Dallas County Divorce Lawyer Lisa McKnight
Board-Certified Specialist in Family Law
Texas is a community property state, but that does not guarantee a fair and equal division of your marital estate. Nor are you necessarily better off even if you "win" 50 percent or more of the assets. The real question is: what distribution makes the best sense as you move forward with your life?
The law firm of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C., handles complex property division and all facets of Texas divorce. We represent women or men in the greater Dallas area, from high-earning professionals to stay-at-home spouses. Contact a skilled lawyer who will steer you right and fight for your interests.
A Realistic Approach to Divorce and Property Division
Lisa McKnight is a board-certified* family law specialist with nearly two decades of experience in divorce litigation. She will help you view asset division as a series of business and financial decisions, so that you don't waste energy on the wrong things or put yourself in a dead-end situation.
The marital home is a prime example. You could trade away other assets so that you and the kids can stay in a house that will suck 50 percent of your income. Why live that way? How long can you sustain it? We have also seen couples burn thousands of dollars fighting over furniture and other items of garage sale value — a hollow victory at best.
As a Dallas high net worth divorce lawyer, Lisa McKnight focuses on the issues that matter and runs the numbers so that you can make informed decisions:
- Keeping the house or selling it
- Retirement accounts
- Hidden assets or under-reported income
- Joint debts (you are both accountable to creditors, no matter whose name is on the credit card or loan)
- Assets owned prior to marriage
- Valuation of a closely held business
- Vacation homes or rental property
- Stock options, job perks, insurance policies and other overlooked assets
Other variables such as separate property or a prenuptial agreement can alter property division. As a rule of thumb, many judges will award an extra 5 percent to the aggrieved spouse for an extramarital affair if it caused the break-up of the marriage.
• Also see Your Home and Assets.
Alimony/Spousal Maintenance
True alimony is ongoing financial support to an ex-spouse until death or remarriage. It is almost never awarded, except in cases of very long marriages, great disparity in earning capacity or a spouse who is disabled.
However, the court may award spousal maintenance for up to three years to equalize the standard of living while the lesser-earning spouse works toward financial independence. We can advise whether or not maintenance is likely to be awarded in your case.
Take Control of Your Divorce
The truth is that both spouses will "downsize" their standard of living in one way or another. Our role is to make sure that everything is on the table, to fight the courtroom battles that are worth fighting and to help you find a fair and practical balance.
Through negotiation, mediation or contested proceedings, Lisa McKnight is committed to helping you through this difficult time and making sure you come out of divorce in solid shape to move on with your life.
Richardson Property Division Attorney
Call our east Dallas office at 214-528-4191 for a, confidential consultation.
* Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area of family law
