Everyone Who Is Considering Divorce Takes Three Steps. At Palmer Law Group, Our Allen Divorce Attorneys Have Created Healthier Solutions To Each Of Them That Prioritize Ending The Fighting – Not Increasing It.
Step 1 is figuring out whether or not you should get divorced (for some, this is an easy decision, but for most it is incredibly difficult).
Step 2 is figuring out what strategies you should use, and Step 3 is actually getting the divorce.
Because we’ve helped hundreds of clients, we know that skipping a step is like building a house without laying the foundation well. Divorce is a major change in your life, and if you’re going to make that change, we want to help you make it for the right reasons, in the best way that you can!
That’s why our Allen divorce attorneys created a unique 3-step process to help you:
- Answer the hundreds of questions you have (“What are things going to be like if I get a divorce? What will happen to my kids? Do we have to go to court? What is involved in something like this? How much will it cost? Do we have to sell the house?”)
- Determine if there is any way to save your marriage, if that is the right thing for you
- Learn what to actually expect about the process if you choose to move forward
- Learn how you can achieve your goals
- Reduce your fears about the future
- Get through divorce in the healthiest way you can.
Our solutions to all 3 steps (that include a Decision Counseling Session, Marriage Viability Assessment, Divorce Strategy Session, and more) will make a huge difference in your life. Divorce doesn’t have to be something to be terrified of, something toxic, something terrible – we want something better for you. If you want that too, request a consultation today.
Divorce Considerations In Texas
Most Texas divorces involve 4 main areas. Below is a brief overview of a few things you may need to know about each area, but every divorce is different! When you work with our team, you will have someone experienced and knowledgeable helping you make the right decisions based on your unique situation.
- Property division: Texas courts would divide community property (any money or possessions that you and your spouse acquired during the marriage) based on a standard of what is “just and right”. What is just and right is left up to the court’s discretion, if your divorce goes to court, but would be based on factors such as:
- Relative earning potential (each spouse’s earning potential)
- Each spouse’s age and health
- Each spouse’s contributions to the marriage
- Whether or not one spouse was at fault for the divorce (e.g., adultery)
- Each spouse’s education
- Whether either spouse was involved in fraud or waste
Because the courts do have so much discretion in what is “equitable”, this is another reason why finding solutions to your divorce that keep you out of court may be in your and your spouse’s best interests.
- Child custody: Texas divides what most people commonly think of when they think of child custody into two parts – possession and access, and conservatorship. Possession and access refers to where the child lives, and how much time each parent gets with the child. Conservatorship refers to the legal rights and responsibilities of each parent.
Our Allen divorce attorneys can help you work towards a custom arrangement that takes both of these parts into account and that is reasonable for you, your spouse, and your child(ren). We believe that in most cases, you and your spouse should work together outside of court to make decisions for your kids, because the court doesn’t know your kids like you do!
- Child support: In Texas, child support depends on a number of factors, including the income of both parents, the needs of the child(ren), relative amounts of parenting time, and more. There are “guidelines” for how much should be paid, but they are only guidelines unless they are ordered. There are many different options, and we can help you determine the best option for your family!
- Spousal maintenance: You may have heard that Texas is a “no alimony” state, but that isn’t true; spouses can be required, both during and after the divorce, to pay the other spouse; amounts vary depending on the circumstances and other factors (like earning capacity), but this can be one of the most difficult parts of divorce to navigate. Our Allen divorce attorneys can advise you!
Divorce Doesn’t Have To Be So Hard!®
For some divorce attorneys, divorce is about billing and winning – they charge by the hour from the first minute, and they use their skills in the courtroom and intimidation in order to get you the upperhand to the detriment of your spouse. The spouse is the enemy, and the attorney stops at nothing to win against them.
Our Allen divorce attorneys, led by founding attorney Dana Christian Palmer, Esq., don’t believe in that. We’re different. To us, that’s not how family law should be. Especially if you are both parents, the other side is (usually) not the enemy; yes, there are hard cases where we must stop evil from happening, such as abuse (and if that’s the case, contact us immediately so we can help you), but in the vast majority of situations, divorce should be about ending, not increasing, conflict.
At Palmer Law Group, we have tremendous skills in the courtroom, but our skills are even better used when we avoid court. We will guide you every step of the way to the best possible solution! Our goal is to preserve your peace of mind. Let’s navigate this together. Request a consultation today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Divorce
What is a “Texas Standard Possession Order”?
This refers to the default child custody orders – when each parent will take care of the children and what rights, duties, and responsibilities each of the parents will have during those times. The Texas Standard Possession Order is one possibility in certain circumstances, but if parents are able to agree, we can put any type of customized parenting plan in place.
We’ve done literally thousands of custody orders and read thousands more – we know what actually works and we know what things cause problems, even though it sounds good!
What is relative earning capacity?
Relative earning capacity means that one spouse will have the ability to make a lot of money after the marriage, but the other party will only be able to make very little after the marriage (for example, if one spouse was focused on career while the other spouse was focused on raising children). The longer the marriage lasted, the more important relative earning capacity is, and it seems to be the most important factor in determining property division currently.
Do I have to go to court if I pursue a divorce?
It depends, but when you work with our Allen divorce attorneys, we prefer to avoid court involvement and appearances and hearings. There is a Temporary Orders Hearing, which our lawyers can explain, but our MO is to find healthier, customized solutions for our clients without going to court. We usually spend more time doing that than a hearing would take, which usually gets better results for everyone involved.