Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Child Custody
In Texas, many parents share joint managing conservatorship, which is our state’s term for joint custody. While conservatorship is labeled as joint, one parent is named the primary conservator and the other, by default, is the non-primary parent. Only lawyers typically use the word conservator. So for primary conservator think “custodial parent,” and for non-primary …
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Child Custody, Divorce, Divorce For Dads™, News, Visitation and Access
Per the Texas Family Code’s Standard Possession Order (and generally most possession orders although not all), parents who have been awarded a possession schedule in a divorce decree or custody order need to designate their intended periods of summer possession to the custodial parent or primary conservator by April 1st. Failure to designate a specific period of possession typically results in the default summer period of July 1st at 6:00 p.m. to July 31st at 6:00 p.m.
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Protective Orders
You may have been the victim of domestic violence and received a Protective Order but the provisions are not expansive enough to truly keep you safe from your abuser.
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Protective Orders
The legal answer is – it depends! There have been situations where we have seen a judge refuse to let an applicant dismiss (or nonsuit) a request for a protective order based on the facts in the original suit and the supporting affidavit.
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Divorce
Not every couple agrees that a marriage is over. Sometimes, one spouse holds out hope of reconciliation, or he or she tries to make divorce as difficult as possible by refusing to participate in the legal process. However, Texas law is clear that a person cannot stay married against their will. Our state changed its …
Continue reading "My Spouse Refuses to Get a Divorce: What Do I Do?"
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Divorce
Divorces come in many shapes and sizes in Texas. No two divorces are exactly alike, but they all start the same way—by filing an Original Petition for Divorce in the proper court. The divorce process must begin with an Original Petition being filed, a Court does not have the jurisdiction to grant a divorce until …
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Divorce
There is no such thing as an “ideal” divorce in Texas, but there are cases in which the parties resolve their differences by agreement and have a relatively amicable path toward finalizing the process. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the contested divorce, which may require a series of hearings to have the …
Continue reading "Navigating Emotional Abuse During A Contested Divorce"
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Divorce
Unless you and your spouse are in agreement on every single issue related to the dissolution of marriage, you will likely be going through the Texas contested divorce process with respect to some matters. In many ways, this means the proceedings will be similar to a fully-contested trial. Both sides will have the opportunity to …
Continue reading "What Kind Of Evidence Can Help With My Contested Divorce?"
Posted by Mary E. Ramos | Divorce
When does an uncontested divorce become contested? This shift occurs whenever there’s a disagreement over key issues necessary for finalizing the divorce. As such, a truly uncontested divorce is a rarity in Texas: You and your spouse must compromise on every detail related to property division, alimony, and issues related to minor children. Every other …
Continue reading "When Does An Uncontested Divorce Become Contested?"
