Forney Divorce Lawyer

Can you mediate and settle before filing for divorce in Texas?

November 16, 2019 | by Robert Guest

If you and your spouse are considering a divorce you may want to avoid costly litigation and mediate the case. Mediation is the process of asking a third party, a family law mediator, to help you settle the issues regarding property, custody, visitation, child support, etc.

Mediated Settlement Agreements Are Binding-

One reason to settle a case at mediation is that a Mediated Settlement Agreements, or an “MSA”, is almost impossible to change or challenge once signed. If you can reach an agreement and sign an MSA, you can know that those issues are behind you and move forward and enter a decree finalizing the case. A valid MSA “is binding on the parties and requires the rendition of a divorce decree that adopts the parties’ agreement.” Milner v. Milner, 361 S.W.3d 615, 618 (Tex. 2012); see also Loya v. Loya, 526 S.W.3d 448, 451 (Tex. 2017).

Divorce and Relocation: Can I take my kids?

December 19, 2015 | by Guest and Gray Law Firm

“I have to move, but my ex-spouse still lives here. Can I take my kids?”

This is a question that we hear fairly often here at Guest and Gray. Many people find themselves having to relocate for work or the need to be closer to family. However, for divorced parents, this problem is exacerbated by geographic restrictions that say where there children must live. These are known as “Geographic Restrictions”

Geographic restrictions most often place restrictions on the county in which you may live, or the maximum distance from the other parent that you may live. These restrictions are either negotiated by the parties or provided by court order. This means that if you want to relocate out of your geographic area, you have to go to court again and explain the reasons for your relocation.

Forney and Kaufman County Family Law Resources

August 22, 2013 | by Robert Guest

Guest & Gray has offices in Rockwall, Forney and Kaufman and serves family law clients in counties all over the Metroplex like Kaufman, Rockwall, Hunt, Ellis, Van Zandt, Smith, Dallas, Collin, Denton, and Henderson. We have experience with a wide variety of family law issues including but not limited to divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, adoptions, grandparent rights, family violence and child custody and support modifications.

The most common family law issue is divorce. This can be a difficult experience and confusing process. If you have questions about how to start the process of getting a divorce, what the process of getting a divorce is like, and the possible outcomes for a divorce, please read this post that discusses each of those questions: Kaufman County Divorce. One part of the divorce process is the division of property. In Texas, there are two kinds of property in a divorce, separate and community property. For an explanation of separate property, please read this post: Kaufman County Separate Property.

One of the big stages of a divorce proceeding is the hearing for temporary orders that usually takes place within two to three weeks after filing for divorce. As the word temporary belies, these orders are not permanent but are designed to set a status quo while the divorce is pending. Check out this post to get a better understanding about this step in the divorce process: Kaufman County Temporary Orders.