609 W. Young St. #2, Llano, TX 78643
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Recent Blog Posts
How Can the BIFF Communication Method Help Our Divorce Go More Smoothly?
Divorcing a hostile spouse in Texas is no easy feat. While most couples are not getting along well by the time they pursue divorce, some people are particularly prone to conflict and actively seek it out. Spouses often get caught up in the emotional highs and lows of the fights they share during divorce, and while getting that perfect one-liner under your spouse’s skin may feel good in the moment, it often leaves you feeling rotten for many days afterward. If you want to put a stop to the hostilities in your communication, the BIFF communication method may be helpful to you.
What is the BIFF Method?
BIFF stands for “brief, informative, friendly, and firm.” It is a communication strategy designed by relationship conflict experts who want to help divorcing spouses - and anyone else in a high-conflict environment - minimize angry conversations and turn tense talks into reasonable, effective discussions. The BIFF method uses these four strategies:
How Can I Get My Texas Driver’s License Back After a DWI Conviction?
Getting convicted of the crime of driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Texas can have a major detrimental impact on many areas of your life. While people are encouraged to take their punishment and then get back to living as productive members of society, DWI convictions can make that particularly difficult because living without a driver’s license makes it nearly impossible to do basic activities. Getting to work, grocery shopping, and taking your kids to school are all very difficult without a driver’s license.
Fortunately, an experienced criminal defense attorney can defend you from DWI charges and, if you lose your license, help you get it back. Here are two common questions about getting a driver’s license reinstated in Texas.
How Long Do I Have to Wait Before Getting my Driver’s License Back?
Three Facts About Qualified Domestic Relations Orders in Texas
After your Texas divorce is finalized, chances are that you will be happy to avoid contact with your ex as much as possible. However, alimony or spousal support payments often require spouses to stay in contact with each other, even if only to address logistical issues. Fortunately, some spouses will qualify for something called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, or QDRO, which allows them to split retirement benefits in such a way that the receiving spouse gets payments directly from the retirement plan administrator. If you are getting divorced and are wondering how a QRDO might benefit you, read on.
A QDRO Allows You To Retain Favorable Tax Benefits
QRDOs are legal orders from a Texas family court allowing spouses to change partial ownership of their retirement plan when they split marital property in a divorce. With a QDRO, spouses can continue to benefit from tax deferred retirement plans while still dividing community property at the appropriate time. Unlike a house, which must be sold and have its capital gains taxes paid before the value can be divided, retirement accounts can continue accruing value without tax penalties until such time as benefits are paid out.
How Can I Fight an Order of Protection Based on False Information in Llano, TX?
While domestic abuse presents a serious problem for many intimate partners and families in Texas, there is no question that some people abuse the seriousness with which Texas treats domestic abuse by making false accusations. False accusations of domestic violence can result in harmful negative consequences, including criminal charges, restrictive orders of protection, lack of access to your home and children, and damage to your reputation.
Even worse, temporary restraining orders can be put in place without the input of the person against whom the accusations are made. This can catch the target of the restraining order by surprise and leave them wondering what on earth they should do. If you have been accused of domestic violence and had a temporary or final protective order unjustly issued against you, you have legal options. While it may not be easy, a skilled criminal defense attorney can help you fight false accusations and get your life back.
Can an Unmarried Father Get Custody of His Child in Texas?
Nothing compares to the excitement and sense of trepidation a man has when he finds out that he is having a child for the first time. Whether planned or unplanned, married or unmarried, fathers play a crucial role in their children's lives. Whenever it would be in the child's best interests, Texas law encourages both parents to be actively involved in a child’s upbringing. For fathers who are not married to the mother of their child, however, getting parental rights can be a little more complicated. If you recently found out that you are, or will be, a father, you probably want to know as much as you can about custody laws in Llano County for unmarried fathers.
Does an Unmarried Father Have Automatic Custody Rights?
The short answer to this question is no. Until a man establishes paternity, he does not have a legal relationship with a child, even if he is certain he is the biological father. When parents are married to each other, a father automatically has paternity over any children born to them. But when a couple is unmarried, paternity must be established in one of two ways:
Four Tips for Keeping Your Llano County Divorce Private
Regardless of how confident you feel in your decision to get divorced in Texas, you likely are hoping that the details of your divorce will remain as private as possible. Unfortunately, neighbors, friends, and busybodies are often interested in the details of a couple’s divorce, and this is especially true if the couple has a high net worth or maintains a public profile.
Because divorce decrees are legal documents that are filed in court with a judge’s approval, they are technically public records which may be accessed by anyone. Nevertheless, with the help of a skilled Texas divorce attorney, there are things you can do to keep your divorce details more private.
Mark Sensitive Data
When a divorce document contains personal information, such as a driver’s license number or social security number, you can ask the court to keep that record private. The consequences of this information being available can result in identity theft, so courts willingly keep documents with sensitive information out of the public record.
Can I Legally Leave My Child Alone at Home or in My Car to Run Errands in Llano County?
Every parent is familiar with the following situation: You have a couple of small errands to run, and the process will take far less time if you can just leave the kids at home or dash into the post office while the kids are in the car. Buckling, unbuckling, dealing with coats and shoes, and the likelihood of constant whining can make even the most patient parent dread running into the grocery store for milk.
Many parents choose to leave their children at home alone or in the car for a few minutes while they take care of their to-do list. These parents may be surprised to return to the car to find a concerned observer accompanied by a squad car - and even more surprised when they get charged with a Class C misdemeanor. If you are a parent with young children in Texas and you have been charged for leaving your child alone, consider getting help from a criminal defense attorney.
When Can I Leave My Child in the Car Alone?
What is a Child Custody Evaluation in Texas?
If you are seeking to establish a conservatorship or you are in the middle of a divorce that involves child custody arrangements, you may find yourself in a situation where a child custody evaluation is ordered. For some parents, this news can be daunting, but when you enter the situation equipped with an understanding of what child custody evaluations entail, you might feel more reassured at the time of the evaluation.
Child Custody Evaluation Definition
A child custody evaluation is typically a court-ordered assessment used to look closely at a child's family dynamics and living environment. However, evaluations can also be requested by a parent or parents. Either way, a child custody evaluation can be thought of as a test of reassurance in which the court seeks confirmation that the living arrangements and home environment of a child or children are safe for them. Child custody evaluations are often ordered in situations regarding parenting plans or prior to conservatorship decisions in Texas.
What Happens If You Are Charged With a Sex Crime in Texas?
It can be overwhelming to face criminal charges alone - especially when the charges are for a sex crime. Given the weight that a sex crime carries, this is not a situation that anyone takes lightly.
One of the most common questions that we hear is, “What are the consequences of being charged with a sex crime?” In order to understand the potential ramifications of a sex crime charge, it helps to first familiarize yourself with what a sex crime entails and what to do if you are charged with one.
What is a Sex Crime?
If you are charged with a sex crime in Texas, you may be worried that the outcome of this experience will follow you for the rest of your life. With an experienced attorney on your side, your lawyer may be able to build a case that defends your name and seeks to prevent long-term consequences of the sex crime charge.
However, in order to craft a case in your favor, your lawyer will need to know what you have been charged with officially. There are many different types of sex crimes in Texas.
Three Facts About the Right of First Refusal in a Texas Parenting Plan
All parents who get divorced in Texas or who seek to establish or modify a court-approved custody order must create a “parenting plan.” A parenting plan establishes important details about the parents’ relationship to the child, including the division of possession of and access to the child (physical custody).
One important part of a parenting plan that benefits many parents in Texas is something called “the right of first refusal.” Understanding the right of first refusal and whether you want it in your parenting plan is an important step in creating a plan that benefits you and your child.
What is the Right of First Refusal?
The right of first refusal is an optional clause in a parenting plan that requires parents to use each other as babysitters before seeking help from other childcare providers. That being said, the right of first refusal can be as flexible or rigid as parents want it to be. The basic idea is that children will be able to maximize time spent with both parents while minimizing conflict between parents.
From our offices Llano and Burnet, our law firm serves clients in Marble Falls, Johnson City, Blanco, Fredericksburg, San Saba, Llano County, Burnet County, Mason County, Lampasas County, Blanco County, Mills County, Gillespie County, and throughout Central Texas.
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