Divorce may be one of the most challenging chapters in your family members’ lives. The financial status of any couple seeking divorce presents its own specific concerns. For example, high-asset divorces may be more complicated. Yet all divorces have one commonality: divorce is a painful process.
Texas divorce laws address the issues affecting all divorce proceedings, regardless of income and wealth of the involved parties.
Texas divorce laws
Texas law permits “no-fault” divorce. In a fault divorce, you claim that your spouse’s misconduct caused the marital breakup. In a Texas divorce, the misconduct may affect the court’s decisions regarding financial issues, such as alimony and property division.
The legal grounds for a fault divorce in Texas include:
- adultery
- cruel treatment
- abandonment
- conviction of a felony or incarceration of at least one year
- confinement to a mental hospital for at least three years
Mediation
Mediation may be an attractive and less expensive alternative to divorce litigation. Texas family law does not mandate mediation, but most judges require it. Mediation encourages communication between the parties in order to obtain a mutually satisfactory agreement. The mediation agreement is legally binding and enforceable by a civil court.
Whether you are a stay-at-home parent, a corporate executive or parents who are both working, your primary concerns during a divorce may be the fair distribution of assets and the well-being of your children. Learning your rights and responsibilities can enable you to wisely consider your options and achieve a peaceful settlement for your family’s future stability.
