Posted on August 02, 2017 in Family Law

Imagine receiving an order from a family law court telling you that you must pay child support for a kid that someone else fathered. If you had helped to raise and nurture this child, it might not come as a shock. However, if you had only met this child one time and had no personal ties at all, you might feel betrayed, angry and confused.

A Texas man is experiencing his own set of bewildering emotions after a family law court ordered him to pay $65,000 in back child support for a child who is not his. Reportedly, the man, who has three children and two nephews currently under his care, was not aware of the child’s existence until he received court papers in 2016. The mother of the child in question repeatedly insisted that this man fathered her child, but a DNA test proved otherwise.

Unfortunately, the DNA test did not end the father’s ordeal. In Texas, the family code mandates that purported fathers still owe any child support that accrued before the results of a paternity test.

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 Posted on July 28, 2017 in Family Law

Each state has its own set of laws concerning child custody. In most cases, these laws are similar across the nation, which can be a comfort to divorcing parents. Despite the similarities, it is important for you to learn how the process works in whichever state you live in. This blog post contains a few important facts about child custody in the state of Texas.

Terminology: In this state, you may hear child custody and related issues referred to in unfamiliar terms. For example, you are probably accustomed to the phrase child custody, but in Texas the legal term for this is conservatorship. You should ask your family law attorney for an explanation of any unfamiliar terminology you hear or read.

Types of Conservatorship: Some states offer a confusing range of child custody options. In Texas, there are only two options, but they can be designed to meet the needs of the family just as effectively as the options available in other states. They are JMC (joint managing conservatorship), which is basically the same as joint custody, and SMC (sole managing conservatorship), which is another way of saying sole custody.

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 Posted on July 21, 2017 in Divorce

It is a given that if you are getting a divorce, then you want a good and effective attorney on your side. Unfortunately, it is all too easy to find negative articles across the internet focusing on the worst practices of a divorce attorney. This is unfortunate for those getting divorced as it can discourage them from making the right decisions during this difficult time. It is just as unfortunate for effective divorce lawyers who may suffer from these articles as well.

If you are wondering what makes one divorce lawyer better than another, we suggest that you research your options before you choose an attorney. Remember that just as in your other relationships you will want an attorney with whom you are compatible. This means paying attention to your comfort and communication levels during your initial consultations.

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 Posted on July 14, 2017 in Family Law

In most cases, when people contemplate a visit to a family law attorney, they feel a sense of dread or negativity. It is perfectly natural response because many times these attorney visits occur to prepare for a divorce or to talk about child custody and support issues. However, there are some occasions when visiting a family law attorney can make you feel happy. Preparing to adopt a stepchild is one such occasion.

While there are several legal issues you must take care of to complete your adoption, it is not as hard as many people assume it is. It might help to think about it this way. Court officials and even local governments want you to adopt your stepchild if the biological parent will not or cannot parent the child in question. As such, they are eager to help you in your quest to adopt.

Your family law attorney is also eager to help you. To get you pointed in the right direction, the section below contains a few important points to help you know what to expect during the adoption process.

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 Posted on July 05, 2017 in Child Custody

We begin this post by wishing that our readers had a happy and memorable Fourth of July weekend. The holiday weekend ended with a bang this year on a Tuesday, which meant that many divorced and separated parents were able to split the holiday given that two days occurred during the normal work week.

However, holiday weekends are not immune from misunderstandings and missed (or denied) parenting time. Now that the holiday is over, some real fireworks may begin as wronged parents seek retribution. If you fit into this category, there are a few things to know before seeking a legal remedy. This post will name a few.

Beware of requirements in your order – If you are seeking compensatory parenting time for time that was missed during the holiday, be wary of mediation requirements or other stipulations, such as putting your dispute before a parenting time expeditor or counselor before coming back to court.

Be careful about revenge – While you may be hurt and feel disrespected, seeking revenge by withholding the children for the other parent’s time or threatening physical harm could really backfire.

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 Posted on July 05, 2017 in Child Custody

In a divorce, two of the biggest considerations are what to do with the children and what to do with the family home. The traditional solution looks something like this: One parent stays in the house and the other moves out. The children then bounce back and forth between mom’s place and dad’s place.

This may be the traditional solution, but it is certainly not the only solution.

Bird Nesting Is On The Rise

An article from the New York Times details a solution that is becoming increasingly popular. Instead of forcing the children to go back and forth between homes, which can be stressful, particularly for younger kids, the parents do the shuffling. The kids stay in the family home. The parents rotate in and out of the house. When the parents are not living in the house with the kids, they may be staying in an apartment nearby. This unique arrangement is referred to as bird nesting, or just nesting.

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