Dallas Family Law Specialist Lisa Garza, P.C.
Areas Of Legal Practice And Legal Definitions

DIVORCE
Divorce in Texas is either a "fault" or "no fault" grounds described in the Texas Family Code. Most divorces are founded on the no-fault ground of "in-supportability" (i.e. incompatibility), which can be granted to either spouse if that spouse feels that the marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict in personalities which makes any reasonable expectation of reconciliation impossible. Lisa Garza, P.C., counsels all clients through divorce proceedings to eliminate the stress that can be emotionally taxing.

CHILD CUSTODY
The charge and control of a child including the right to make major decisions such as residence, education and certain non-emergency medical decisions is known as child custody. Custody in Texas is usually shared jointly by the parents with one parent having the right to determine the child's residence and to receive child support. This relationship between the parents and child is called "joint managing conservatorship".

MODIFICATION OF CHILD SUPPORT & EXISTING ORDERS
Child support is a payment by one parent to the other parent for the support of their child or children. The amount of child support is normally based upon the net monthly resources of the paying parent and may be withheld from his or her wages. A change in financial resources may require you to ask the court to grant a change in your child support, known as modification of child support.

CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT CASES
Dallas family lawyers Lisa Garza, P.C., will assist you in filing a lawsuit against the non-custodial parent asking the court to enforce a child support order. If non-custodial parents do not pay child support, they are subject to enforcement measures to collect regular and overdue payments. The Child Support Division uses many techniques to enforce child support orders, including: wage garnishment; intercepting federal income tax refund checks; filing liens against property or other assets and driver's license suspension. A judge may sentence a nonpaying parent to jail and enter a judgment for past due child support. If you are in need of enforcing child support or facing the child support enforcement penalties listed above, Dallas family law Attorney of Lisa Garza, P.C., can help you today.

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES CASES
If you are being wrongfully accused of abusing your children and facing the loss of custody, you need an attorney immediately. You must prevent the loss of custody or visitation of your children, and avoid fines and jail time. If you suspect that your former spouse is abusing your children, you need to take action to stop the abuse as soon as possible. Document any evidence with notes and pictures and contact Lisa Garza, P.C., today. Our office can help you file a complaint with the Texas Child Protective Services office which investigates reports of abuse and neglect of children and can provide services to children and families in need.

DIVIDING PROPERTY AND DEBTS
Property in Texas is either community property or separate property. The court in a divorce is required to divide the community estate of the parties in a manner that the court deems fair and reasonable. This division can involve questions of the value of property and debts and the character of the property as either community or separate. There are many legal issues and options surrounding the division of property that can be fully discussed with family lawyer Lisa Garza, P.C.

Other areas of family law include:

PARENTAL RIGHTS
The Texas system of joint managing conservatorship is actually an allocation of various rights between the parents. There are a number of rights and duties set out in the Texas Family Code. Some may be exercised only by one parent, some may be exercised by either parent and some may be exercised jointly. The primary rights are the right to determine the child's residence and the right to receive child support. Of secondary importance are: the right to make educational decisions for the child and to consent to invasive medical procedures or psychological or psychiatric treatment for the child.

FAMILY VIOLENCE
Sometimes called "domestic violence", this term refers to assault or serious threats upon family or household members or upon one with whom a dating relationship exists. Family violence presents serious issues in both family law and criminal law. If you are a victim of family violence there are legal remedies available to assist you in ending an abusive relationship. Known as a temporary restraining order, your family law attorney can help you file necessary paperwork to keep an abusive spouse away from you and your children.

PRE-MARITAL AGREEMENTS
These include formal agreements written in a contract before marriage which legally bind the rights and responsibilities of the parties during or after the marriage is established. Post-marital agreements are arranged after marriage which may allocate property or other rights between the parties or change the character of property.

SPOUSAL SUPPORT
An amount of money given to one spouse to another while they are separated or upon their divorce is known as spousal support. Texas has very specific requirements for obtaining post-divorce support. The maximum term of spousal support is 3 years unless the receiving party is disabled. If the spouse in need of support is disabled he or she will receive payments until they no long suffer disability.

PATERNITY
Establishing legal fatherhood and the rights and duties that accompany it is known as paternity. There can be a difference between a biological father and a legal father. When a child is born, the mother's name automatically appears on the birth certificate. If she is married, her husband is assumed to be the baby's father. But if the parents are not married, under Texas law, the child does not have a legal father. If the parents are not married, it is important for the mother, for the father, and above all for the child, to establish paternity, regardless of whether the parents stay together.

When experience and personalized service matter most, contact Lisa Garza & Associates at (888) 646-2373 or complete the contact form to receive a full assessment of your legal needs.

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