Category: Blog

For almost 20 years Dawn Renken at the Renken Law Firm has been at the forefront of same sex unions and separations; instituting creative division and contractual arrangements prior to the legalization of marriage in Texas and now one of the leading firms handling same sex divorces. The Renken Law Firm has worked hard to earn a reputation for efficiently practicing diligent and focused legal services. We pride ourselves in our knowledge of the law and how to creatively and effectively use all changes in the law to best aid our clients. OutSmart Magazine’s Annual Gayest & Greatest 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards For the past 25 years, OutSmart has celebrated Houston’s LGBTQ fan favorites with our annual Gayest & Greatest Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers participate in the competition by voting for their top choices in a variety of categories—from people in our community to the arts, to real estate, and nightlife. This year’s winners will be announced in our October 2022 issue. You can vote for Renken Law Firm Here! Queer Friendly Family Attorney in Houston Our team proudly serves the Greater Houston area, including but not limited to Brazos County, Cypress, Fort Bend County, Galveston, Houston Heights, Houston, Humble, Katy, Kingwood, Memorial Houston, Montgomery County, Montrose, Richmond, Rosenberg, Spring, The Woodlands. All marriages are different, making each divorce equally unique with its own set of needs that must be addressed. Contact our law office to explore your options moving forward, and find out how we can help you. Renken Law Firm, PLLC 11500 Northwest Fwy #586 Houston, TX 77092 (713) 956-6767 https://therenkenlawfirm.com Google Business Listing Divorce can be an emotionally and financially taxing process, but mediation can offer a more amicable and cost-effective alternative to courtroom battles. In this blog post, we’ll explore the critical do’s and don’ts of

Mediation provides a simple, hands-on approach to handling your divorce. If you are interested in learning more about divorce mediation in Houston, TX the Renken Law Firm can help you. Our team of divorce experts offer a wide range of divorce services to married couples who are looking for the best solution for their unique situation. You will want to consider your options and think about your unique situation to determine what the best course of action is for your situation. If you have any questions or concerns about divorce mediation, schedule a consultation with our team. We understand complex family dynamics, our team are experts at conflict resolution, and we have years of experience working with divorcing couples. When you are looking to find a mediator for your divorce, contact our office today. Top 10 Tips for Choosing a Divorce Mediator: You Want a Divorce Mediator Who Is an Educator: By initially educating you and your spouse on the law, a good divorce mediator would be focused on empowering you to make your own informed decisions. You would be informed on how the law applies to your particular facts and circumstances. Then, you would learn what would be the most likely result if you each hired your own divorce lawyer and went to court. A Good Divorce Mediator Keeps The Playing Field Level: You want a neutral partner (not just a third-party) who ensures that all rights and interests of both spouses are being protected. In a sense, having a good divorce mediator is like having a strong “advocate” in each of your corners who is looking out for each of your best interests, as well as the entire family. A marital settlement agreement that is legally binding, and not just a memorandum of understanding is also essential, in

Are you looking for an experienced mediator to help you navigate your divorce case? Are you in the Greater Houston area and in need of professional guidance from a neutral third party? If so, the divorce specialists at Renken Law Firm are here for you. We work with couples from all types of backgrounds to reach amicable agreements in their divorce cases. Mediation provides a more private and affordable divorce alternative that can benefit you in many ways. If you are unsure if divorce mediation is right for you, read this blog post to gain insight into who divorce mediation works best for. Will Divorce Mediation Work for Me? For some couples, working with your spouse and a mediator might be just what you need to obtain a divorce with as little conflict as possible. But, mediation will only work if you and your spouse are on the same page. You are more likely to have a successful mediation if all or most of the following statements are true. You and Your Spouse Agree to Divorce Despite what we see on television—or what we often hear from friends or family—not all divorces are contentious. In some cases, the decision to divorce is mutual. If you and your spouse agree that the marriage is over, you can file a petition for divorce together or, one spouse can file with the other’s knowledge. When you’re both on the same page, it’s often easier to negotiate and work together to find a resolution for any unresolved divorce issues in mediation. There’s No History of Domestic Violence With divorce mediation comes the need for frequent meetings involving both spouses, the mediator, and possibly attorneys. If you and your spouse have a history of domestic abuse, most mediators won’t take your case because it’s difficult

When you have made the decision to divorce your spouse, you will want to explore all options for dissolving your marriage. This is because each relationship is different, making each divorce unique as well. The team at Renken Law Firm wants to help you make informed choices that protect you and your family. We understand that divorce can be emotionally and financially draining, this is why we work with you every step of the way to find solutions that fit your needs. What Is Divorce Mediation? Divorce mediation is a popular method for divorcing couples to openly discuss and negotiate their needs, as well as the needs of their children. During your divorce mediation, you will work with an experienced divorce mediator, who will remain a neutral third party throughout the entire process. Their job will be to ensure you are identifying all important issues that need to be resolved to end your marriage amicably. During divorce mediation some of the issues you will work to resolve include: Distribution of Property Child Custody Child Support Taxes Debt Allocation What Are The Benefits of Divorce Mediation? It Is Less Stressful Mediation is far less stressful than regular divorce proceedings, which may be fraught with frequent attorney meetings, court appearances, and multiple confrontations. The idea behind mediation is to promote friendly cooperation that is mutually beneficial to everyone. The mediator’s job is not only to help with agreement over terms of the divorce but also to ease tension, remove emotion from the process and help both sides behave amicably. Less stress on you means less stress on the whole family. Your kids will benefit as will your job. People going through a divorce tend to be more distracted at work and less efficient overall. If your mediation goes smoothly, your divorce should

At Renken Law Firm our team of family law experts understand that divorce is never easy. This is why we work with our clients every step of the way to ensure their specific needs are being met and that they are able to navigate the process without letting their emotions guide them into making abrupt choices. The Huffington Post shares some helpful tips for individuals exploring their options for divorce below: Be realistic: First, you need to realize that divorce is a legal process with the sole purpose of dissolving your assets and resolving custody issues. Your divorce attorney’s job is to represent you to the best of his or her ability in this process. While you might want them to listen to your anger, frustration, pain and sadness, that is not their job. They are not trained to be your therapist or coach, and they don’t want to be. Since your attorney has higher rates and the clock is always running, it’s a gross misuse of your money if this is how you’re using them. And divorce attorneys have seen it all. What seems immensely important to you might barely register for them within the scope of the legal process. So be realistic about the role of your divorce attorney, and what you can expect from them. Stay focused on the goal: Your ultimate goal in this process is to get divorced, and hopefully you can do so without any major depreciation of your lifestyle. Don’t let your emotions jump in and run rampant when it comes to negotiating over material things that don’t mean much to you in the big picture. If you do, your divorce will be longer, more litigious, and definitely more expensive than otherwise. Is it worth it? No. So keep your focus on getting

When you are looking for a seasoned divorce attorney in Houston to help you with your divorce case Renken Law Firm is here for you. We have the best divorce attorneys in Houston, offering legal advice and cheap divorce options for your family. Our team knows that every divorce case is unique, we can help you with all related legal needs including child custody, child support, contested divorced, uncontested divorces, and divorce mediation services. When you are looking for the best house divorce attorney to help you in your case, contact our team. HuffPost outlines the 5 steps to choosing the right divorce lawyer for your case: Be realistic. First, you need to realize that divorce is a legal process with the sole purpose of dissolving your assets and resolving custody issues. Your divorce attorney’s job is to represent you to the best of his or her ability in this process. While you might want them to listen to your anger, frustration, pain and sadness, that is not their job. They are not trained to be your therapist or coach, and they don’t want to be. Since your attorney has higher rates and the clock is always running, it’s a gross misuse of your money if this is how you’re using them. And divorce attorneys have seen it all. What seems immensely important to you might barely register for them within the scope of the legal process. So be realistic about the role of your divorce attorney, and what you can expect from them. Stay focused on the goal. Your ultimate goal in this process is to get divorced, and hopefully you can do so without any major depreciation of your lifestyle. Don’t let your emotions jump in and run rampant when it comes to negotiating over material things that

Are you looking to hire an attorney for your divorce? Working with one of our experienced divorce attorneys can help you to navigate this difficult time. Divorce cases are rarely as simple as they first seem. Schedule a consultation with our team today. Contested Versus Uncontested Divorce Typically, there are two kinds of divorces. The first is an “uncontested” divorce—which is where both spouses agree on all issues concerning the divorce, including but not limited to the division of marital property and debts, child custody, child support, and spousal support (“alimony”). The second—a “contested” divorce—is where the spouses can’t agree on their divorce issues, and they end up in court, asking a judge to make these decisions for them. Whether it’s one or all issues, if you disagree on anything, the court considers your divorce “contested.” Perhaps the most significant difference between an uncontested and a contested divorce is the legal process’s cost and time. Although it usually costs the same to file either type of divorce, spouses going through a contested divorce are more likely to spend money on attorney’s fees and expert witness fees (such as financial consultants or appraisers) than a couple that agrees on most divorce-related issues. In many states, the law requires judges to wait a certain amount of time before finalizing a divorce. Although the waiting period is usually the same for both contested and uncontested divorces, divorcing spouses involved in a contested divorce will often see the waiting period come and go before the court decides all the divorce-related issues. As a result, an uncontested divorce is not only cheaper but will take significantly less time to finalize than a contested case. Contested Divorce in Houston A contested divorce is just what it sounds like: one or both spouses contest (dispute) some aspect

Marriage.com has compiled a list of commonly observed grounds for divorce with reasons for divorce statistics. If you identify any of these in your relationship, you must get conscious about where your relationship is heading. Infidelity or an extramarital affair When one person goes outside of the relationship to get their needs met, whether it is physical or sexual, this can doom a relationship. It is very difficult to get trust back once a partner feels betrayed. Extra-marital affairs are responsible for the 20-40% breakdown of most marriages and end in divorce. This is one of the most common causes of divorce. The reasons why people cheat aren’t as cut and dry as our anger may lead us to believe. Anger and resentment are common underlying reasons for cheating, along with differences in sexual appetite and lack of emotional intimacy. Infidelity is one of the primary reasons for divorce. It is also one of the legal divorce reasons, besides living apart for more than a year and subjecting your partner to cruelty (mental or physical). Trouble with finances If a couple is not on the same page about how the finances are going to be handled, it can lead to terrible problems. Why is divorce so common due to financial incompatibility? According to divorce statistics, a “final straw” reason for divorce is a lack of compatibility in the financial arena and causes almost 41% of divorce. Everything from different spending habits and financial goals to one spouse making considerably more money than the other, causing a power struggle can strain a marriage to the breaking point. Also, differences in how much money each partner brings into the marriage can also lead to power plays between a couple. Financial troubles can be categorized as one of the biggest causes of divorce,

Are you currently in the process of separating or divorcing your spouse? Are they holding up the process and dragging it out, complicating every aspect of the process? You may be married to a problematic narcissist. By definition, a narcissist is unable to compromise and empathize with others. They may seem unfazed when it comes to your best interests, or even the best interests of their own children. But there are more complex factors that drive the narcissist’s tendency to drag out divorce. Some of the most common ones include: Not Letting You Move On: A narcissistic spouse will do everything in their power to prevent you from moving on with your life. It may not be an intentional choice they are making, but narcissists are uncomfortable when it comes to letting you go. This can happen even if they were the one who originally asked for a divorce. They desire control and will actively work to possess it over you. Narcissists will fight you every step of the way to maintain control and power over your situation. They may choose to work with aggressive attorneys who take actions to make your life more difficult. Making it hard for you to reach a mutually agreeable divorce settlement may be their primary goal, which can be extremely difficult to combat. These petty strategies are used against you as a way to keep you stressed out and unsure of what to do next. Avoid Responsibility: For someone with narcissistic tendencies, one of the most difficult things to do is to take blame for the marriage not working out. They will actively work to pursue an image that they gave the marriage everything they had and that it was your actions that caused the relationship to come to an end. If they were

Are you interested in hiring a divorce attorney in Houston, Texas? At Renken Law Firm we can help you with a wide range of family law issues including the divorce process, spousal support, division of property, child support, spousal maintenance, and more. We understand how difficult divorce can be on families, this is why we work with our clients every step of the way providing legal advice and helping them navigate this time. Our team serves Houston, TX and the areas around it. We handle divorce cases in families from all backgrounds including the LGBTQ+ community. If you are looking for a lawyer in Houston or a Houston divorcing coach, contact our law office today. What Should I Look For in My Divorce Attorney? Honest Communication When it comes to working with a divorce attorney it is crucial for both you and your attorney to be able to communicate honestly in order for there to be a successful attorney-client relationship. You need to come clean about the details of your specific divorce situation and your divorce attorney needs to be honest and realistic with you when setting your expectations and exploring your options. Many bad attorneys will get their client’s hopes up, luring them in and making promises they cannot keep in the case. This is poor ethics and can be extremely damaging to your case. A good attorney will never make claims or promises they can’t back up. They will also tell you the truth as it is, even if it’s not what you want to hear. Professional Demeanor When choosing a divorce attorney you will want to work with someone who conducts themselves with composure and maintains an air of professionalism. This means being polite, respectful, well spoken, on time, and more. You want to hire a Houston