Legal Question in Family Law in Texas

Re: how to get a divorce

If, in fact you and your husband can agree on everything - meaning how to divide the marital property, custody & visitation, and spousal support, if needed - then your divorce should be relatively easy to obtain and should cost you less than a contested divorce (yours would be an uncontested divorce). I always advise people who come to me in anticipation of filing for divorce to copy everything - all important documents and papers they can find, and if they do not already have one, to open a major credit card account in their sole name since their spouse may close all joint accounts, leaving them with no available credit for emergencies, and most importantly to save up for legal fees. In the Houston and Dallas areas, an uncontested divorce generally runs from $350.00 up to as much as $2500.00 depending on who you hire. It is important to hire an attorney with whom you feel comfortable and whose skill & abilities match both your needs and your pocket book. If yours is a "Chevy divorce", you do not to pay thousands of dollars for a "Cadillac lawyer".

I would be happy to consult with you about your own individual situation. Feel free to contact me at (832) 443-7170 or at [email protected].

Best of Luck

Stephanie T. Shipp

Attorney At Law

Re: how to get a divorce

Shop around for a lawyer and tell his/her office that you want an uncontested divorce and that you have an agreement concerning property and the children. IN my neighborhood, this runs from $395-$1995 depending who you call.

Re: how to get a divorce

I recommend that you ask friends for a family law attorney that they could recommend. Then talk to them (many offer a free consultation) and find one that you feel that you an work with and trust.

You need to get some facts about divorce law in Texas and then go home and think about your situation.

Child support is based on a formula in Texas and unless the child is disabled is usually easy to determine.

Division of Property is usually 50% of the debts and 50% of the assets.

There is a new concept going around in the US called collaborative law. Go on the web and look for information about it. I like the theory but have not taken the class to be considered a collaborative lawyer -- the class costs approx. $1,000 and I haven't wanted to spend the time or money.

There are ways to handle the divorce and not run up huge legal fees. In Harris County the filing fee with kids is approx. $175. If you have him served that is approx. $50. Most divorces with kids require approx. 8-10 hours of legal time - just to do meet with the client, prepare the paperwork and go to court with the client for the final hearing.

If you live in the Houston area, I offer a free telephone consulation to briefly go over the facts of your case. If you call 713-847-6000 be sure to mention you saw me on lawguru.com.

Best of luck!