Category: Divorce

Are you ready to end your marriage but are looking for the right time to divorce? Our family law group understands. The divorce process can be overwhelming and straining, this is why our divorce attorneys work with you to tackle major issues such as child custody, child support, property division, spousal support, and more. Read below to learn more about when is the best time of year to divorce. According to Divorce Knowledgebase: Regardless of when it occurs, divorce is a long and emotionally draining process. Oftentimes, people file for divorce quickly and without regard to timing. Other times, one or both spouses see the writing on the wall ahead of time and try to figure out the best time of year to pull the trigger. When it comes to filing for divorce, it generally doesn’t matter if it’s done in the spring, summer, fall or winter. However, January tends to be the most popular month to file for divorce, and there are actually several viable reasons for the phenomenon. January is often called “Divorce Month” because so many couples file for divorce at the beginning of the year. Many of those filings probably occur due to sheer chance, but the move is often made for very practical reasons. A few of the top reasons to file for divorce in January include: Being prepared for the next tax year – Most divorces are completed within a year. By filing in January, then, a spouse can increase the odds of qualifying to file as head of household or single for the next tax year. Many additional tax implications are involved, and those who are considering divorce should consult with qualified financial experts regarding the repercussions of filing in January. Avoiding turmoil during the holidays – By filing for divorce in January,

Following a divorce it can be difficult to carry on traditions that you once held close. Creating new holiday traditions for your family after divorce can help you to move on and find peace. Divorce Magazine shares the following tips to help you through the holiday season. 7 Ways to Create New Positive Holiday Memories Post-Divorce: Adopt a positive mindset and attitude about the holidays. Remember that spending time with your kids doing enjoyable activities is the best part of a busy season. Plan ahead but allow for flexibility. Have a secure schedule in place for your children but give them options. Asking your kids for feedback about how they want to spend their time will encourage them to become invested in holiday activities. Be cordial with your ex-spouse during holidays post-divorce. Don’t express anger towards your children’s other parent in front of them. Being businesslike and civil with your ex and his/her relatives can set a positive tone for the years to come. Consider communicating with your ex through email because phone conversations and texts can get emotional during the holiday season. Be sensitive to your children’s feelings and triggers. Remember that your children are not possessions and that they have their own tender feelings to deal with during the holiday season. Do your best not to put them in the middle by making them a messenger between their parents or asking them too many questions about their time with their other parent. Validate your children’s feelings if they express sadness or other negative emotions. Let them know that it’s okay to feel this way and you are there for them. Don’t make them feel guilty about their time away from you – they don’t need to know if you feel lonely without them. Saying things like: “It’s not

The divorce process can be financially and emotionally draining on you and every family member involved. Part of the divorce process is learning how to cope with your emotions and rebuild yourself once the divorce is finalized. At Renken Law Firm we provide support to our clients that goes beyond legal advice on dividing assets and debts. Read below for some helpful tips on how to survive your divorce case. Marriage.com shares 10 tips on how to cope during the divorce process: 1. Don’t let their behavior affect you While they try to impose themselves and their toxicities on you, don’t do the same when you are seeking ways for how to survive a divorce. It will sound tempting to treat them how they are treating you. Use your brain through this problem and understand their cause of doing so. If you show equality in rudeness or rage, you’ll escalate the problems. While you continue to be patient and behave, you will see yourself being proud of it over the years. 2. Expect the unexpected You might have had a very beautiful relationship, and that can make you sad at times specifically when your ex’s behavior is unbearable. To overcome such a situation, expect their abhorrent nature. Also, expect that they’re going to put you down purposefully. This way it won’t affect you afterward. You can face them easily when any bad situation befalls. You will not lose your track when something sad like this falls on your head. 3. Prioritize forgiveness Keeping yourself involved and affected by your ex’s behavior and actions can be disturbing. You might get very angry and choose never to forgive them, but this way you’ll only hurt yourself. Show forgiveness with all your heart and mind. Stay present and put with your senses to

Whether you are separated or divorced, navigating holiday time can be difficult. You may feel guilty for not having the ability to carry on the same traditions with your kids you once did, however, this does not mean it is impossible to have a happy holiday season. Remember that it is important to create new traditions and to spend the holidays with the ones you love. Here are 5 holiday survival tips for divorced parents to help them work together to make the best experience: Plan it out. Make a list of the events that people want to do for the holiday, for each side of the family, and if the child has any special event they want to attend. Map and schedule it all out to include as many as possible. If there are conflicts on particular days, work out which one will be attended. Having a plan that everyone agrees to is the first major step to ensuring a smooth holiday month. Discuss the gifts. It’s important that both parents are okay with the gifts that the other one wants to purchase. If both parents don’t agree to a certain gift then it should be left off the table. For example, if one parent wants to purchase the teen a pellet gun and the other disagrees, then that gift should be avoided. Work out the bigger gifts so there’s no problems that arise after they have been opened. Be patient. Co-parents or not, it’s important to practice patience during this time of the year. As people find it to be a more stressful time, it is a good idea to do things to relax and reduce stress, such as meditation, reading, taking a walk, etc. Make time during the month to relax and simply do nothing. Agree to

The divorce process can be financially and emotionally draining even in the best of circumstances. Working with an experienced attorney can help save you time and money, while also ensuring you avoid making some of the biggest mistakes. Listed below are 3 common divorce mistakes you do not want to make: Failing to be transparent with your attorney Why go to all the effort of hiring an attorney if you do not plan to be completely honest with them about the details of your divorce. Divorce attorneys have seen it all and are not here to judge the shortcomings of your marriage; they simply want to help you navigate the divorce process while advocating for your best interest. In order to do this, they will need you to openly share the details surrounding your marriage, personal life, professional life, financial specifics, and more. We understand the divorce process is intrusive and emotionally draining, however, our goal is to ensure you are protected throughout the entire process and that your finalized divorce agreement reflects your needs. Small details that may seem irrelevant to you may actually end up playing a larger role in the overall picture of your divorce than you believe. This is why our legal team asks for you to be open and honest from the beginning so we can help you get the best possible outcome in your divorce. Keep it simple and be sure you are being open and honest sharing true accounts of events, financial records, and more. Sharing person information on social media One of the worst things you can choose to do while going through a divorce is air out all of your laundry on social media. Whether you are blowing off steam and talking negatively about your spouse or you are out celebrating

Divorcing couples that are choosing to work together to reach a settlement agreement often do not see the benefit of working with a divorce lawyer throughout the process. You may wonder, how can a lawyer help me with collaborative divorce? Collaborative divorce attorneys work with you to provide legal advice for all the traditional divorce issues you will face including spousal support, child custody, child support, and property division. Legal Help in a Collaborative Divorce Many clients will not understand what a collaborative divorce is and how to proceed through one. However, with legal support, the process becomes less complex and difficult to muddle through. The primary goal is to work through and solve the problems that the relationship had before it came to the end where a dissolution is the only way through. Because of this, the lawyer’s job in these methods is to protect the client from making mistakes and attempting to resolve the arguments with discussion, facts and solutions to the previous and present problems. With a conclusion to the divorce issues, it is possible to keep an amicable relationship with the other spouse. The Lack of Disagreements Collaborative divorce is similar to other alternative methods to litigation such as mediation or arbitration. There is often a significant lack of disagreements between the parties that result in a civil case. Because of this, it is possible to resolve the remaining concerns both spouses may have in ending the marriage and dissolving the relationship legally. The division of assets and debts, custody and support for the noncustodial parent or the other spouse are all necessary items to solve. The process may require much less time when all other disagreements are no longer important or even exist in the end. The Important Tasks Pursuing the most important matters in

If you believe your spouse is planning to leave you, or you have decided you want to file for divorce, it is important to protect yourself. There are many sneaky tactics your spouse may use in divorce to gain the upper hand or to leave you in a bad situation. Read below to learn more about what you need to look out for in your divorce case: Prolonging the Inevitable: Unfortunately, one of the most common tactics spouses use against the other in divorce is stalling the process for as long as possible. Your spouse may be hoping to win you back or they may be hoping to buy time to build a stronger case against you in the divorce. This can be achieved by refusing to sign paperwork, declining every offer they are presented, or choosing to take everything to court to discuss it. Rushing the Process: On the opposite side of the same issue, you may be dealing with a spouse that is pushing for you to take a quick divorce settlement. This may seem like an attractive option so that you do not have to keep going to court or paying legal fees, unfortunately it is also a tactic that is commonly used to sneak unfair terms into your divorce agreement. It is important to always have an experienced divorce lawyer look over your final agreement to ensure the other part is not taking advantage of you. Hiding Assets: One of the sneaky tactics your spouse may use in divorce is moving their money or assets around so that they do not have to share them with you or claim their total net worth. This can be done by switching bank accounts, putting property in family member’s names, and more. Make sure you tell your attorney about

The divorce process is never a simple legal issue, however, having a Houston divorce attorney with a track record of success on your side can help make the process much smoother. At Renken Law Firm we provide legal advice and representation in divorce cases that cover the most difficult topics such as custody issues, spousal support, property division, temporary orders, and more. If you are in need of a Texas family law attorney throughout the Houston, Texas area our team is here for you. We work with you through every step of the legal process to ensure you are making rational choices that promote your best interest. Family Law Issues An Attorney Can Help With Explaining Grounds for Divorce Every state has established certain grounds for divorce that give one of the spouses the right to petition the court for the dissolution of the marital relationship. Some grounds for divorce are fault-based, such as adultery, cruel treatment, abuse or incarceration. All states recognize no-fault grounds for divorce. However, some states require that the spouses live separately for a certain period of time before their courts are permitted to dissolve the marital relationship. A divorce lawyer can explain whether there are any benefits to asking the court to dissolve the marriage based on fault grounds. For example, this may be relevant in determining whether spousal support will be available or how much support will be awarded. In some cases, there has been a defect in the marriage. A legal requirement may have been ignored, the proper paperwork may not have been filed or a proper ceremony may not have been performed to make the marriage legal. A lawyer can discuss whether voiding or annulling the marriage is preferable to getting a divorce. Providing Objective Advice While divorce is an emotional process,