Family Law
Custody, Divorce, Child Support
Providing Comprehensive Divorce Representation for Clients
Litigation that involves substantial assets or complex business holdings requires the skill of a team of experienced legal professionals who know how to protect your financial interests. We are an experienced Texas law firm with a focus on complex divorce issues, including the division of high-value assets. Our accomplished attorneys provide personal legal guidance to clients in Texas. Our team approach gives you access to the skilled litigation professionals you need to help you achieve your specific objectives and arrive at a positive outcome.
With more than two centuries of combined experience, the attorneys at Themis Legal Group, PLLC provide knowledgeable legal representation to clients facing contested divorce, child-related issues, and other family disputes in the courtroom.
Divorce Planning can have a dramatic effect on the eventual outcome of cases. Divorce planning is particularly important for child custody rights, as family court judges in Texas are reluctant to alter existing arrangements involving children. The planning process helps establish the “status quo” for the determination of custody and visitation rights before divorce papers are filed.
If you’re contemplating a divorce, call us. It is never too early to begin your plan, or to start developing strategies to help you make a comfortable and amicable transition into your next phase of life.
Why Choose Us to Win Your Contested Divorce?
A contested divorce in Texas is a trying experience. In a contested divorce, you have to be prepared to assert your rights effectively to the court. Because of our experience handling family law matters at Themis Legal Group, PLLC, we’re prepared to handle the legal aspects of the divorce for you.
During this tumultuous time, we can help you to ensure that your interests are protected. We do this by:
Reviewing the asset and debt documents, including those for high-asset divorces, to determine your division options.
Identifying issues that you need to consider before you go through the trial process.
Attempting to negotiate a settlement with your spouse before we move to a family court trial.
Drawing on our experience to prepare your case for trial when and if this becomes necessary.
Working with our contested divorce attorneys in DFW means you can count on us to fight for you throughout the process. We’ve worked hard to earn national recognition through some of the most reputable entities and some of our awards and recognitions have been shared below.
Helping You Assert Your Rights to Custody and Support, While Diligently Protecting the Well-Being of Your Child
Children have unique needs. In cases of child custody and support, we believe that the best outcomes occur when both parents are guided by an objective sense of doing what is in the best interests of the children involved. Generally, this requires working together to achieve a thorough and straightforward parenting plan that leaves as little as possible in question. When arriving at this plan through negotiation isn’t possible, we assertively advocate for your position at trial.
Custody and support modifications
Even in cases where both parents have agreed to custody and support terms, it is sometimes necessary to modify or renegotiate the agreement in the future. The courts are generally open to modifications when there is a substantial change in income, marital status or the needs of the child. When alterations are desired for other reasons, we are prepared to advise, negotiate and litigate toward a favorable outcome that promotes the interests and well-being of the child or children involved.
Paternity actions
While DNA tests may settle questions concerning paternal identity, this is often not enough to settle all the related custody and support issues at hand. In the area of paternity disputes, we work with clients to resolve child support, parenting time and rights and potential adoption. We can also negotiate or litigate for inheritance and estate rights when appropriate.
Parental relocation
Many divorce decrees and custody orders place a geographic restriction on the child’s residence, which often prevents parental relocation. Even when required by a job or employer demands, moving a child out of the county, state or country without first seeking court approval may violate a court order. At Themis Legal Group, PLLC, we work with our clients to resolve their concerns through negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation.
Multiple jurisdiction divorce and custody cases
Multi-state or international jurisdiction divorce and custody matters come with a unique set of obstacles, complexities and opportunities. We work with our clients to identify solutions that protects what they value most.
Grandparents’ rights
In certain circumstances, grandparents may have rights to child visitation or conservatorship. We help grandparents take decisive action and assert their rights, when there is a legal basis to do so, to assure that the best interests of their grandchildren are being addressed.
Simple Divorce in Texas
If you and your spouse have no assets, no real property and no minor children—and you agree about everything—an uncontested divorce in Texas may make sense for you. After all, the removal of these factors makes it fairly easy for spouses to reach a divorce agreement. Keep in mind, though, few couples meet those requirements, requiring most couples to undergo a contested divorce. However, if you do qualify, the process for an uncontested, agreed or no contest divorce in Texas is pretty straightforward.
To file for an uncontested divorce in Texas, a couple must have resided in Texas for at least six months and in the county where the party is filing for divorce for a minimum of 90 days. From there, if both parties agree to the terms of the divorce, the process generally goes as follows (your county clerk can provide additional details and next steps):
In order to initiate the divorce case, one party fills out and files the Original Petition for Divorce in the county where he or she resides. The petition notifies the court and spouse that the filing party wants a divorce. The party will also need to fill out and file a Civil Case Information Sheet at this time, and there may be other paperwork the county requires depending on where the party lives.
Pay required filing fees, which range from $150-300, depending on the county where the Petition for Divorce is filed.
The responding spouse signs a Waiver of Service form in front of a notary, which states the party doesn’t want to be formally served with the Petition for Divorce by a constable, sheriff or process server. This form must be signed at least one day after the Petition for Divorce is filed.
Both parties fill out and sign the Final Decree of Divorce, which states what the court has ordered in the case. Information in the decree covers separate property and debts the individuals own or are responsible for; how any retirement funds will be split; name change if desired; and other details.
After a mandatory 60-day waiting period, one or both parties appear in court in front of the judge to finalize the divorce. The judge will review all documents pertaining to the case, including the documents noted above and question the party or parties. (NOTE: Victims of family violence may be able to sidestep the waiting period with a Texas divorce 60-day waiver.)
If the judge approves the divorce, he or she will sign the Final Decree of Divorce, which finalizes the divorce.
Hiring a Texas Mediation Attorney to Help With an Uncontested Divorce in Texas
If you and your spouse agree on everything, own no real property and don’t have minor children, you may not need an attorney. You can request the appropriate Texas uncontested divorce forms from your county clerk’s office or download them from the state’s website.
However, if you and your spouse agree on most things and need an impartial attorney to sort out a few details and prepare the Final Decree of Divorce, hiring a mediation attorney can simplify and even expedite the process.
If a divorce is uncontested, this means the couple has sorted everything out regarding the division of assets, as well as custody, visitation and access to the child, they just want to talk through a few issues and make sure paperwork is filled out accurately and filed. A mediation attorney with experience practicing family law can answer any questions you may have.
Keep in mind, a mediation attorney for an uncontested divorce cannot offer legal advice to either party. If either party needs or would like legal advice, it’s best that each party hire a separate attorney to represent their individual interests.
In addition, an uncontested divorce in Texas with children is a rare situation because most parents don’t realize how many decisions they need to make for their kids in the short- and long-term or how the state views parental rights and duties as defined in the Texas Family Code.
It’s also important to know the difference between a mediation attorney and a divorce mediator. Texas mediation attorneys are licensed to practice law in the state, while many mediators in Texas haven’t attended law school or earned a law degree. If you hire a mediator who doesn’t understand the intricacies of divorce, child custody, child support, division of property, alimony, etc., you could end up with an unfavorable divorce decree and/or child custody settlement.
