How Does Child Support Work?

Texas Family Law Changes in the 85th Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature closed its biannual session for 2017. Although a Special Session may be called by Governor Abbott, it will not affect any Family Law issues. The Legislature did pass several bills that impact Texas Family Law. Here is one. Child Custody Evaluation The statute dealing with Child Custody Evaluations was revised this year. A significant change now offers more protection to child custody evaluators from being liable for civil damages arising out of the evaluator’s actions, recommendations made or opinion given in their capacity as a child custody evaluator. These protections have been in place for a guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem, and amicus attorneys for some time now. Finally those protections have been extended to…

Many divorcing parents want to be able to work with the other parent in raising their children. We refer to this in legal terminology as Co-Parenting. There can be as many ways to co-parent as there are parents. There are a number of publications (online and in print) that provide details for the best way to co-parent your children after divorce. Websites have been created to assist parents with scheduling and communication. One that is favored by many courts in the Greater Houston Area is Our Family Wizard. In-person parenting classes are offered that can provide you with in-depth training on how to approach co-parenting after divorce. Here is a short list of pointers to minimize any hostility between the parents and nurture a healthy environment for your children:

The Texas Legislature closed the 2017 session on May 29. Several laws were passed that affect Texas Family Law. Here is one small – yet important – child custody change in the statute that governs modification of an order for the Conservatorship, Support, or Possession and Access to a Child. Temporary Orders in a Suit to Modify Primary Conservatorship What the new language states is that – in cases where no parent has been granted the exclusive right to determine the child’s primary residence (primary conservatorship) – a court may not create a temporary order that has the effect of granting one parent this exclusive right. And also, no temporary order may be created that has the effect of changing or eliminating the geographic area within which a parent must maintain the child’s primary…

If you have children, you essentially already have a child-centered divorce because your child should be the most important part of your divorce process. When considering a child-centered divorce, the focus invariably shifts to addressing the needs of the child, particularly in cases where primary custody is under discussion. Situations involving children with special needs, varying from mild to severe conditions, require specific attention during a divorce. A child with physical disabilities, such as being wheelchair-bound, becomes a pivotal concern in the divorce proceedings. Ensuring that they have adequate provisions becomes a central focus. Additionally, emotional issues in children might be exacerbated during divorce. While some children may navigate this period relatively well, others may require extra support or professional intervention to cope with the…