the fact that spouses may not agree on what should be considered marital property versus personal property. After all, one spouse may contest, using their personal property to benefit the marriage may have been done out of the goodness of their heart rather than an intent to combine personal and marital property. But, the other spouse may respond, property that is used as if it were marital property is, for all intents and purposes, just that. Which spouse is right? For help answering this question in your own divorce, review these ways that personal and marital property commonly become commingled during marriage and then contact an experienced Texas divorce lawyer.

How Does Personal Property Become Commingled? 

Anything either spouse owned before getting married, as well as anything either spouse inherited or was exclusively gifted during the marriage, is considered personal property and is not subject to division during divorce. As the average age of first marriage continues to increase, people increasingly have significantly more personal property prior to getting married than in the past, whether this is the in the form of real estate ownership, liquid savings, or investment accounts. 

...
Continue reading
Back to Top