6 things You Need to Know Before You Divorce in Texas

Originally published by Law Office of Bryan Fagan.

These are the five things you must do before you act on any thoughts you
have about
divorce. These steps are specific to
Texas divorce, but can be applied to divorce in many states. It’s important to
be certain that you have done the things you need to do to feel good about
your decisions. Here are the top five things to do:

1. Make sure your marriage is over

In my blog article “49 Best Texas Divorce Advice Tips” my first tip in that article was to before you file for divorce to first
make sure your marriage was over. You might want to consider seeking some
divorce counseling even if you think there is no hope for the marriage.

You do not have to wait for your spouse participate before seeking help
from a counselor. Your employer, church, friends, or this office can provide
you with recommendations a counselor who may be able to help you and your spouse.

2. Get Legal Advice from a Texas Divorce Lawyer

Even if you never end up hiring a
Texas Divorce Lawyer to handle your divorce, we highly recommend you meet with and get as much
information as you can before you even discuss
divorce with your spouse.

The
divorce laws in Texas are lot more complex than people realize. Even what many people believe
to very a simple situation can be very confusing to families already in
distress. One of the important reason why seeking legal advice sooner
rather than later is that the actions you take now may very well affect
your life during the
divorce as well as the outcome of your divorce.

An example of this is one of your clients decided he wanted to save money
by not hiring a divorce lawyer. He thought his matter was simple and he
and his wife would agree on everything. It turned out his wife did not
like his offer and she hired a
divorce lawyer. The
divorce lawyer set the case for a hearing and got the man kicked out of his house and
got the wife spousal support.

The man then hired us to represent him in the divorce. We were able to
help him get a fair settlement for the divorce and he did not have to
pay spousal support after the
divorce. Unfortunately, he was stuck with the outcome from the hearing while divorce
was ongoing something that could have been easily prevented had he been
represented from the beginning.

It is important understand your options ahead of time not some time down
the road. It is often easier to prevent something then it is to fix something
after the fact.

3. Talk to an Attorney Before You Move out of the Marital Home

I am often asked by the people I meet with whether or not they can move
out of the marital home. There is generally no one right answer that fits
every circumstances. Generally, before advising someone I want to know
more about there life situation including:

1. Has there been
   domestic violence?
2. Are there children involved?
3. Do you want to be able to say in the home during the
   divorce?
4. Financial Concerns and can you afford it?
5. Do you want to use any of the property currently in the home
6. Will moving out affect my financial interest in the property?
7. Emotional Considerations

Somethings to consider when making a decision to leave include:

1. If you leave the house, you may not be able to return after a court hearing
2. Having to pay for an additional residence can be expensive
3. If your children are living in the marital home this may limit your access them

I discuss this topic more in depth in my article “Should I move out of the marital home during a divorce?” and “Steps to Take Before Moving Out of the Marital Residence During a Divorce.”

4. If You Have had an Affair, Talk to a Lawyer Before You talk to your Spouse
   or Anyone Else

Generally, in Texas all financial matters will need to be disclosed to
your spouse during a divorce. However, you do not have to go out of your
way to let your spouse know that you have been having an affair. In fact,
the admission of an affair to your spouse would be admissible in court
and possibly can have dire consequences.

Although, Texas is a
no-fault divorce state which essentially means that neither party necessarily has to prove
the other spouse did anything wrong in order to get a divorce.

The main reason why adultery matters in a divorce is that if adultery can
be proven then it can be used to support a request from the spouse not
at fault for a disproportionate division of the
community property between the parties.

This means any illicit sex with someone other than your spouse could end
up costing you thousands. You can read more about this topic in my blog
article “When is, Cheating Considered Adultery in a Texas Divorce?”

5. Safeguard Your Assets and You Start Discussing Divorce with your Spouse

It is important for you to take certain precautions or possession of certain
assets during a divorce such as:

1. Pictures, family heirlooms, other sentimental objects
2. vehicles,
3. valuables stored in safes such as cash, gold or gems,
4. and money in bank accounts that might be liquidated by your spouse

In addition to securing the above items from your spouse If you have filed
for divorce you can ask your attorney to also ask for a Temporary Restraining
Order the prohibits your spouse from transferring or otherwise disposing
of any property covered by the restraining order.

I discuss this item in greater detail my blog article “49 Best Texas Divorce Advice Tips.”

6. Prepare Financially before you Start Discussing Divorce with your Spouse

Other protective measures you might consider in your divorce planning include:

1. protecting your own credit rating by freezing or closing joint cards and
   by blocking or removing your spouse’s access to other joint credit
   such as a home equity loan;
2. opening a separate bank account in only your own name;
3. changing the name on utility and phones other bills for which you are concerned
   your spouse might mess with; and
4. spending where possible your spouse’s separate property to pay down
   joint bills first, marital property next, and your own separate property last.

You can read more about this in my blog articles “7 Important Ways to Financially Prepare for Your Texas Divorce” and “Should I Hide Money from my Spouse to Get Ready for my Texas Divorce?”

E BOOK

If you want to know more about what you can do,
CLICK the button below to get your
FREE E-book:
“16 Steps to Help You Plan & Prepare for Your Texas Divorce”

Other Articles you may be interested in:

1. 6 Tips – On How to prepare for a Texas Divorce
2. Roadmap of Basic Divorce Procedure in Texas
3. Child Custody Basics in Texas
4. 6 Mistakes that can Destroy Your Texas Divorce Case
5. 10 Quick Tips About Parental Visitation
6. Does it Matter who Files First in a Texas Divorce?

Law Office of Bryan Fagan | Houston, Texas Divorce Lawyers

The Law Office of Bryan Fagan routinely handles matters that affect children
and families. If you have questions regarding
divorce, it’s important to speak with one of our
Houston, TX Divorce Lawyers right away to protect your rights.

Our
divorce lawyers in Houston TX are skilled at listening to your goals during this trying process and
developing a strategy to meet those goals.
Contact Law Office of Bryan Fagan by calling (281) 810-9760 or submit your contact information in our online
form. The Law Office of Bryan Fagan handles
Divorce cases in Houston, Texas, Cypress, Klein,
Humble,
Kingwood,
Tomball,
The Woodlands, the FM 1960 area, or surrounding areas, including
Harris County,
Montgomery County,
Liberty County,
Chambers County,
Galveston County,
Brazoria County,
Fort Bend County and
Waller County.

Curated by Texas Bar Today. Follow us on Twitter @texasbartoday.

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