Category: Beal Law Attorneys

Divorce: Five Things to Think About before it happens

Divorce attorneys are often asked, “What should I do before I file my case?”

Or, “I know my spouse is about to file for divorce, what should I be doing?”

The question is asked, sometimes, assuming that the attorney will give some super-secret advice about how to effectively hide assets or destroy evidence. An ethical attorney won’t give that type of advice, because each party in a divorce is obligated to disclose everything he or she knows about the assets, their value, and where they are. If they have been disposed of improperly, the result can be bad for the one that did the disposing.

Additionally, destroying evidence can be considered spoliation or obstruction of justice, both of which can lead to very bad results.

So what should you do, if you know that a divorce is on the horizon? Consider these five things.

  1. Check for Spyware.

In this day and age, if anyone has had access to your computer, cell phone, iPad, etc. he or she can download software that will allow him or her to know everything that you are doing on your devise or computer. What that means is that changing passwords after the Spyware has been loaded won’t do any good to keep your spouse from knowing everything you and your attorney say to each other. So, if you believe that a divorce is on the way, a good first step to think about is getting all of your devices to a computer expert to have them checked for Spyware.

  1. Change passwords.

Don’t get confused by Step One into thinking that changing passwords is useless. Changing passwords on anything and everything is a great Step Two. Before you do though, make sure you prepare to do it right by getting a password keeper set up on a device that you know is secure. Then, set up strong, unique passwords for every account and device that you have.

  1. Get records of all of your assets and keep them in a safe place.

This is good advice for everyone, all the time – but especially someone about to go through a divorce. Keep in mind that “all your assets” means everything, regardless of whose name is on it. Get copies of all records for all accounts, whether they are checking, savings, money market, CD, 401(k), IRA, or other. Get all records for any and all pensions. Make a list of all significant property that you or your spouse have any ownership interest in. Take photos of everything that matters, including collectables, guns, coins, art, etc. Get records of any safe deposit box or storage facility. Get records of everything, and if you can’t get records of everything, get records of everything that you can.

  1. Stop posting things on Social Media.

Social Media posting may be the single worst thing that people do in divorce. Nothing good can come of it, and plenty of bad can. So stop. You have no right to privacy in a divorce with respect to things that you’ve posted, whether publicly or just to your close friends. Whether you can delete things that you have already posted is a matter of when you do it, why you do it, and what it is. The law is clear, however, that if are in a divorce and you delete postings in an effort to destroy evidence that could be used against you, you are committing spoliation and possibly obstruction of justice – both of which are bad.

  1. Think about Moving assets.

As long as you are not under any court orders that state otherwise and you are not committing fraud, you are entitled to protect your property by moving things like keepsakes and other irreplaceable things to a place where they can’t be destroyed. Whether you should move money and other assets is a tougher call. You may be legally entitled to do so, but you may create a problem that you otherwise don’t have. On the other hand, if you don’t make sure that you can survive, if your spouse moves, disposes of, or hides everything that he or she has access to, you may regret it later. This subject is a good one to get specific legal advice on from a good attorney that you can trust.

To discuss any of this with the attorneys at the Beal Law Firm, call us at 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418, or write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com. You can find us on the web at www.dfwdivorce.com.

Divorce and Custody: Possession Schedules for Children Under Age Three

When couples go through a divorce with children or just a custody case, one of the most important things to be determined is the possession schedule for the children.

If the parties cannot agree to a schedule that is in the Best Interest of the Children, the court will order a schedule.

As discussed in a prior blog post, Texas has established a Standard Possession Schedule (SPO) for use by divorce and custody courts in ordering the possession of children. By law, however, the SPO is designed to be used for children age three and over.

So what about children under the age of three?

Neither the Texas Family Code nor case law establish a standard schedule for children under the age of three.

For children that young, the Family Code states that “The court shall render an order appropriate under the circumstances” and then gives a non-exhaustive list of factors that courts are obligated to consider.

The factors detailed in the Code are:

(1)  the caregiving provided to the child before and during the current suit;

(2)  the effect on the child that may result from separation from either party;

(3)  the availability of the parties as caregivers and the willingness of the parties to personally care for the child;

(4)  the physical, medical, behavioral, and developmental needs of the child;

(5)  the physical, medical, emotional, economic, and social conditions of the parties;

(6)  the impact and influence of individuals, other than the parties, who will be present during periods of possession;

(7)  the presence of siblings during periods of possession;

(8)  the child’s need to develop healthy attachments to both parents;

(9)  the child’s need for continuity of routine; and

(10)  the location and proximity of the residences of the parties.

The code also states that the court shall consider “the need for a temporary possession schedule that incrementally shifts to” an appropriate schedule beginning at age three, with the incremental shifts based upon what would be appropriate, given the child’s age, and any evidence of “minimal or inconsistent contact with the child” by either parent.

Finally, the Code mandates the Courts consider “the ability of the parties to share in the responsibilities, rights, and duties of parenting” and “any other evidence of the best interest of the child.”

So what does a “a temporary possession schedule that incrementally shifts” (a “stairstep schedule” or “stairstep possession schedule”) look like?

With respect to Weekday and Weekend Possession, it may provide that the non-primary parent’s possession schedule is as follows:

  1. Tuesdays – On Tuesday of each week, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and ending at 8:00 p.m.
  1. Thursdays – On Thursday of each week, beginning at 5:00 p.m. and ending at 8:00 p.m.
  1. Saturdays Until the Child’s Second Birthday – Until the child reaches two years of age, on the first, third, and fifth Saturday of each month, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. on that same day.
  1. Sundays Until the Child’s Second Birthday – Until the child reaches two years of age, on the first, third, and fifth Sunday of each month, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. on that same day.
  1. Weekends Beginning on the Child’s Second Birthday-When the child reaches two years of age, on weekends, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on the first, third, and fifth Saturday of each month and ending at 6:00 p.m. on the following Sunday.

In addition to these terms, it would likely have additional time for holidays and the child’s birthday.

But, remember that stairstep schedules like that above are not mandatory. Even after considering all of the factors found in the Family Code, the Court may order that the non-primary parent have a standard possession schedule or even a 50-50 schedule, such as a week-on, week-off schedule.

If the parents don’t agree, it is up to the discretion of the court. Just because an SPO or more is not presumed the correct choice, does not mean that a court cannot decide, in its discretion, that it is the best choice.

There is a lot to know about possession schedules, as well as all of the other components of a custody order. To discuss any of this with the attorneys at the Beal Law Firm, call 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418, or write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com. You can find us on the web at www.dfwdivorce.com.

Divorce: How are stock options and restricted stock handled?

According to Texas law, at the time of divorce, all community property is divisible. Moreover, all property owned by the parties in a divorce is presumed community until and unless proven to be separate property.

The court has no jurisdiction to divest either party of his or her separate property. Jurisdiction means power. Divest means take. So the court has no power to take anyone’s separate property from them.

Employer Provided Stock Options and Employer Provided Restricted Stock that are owned at the time of divorce are divisible, just like any other property. The community portion is divisible, the separate portion is not.

So, in order to determine how much of the Options or Stock is divisible, you must first determine how much of it is separate and how much of it is community.

The Texas Family Code explains how to perform the calculations to find out what is separate and what is community.

Pursuant to Section 3.007 of the Code:

A spouse who is a participant in an employer-provided stock option plan or an employer-provided restricted stock plan has a separate property interest in the options or restricted stock granted to the spouse under the plan as follows:

if the option or stock was granted to the spouse before marriage but required continued employment during marriage before the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed, the spouse’s separate property interest is equal to the fraction of the option or restricted stock in which:

the numerator is the sum of

the period from the date the option or stock was granted until the date of marriage; and

if the option or stock also required continued employment following the date of dissolution of the marriage before the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed, the period from the date of dissolution of the marriage until the date the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed;

and

the denominator is the period from the date the option or stock was granted until the date the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed; and

if the option or stock was granted to the spouse during the marriage but required continued employment following the date of dissolution of the marriage before the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed, the spouse’s separate property interest is equal to the fraction of the option or restricted stock in which

the numerator is the period from the date of dissolution of the marriage until the date the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed; and

the denominator is the period from the date the option or stock was granted until the date the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed.

The Code also provides that the computation must be done separately “for each component of the benefit requiring varying periods of employment before the grant could be exercised or the restriction removed.”

So basically, the value of the Options or Stock that is attributable to the period before marriage or after marriage is separate property. The amount attributable to the time that a person is married is community. These concepts are completely consistent with the analysis done for all property to determine whether its character is separate or community.

If you would like to discuss your situation with the attorneys at the Beal Law Firm, please call us at 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418 or write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com. You can find us on the web at www.dfwdivorce.com.

Custody Issues: How do I authorize my new spouse to get medical treatment for my child?

Nobody looks forward to taking their child to the doctor or emergency room, but sometimes it’s necessary. So what do you do if you need help from someone other than your child’s other parent? What if you are out of town on business and you need your spouse – the stepparent of your child – to take him or her to the doctor?

The Texas Family Code has the answer. In Section 32.001 of the code, you find the following:

Consent by Non-Parent

(a) The following persons may consent to medical, dental, psychological, and surgical treatment of a child when the person having the right to consent as otherwise provided by law cannot be contacted and that person has not given actual notice to the contrary:

. . .

(5) an adult who has actual care, control, and possession of the child and has written authorization to consent from a person having the right to consent;

                . . .

So to give consent, you have to have the right to consent. As a parent, your right to consent derives from a combination of your role as your child’s parent and any rights given you or limitations placed on you in your divorce decree or custody order, if any such documents exist.

Do note, however, that the one medical issue that is specifically excluded from Section 32.001 is the power to give another person the right to “consent for the immunization of a child.”

As provided in Section 32.002 of the Family Code, the form of the written authorization is simple. It is not a special document such as a Power of Attorney or Medical Power of Attorney. Additionally, it does not need to be notarized.

Specifically, the code provides as follows:

Consent Form

(a) Consent to medical treatment under this subchapter must be in writing, signed by the person giving consent, and given to the doctor, hospital, or other medical facility that administers the treatment.

(b) The consent must include:

(1) the name of the child;

(2) the name of one or both parents, if known, and the name of any managing conservator or guardian of the child;

(3) the name of the person giving consent and the person’s relationship to the child;

(4) a statement of the nature of the medical treatment to be given; and

(5) the date the treatment is to begin.

So there you have it – pretty simple. If you are unavailable to give consent yourself and need to authorize your spouse, just follow the outline above. But one word of caution: A document that allows the medical professional to treat your child does not require the professional to treat your child. So if at all possible, check with the provider in advance of the need, to make sure that there are not problems when the time arises.

If you have other child related or custody issues that you think we can help with, you can contact the Beal Law Firm by calling 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418 or write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com. You can find us on the web at www.dfwdivorce.com.

Five Simple Things You Can Do to Save Money in Divorce

Divorces can be expensive. Some get to be very expensive. There are things that happen in a divorce that you can’t control, and others that you can.

Listed below are five things that you should be able to control that should save you some money as you go through a divorce. All of these are based upon one simple idea — time is money. When paying an attorney by the hour, the more attorney time you can save, the more money you will save yourself.

1. Respond to your attorney.

Your attorney is going to ask you for a great many things. Sometimes it’s as simple as “are you available for a hearing two weeks from Thursday,” and sometimes it’s for more complicated things, such as “I need copies of all of your bank statements for the last few years.” Whichever it is, ignoring the request will lead to your attorney possibly having to have several more conversations or send several more emails. He or she may have to let the opposing counsel and the court know about the status of whatever it is that he or she is seeking. He or she may have to file a motion or seek an agreed extension of some deadline. All of that takes time, and will ultimately cost you money. Responding quickly and completely will help your attorney help you and save you money in the long run.

2. Don’t fight over silly things.

Some things are worth fighting over — like are your children going to live near enough to you that you can have a meaningful relationship — and some aren’t — like who is going to get the new TV and who is going to take the old one. Fighting can mean that your attorney has to write emails or make calls repeatedly with both opposing counsel and the court, as well as you. Very quickly, the cost of fighting over something that is not worth fighting over can get to be very high.  The smart thing to do, when possible, is make a business decision. Determine in advance how much various things are worth, then do the math on whether it’s worth fighting over them.

3. Organize your evidence.

This one involves a rule of reason. If you bring in all of your bank statements, mixed with all of your receipts, mixed with all of your emails, all in one big box, someone is going to have to spend an enormous amount of time sorting those documents out. If you do it, you save attorney or legal assistant time. If not, you will end up paying your lawyer or his staff. But, the rule of reason part is this: Don’t be so “organized” that you have all of your documents in individual sheet protectors inside of three ring binders. In all probability, your attorney will need to number and copy your documents. The time that it takes to get the documents ready for the copy machine can get expensive, if you’ve overdone it with the “organizing.”

4. Don’t violate court orders.

If you are under Standing Orders, a Temporary Restraining Order, Temporary Orders, or a Protective Order, read the document or documents carefully. Know what you can do and what you can’t. If you violate the orders, you can cause your attorney to have to have multiple conversations with opposing counsel and the court, even if you never end up in a contempt hearing or enforcement hearing.

5. Recognize the realities of the system you are in.

Courts each have their own ways of doing things. Some courts only allow 20 minutes per side for Temporary Orders hearings. Some allow all day. Some allow multiple days. Most courts don’t like repetitive evidence — in fact it’s objectionable. One way that some people cost themselves an enormous amount of money is by not realizing that there are limits to the presentation of evidence. Your attorney will probably want to know if you have witnesses that can support your side of the case. When asked, give as many names as the attorney needs, and prioritize your witnesses, from most important to least. But, what you don’t want to do is give the lawyer 25 names, when he only wants 3-4, and then insist that he “use” all of them. Often there is no way to use as much evidence as the client would like. Let your attorney advise you on the realities of the situation, then adjust to that. Don’t expect reality to adjust to your desires, or you will cost yourself unnecessary legal fees.

There you have it. Do these five simple things and you will almost certainly save yourself some money.

If you’d like to read other posts on this topic click here and here.

To discuss a legal issue that you are concerned about with the attorneys at Beal Law Firm, please write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com or call us at 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418. You can find us on the web at www.dfwdivorce.com.

Father’s Rights – Mother’s Rights: Naming the baby

Ever ask mom and dad what your name would have been if they had not chosen the one that you have? Or if you were born the other sex?

Naming a baby can be a fun topic or a stressful one. When mom and dad have different last names, and don’t get along, sometimes the court is called upon to decide a newborn’s name.

Texas Family Code Section 45.004 gives judges the power to change the name of a baby if the judge believes that doing so would be in the child’s best interest.

Either parent may file for the name change, so if mom and dad aren’t getting along at the time of the birth, and mom gives the child a name that dad doesn’t like, dad can file a petition with the court asking it to change the child’s name. On the other hand, if mom and dad are both happy with the name given at birth, and mom later changes her mind, she can file to have the child’s name changed.

Regardless of which parent files, they must give notice to the other parent of the filing. Theoretically, the name of a child cannot be changed without both parents being aware of it.

How a court decides whether it believes that changing the child’s name is in the child’s best interest depends upon the factors that the court considers. Judges are not allowed to prioritize one parent’s name over the other solely based upon whether the name belongs to the mom or dad.

Additionally judges are not allowed to decide solely based upon the tradition of giving children the father’s last name, since doing so would be consider gender biased.

Texas courts make their final decision based upon a case by case determination using factors that they believe are appropriate for a court to consider, such as:

1. Whether the changed name or the original name would best avoid embarrassment, inconvenience, or confusion for the custodial parent;

2. Whether the changed name or original name would best help identify the child with the family unit;

3. The length of time that the child has carried the original name;

4. The degree of community respect associated with the original and changed names;

5. Whether the change will positively or adversely affect the bond between the child and either parent or the parents’ families;

6. The preference, maturity, and age of the child;

7. Parental misconduct, such as support or nonsupport or maintaining or failing to maintain contact with the child;

8. Any delay in requesting or objecting to the name change;

9. Whether the parent seeking the name change is motivated by an attempt to alienate the child from the other parent; and

10. Assurances by the parent whose surname the child will bear that the parent will not change his or her surname at a later time.

Once the court has made a decision, the chances of getting the matter reversed by an appellate court are not great. So winning at the trial level is crucial.

A related issue to the naming of a baby is that of what can be done to make a parent use the name that the court has given a child, or that the child has been using up to the point that the parents split up.

On that issue, Courts have the power to order a parent “not to permit the child to use any other name while attending school except” the child’s official name.

This power derives from the fact that courts have determined that fathers have a “protectable interest” in the continued use of the name that the child has been using, so courts have the power to prevent moms from deciding that the child will use a new name after divorce or separation, such as that of a step-father.

To discuss any of this with the attorneys at the Beal Law Firm, call us at 817.261.4333 or 214.414. 0418 or write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com. Our web address is www.dfwdivorce.com.

Cases referred to in this post:

In re A.W.G., 2011 Tex. App. LEXIS 6854 (Tex. App. Fort Worth Aug. 25, 2011)

In re Guthrie, 45 S.W.3d 719, 2001 Tex. App. LEXIS 2175 (Tex. App. Dallas 2001)

In the Interest of Baird, 610 S.W.2d 252, 1980 Tex. App. LEXIS 4267 (Tex. Civ. App. Fort Worth 1980)

Divorce | Custody | Support: What do I have to do if I get served?

Many divorce and custody cases begin amicably. Some stay that way.

Even some of those that begin amicably have one party or the other served with papers at the beginning of the case. Sometimes it’s a strategy move, sometimes it’s a miscommunication between the attorney and the client, and sometimes it’s a mistake.

Most of the time it’s none of those. Most of the time the service is done because the filing party does not want the case to be amicable or is not sure that it can be.

Service of Process means service of the Petition that has been filed along with a Citation from the court. The Petition plus the Citation equals Process.

In Texas State Court, if you are served with Process, you have a certain amount of time in which to answer the suit. That amount of time is until “10:00 a.m. on the Monday next after the expiration of 20 days from the date of service.”

This time period is different for cases filed outside of Texas, and for Federal Cases. Virtually everything in family law – divorces, custody cases, child support cases, grandparent cases, etc. – is done in State Court.

So, if you get served with a Texas divorce or custody petition, even if you are outside of Texas, your deadline to answer is 10:00 a.m. on the “Monday next after the expiration of 20 days from the date of service.” Failure to answer by that time can put you in default.

If you are in default, you are subject to a default judgment. A default judgment is like losing by forfeiture in a sporting event.

In sports, if you are scheduled to play and you don’t show up, you lose by forfeit. In law, if you have been served and you do not answer, you can lose by default.

If you lose by default, it means that only the opposing party is presenting evidence to the court. In a divorce, a person in default could end up with little or none of the assets of the marriage – including his or her own 401K or pension. In a custody case, including a custody case within a divorce, a defaulted party may end up with little time with the children, higher than ordinary child support, and few rights.

It doesn’t take much to not get defaulted. If you have been served, all you have to do is answer the suit. An answer is basically any filing with the court that puts the court on notice that you do not want to have a default judgement taken against you.

If an answer is filed, it must be filed with the court in which the case is pending, and should be served on any other parties to the case or their attorneys. To serve it on the other party, if he or she has an attorney, all you have to do is fax it to them. Keep your proof that you sent the document by fax.

But, there are times when you don’t want to file an answer. There are times that you want to file more than an answer. And there are times that you need to file something prior to your answer and then an answer. It can get confusing.

If you need to discuss your situation with an attorney, contact the Beal Law Firm, PLLC at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com or call 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418. You can find us on the web at www.dfwdivorce.com.

Divorce: Breaking it down to its parts

A divorce is a lawsuit. It is a strange kind of lawsuit, but it’s a lawsuit. Every divorce, whether labeled Uncontested, Contested, Amicable, Collaborative, Mediated or other must go through the court system.

Divorces can be broken up into a number of parts. There are procedural parts and substantive parts. This post is to discuss the procedural parts.

Every divorce must have at least three parts:

1. Petition

This is the beginning document that is filed with the court. It can be aggressive, nonaggressive, or somewhere in between. This is the document that begins the minimum 60 day waiting period for all cases other than those few that have an exception.

2. Decree

This is the ending document in every case. A few decades ago, Texas divorce decrees were relatively short. In many states they still are. In Texas, if the parties have children together and any significant property, the decree is likely to be 50-65 pages or more.

3. Proof of Notice to the Spouse

In theory, with rare exceptions, no one should be divorced without knowing about it. Typically, this notice takes place with either service of the petition on the spouse by a process server or with the spouse signing a Waiver of Service.

As long as the case has these three parts, it has everything that it is required to have. A “simple” divorce may have no more than these three parts. A complicated or contentious divorce is likely to have many more pieces.

A complicated or contentious divorce can have all of the parts that any other complicated or contentious civil lawsuit has, plus it can have a number of parts that few other cases have. So, in a very real sense, a complicated or contentious divorce may be one of the most procedurally complex types of civil litigation that our system has.

A complex divorce can have:

1. A Temporary Retraining Order

A Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) is not the same thing as a protective order. It does not criminalize conduct. In a divorce, it is much easier to get a TRO than in other civil cases, so they are much more common. A TRO is a court order that typically does not order anyone to do anything, but rather sets forth rules for what cannot be done. There are, however, TROs with “Extraordinary Relief” that do order parties to do things.

2. Temporary Orders

Temporary Orders are what a Temporary Injunction is called in Family Law. These orders are court orders that typically include all of the rules that were in the TRO, plus a number of rules requiring affirmative action, such as Temporary Child Support or Temporary Spousal Support. Additionally, the Temporary Orders are typically where one party or the other will be ordered to leave the home, if that happens.

3. Written Discovery

Written discovery typically includes Interrogatories, Requests for Disclosure, Requests for Admission, and Requests for Production. Think of it as a lot of homework that both parties can compel the other to complete.

4. Oral Depositions

A deposition is where a party is required to show up and answer questions under oath. The only right to remain silent is on questions involving criminal conduct. So, if asked a question about anything that does not arise to the level of a crime, for example adultery, the party must answer. Refusing to answer can lead to a jail sentence, and lying can lead to a charge of perjury — which can also lead to jail.

5. Multiple Motions for Additional Temporary Orders

Most civil cases do not have Temporary Injunctions (or Temporary Orders). In divorce, not only are Temporary Orders common, but Motions for Additional Temporary Orders happen routinely. That means that the fighting is not over just because a favorable result was obtained at the initial Temporary Orders hearing. Either side can ask the court again and again and again for new orders.

6. Multiple Other Motions

A divorce can have many other types of motions, in addition to the above. Some are typical of civil litigation — for example, Motions to Compel Discovery — and some are fairly unique to divorce — such as an order for Appointment of Receiver to Sell the Home.

Divorces can be complex. Attempting to handle a contested or complicated divorce alone may be a recipe for disaster.

To discuss any of this with the attorneys at the Beal Law Firm, please write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com or call 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418. Our web address is www.dfwdivorce.com.

Child Support: Additional factors for the court to consider

As discussed in a previous blog post, courts generally calculate child support based upon the Guidelines found in the Texas Family Code.

There is, however, a section of the family code that allows a court to determine if it would be “unjust or inappropriate under the circumstances” to apply the Guidelines.

Texas Family Code Section 154.123 provides “Additional Factors for Court to Consider” when determining the appropriate amount of child support.

Per the Family Code, the following are the factors that a court “shall consider evidence of”:

(1)  the age and needs of the child;

(2)  the ability of the parents to contribute to the support of the child;

(3)  any financial resources available for the support of the child;

(4)  the amount of time of possession of and access to a child;

(5)  the amount of the obligee’s net resources, including the earning potential of the obligee if the actual income of the obligee is significantly less than what the obligee could earn because the obligee is intentionally unemployed or underemployed and including an increase or decrease in the income of the obligee or income that may be attributed to the property and assets of the obligee;

(6)  child care expenses incurred by either party in order to maintain gainful employment;

(7)  whether either party has the managing conservatorship or actual physical custody of another child;

(8)  the amount of alimony or spousal maintenance actually and currently being paid or received by a party;

(9)  the expenses for a son or daughter for education beyond secondary school;

(10)  whether the obligor or obligee has an automobile, housing, or other benefits furnished by his or her employer, another person, or a business entity;

(11)  the amount of other deductions from the wage or salary income and from other compensation for personal services of the parties;

(12)  provision for health care insurance and payment of uninsured medical expenses;

(13)  special or extraordinary educational, health care, or other expenses of the parties or of the child;

(14)  the cost of travel in order to exercise possession of and access to a child;

(15)  positive or negative cash flow from any real and personal property and assets, including a business and investments;

(16)  debts or debt service assumed by either party;  and

(17)  any other reason consistent with the best interest of the child, taking into consideration the circumstances of the parents.

As illustrated by number 17, this list is non-exhaustive. Per the Texas Family Code, all evidence on the subject is to be considered. In reality, however, whether the court will allow you to introduce evidence of any of these factors depends upon the judge before whom the case is tried, subject to review by an appellate court.

To discuss child support with any of the attorneys at the Beal Law Firm, call us at 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418, or write us at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com. Our web address is www.dfwdivorce.com.

Guideline Child Support: How does it work?

The Texas Family Code is an amazing legislative work. It covers divorce, annulment, how to divide stock options, rules regarding whom you can marry and when, provisions for child custody, grandparent rights, and more. There may not be any part of the Family Code, however, that causes as much heartache as child support.

For those getting child support, it is often either not enough or far more than necessary. For those paying it, the amount is almost always more than desired.

Texas courts typically award child support using the Guidelines for Child Support found in Chapter 154 of the Texas Family Code.

The use of the Guidelines is “rebuttably presumed in best interest of child.” That means that a court can use the guidelines and will virtually never be reversed by an appellate court for having done so. (For a discussion of Best Interest, see this previous blog post.)

The basics of the Guidelines are this:

  1. Determine the number of children for which support is being considered.

The amount of guideline support varies based upon the number of children in the case being considered. For one child, the starting percentage is 20%. For two, it’s 25%. And it continues to go up by 5% for each child, up to five children. For six or more children, the guideline amount is to be “not less than” it would be for five.

  1. Determine how many total children the obligor is responsible for.

The person paying the child support is known as the obligor. The next step to determine the guideline amount is to determine how many children the obligor has a legal duty to support. That number includes the children in the case for which support is being calculated, and any others that he or she is legally obligated to support, whether the support is currently order or being paid. The number does not include step-children. The percentage determined in step 1, gets reduced if there are additional children for whom support is ordered.

  1. Determine the Net Resources of the Obligor.

In Texas, for Guideline support, only the income or other resources of the obligor are considered. That means that even if the obligee – the one getting the support – is a multi-millionaire and the obligor is making minimum wage, the obligor must still pay. “Net Resources” basically includes all income of the obligor, regardless of the source of the income. There is often a misunderstanding about how “net” resources, as opposed to “gross” resources are determined. In short, the net amount is the amount that the Attorney General’s chart says should be the net, not what the net is in reality.

  1. Apply the appropriate percentage to the amount of the net resources to which guidelines apply.

There is not a maximum amount of child support – a court can order a person making $5,000.00 per month to pay $4,000.00 per month in child support. But, there is a “presumptive max” of child support, and that is the percentage obtained in 1 and 2 applied to maximum amount specified in the Family Code. The maximum number is designed to go up over time.

There are provisions in the code for the court to disregard the guidelines, and for the court to award more or less than what the calculation detailed above would lead to. Additionally, as with virtually everything in family law, this just covers the basics. There is a lot more to it.

To discuss any of this with the attorneys of the Beal Law Firm, call us at 817.261.4333 or 214.414.0418. You can write us anytime at lawyers@dfwdivorce.com or find us on the web at www.dfwdivorce.com.