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In this article, you will discover: How to prepare emotionally and legally for custody mediation in Hunt County, TX. Documents to bring with you for custody mediation. Dos and Don’ts for parents participating in child custody mediation. How Do I Know If I’m Emotionally And Legally Ready For Custody Mediation? For custody mediation, being well-prepared with the right documents helps the process go more smoothly and supports your position. You may also want to conduct formal or informal discovery with the other parent to gather evidence and obtain responsive information that facilitates the negotiation process. Finally, remember that the mediator is a neutral party who has no particular knowledge of your case beyond what you, the other parent, and your attorneys shared. The mediator’s role is not to judge you…Read More

In this article, you will discover: How mediation works in Hunt County, Texas child custody cases. The benefits of the mediation process. What happens if one party doesn’t cooperate in mediation. How Is Child Custody Mediation Initiated In Texas? A court order is not generally required to appoint a mediator in Texas courts. However, if the parties cannot agree to mediation, one party can request that the court order the appointment to take place before a final hearing. Additionally, if an agreement cannot be reached, the court may need to appoint a particular mediator or allocate mediation costs between the parties. The most efficient course of action is for the parties’ attorneys to select a mediator and schedule a day and time that works for all counsel and the litigants.…Read More

In this article, you will discover: How violating a custody order will impact your parental rights How to enforce a custody order through careful documentation of violations How to correct an unwitting violation of a custody order How Do Legal Custody Agreement Violations Impact Parental Rights? Actions that violate the terms of the custody court order are heavily frowned upon by the courts and can have a significant impact on future possession, access and even conservatorship rights. If a court order spells out the time for an exchange between parents, failing to comply with that order is a violation. As a parent and litigant, you should be leery of violating the custody agreement without speaking to an attorney first. Can I Legally Withhold Visitation In Texas If My Ex-Spouse Violates…Read More

In this article, you will discover:  What occurs during a child custody evaluation Who performs child custody evaluations in Texas, and what their qualifications are What you should expect during a child custody evaluation What Is A Child Custody Evaluation, And How Can I Request One? A child custody evaluation is a formal assessment conducted by a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or social worker, to determine the best custody arrangement for your child in cases of divorce or separation. The evaluation includes recommendations about conservatorship, possession and access to your child. The goal of a custody evaluation is to: Assess your child’s needs Assess each parent’s ability to meet those needs Ensure the custody decision supports your child’s well-being and best interests A motion and hearing to…Read More

In this article, you will discover: The importance of flexibility in co-parenting holiday planning How to avoid communication mishaps about or changes in holiday plans How to reduce a child’s stress about holiday plans during custody transitions Why Is Flexibility Important For Successful Co-Parenting During The Holidays? Flexibility is key because most holiday parenting times revolve around school calendars, which we know change on an annual basis. If schools decide to let out for Christmas holidays early one year, they may go back significantly later in January than the prior year. If parenting time schedules revolve around the school's holiday schedule, you may feel you’re unfairly deprived of time, or the other party is unfairly given a windfall of time. It can be essential to be flexible and take into…Read More

In this article, you will discover: How you should handle your social media during a divorce or custody case The risks of posting about a new relationship during a divorce or custody case How social media posts can be used by opposing counsel to challenge your character in a divorce or custody case What Types Of Social Media Posts Should I Avoid During A Divorce Or Custody Case? Ideally, stay off of social media during your divorce or custody case. However, social media is a large part of everybody's lives these days, so that's not likely to be feasible. Posts about your spouse, the pending case, your children or how your children are feeling during a separation, divorce or custody case are not necessary for social media. If you have…Read More

In this article, you will discover: How to prepare for a meeting with an amicus attorney. How an amicus attorney decides what’s in the best interest of a child. How to make sure an amicus attorney understands your side of the case. What Experience Do You Have Working With High-Conflict Custody Cases? As an amicus attorney, a hundred percent of my experience is in high-conflict custody cases. High conflict is one of the requirements that the court must consider when appointing an amicus. I usually carry a caseload of about 20 high-conflict amicus cases at a time. These cases are primarily in Hunt County, where we have litigants who are usually getting divorced or trying to modify a prior court order after a divorce that dealt with custody issues: the…Read More

In this article, you will discover: What an amicus attorney is and why they are brought into custody cases Whether a parent can refuse the appointment of an amicus attorney Whether a parent can challenge the findings of an amicus attorney What Is An Amicus Attorney, And Why Are They Brought Into Texas Custody Cases? An amicus attorney provides the court with legal services necessary for the court to evaluate and make rulings designed to protect your child's best interest. The Texas Family Code essentially defines an amicus attorney's role in Texas child custody cases. If there's any specific service a court is looking for in a matter, they may include specific tenets of that appointment in the order appointing the amicus attorney. This arrangement stands in contrast to an…Read More

After any divorce with children, child support is one of the key topics that parents stress over. This article covers all the child support basics by answering Texas parents’ most asked questions, including: How child support is calculated in Texas, including for shared custody situations. What expenses are covered by child support, and which parents have a say in how it is spent. How to modify and enforce child support orders in Texas. What Is Child Support? While most divorcing parents are already aware of what child support is, some may not have ever had to really grasp this concept before. Fortunately, it’s quite simple: child support is an amount of money that the court orders one parent to pay the other to help cover the costs of raising and…Read More

In this article, you can discover… How to prepare emotionally for the hearing. Common mistakes to avoid during a custody hearing. What to do if a spouse presents false information in court. What Documents Do I Need To Bring To A Child Custody Hearing? Many of the most important documents are your communications with the other parent. If this includes text messages or recordings of phone conversations, be sure to discuss this with your attorney so that they can be properly shared and presented at the hearing. These records can help back up your claims of good parenting, help establish poor parenting by the other party, or help refute their claims that you are being negligent or unattentive. While it may not occur to many clients, photos can be an…Read More