Posted on May 01, 2020 in Child Custody

There's an App for everything. So why not an App for Co-parenting?

Children need stability, calm and security as they grow-up. Which parent are they spending the weekend with? Who needs to sign their school field trip note? The concern of these parental jobs is not their burden, and it's our role as parents to have it covered, allowing our kids to be kids.

Some parents can move into co-parenting rather seamlessly, while others feel like they have fallen into the deep end of a murky pool. And the ones’ who can suffer while you’re treading water are the children.

You’re not alone, and the Apps below were designed with you in mind:

• OUR FAMILY WIZARD
  Could you work with your ex-spouse post-divorce? Thankfully, the creators of Our Family Wizard could. This co-parenting app was created by a divorced couple who needed a tool to better communicate and share of information regarding their children. The app features tools that not only schedule child custody, track parenting time, share information and manage expenses but also log communication, providing you with accurate records for court proceedings. Third-parties such as grandparents, mediators and therapists can be added to the account at no extra cost.

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 Posted on May 01, 2020 in High Net Worth Divorce

Receiving the best possible financial outcome is vital when you are going through a divorce. But dividing marital assets can be complicated when one spouse receives his or her income through various means, including bonuses or stock options.

When compensation comes solely from a salary, negotiations are likely to be straightforward, and the timing of the divorce will typically not make a difference. However, it's vital to understand where your earnings come from and how the process could impact them.

Types of income and possible effects of divorce

If your compensation package includes any of these provisions, an experienced family law attorney here in Texas can help you protect these assets during negotiations:

Prepaid bonus with clawback provision: Employers sometimes pay a person a large bonus at the beginning of their employment, but the funds are subject to a clawback, or requirement that the funds will be repaid if the worker leaves the job early or doesn’t meet performance standards.

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 Posted on May 01, 2020 in Fathers’ Rights

But you’re not married to your child's mother. Does it matter? Legally, yes.

The definition of “family” is changing, and studies show that unmarried parents are becoming increasingly more common today. You and your child's mom may sail blissfully into the future, parenting your sweet bundle of joy as a happy family unit. But if you and the mom decide that you must go your separate ways, what rights do you have regarding your child?

Under Texas law, there is no presumption of paternity if the parents of a child are not married at the time of conception or the time of birth. What that means is that the father has no parental rights or obligations. Without a court order, the mother can refuse to allow you to see or care for your child. And this refusal can affect your extended family as well. Or the mother can move out of state without your permission.

If you want a relationship with your child, you must establish legal paternity. The establishment of paternity will result in your name being placed on the child's birth certificate and the assumption of parental rights and duties.

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 Posted on April 01, 2020 in Divorce

If you got married after completing your college education, the student loan debt you brought into the relationship will most likely still be yours alone if you divorce.However, it's not always cut and dried how that debt is distributed if you took out student loans while you were married. Any loans you receive after tying the knot in Texas are typically considered marital debt.

Figuring out a plan of action

Everyone's circumstances are different when their marriages end. An experienced family law attorney can help you find your own best course of action, including these considerations:

• Community property: Texas is one of nine states that consider all marital debt as community property. Both spouses are equally responsible for the repayment of student loans taken out during a marriage, even if only one spouse did the borrowing or attended school.

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 Posted on April 01, 2020 in Divorce

Divorce is a challenging process for both spouses, but it can be especially tricky when you have children. While there are likely to be some rough moments, there are actions both parents can take to make the transition smoother for everyone.

The first step is being open and honest with your kids. Trying to spare their feelings by telling them, “nothing is going to change,” won’t work and may increase their anxiety. It's crucial to be upfront and let them know that what's happening is not their fault.

Prioritize the needs of children

Being honest with your kids about their future should be the priority, even if it means that you don’t have all the answers. There are things you can do to help make them feel safe, such as:

• Respecting the other parent: Even if a divorce turns contentious, sharing negative feelings with or in front of children will likely confuse and upset them. Maintain a civil tone when speaking about your ex and never use foul language.

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 Posted on April 01, 2020 in Divorce

The best interest of the child?

Your child.

Your children.

Shouldn’t that be up to you?

Modification of a Child Custody Order in the great State of Texas

When it comes to the custody of your children after a divorce, and you are not able to come to an agreement with your spouse or former spouse, often it falls on the State of Texas to decide what is best. Even the most amicably divorced parents can face coparenting issues that cause one or both of you to want to revisit your custody arrangement.

In a perfect world, you and your ex-spouse would sit down together and happily reach a workable agreement that modifies the current arrangement; a perfect plan that makes parents and kids happy.

But very often, in the real world, such blissful agreements do not happen, and it is necessary to seek legal help to modify the current parenting plan.

Before you jump into what can be the murky pool of modification, let's look at some important steps to consider.

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 Posted on April 01, 2020 in Divorce

Affairs are soul crushing. Not only does infidelity destroy families and reputations, but cheating is a huge sign of disrespect. It can affect your trust in future partners and destroy your own self-esteem, in addition to playing a role in the dissolution of your marriage.

We are all attached to our phones now more than ever, so it's often our personal devices that reveal where we have been, who we have been talking to and what we are doing. If you suspect an affair, you should be on the lookout for the following apps on your partner's devices, as they can only spell trouble:

Adult Friend Finder: This app has been around for decades, first releasing back in 1996. It is targeted towards those who are looking to hookup, casually have sex, and just meet someone who's attractive. Basically, it's the ultimate app for someone who is cheating.

Affair D: A direct competitor of Ashley Madison's, and in many ways, very similar. AffairD is a discreet married dating website for cheating wives and cheating husbands. Attached males, attached females or people who are interested in attached people, can meet similar people on Affair D. And it's 100% free.

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 Posted on April 01, 2020 in Divorce

Telling your kids you’re getting a DIVORCE! In the top ten of the most dreaded conversations ever. Deciding how to tell the kids is bad, but answering their questions after can be worse. Lead with love and honesty, while also considering your child's emotional maturity. Consider the questions below before you sit down with your kids.

1. Why? Usually, this is the toughest one to answer, mostly because you’re trying to answer that very question for yourself. To respond without your own pain and anger coming through to your child can be particularly challenging, because your child is looking for assurances. “If I know why this is happening, maybe I can fix it” Let them know that they are loved and that the change is going to be hard but will make everyone happier in time.

2. Are you going to get back together? For children, the idea that this is only temporary would be a much easier pill to swallow. Explaining the new normal and assuring them that both of their parents will always be there for them can help to soften the blow that you will not be getting back together.

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 Posted on April 01, 2020 in High Conflict Family Law

A new survey shows a radical shift in the economic structure of families in the United States as more women say they are outearning their husbands than ever before.

The research by TD Ameritrade says nearly half of the women who took part in the survey say they make as much or more than their partners. That's a seismic change from 1960 when only 3.8% of women were the chief breadwinners, according to the Pew Research Center. Women now comprise more than half of the workforce in the country, and the percentage of those becoming the primary wage earner is expected to rise.

Marital strife over changing roles

Researchers found clear signs of a generational shift as millennial women are nearly twice as likely as their baby boomer counterparts to earn as much or more than their partners. But this often leads to conflict between couples. More than one in five millennials say their relationships feel more strained because one partner earns more than the other, while only one out of every 10 baby boomers say the disparity in earning status causes friction.

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 Posted on April 01, 2020 in High Conflict Family Law

Fear the Cloud

Today, people are texting more and talking less, with today's average adult spending 23 hours a week texting. According to a recent study, Americans exchange twice as many texts as they do phone calls. With that in mind, you would think that we would take a little more care in what we send via text message, but for whatever reason, the social etiquette we show on social media, in person, and on the phone all goes out the window when we text. From lewd photos to incriminating confessions, people will say just about anything via text, all the while mistakenly believing that no one else is watching (or reading). But this could not be further from the truth.

Not many of us understand the “cloud”. That great database in the sky. But rest assured, anything you write or send via text message is stored there and can be accessed at any time—yes, even deleted messages. Because of this, it is extremely important that you refrain from saying anything incriminating or potentially harmful to your character via text message. Especially if you are going through divorce.

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