For Over 32 Years. Your Legal Rights have been Our Business.

 

Beal Law Firm handles all types of Texas Family Law matters.

 

Family Law cases are those that are governed by the Texas Family Code, including all of the following:

 

Uncontested Divorce – Although in most cases, divorces are either relatively contested or relatively uncontested, when most people say “Uncontested Divorce” they mean a case where most of the terms are decided between the parties without much fighting. In virtually any divorce case, issues of property have to be decided, since the legal presumption is that any property acquired during the marriage is jointly owned by the parties, regardless of whose name is on it. Additionally, if there are children of the marriage, issues of conservatorship, geographic restrictions of residence or domicile, possession schedules, child support, holidays, and other miscellaneous terms need to be decided.

 

Contested Divorce – While technically virtually every Texas Divorce is contested to some degree, when people say “Contested Divorce” they typically mean a case in which the parties do not agree on very many things from the outset. Sometimes the divorce comes as a complete surprise to one party or the other. Often, in contested divorces, there are contested Temporary Orders hearings, extensive written discovery – including Interrogatories, Requests for Production, Requests for Admission, and Requests for Disclosure – and Motions to Compel. There may also be Oral or Written Depositions, multiple mediations, and a full-blown trial – possibly even a jury trial.

 

Collaborative Divorce – Sometimes, people refer to a case being handled collaboratively when it is more or less agreed or the parties go to mediation. Those are not the distinguishing features of a Collaborative Divorce – which is a completely different model for getting divorced. The Collaborative Model includes multiple meetings, at least two attorneys, a Collaborative Law Participation Agreement, and, typically, at least one financial expert and one mental health expert.

 

Annulment – Annulments are only available in very limited circumstances and can be very time-sensitive. That is, if you believe that you are entitled to an annulment based upon fraud, intoxications, mental illness, or other reason, it is critical that you talk to an attorney as soon as possible.

 

Alimony and Support – The topics of Contractual Alimony, Spousal Maintenance, and Temporary Spousal Support can be very confusing – and the law regarding them is not necessarily logical. Beal Law Firm handles cases involving all of these types of financial orders, including the modification of prior support orders.

 

Post-Divorce Property Division Suits – In a Texas Divorce, all of the property owned by the parties is supposed to be divided by the Divorce Decree. Any property that is not addressed in the Divorce Decree, whether it’s an Agreed Decree of Divorce or the result of trial remains jointly owned by the parties after the divorce. In that situation, a case can be brought asking the court to make a just and right division of the asset or assets. If it is property of significance, for example, a retirement account, real estate, etc. A post-dissolution property division suit may be mandatory. 

 

Child Custody – Child custody cases are also known as Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship or SAPCR. Child Custody cases can involve issues of Parentage or Paternity, Conservatorship, Geographic Restriction issues, the Possession Schedule for the children, Long Distance Travel Provisions, a Holiday Schedule, Pick-up and Drop-off Provisions, Child Support issues, and Medical Support issues. In addition to all of the typical topics covered in a Parenting Plan, there may be provisions for Religious Holidays, Birthday parties, a Right of First Refusal, Telephone Access, Skype Access or other Video Access, Private School Education, or Homeschooling. There may also be provisions regarding who is authorized to care for the children in the parents’ absence.

 

Unique Child Possession Schedules – Oftentimes, parents with unique jobs need unique possession schedules for their children. These unique schedules can include a Pilot Possession Schedule, Flight Attendant Possession Schedule, Military Possession Schedule, Professional Athlete Possession Schedule, Police Officer Possession Schedule, Fire Fighter Possession Schedule, and others. Additionally, there are 50-50 possession schedules, including day on – day off, week on – week off, 3-2-3-2, and 5-5-2-2. And note that sometimes these go by different names such as a “50/50 Possession Schedule” or 2-2-3 Visitation Schedule.

 

Child Support – Texas Child Support law is very different from that found in many other states. While some states use both parents’ income to determine a guideline child support amount, Texas only uses the income of the obligor – that is, the parent that will be paying support – in order to determine calculate guideline support. Of course, there can be a number of factors that can alter the guideline amount, including additional children for whom support is owed, the disability of one or more children, the wealth of one or both parents, and the possession schedule that is actually exercised by the parties.

 

Termination of Parental Rights – Although terminating parental rights is a harsh remedy, it can happen for reasons such as lack of support and abuse. Additionally, termination of rights may be based on a number of other statutory grounds. Some cases involving the termination of a parent’s rights involve a child that is going to be adopted by a step-parent, and others involve matters that being handled by Child Protective Services (CPS Cases).

 

Step-parent Adoption and Adult Adoption – If a child has two living parents, in order to be adopted, the parental rights of one of the living parents have to be terminated. Once the child reaches adulthood, however, an Adult Adoption can be done without the consent of a parent or termination of rights.

 

Military Family Law Issues – Although there is no such thing as “Military Divorce” or “Military Child Custody” in the sense of a separate area of the law, whenever a military member goes through a divorce or child custody matter, unique issues can arise. The Texas Family Code has specific provisions dealing with possession in the face of mobilization and deployment, as well as issues of conservatorship. During a divorce, Military Retirement issues, whether already earned or just possibilities in the future, can arise.

 

Grandparent Rights – Grandparents have certain rights with respect to their Grandchildren. Those rights may involve Grandparent Possession, Grandparent Access, or conservatorship of the children. In addition to Grandparents, other relatives may have rights with respect to children in certain situations. The law can be complicated and often involves issues of Standing, which is the legal term for being allowed to bring a case to court.

 

Premarital Agreements – The agreements are also known as Prenuptial Agreements, and by definition have to be done prior to the marriage taking place. There are issues of timing, disclosure, and wording that can make these documents very technical. Texas has adopted the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, and it can be found in Chapter 4 of the Texas Family Code.

 

Post-Marital Agreements – Post-marital Agreements can include ratifications of Premarital Agreements, Rule 11 Agreements, Partition and Exchange Agreements (also known as Partition or Exchange Agreements), Nonrevocable Settlement Agreements, and Mediated Settlement Agreements. When these agreements are binding, when they are not, and the ins and outs of all of that can be very complicated.

 

Family Law Torts – These torts can include: The Torts available include: Assault and Battery, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Invasion of Privacy, Wiretapping, Access of Electronic Communications, Slander and Libel, and Fraud. In Texas, all of these torts can be brought as a part of a divorce case, if the facts exist. More importantly, if they are not brought timely, the right to pursue them can be lost forever.

 

Enforcement of Child Support and Enforcement of Possession – Custody and Support Orders can be enforced by the court through Contempt Proceedings. Failure to follow what a signed order has directed with respect to any provisions with respect to children can lead to jail time, the loss of money, the loss of time with the child, or all of the above.

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Name Change – The law regarding name change varies based upon whether you are seeking a change for a child or an adult, and whether the change is sought independently or as a part of a divorce or other case.

 

We have helped clients from all over the United States and the World – including China, the Middle East, and Europe.

 

Our office is in Southlake, Texas and in addition to that, we  have the availability to meet by appointment in virtually any major city in Texas.

 

In Southlake we are located close to the border of Southlake and Keller, on the north side of Southlake Boulevard. Free parking is available.

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Additionally, we have the ability to meet by appointment in virtually any major city in Texas, as well as other locations with whom we have relationships.

 

We handle cases throughout all of Texas, including dozens of Texas Counties, from East Texas to El Paso and Amarillo to Loredo and Corpus Christi. The list of Texas cities and towns that our clients have come from is too long to name, but it includes Dallas, Fort Worth, Southlake, Keller, Colleyville, Grapevine, Denton, Frisco, Plano, Rockwall, Arlington, Hurst, Bedford, North Richland Hills, Mansfield, San Antonio, and dozens of others throughout the State, and beyond.

 

We have attorneys trained and experienced in Collaborative Law, Mediation, and other types of Alternative Dispute Resolution – including Nonrevocable Settlement Agreements, Rule 11 Agreements, and Arbitration. However, we also have attorneys with extensive courtroom training and significant jury trial experience.

 

We know how to settle cases, how to mediate cases, and how to fight it out in court, whether that means a bench conference, contested temporary orders hearing, non-jury trial (also known as a Bench Trial), jury trial, appeal, or mandamus (challenging a judge’s ruling for being an abuse of discretion).

 

We would welcome the opportunity to sit down with you for an initial consultation and discuss the facts of your case with you. Our goal during the initial consultation is to let you know how the law will affect you and your family, learn about and help you develop your goals, advise you as to your options, and recommend which option or options we believe will help you to meet your goals.

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Everyone wants the best lawyer they can find. In a divorce, you want the best divorce lawyer. For a custody case, you seek the best custody lawyer. For any type of family law, you want the best there is – what you believe is the best family law lawyer.

Is there any one lawyer that is the best family law attorney in all situations? Probably not. Some people want an aggressive divorce lawyer; some want a collaborative lawyer. Some people want an attorney known for being a "divorce attorney for men" or a "divorce lawyer for women." Some don't care or know what they want.

 

If you have any questions about whether we can help you, please call at any of our numbers listed below or write to us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com. We look forward to talking to you and finding out whether we are the best attorneys for you.