Houston Divorce And Family Law Blog

When parents in Texas divorce, one parent will likely be called upon to make child support payments. While these payments can be crucial for supporting one's child, they can also potentially become a problem if the person paying support ends up with a changed financial situation. What do you do in those cases?

FindLaw examines the option of child support modification. This is the act in which child support orders are modified due to a change in financial circumstances. There can be many different reasons to request a modification. Most have to do with the supporting parent losing income in some way. This could mean that they lost their job or were demoted. In rare cases, the supporting parent may have gotten arrested. They may be a member of the military, navy or air force and were relocated elsewhere. They may have even married and formed a new family that they now must now support.

If you have been divorced or widowed and found a new partner, you certainly have many reasons to be happy about your future. Many people in Texas are able to move forward with a new marriage and create the life they have long dreamed of. However, before you walk down the aisle and say, "I do" yet again, you should make sure that your long-term plans are in order. A good estate plan is a must for remarried spouses, especially when one or both partners has children from their prior marriages.

Forbes explains that in lieu of a will or trust that clearly outlines what you might want your children or grandchildren to inherit, everything might go to your spouse if you die first. Regardless of what verbal agreements the two of you have made, your spouse could make different decisions once you have passed away. Many things could factor into this happening and you would not be able to predict these nor prevent their decisions.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons why a divorced parent in Texas may wish to relocate to a different state. However, it is also possible that your ex-spouse may choose to relocate in an attempt to drive a wedge between you and your children. If this is the case, it may be part of a larger pattern of parental alienation. 

According to The Good Men Project, parental alienation occurs when a child turns away from one parent as a result of manipulation by the other parent. The child does not consciously realize that the manipulation is taking place. If asked, he or she will usually report that turning away from the other parent was his or her own idea. Nevertheless, this pattern of behavior does not emerge in children whose parents are psychologically healthy and able to maintain at least a measure of cordiality with one another. 

If you are one of the many people in Texas who is facing a divorce, you will have many difficult decisions with which to deal. Even if the face of the emotional impact of your divorce, you will need to assess many of these decisions from a practical, financial perspective. The more you can take emotions out of the decisions, the better it might be for you in the long term.

If you own a home with your spouse, it is not uncommon for that person to want to keep the house after your divorce is over. This is especially common if you have young children together as your partner might be very focused on trying to maintain stability wherever possible for the sake of the kids. Before you rush in and allow this to happen, you should understand how to protect yourself against future credit problems or collections efforts.