Helping You Get Through Your Divorce
Whether you are seeking a divorce or you have been served with divorce papers by your spouse, your first step should be to locate an attorney who can help you minimize stress while protecting your rights.
You can find that attorney at the law firm of Palmer & Manuel. Located in Dallas, Texas, we are a caring, confident and experienced legal team, ready to help you get through your contested or uncontested divorce. We also handle military divorce.
Grounds for Divorce in Texas
Texas has very liberal grounds for divorce, making getting a divorce easier here than in many other states.
A divorce will be granted if you, your spouse or both of you decide that discord or conflict of personalities prevents your marital relationship from continuing and there is no reasonable expectation of reconciliation. This is known as "no-fault" or "insupportable" divorce.
There are also several "fault" grounds for divorce, including adultery, abandonment, cruelty and abuse. While you do not need to allege any of these grounds to obtain a Texas divorce, the court can consider these allegations when certain issues, such as property division or child custody and visitation are disputed.
Getting Started: The Original Petition
The divorce begins with the filing of an Original Petition for Divorce with the District Clerk in the county in which you or your spouse have resided for the previous 90 days.
After filing the Original Petition, the document must be delivered to your spouse, which is commonly done by having a constable or private process server "serve" your spouse with the papers.
The Next Step: Temporary Orders
Temporary orders may be issued by the court for the period of time between the date the divorce is filed and the date the divorce becomes final. These orders address issues such as who will pay the bills, which spouse remains in the home and who will have possession of the children and when.
A temporary restraining order (TRO) or temporary injunction may be issued to prevent the transfer or disposal of property and assets. It can also be used to prevent harassment.
Child Custody and Visitation
Child custody and visitation arrangements come in many forms primarily dictated by the needs of the child. While the courts take great care to see that children come first during a divorce, the Judge has a limited time to understand your particular situation. Our lawyers spend the time to get to know you and your family so we can be effective advocates for you and your children.
Child Support
The Texas Family Code contains predetermined guidelines for the computation of child support. In certain situations, the court can set child support above or below the statutory guideline support amount. Our attorneys are committed to seeing that child support is handled fairly in your case.
Alimony and Spousal Maintenance
While court-ordered alimony after divorce is fairly uncommon, temporary spousal maintenance if often awarded while a case is pending. We will take great care to see that alimony and spousal support are handled fairly in your case.
Property Division
In Texas, there are two types of property: community property and separate property. Community property consists of all property other than separate property acquired by either spouse during marriage. Generally, separate property is property owned prior to marriage or acquired during marriage by gift or inheritance. Our goal is to identify and protect your property as you proceed through your divorce.
Settlement or Trial?
We believe that settling your divorce out of court generally benefits of everyone involved. Out of court settlements are typically less contentious, less stressful and less expensive. They can be obtained through negotiation, as well as techniques like family law mediations and arbitrations, or collaborative family law.
Of course, if a case needs to go to trial, we have substantial litigation experience in family law cases.
After a Divorce
Moving forward with your new life, you may wish to change your name from your married name to the name you used prior to your marriage. We can assist.
Our law firm is also available to address issues that arise after a divorce is finalized, such as modifications of child custody and visitation, child support or spousal support. We also address enforcement and contempt issues.
Learn More About Our Commitment to Providing Divorce Solutions
Call us at 214-242-6444 or contact us online.
We offer convenient office hours, flexible appointment times and reasonable fees. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted.
