Fort Worth, Texas Divorce Law Blog

Texas residents could put their retirement and financial future at risk by getting a divorce. One woman says that she lost nearly $1 million in retirement savings after she divorced her husband after 15 years together. A series of events after the divorce required her to spend about $200,000 in legal fees, and the woman claims that the money could have grown to $1 million if put into a retirement account.

Furthermore, she had to work to pay down the debt that was incurred during the divorce. Ultimately, the woman believes that she and her husband would have been able to retire at age 50 with millions of dollars in the bank if the divorce hadn't occurred. The couple did not have a prenuptial agreement prior to getting married. Going to court as opposed to a mediator to settle the divorce was another reason cited as to why the divorce was so costly.

Parents in Texas and around the country generally love their children and value their time with them. Unfortunately, there are situations in which a divorce leaves a parent without access to his or her children. This may be because a family law court has decided to stop visitation or a custodial parent is refusing to allow the other parent access to the kids.

Family law courts seldom completely prevent parents from visiting their children. This is because judges understand that it is important for children and their parents to have a relationship. If a court does choose to end or restrict visitation, is it typically because the court believes that it is in the best interests of the children to have limited or no contact with that parent.

There is a possibility that a child support order that was created in Texas will need to be modified in the future. The process of modifying an order may be more complicated if one or both spouses move to another state. Parents who are seeking child support in another state will be guided by the terms of The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA). Typically, the state where the order originates will continue to have jurisdiction over the matter.

However, parents can agree to transfer jurisdiction to another state. In the event that only the parent who is paying support moves, the originating state retains the power to send notices or make other decisions. If both parents move, the state where they currently live has the ability to modify the current support order. If each parent lives in a different state, the one who wants to modify the order should do so in the state where he or she lives.

When couples in Texas decide to divorce, they might struggle vigorously over sentimental items of property. For many pet owners, however, their animals are more than property, even if that is how they are understood in the law. "Pet custody" is increasingly becoming a part of divorce settlements as spouses determine how to negotiate their future arrangements for their dogs and cats. Animal custody is sometimes worked out to coincide with child custody schedules, but it can be handled on its own as part of the divorce agreement as well. Due to the important role that pets play in many people's lives, many spouses are thinking more about how to keep their bond with their animals even after a human romantic relationship ends.

Courts in some states are adjusting their traditional approach to pets to recognize that they are a unique type of property. In California, courts can make custody determinations for animals when the spouses do not reach their own agreement through divorce negotiations. In New Jersey, while pets are considered personal property, they are also understood to have a special sentimental value, and courts can issue shared possession orders. They can also hold hearings to assess both parties' level of attachment to the animal if there is a dispute about pet ownership.