Should you file for divorce without a lawyer?
Texas allows those who want to file for divorce to file by themselves or use the services of a lawyer. You can choose the former option but it may not be a good idea. A divorce attorney in Fort Worth will be a better option if there are disagreements between both parties.
You may be able to pull it off without a lawyer if you have agreed on asset division and don’t have kids. But there’s a high chance that there will be conflicts. So, it’s safer to work with a lawyer from the start to handle these conflicts and settle them to your taste.
Types of divorce in the state
In Texas, there are different types of divorce. First is the no-fault divorce. This allows spouses to divorce when the marriage is in disarray with no hope of reconciliation. On the other hand, a fault divorce is one where a party to the marriage is guilty of cruelty, adultery, abandonment, felony conviction, confinement in a psychiatric hospital, or living apart.
Another type of divorce in Texas is an uncontested one. A no-contest divorce occurs when both parties agree on all the issues and there’s no need for a trial. It can also happen when one party refuses to appear in court or respond to the divorce petition.
The contested divorce is quite the opposite. It happens when the spouses do not agree on any issue during the divorce process. Since there is no agreement, the case goes to trial, and the judge decides how to resolve the problems.
Elements of divorce in Texas
Child support and custody are some elements in Texas divorce cases. Alimony is also another critical aspect. When there’s a divorce, the court may order one spouse to pay the other alimony or spousal support. However, some requirements must be met before one spouse can get alimony from the other. One spouse must have a physical disability and be unable to support themselves or they spent 10 years in the marriage and cannot provide for themselves due to the breakdown of the marriage.
Another factor that can determine who gets alimony is when one spouse does not have enough to support themselves because they are caring for a disabled child. If there are children in the marriage, there are some guidelines that determine who gets custody of the child. As for child support payment, the court will collect information about the earnings of the parent who does not have custody of the child to determine how much they would pay every month.
In most cases, both parents are still responsible for making decisions about their child’s life. However, one parent may be the sole custodian.
