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Musick & Musick LLP
397 N. Sam Houston Parkway E.,
Suite 325
Houston, Texas 77060
Phone:
(281) 443-7747
Fax:
(832) 448-1147
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Texas Family Law
Click on any of the links below for more
information about Texas Family Law in Houston areas:
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Texas Family Law Defined
The area of Texas family law encompasses a wide variety of legal issues ranging from divorce to child custody
and visitation. Family law also includes adoption, child support, spousal support, modifications to
previous family law orders, paternity determinations, and even prenuptial agreements. Divorce and child
custody issues can arise whether or not two people are married, consider themselves "common law
married", or have biological or adoptive children together.
Because Texas family law is such a broad area, we have provided the following definitions
as guidance into the potential areas in which Houston family law attorneys at Musick & Musick LLP may be able to assist you.
Adoption is a legally recognized way of forming a family. Adoption options include international
adoptions, domestic adoptions, agency adoptions, independent or private-placement adoptions, stepparent
adoptions, blood-relative adoptions, surrogacy-related adoptions, open adoptions, and closed adoptions.
Maintenance and spousal support are
legal terms for income provided by one spouse or
former spouse to the other during a separation or
after divorce. Although once traditionally awarded
primarily to wives for an indefinite period, alimony
awards are now awarded to either spouse if he or
she needs financial assistance and the other is
able to provide it, and they tend to be temporary,
for a period of rehabilitation that enables the
recipient spouse to become self-supporting.
Child support is generally ordered
by the court in situations in which a child lives
with one but not both parents. The non-custodial
parent, or the parent with whom the child does not
live, is responsible for contributing a certain
portion of his or her income, based on state child
support guidelines, to help support the child, even
if the custodial parent has income of his or her
own.
Children's rights cover a broad spectrum,
which includes not only the rights afforded to all
U.S. citizens, but also those rights that are theirs
due to their status as children, such as the right
to food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and education.
Children are not, however, guaranteed all of the
constitutional protections that are provided to
adults.
Custody and visitation issues can
arise when parents are divorced or separated, when
the parents have never been married, or when some
type of reproductive technology, such as surrogate
motherhood or sperm and egg donation cases, complicates
the issues even further. Courts generally apply
a "best interests of the child" standard
when determining to whom custody should be awarded.
Divorce is the legal process by which
a marriage is terminated. In a divorce proceeding,
the parties' marriage is legally ended and the related
issues, such as spousal and child support, child
custody and visitation, and property and debt division,
are resolved, either by the parties' voluntary agreement,
through the assistance of a mediator, or after a
court trial. A divorce may be appropriate even where
two people consider themselves "common law
married".
Domestic violence and neglect include
physical, mental, and sexual abuse of children,
mates, elderly persons, or other vulnerable adults
in the perpetrator's household. Abuse and neglect
have long-term consequences, but there are legal
mechanisms through which victims or interested third
parties can seek protection.
Juvenile law relates not only to juvenile
delinquency proceedings, in which the juvenile is
charged with an offense that would be a crime if
committed by an adult, but also to juveniles charged
with status offenses, abused and neglected children,
and children in need of social services.
Paternity refers to a legal action
to establish that a man is the father of a child.
A paternity action may be brought in order to impose
a child support obligation, establish a right to
inheritance, secure consent for the child's adoption,
or gain or prohibit custody or visitation rights.
Prenuptial agreements are contracts
entered into by a couple in contemplation of marriage.
They usually address property issues that may arise
in the event of divorce or death, and are often
used as vehicles to provide for greater awards of
property to children from previous marriages, or
when one spouse brings substantially greater assets
to the marriage.
If you need legal assistance in one of our Texas family law areas of practice, please contact Houston family law attorneys at Musick and Musick today. |
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