Fulshear Family Law Lawyer
Family law cases are often complex and emotional. Whether you are dealing with a divorce, a child custody battle, or the modification of a court order, these legal issues often create contention.
At Skillern Firm, we understand the stress that our clients are going through, and we strive to relieve it as much as possible. The support of a family law attorney from our law firm could prove invaluable. We will take over the legal process, facilitate negotiations, and represent you in court if necessary. We will be there to guide you so that you have the tools and support you need to make informed decisions that best serve you and your family.
We are proud of our family law firm, which navigates each case with the compassion and dedication it deserves. We have been serving families in Texas for over a decade, and during that time, we have developed the skills and resources necessary to best support our clients.
Call our law office today to arrange an initial consultation with one of our Fulshear family law attorneys at 936-213-8479.
Common Family Law Cases in Fulshear, TX
At Skillern Firm, we support clients through a broad range of family law issues, including child custody, divorce, LGBTQ divorce, enforcement, modifications, and property division.
When you contact us, we will assign an experienced family law attorney to your case, who has the skills and experience necessary to provide comprehensive support.
Divorce
Divorce is a complex and emotional process that can leave people feeling overwhelmed and drained. If you have complex assets or children, then proceedings can be particularly challenging.
Most divorces involve child custody, property division, spousal support, and other important decisions which will greatly impact your security moving forward. With the difficulties that divorce brings, it is important to have the help of an experienced family law attorney who can advocate on your behalf and ensure that your rights are protected.
Most of the time, spouses disagree on at least one of these key issues. Your attorneys will facilitate negotiations and help you reach amicable decisions where possible. The negotiation process gives you the opportunity to reach personalized decisions that support your family while also saving time and money on court proceedings.
If there are any lingering issues, the Judge will make rulings on your behalf, and your attorney will represent your case in court. Either way, the Judge will have the final say and will only approve your divorce decree if it is in line with Texas family law.
Utilizing over 50 years of combined experience, the divorce lawyers at Skillern Firm will help ensure that your divorce decree meets its legal obligations while also protecting your rights and supporting your future.
Temporary Orders
Divorces can take a long time to finalize, and in the meantime, you may require guidance on key issues. Who stays in the family home, how parenting time is divided, and whether support payments are made are all pressing issues that cannot wait months or years for the divorce decree to be issued.
Your attorney can help you file for temporary orders, which will usually stay in place until your divorce is finalized. Although temporary, the outcome of these orders is important, especially if they involve children, because the Judge will look to foster stability for the child throughout the divorce proceedings and afterward.
Another form of temporary order is a protective order. If you have concerns for your safety or the safety of your children, then your attorney can help you file a protective order which will temporarily keep your spouse away from you. During this time, your attorney can help you build a case against your spouse to ensure that the decisions made in your case reflect your experiences.
The Judge can also issue temporary orders without anyone filing for them if they deem it appropriate in your case. Some courts and counties have standing orders.
Property Division
All divorces involve some amount of property division. When you have been in a committed relationship with someone for a long time, your assets naturally become intertwined, and dividing them can be incredibly complex. It is important to have an experienced family attorney advocating for you, as how your property is divided will have a big impact on your security moving forward.
Texas is a community property state, which means that any assets that either spouse entered the marriage with are separate property and continue to belong to each spouse after divorce, unless they are commingled. Any assets that were gifted or inherited by an individual during the marriage could also be separate property.
Conversely, all assets that either spouse acquired during the marriage are considered community property. Community property is usually split somewhat equally between spouses unless a deviation from this standard can be justified. The court seeks to make a fair and just division of the property.
Spousal Support
In Texas, spousal support is only awarded in specific circumstances, and when it is awarded, it is usually for a temporary period. There are three common situations where an award for spousal support could be granted by the court:
- Spouses can agree that spousal support is paid for a set time period to allow the receiving spouse the time and space to become financially independent.
- The obligated spouse has committed domestic violence against their spouse or their spouse’s child within two years before filing for divorce or while the divorce is ongoing.
- The marriage lasted at least ten years, and the seeking spouse lacks the ability to gain sufficient financial resources to meet their minimum reasonable needs. Examples include if the seeking spouse is disabled or cares for a disabled child.
Your attorney can help ensure that a fair decision is reached that places neither spouse in undue financial hardship.
Child Custody Cases
Child custody cases often go hand in hand with divorce. However, a child custody order can also be issued independently. Regardless of the circumstances, it is essential that your custody order reflects your child’s best interests.
All family law decisions that involve children must be made based on their best interests. In most cases, that means creating a parenting plan that keeps both parents in the child’s life while also promoting stability in the child’s life.
In Fulshear, TX, parents are awarded conservatorship and possession and access. Conservatorship is the right to make important decisions on the child’s behalf, such as those involving schooling, medical and dental care, or religion. Parents may share conservatorship and will be required to work together to make important decisions, or it could be given to one parent. Possession and access refer to where the child’s primary residence is and how much time they spend with each parent.
Conservatorship and possession and access are awarded separately, and even if a parent doesn’t have possession, it would not prevent them from being granted parenting time. The only reason a parent would lose their parental rights and therefore not receive parenting time would be if they pose a risk to their child’s wellbeing. In this case, clear and convincing evidence will need to be presented to a Judge, and our child custody lawyers can help.
At Skillern Firm, we will provide experienced family law representation to ensure that your child’s best interests are protected.
Enforcement
Once you have a court order in place, whether it is a divorce decree, child custody order, or any other form of court order, you may feel a sense of relief that you finally have the guidance you need to move forward with your life.
Therefore, when one spouse ignores the terms of a court order, it can be incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, when this happens, there are legal options available to you. When you contact Skillern Firm, we will help you explore these options and determine how to move forward. If negotiations break down or your former spouse refuses to cooperate, we can help you file contempt proceedings so that a Judge can hold them responsible and enforce compliance.
Order Modifications
Although a court order, such as a divorce decree, is legally binding, the courts also recognize that life changes, and sometimes an agreement that once worked is no longer feasible. When this happens, you can apply for a modification with the help of an attorney at Skillern Firm.
In order to be successful in securing a modification, either you and your ex-spouse will need to agree on the changes, or you must be able to evidence a substantial and material change in circumstances. For example, if you are ordered to pay spousal maintenance but become ill and cannot work the same hours, then this could justify a modification.
Domestic Abuse
If you have suffered domestic abuse in any form, then it is incredibly difficult to take those first steps. At Skillern Firm, we are uniquely prepared to handle complex cases such as those involving domestic abuse or violence. We will quickly get to work to file a protection order that will keep your partner away from you and your children.
The next steps will involve working with you to gather evidence and build a case against your partner. We will fight to ensure that the Judge understands the extent of your experiences and considers them when making important decisions in your case.
Our committed attorneys will guide you from start to finish so that you can begin transitioning to a new way of life.
What Can a Skilled Family Law Attorney Do For Me?
We recommend that anyone facing family law matters in Fulshear, TX, consult an attorney. The outcome of these matters will have a big impact on your future, and it is important to have dedicated representation from someone who can advocate on your behalf. Some of the important roles that your attorney will fill include:
Manage All Paperwork and Deadlines
Family law cases involve a significant amount of paperwork, which often comes with strict deadlines. An experienced attorney will understand all the legal jargon and will ensure that everything is filed correctly and on time to keep your case moving forward.
When people try to navigate family law independently, they can make mistakes, which end up being time-consuming and expensive. At Skillern Firm, we understand you want your case to keep progressing, and we will keep things moving forward without ever compromising on your rights.
Facilitate Negotiations
Negotiation is an important aspect of all family law cases. Even if there is a lot of hostility between you and your former partner, a Judge will expect you to at least try to negotiate the terms of your order.
At Skillern Firm, we prioritize negotiation where possible, and we will help you and your spouse come to amicable agreements on key issues. Although many of our clients come to us with little hope for negotiations, they are often surprised by what they can achieve with our help.
We will set clear boundaries and will never let a potentially abusive or difficult spouse control negotiations. As your fiercest advocates, we ensure that your rights are protected at every stage.
Fight in Court
When negotiations break down, or in cases where they are not possible, we will always be prepared to represent our clients in court. Court cases can be daunting, but we will guide you through the process and minimize stress wherever possible.
We have tested trial lawyers and will be prepared to present a robust case to a Judge using documentation and evidence that we have gathered while representing you.
Speak to a Fulshear Family Law Lawyer at Skillern Firm Today
At Skillern Firm, our team of attorneys is ready to assist you with any family law matter that you may be facing. We have helped numerous clients in similar situations to yours to ensure they receive the best possible outcome. We understand these cases can be emotionally taxing, and we strive to provide compassionate and dedicated support at every stage.
While some law firms try to do it all, from criminal defense to personal injury, our law firm is committed to helping clients through family law matters in Texas. Our lawyers spend all of their working time building up experience and resources that are relevant to you.
We take pride in our attorneys’ awards and qualifications, which recognize their dedication to family law matters. Our team has three lawyers who have received Board Certification in Family Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Additionally, our managing attorney, Matthew Skillern, has been recognized as a Top Rated Family Law Attorney at Super Lawyers.
Given the significant impact that family law cases can have on your future, it is crucial to have experienced and qualified legal representation. At our firm, we prioritize the rights of our clients and treat each case with equal importance. If you are searching for a family attorney who is committed to securing the best possible outcome for your case and prioritizing your best interests, do not hesitate to contact us at Skillern Firm.
Speak to an experienced Fulshear family lawyer today at 936-213-8479.