Houston Divorce Law Blog

Women in Houston may be interested in a new study showing that more women than ever before are currently paying their ex-husbands alimony and child support. As their salaries increase and their career options expand, many women are being required to contribute financially to their former spouse's way of life. In terms of divorce law, this shift in society also underlines the growing need for prenuptial agreements.

Over half of the divorce lawyers surveyed throughout the United States reported an increase in the number of mothers who are now required to pay child support. In addition, nearly 50 percent of the responders have seen a hike in alimony payments by women.

As older couples in Houston get married, the odds are higher that the man and woman will each be financially stable prior to the union, making the protection of individual assets more important. Although hardly anyone goes into a marriage thinking of a potential separation, unforeseeable circumstances do occur. For older Texans who want to ensure the safety of their financial holdings, a prenuptial agreement may be the best thing for both of the people involved.

One financial advisor compared every young newlywed couple to a start-up business and every older newlywed couple to a merger between two already established companies. It is certainly a good analogy since older people in general have had more opportunities to achieve financial success, while young people usually haven't.

Violence within the family is a serious matter, and it should be treated as such. When a spouse or significant other commits abuse within the household, the harm is both physical and emotional. Fortunately, Texas law allows for a person to obtain protective orders that can prohibit the offender from further threatening the victim.

When violence does occur, police sometimes will issue an emergency protective order in an effort to prevent more violence. Such a situation arose recently in Texas when a woman's ex-boyfriend entered her home and allegedly sexually assaulted her. An investigation by authorities determined that the man entered her home without permission and then confronted another person within the residence with a large knife. After making that person leave, the offender then took the woman and her daughter to one of the bedrooms inside the residence. Police intervened, and the man against whom the protective order was served is now facing a number of criminal charges.

When thinking of the property division aspect of divorce, most people probably do not consider the pets as part of that negotiation. But divorce law in all 50 states technically considers the family pet an item of property to be divided. Nevertheless, pets are becoming increasingly important in Texas divorce cases, with some couples even agreeing to share custody and make visitation arrangements.

A 2006 survey of members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers shows that pet custody cases have steadily increased since 2001. Although the survey is a few years old, the president of AAML believes that the numbers of these types of property division cases are still climbing.