In Texas, you may avoid the requirements of probate if you have a limited estate by filing a community property agreement and/or amendment to your deed if the goal is to avoid probate between spouses. Simply put, if Alice and John are married and have a home which is...
Divorce can be a painful and difficult process to go through. Unfortunately, some people use their divorce as a tool for revenge and vengeance towards their spouse without realizing the price they will personally pay in the long run. It is not uncommon for spouses in...
"Co-parenting" is used to describe parents that are separated or divorced that work together to raise their children. In co-parenting circumstances, parents usually share responsibility for raising their children even though the parents no longer live in the same home...
Pending before the Texas Supreme Court is this very question: Does Texas law recognize a claim for tortious interference with inheritance rights? At this time, there is a split between Texas appellate courts. Courts in San Antonio, Houston, and El Paso have recognized...
An absolute fear of any parent is having your child removed by Child Protective Services (CPS). Suddenly, complete strangers need to know every little detail about your life and your child's life, and your every move is being monitored. While it may seem stressful,...
Have you ever wondered what makes a person qualified to be a guardian? Or, if more than one person qualifies as a potential guardian, how does the Court place each person within the hierarchy of possible guardians? The Estates Code answers all of these questions....
Voisine v. United States began in 2004 when Stephen Voisine pled guilty in 2004 to assaulting his girlfriend, violating Section 207 of the Maine Criminal Code. That section makes it a misdemeanor to "intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly cause[ ] bodily injury or...
Over the past four decades there has been a steady rise of the average age of first time mothers. In 1970 the average age of a first-time mother was 21.4; this number grew to 24.9 in 2000, which increased again to 25.2 in 2009, and again to 26.3 in 2014. The National...
The structure of our judicial system results in the creation of many courts throughout the country, all with different jurisdictions. Some, like federal bankruptcy courts, only hear bankruptcy cases; others, like state family law courts, only hear issues dealing with...
Texas laws do not favor a person who fails to pay court-ordered child support. When someone stops making child support payments, any of the following could happen: 1. The Attorney General's office can take funds from your tax refund, lottery winnings, and even the...