Dallas Family Law Blog

Hurdles that are unique to older divorcees

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. posted in divorce on Friday, September 21, 2018.

Older couples in Texas have been getting divorces at higher rates than ever before in recent years. This is a nation-wide trend. However, while nothing outwardly differentiates a gray divorce from an average divorce, these older divorcees will be facing some unique hurdles that younger couples will likely be able to avoid.

According to CNBC, a gray divorce can be a game-changer in terms of a person's financial future. Older couples simply don't have as much time to bounce back as a younger couple might. They could be cutting deeply into their retirement funds if the divorce is costly. A person could also be risking a monetary cushion that may have been viewed as entirely reliable, the pension plan or retirement savings of the spouse.

How do you recognize an abusive relationship?

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. posted in domestic violence on Friday, September 7, 2018.

When you are in a relationship in Texas, you may find it difficult to believe that your partner is abusive. However, people from any background can find themselves affected by domestic violence and it is important to be able to recognize the signs.

There are many signs that your partner might be abusive. HelpGuide.org says that an abusive partner might be controlling. He or she may try to keep you from visiting with your family and friends and try to control the things you do and the places you go. This person may also call or text you during the day to find out what you are doing and where you are. Another sign of domestic violence is the way your partner speaks to you. An abusive partner may blame you for his or her behavior or criticize you frequently.

Understanding the process for initiating a divorce in Texas

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. on Friday, August 24, 2018.

You have finally decided to end your marriage, and a feeling of relief comes over you as a result. However, your first question is, how exactly do you get a divorce in Texas?

The process you use to end your marriage in the Lone Star State will depend on a number of factors, including why you are breaking up and whether you have children. Here is a look at some of the potential options you may have for your divorce:

Are high asset divorces complicated?

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. posted in family law on Friday, August 24, 2018.

You and your spouse may find that under divorce laws in Texas, the joint assets that you enjoyed together can become a source of headaches during a divorce. The higher your assets are, the more potential troubles you could run into as the litigation involved becomes more and more complex.

FindLaw considers divorces involving high assets to be complex divorce cases. This is due to the fact that the litigation involved is extremely detailed and can often times be confusing to the people involved. For example, many couples with high assets are involved in business together. Many more also share bank accounts. This can make the process of detangling your finances very complicated. It can also raise questions of who actually has legal say over certain aspects of your shared assets.

Where is Elian Gonzalez today?

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. posted in Child Custody on Friday, August 10, 2018.

You may remember the heartbreaking case several years ago involving a young Cuban immigrant, Elian Gonzalez, and the bitter custody battle between the boy’s father and his relatives in America. Like many other Texans, you may wonder how he is doing today.

As you may recall, Elian made it to the U.S. during a harrowing ordeal, in which the boat he was on with his mother sank. His mother drowned, as CNN recaps, but authorities rescued the 6-year-old boy and took him to relatives in Florida. Immigration officials granted permission for the boy to be returned to his father in Cuba, but his Florida family refused to hand him over. During an armed confrontation with federal agents, the frightened boy was taken from his relatives and returned to Cuba, capturing the public’s attention and heart and dividing many.

Why did Stormy Daniels' husband file for a restraining order?

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. posted in divorce on Friday, July 27, 2018.

Even celebrities have to face the trials and tribulations of divorce, and they aren't always dealing with a clean split either. The news is currently following the divorce of Stormy Daniels from her husband Glendon Crain, who appears to have more than a few issues with his spouse.

TMZ has recently reported that Crain has filed a restraining order against Daniels. According to reports, Daniels had wanted to take her seven year old daughter on a tour with her. Crain worried that being on the bus with these adults during the tour would expose her to the potential of both emotional and physical harm.

How to cope with being far away from your kids after divorce

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. on Thursday, July 26, 2018.

While you may have suspected that your marriage was headed for divorce quite some time before it actually happened, there was no way for you to predict what life would be like in the future, especially concerning your relationship with your children. Now that a Texas judge has issued the final decree and you have agreed to a parenting plan, you can focus on strengthening your parent/child bonds and think about ways to keep in touch with your kids when you're away.

Although long-distance travel may be worrying you, there is reason to be hopeful that you and your kids will stay in close contact and come up with creative means for feeling close to each other even when there's miles of physical distance between you. The reality is, however, that legal problems sometimes arise when non-custodial parents are far away; you can stay as prepared as you can for such situations by knowing ahead of time, where to seek support.

Does my name on the birth certificate give me parental rights?

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. posted in fathers' rights on Tuesday, July 10, 2018.

For father's parental rights are incredibly important in Texas. Having these rights allows you to be a part of your child's life and protects you against problems that can arise with the mother. According to the Attorney General, if you are married to the child's mother, then paternity is established at birth due to the marriage. Unfortunately, things are a little more difficult if you are not married because just putting your name on the birth certificate does not establish paternity.

If you and the mother are together and have a solid relationship, you will find it pretty simple to get paternity established because all you will have to do is both sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity. You file this with the court and the court will grant paternity, giving you full parental rights.

Is it easy for parents to relocate after a divorce?

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. posted in Child Custody on Friday, June 29, 2018.

As a Texan parent who has gotten a divorce, you could soon find yourself wanting to move away. No matter what the reason may be, relocation is something that plenty of people contemplate after divorcing an ex-partner. Lisa E. McKnight, PC, is here to help you understand everything there is to know about relocating after a split.

Generally speaking, joint guardianship is appointed in Texas. This means that there is no primary custodian, and that both parents share equal responsibility for raising their child. This can be very helpful to families in some ways. In other ways, it can also be a detriment.

Not receiving owed child support in Texas? You have options

On behalf of Lisa E. McKnight, P.C. on Thursday, June 28, 2018.

A judge has granted you custody of the children you share with another individual, and he or she has also ordered the other party to pay child support. This may seem like good news to you at first. However, the bad news is that the other party may not be reliable in making those child support payments long term.

As a single parent in Texas, you may naturally worry about being able to cover your family's expenses every month. This is true even when you do receive on-time payments from the other parent. However, it is especially the case if the other parent fails to make payments consistently and in a timely manner. In some cases, the other parent may seem to have disappeared altogether. Fortunately, in these situations, you have the right to take action with the help of state officials.