Divorce is the most common starting point for most people in the world of family law. Your divorce may be a simple, agreed or uncontested divorce or a complex, hotly contested divorce. You may be past the divorce and into problems enforcing or needing to modify your divorce decree or custody orders. The consequences of these family law interactions can be significant for you, your kids and your financial well-being. You should put these issues in the hands of a Fort Worth divorce lawyer who understands why they matter.
Fort Worth divorce lawyers for family law problems in Tarrant County
Every family law situation is unique and requires a solution specific to your needs. Many divorces and other family law situations in Dallas and Fort Worth share common problems. However, there are always unique challenges in every situation to consider and address. Even across Dallas and Fort Worth the different court systems in each county treat family law cases differently. A divorce lawyer in Fort Worth or Dallas must understand how to deal with these differences. There are many Fort Worth divorce lawyers and Dallas divorce attorneys. Not all divorce lawyers or divorce law firms will be right for you. Consider your needs when hiring a Fort Worth divorce lawyer.
Family Law Attorneys in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas
One issue that makes family law a unique area of law in Texas is that most parties will appear before the judge at least once. In many areas of law the parties may never see the courtroom. The cases may settle out of court or the lawyers will appear in court on their behalf. In family law cases parties often appear in court and in many cases appear at several hearings. The work of your family law attorney often relies upon their ability to advocate for you as a trial attorney. You need an attorney on your side who understands the Tarrant County family courts and Dallas County family courts.
Fort Worth divorce lawyer Adam Kielich represents clients in divorces in Tarrant County, Dallas County and surrounding counties. Clients range in financial assets, family size, custody needs, property types and desires. Some clients have complicated divorces while others have extremely simple divorces. These divorces are all different and have to be treated differently. However, most divorces can be loosely categorized into two types: uncontested divorces and contested divorces.
Fort Worth Divorce Lawyer for Uncontested Divorces
Uncontested divorces are divorces in which the parties have agreed to all the major terms of the divorce, particularly dealing with children and property. Spouses who have this kind of agreed divorce generally do not need an attorney to make the divorce more complicated; but to convert the agreement into legal documents and help them through the legal process to get divorced.
Fort Worth Divorce Lawyer for Contested Divorces
Beyond the small number of truly uncontested divorces lies all other divorces. These divorces are contested divorces merely as a description of divorces not already completely agreed. They range from divorces where an agreement is almost complete to divorces in which the spouses are bitterly opposed on every issue.
It’s unfair to think of this wide range of divorces as similar in any way. These are divorces that require careful examination of the issues and needs of both parties to figure out how to produce a workable divorce solution. Sometimes these divorces can be resolved by thoughtful negotiation while others are so conflicted that there is no choice but to take the divorce to a trial. Treating one like the other is usually just a good way to waste time and resources without accomplishing anything useful for you. This is why it is so important to treat each divorce as a unique situation.
Divorce is often the door into the family law courts, not the exit
Divorce is often only the beginning of the judicial system’s involvement in the family relationships between members of the family. After the divorce there is often property to be divided and additional court orders or court filings may be necessary to finalize the property division in the divorce. If children are involved in the divorce then the divorced spouses will continue a co-parenting relationship over the children that is governed by the conservatorship orders within the divorce decree. The conservatorship orders instruct the parents on possession schedules, parental rights and required child support. These orders may be modified or enforced through the courts in the future in whole or in part as necessary for the children. These modifications and enforcement actions may continue for years to come.
Other ways families become a part of the family law legal system in Texas
Divorces are not the only ways the family law system becomes part of a family relationship. Courts order conservatorship and child support for children who were not born in a marriage but the parents require court orders to govern the co-parenting relationship anyway. These types of orders in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship (SAPCR) will include the same types of orders involving the children as a divorce decree but without dividing any property of the parents or dissolving a marriage.
Child Support Enforcement
The Texas Family Code provides strong enforcement options for unpaid child support. The recipients of the expected child support payments can use these options to recover unpaid child support as well as interest on unpaid support, attorney’s fees and other remedies to help ensure child support is paid in the future. The parent paying child support may have defenses to a child support enforcement that require the work of a Fort Worth divorce lawyer to raise in court and prevent the serious consequences of a child support enforcement.
QDROs are a special type of order used to divide many types of retirement plans as part of the property division in a divorce or to obtain payment of child support or spousal support ordered by a court. QDROs are complicated and the wrong language can cause a lot of problems.
Modifications of Divorce and Custody Orders
Often custody orders in divorces and other family law matters stop being the best situation for a family. This may occur due to job changes, marriages, relocation, changes in the lifestyle of the children and the relationships involved. When this occurs, it may become necessary to modify the orders to reflect the new situation. This may be a modification of possession schedules, parental rights, child support, or a combination of several issues.
Modifications are often more difficult than getting to the original order. For that reason, it is often necessary to work with an experienced Fort Worth divorce lawyer to litigate modifications and craft solutions that mends the family situation.
