Fairview Family Law Lawyers

Attorneys for Parents and Children in Collin County, TX

Any time a family is in court for a divorce or child custody case, everyone involved is going to see their life change. This change can be a very positive thing for both parents and children. Seeing each parent separately is often better for children than living in situations where their parents are constantly in conflict and unhappy. Living in a home with unhappily married parents can be more stressful than moving back and forth between two households. For adults, although divorce can be stressful, it is generally less stressful than remaining in a marriage that is no longer working.

The Ramage Law Group has many years of experience guiding families through the family law court system in Texas. Our skilled lawyers have worked through all types of divorces and child custody cases, from the most contentious and complicated situations to those involving amicable partings. No matter the circumstances of your divorce, child custody case, or paternity suit, we can provide excellent legal help throughout the entire process.

How Are Child Custody Cases Decided in Texas?

First, it is important to know that parents—married or unmarried—have the option of creating their own plan for co-parenting outside of court. Since the two of you know yourselves and your child best, using collaborative law to develop a personalized child custody plan may produce the best results. However, if you find that negotiation or mediation is not for you, it is good to become familiar with the factors Texas courts use to determine what custody arrangements are in the child's best interest.

Relevant factors include:

• Your child's desires
• Your child's physical and emotional needs
• Each parent's ability to meet those needs
• The relative stability of each parent's household
• Whether one parent may pose a risk of harm to the child
• Programs available to help the parent and child
• Plans each parent has made for the child
• Anything suggesting an improper parent-child relationship

Joint custody is nearly always the result when the court is left to decide.

Legal Help With Other Divorce Issues

Although child custody is often a parent's biggest concern in a divorce, there are plenty of other issues that must also be decided before your divorce can be finalized. These issues include:

• Dividing marital assets - In Texas, you and your spouse are the equal owners of all your marital (community) property. This usually means that everything from your retirement accounts to your interest in the marital home will be divided down the middle unless you agree to a certain division out of court.
• Spousal maintenance - If one of you was the other's financial dependent, alimony may be awarded to ensure that the dependent spouse can keep meeting their basic needs after the divorce.

Mediation is the more common way to resolve these issues, but our attorneys are experienced in the courtroom as well if you must litigate.

Paternity and Fathers' Rights

Fathers and mothers have the right to be treated equally during child custody proceedings. Fathers' rights have come a long way in the last 50 years. Courts no longer consider the gender of the parent when determining what type of custody and visitation schedule is best for the child.

If you suspect that you are a father but are not on your child's birth certificate already, we can help you initiate paternity proceedings. Often, simply filing a paternity case will prompt the mother to admit that you are the father so that you can be made your child's official legal parent. Otherwise, we can generally force a DNA test to prove that you are your child's dad.

Contact a Fairview Family Law Attorney

The Ramage Law Group is committed to serving parents and children who are involved in cases in family court. Our experienced Collin County family law attorneys can help with divorce, child custody, and more. Contact us at 972-562-9890 to set up a consultation.