First, it needs to be said that even if a father or mother stops paying child support it does not mean the other parent has the right to refuse visitation. In Texas, child support and visitation are separate issues and one is not dependent of the other. Keep in mind, if the case goes in front of the judge it is best to show that you are a reasonable person who has followed the law so nothing negative can be mentioned about your actions.

Luckily, a Houston lawyer can follow steps when a parent has fallen behind on child support payments. First, they can ask to garnish his or her wages, intercept unemployment payments, or offset federal income tax returns. They can also ask the judge to stop the parent from being able to obtain a legal passport. If nothing has worked and there is a significant amount of money owed, a judge can rule to place the deadbeat parent in jail.

Dealing with a deadbeat parent is stressful and extremely annoying. In the best case scenario, the parent will start making payments. In order to pay for back payments, they are often ordered to add a percentage of what is owed on top of their regular monthly payments to catch up. Adjusting the amount of child support that is owed each month is a possibility for a parent that has changed or lost a job. If you have having problems with a parent who refuses to pay for child support, hiring an experienced Houston attorney can help answer questions on what documentation is needed to show the lack of payments and what steps can be taken in court to get the money you deserve to raise your child.

A Houston family attorney at Waldrop Law Firm can help mothers who are seeking child support from their ex-husband. In addition to child support cases, they practice divorce law and collaborative law in Houston.

There are so many laws that can be used to protect your small business that it is impossible to list them all. However, there are a few important ones business owners need to know and understand. A Houston small business lawyer can help explain the laws individually for those that have questions. There are several laws that can affect the contents of a contract. Negotiations is a major area that must be covered so parties ought to know all key issues when negotiating.

Business formation laws include state laws that are needed to form and manage the business entity, such as a limited liability company or corporation. Consumer protection laws are also included in many contracts for small businesses. It is important for a company to understand these laws so stay out of trouble when it comes to deceptive advertising, defective products, and fraudulent business acts. A contract lawyer Houston will go over each law with small business owners so everyone understands what is expected of them.

Hiring laws is another area that needs to be focused on when setting up a small business. These laws standardize hiring but business owners need to pay attention to the laws that forbid discrimination based on race, religion, sex, age, etc. Everyone may have some idea on what laws can be included when starting a business. However, once it is time to make it official and set up a partnership the laws can become overwhelming. It can take a lot of time to understand how to set up a contract regarding how much a person owns of the company and what happens if one of the parties wants to sell their share which is why many turn to a small business lawyer.

A Houston small business lawyer such as Waldrop Law Firm can help those that are setting up a small business. Other areas of their expertise include child custody and divorce law in Houston.

Understanding life partnership laws can be difficult without a background in law. Therefore, finding a life partnership attorney may be best when a couple does not wish to get married but wants to protect themselves if a break-up happens in the future. At any time during a life partnership, both parties can agree to a cohabitation agreement that settles what happens if the relationship ends. If no agreement has been made, a family law attorney can help their client split up property and finances as fair as possible.

Whether it is a life partnership that is ending or a same-sex divorce or a conventional union, a Houston life partnership lawyer will ask their client to give as much details as possible about their case so that they can assist them the best way that they can. An experienced family law attorney will have the necessary background to know how difficult this time can be for all parties involved. If children are involved, a family law attorney can help with custody issues while putting the child first.

A life partnership that is ending can be just as messy as a divorce. Therefore, finding a family law attorney may be necessary to ensure everyone is treated fairly and gets what is rightfully theirs. Any dispute regarding finances, property, and custody of children can be helped with a lawyer that practices family law. Many offer free consultations so potential clients can choose an attorney that they feel confident in.

A Houston family law attorney helps clients when ending a life partnership to ensure property and finances are divided equally. These highly reputable Houston attorneys also provide family legal services and practice divorce law.

Every case is different when it comes to divorce. Some are able to have a civil divorce where assets are divided without a problem. A divorce lawyer is prepared for easy and complex cases, such as those where both parties cannot agree on how to divide property, money, and custody. A child paternity suit will require the court to order a scientifically accepted paternity test which requires the mother, alleged father, and child to give blood, body fluid, or a tissue sample to test and compare to confirm or deny paternity. In most cases, the court will require a less expensive test, such as a blood test, for the first time paternity questions arise. If the first test cannot determine a paternity match then a second and more expensive test, such as DNA testing, can be conducted.

A family law lawyer Houston has the necessary experience and educational background to make this process go as smoothly as possible. When they are hired by their client, a child custody attorney is prepared to answer questions on the steps the family must take to ensure the child is put first and their way of life is disrupted as little as possible. When it comes to deciding paternity it is a confusing time for any child and must be done as professionally as possible. Choosing the right family law attorney in Houston is crucial when it comes to paternity questions. A good lawyer must know the laws and can help guide their clients in the right direction throughout this difficult time in their life.

The Houston family law attorneys at Waldrop Law Firm can help when paternity is an issue. They also practice divorce law and collaborative law in Houston.

In 2005, the Texas state legislature provided for the establishment of a shared custody agreement in the form of a parenting plan.  Shared custody presumes that both parents will share in the legal and physical custody of their children. In this matter, the family court Judge has overriding authority and can amend the plan in any manner that the court deems will serve the best interest guideline.  The goal of the Texas legislature is to avoid current and future conflict between the divorced parents that will negatively impact the children.  A Houston family lawyer is one of the best sources for drafting a parenting plan in conjunction with one or more parent in order to receive family court approval.

Some of the basic issues addressed in a parenting plan are as follows:

• Schedule of shared physical custody for each parent
• Schedule of physical custody for holidays
• Plan for addressing changes in scheduled events
• Allocation of what decisions will be made by whom or together
• Specified arrangements for the transfer of children from one parent to the other
• Provisions for financial support of the children
• Allocation of payment for medical expenses, insurance and extracurricular activities
• Allocation for payment of educational expenses
• Stipulations regarding taking the children out of the county or state
• Prearranged plan for dispute resolution

It is within the purview of a divorce attorney in Houston to fully understand the Texas shared custody statutes, as well as the Harris County family court system. This knowledge and expertise serves to maximize the legal rights and options of all concerned.

Prenups have been sensationalized by the press whenever a celebrity couple splits and there is speculation as to whether an agreement exits or not and if so, what provisions does it contain. For this reason, premarital agreements have been, at the same time, associated with divorce. This may seem like a strange dichotomy, but in this day and age of multiple marriages, blended families and co-mingled assets, premarital agreements can serve to keep all of the players straight. A Houston family law attorney is best suited to working with a couple in drafting an agreement that will protect all concerned before, during and after a marriage.

Premarital contracts can be entered into for other reasons than creating a shield against the possibility of divorce. They can also determine how assets will be divided in the case of the death of one or both of the spouses.  This is especially important when a blended family is involved. Considering how assets will be distributed to existing children from other marriages, children who are from the current marriage, as well as the allocation of past, current and future assets are all reasons why a prenuptial agreement is a wise choice. If for nothing else, an agreement that clearly covers these matters will avoid conflict between the survivors.

Prenuptial agreements in Houston can also address power of attorney issues when one of the spouses becomes incapacitated. Although the marriage contract inherently gives certain discretionary powers to a married spouse, conflict can arise with adult children from previous marriages. Addressing end of life issues including DNR, do not resuscitate orders and hospice care can be determined beforehand with a health care power of attorney.  These matters can also be addresses after the marriage within a post marital agreement.  The clearer the desires of the spouses, the less likely there will be any conflict between the surviving spouse and extended family members.

In seeking the counsel of a Houston Family Law Attorney, there is a greater assurance that the contract will contain all of the essential legal elements required, in order to fully serve the interests of the parties entering into same, as well as their families.

Mediation is a dispute resolution process that encompasses a neutral third party who is charged with assisting the participants in reaching an agreement on the disputed matters at hand.  Th process is appropriate when the parties involved are unable to reach an agreement on their own for whatever reasons.  Mediation is conducted within a safe, polite, semi-structured and non-binding arena. This can be especially helpful in negotiating a separation absent a Petition for Divorce. Texas law does not provide for a stand- alone separation, therefore mediation is a highly viable option to achieve agreement on same.

As opposed to arbitration, whereby a neutral third party has the power to make decisions based on their assisting the parties to reach an agreement, Mediators have no decision making powers. The disputing parties involved In mediation are empowered by the Mediator to reach their own settlement, whereas the parties involved in arbitration have a say in a settlement, but are ultimately subject to the legally binding decision of the Arbitrator.

A Houston divorce attorney can attest to the fact that custody, support and visitation rights are the most acrimonious issues within a divorce action. In general, if an agreement can be reached on these issues, then resolving property division matters is more easily accomplished.  As far as any minor children are concerned, the Texas code is quite clear that the best interest of the child is of preeminent importance.  In the view of the court, a joint conservatorship is the ideal scenario.

Mediation can be very helpful in drafting a requisite parenting plan that incorporates joint custody within the guidelines of the law.  If joint conservatorship is not possible, then mediating an agreement for sole custody that includes visitation, plus child and spousal support has a greater chance of being adhered to in the long term than a judgment made by the Texas District Court.  Some of the advantages of family law mediation include a monetary savings on higher litigation legal fees, an empowered co-parenting plan and an equitable distribution of assets.  In addition, if the divorcing couple is involved in one or more business ventures, mediation from the perspective of experts in family and commercial law allows for working in a single legal arena, lessening the number of attorneys and fees involved.

Many personal and business disputes involve legal matters in which legal experience is necessary to achieving fair and equitable results from the mediation process.  Waldrop Law Firm approaches the practice of mediation with five specific principles; 1.) Confidentiality, 2.) Empowerment, 3.) Neutrality, 4.) Voluntarism and 5.) Unique Dispute Resolution.  The firm espouses that at the very minimum, the mediation process is an opportunity to explore options and open up dialogue in Houston family law or Houston commercial law matters.  A free consultation is available for those who are interested in pursuing more information on their Houston family law mediation services.

Mediation in child custody cases promote dispute resolution rather than engaging in an acrimonious litigation.  For the spouses to move forward with the best interest of their children in mind, mediation can help to avoid a lengthy custody battle. In the state of Texas, the best interest of the child is joint conservatorship. If parents cannot agree on custody issues the court will order mandatory mediation as long as each party has legal representation and there is no evidence of a history of domestic violence.

Mediation in divorce is a non-adversarial process, most often the exact opposite of litigious proceedings. The addition of no-fault grounds for divorce in Texas family law has given rise to mediation services. Mediation is designed to result in fair, equitable and informed decisions about division of property, child physical and legal custody and spousal support. The goal is to achieve agreements whereby the parties involved are designers of their future outside of the marital contract. Learning to engage in the basic principles of dispute resolution can be very beneficial in settling prenuptial and post divorce conflicts as well.

Mediation is not appropriate if there has been a history or allegations of any type of domestic violence, child abuse or neglect. The court will not remand a couple to mandatory mediation if there is even a hint of past abuse. Mediation is also not appropriate if there is a significant imbalance of power between the spouses whereby fear of expressing oneself is hindered. A successful mediation process depends on at least a modicum of trust between the two spouses and a willingness to conform to the rules of engagement.  The Waldrop Law Firm can aid a couple in determining whether mediation is a viable option for their situation.

Houston family mediation can be helpful to couples who are experiencing trouble in their marriage and seek a third party to help them determine whether separation or divorce is a viable option. Texas family law does not address separation but this does not preclude a couple from mediating a legal separation.  A family law attorney will also be able to determine and refer a couple for professional counseling should the circumstances warrant.

According to statistics from the Office of the Attorney General for the state of Texas, court-ordered payments for child and spousal support tend to dissipate after 2 years and in many cases, are totally disregarded after  5-years.  This has generally not been the case for mediated agreements. This is attributed to the two parties having a voice in the process.

Waldrop Law Firm offers a free consultation for couples who are considering mediation as an alternative to litigating a family law matter.  The firm is an advocate of mediation as an alternative to traditional litigation. Their Houston family law attorneys are well-versed in all matters of family law, as well as dispute resolution, tax ramifications of divorce and commercial law if a business is involved.

Harris County divorce actions are subject to both Texas family law statutes and Harris County procedures. However, business disputes, regardless of their origin are subject to the Texas Uniform Commercial Code. Seeking a Houston family law lawyer, who also possesses expertise in business law and commercial litigation, can be extremely advantageous for divorcing couples who own a business.

There are a number of issues that divorcing business owners need to address. Do they just want to sell the business and split the profits? Does one partner want to buy the other party out, or do they want to continue as is under a new partnership agreement?  Does business property currently held jointly need to be changed to tenants in common?  The list of matters requiring decisions in this situation seem almost endless.  The possibility of divorcing business owners coming to terms with these issues on their own is slim to none. There really is little substitute for utilizing the experience of a family law attorney who is also well versed in commercial law to negotiate the settlement terms of joint business ownership.

Rather than litigating the issue in an adversarial manner, reaching terms within a commercial mediation process can prove very beneficial for both parties.  Mediation centers on both parties having a full say in the process. thereby eliminating the possibility for one party or the other to be resentful of the outcome. This does not mean that there might not be some disgruntlement in the future if matters do not turn out as expected, but returning to dispute resolution is always a viable option.

A Houston commercial mediator serves as a neutral party charged with bringing disputing parties together in drafting a mutual agreement. The mediator possesses no legal authority, only legal expertise in both mediation and the issues in dispute. However, once an agreement is reached it is submitted to the court as part of the overall divorce settlement and as with any valid contract, it becomes bound by law.