Houston Business and Family Law Blog

Texas is a community property state, meaning all marital property is divided equally in half between spouses. Marital property, sometimes referred to as community property, includes items, property and assets that are accumulated throughout the marriage. In addition to the family home and vehicles, other property, such as artwork, antiques, retirement plans, country club memberships, frequent flier miles, lottery winnings and term life insurance policies are also eligible for division in a divorce settlement. 

Not all property, however, is considered marital and there may be some items that stay with the original owner, even after the divorce has been finalized. This is referred to as separate property, and may include the following:

So, you and your spouse have decided to get a divorce. It is something you've both mentioned doing time and again, but now you are actually ready to do it. You think it will be an easy enough thing to get through, despite your spouse's narcissistic tendencies. Unfortunately, you are likely to find divorcing a narcissist can be a nasty affair, even if your spouse says this is what he or she wants as well.

What is a narcissist? A person with this personality disorder has an inflated sense of self. He or she has a need for attention. The world revolves around his or her wants. A narcissist has a lack of empathy for other individuals, even the ones he or she claims to love. How will a person with this personality type act during the divorce process?

When Texan parents get divorced, matters of child custody must still be decided. Texans have many different options when it comes to figuring out what they want from their child custody arrangement. One option to consider is joint custody, which can be surprisingly helpful to children of divorce.

FindLaw examines joint custody and its potential benefits, especially in regard to the children involved in the divorce. Joint custody can include both legal and physical custody. Joint physical custody ensures that both parents have an equitable amount of time living with or visiting the child. Joint legal custody allows both parents to have a legal say in how the child is raised.

In Texas, child custody is referred to as a conservatorship. Conservatorships are created and curated with a child’s best interest in mind, and the state laws also aim to ensure this.

In order to serve a child’s best interest, FindLaw states that there are a number of factors that a court will look at in order to decide matters like visitation schedules and parenting plans. Courts will always look at proposed schedules and plans through the lens of what might be best for the child.