Questions To Ask Yourself When Considering Divorce

The decision to end you marriage is one of the most complex ones. It should only be made after you have prepared your mind to control your entire life responsibilities in a mature manner. Remember, though separation is a one-time process, it would bring about long lasting consequences for you as well as your children.

If you are considering divorce with our spouse, ask yourself the following questions before you make the final decision:

• Do you want a divorce or need to patch-up?

Most couples who make rushed decisions to end their marriage do not take the time to evaluate their thoughts and feelings. Give yourself some time and think about the difficulties you are facing in marriage. Analyze if those things are too worse to need a divorce or is there any way out to deal with them. Discuss these issues with our partner and see how many of those you are able to mutually resolve.

• What role did you play in your difficulties?

No matter how bad the situations may be, determine if you honestly tried your level best to cope with them. You are not responsible of your partner’s behaviors but, you are however responsible for yours. Your positive contribution can go a long way in resolving the issues arising in your married life.

• How will you pay for expenses during the divorce?

Divorce process involves lots of financial expenses. Before you file the case, make sure you have sufficient funds to hire a divorce lawyer. List down the funds and properties you have to manage your finances accordingly.

• Are you prepared to keep your emotions out of the divorce process?

If divorce is the only option you have left with, prepare yourself to be emotionally strong. Going through the process will not be so easy. There may be a lot of difficult situations you have to go through. So make sure you are prepared to face all those situations boldly.

• After divorce, will you be able to maintain your lifestyle?

Make sure you have funds for your basic living. Ask yourself whether you are mature enough to take all the responsibilities of your life and make financial decisions. You will need to pay your home’s rent, children’s education and maintain your household.

Factors Used To Determine Child Custody

When a divorce takes place, there are a number of important issues that need to be resolved. However, one of the most critical and sensitive matters is to determine the custody of the children. Even in a collaborative divorce, working out which parent will be responsible for the upbringing of the child is quite stressful. Both spouses are always encouraged to mutually agree on the issue of child custody. However, if this is not possible, the court may need to get involved to make a decision.

There are numerous factors that affect the verdict regarding child custody. Generally, the main goal of the decision is to provide a safe and secure environment for the child to live and flourish. Some of these factors are:

• Consistency: While making a decision, the main focus of the court is not to disrupt the child’s life. Thus, it takes into consideration the previous home environment and the primary caregiver. For instance, if the mother has been looking after the child, giving the custody to the father would be upsetting and distressing for the child. Also, if the child will be living in a new home, its location, accessibility to school, parks, healthcare facilities will also be considered.
• Parental Fitness: Although the physical impairment of a parent is not considered by the court, his/her ability to look after the child properly is definitely a determining factor. The judge carefully analyzes the physical, emotional and mental well-being of each parent. If any of the parties has a previous criminal or felony record, getting a verdict in his/her favor is a tough task.
• Maintaining family relationships: The one who is more likely to encourage a healthy and long-term relation with the other parent has more chances to receive the custody. A history of interference in visitation rights can also be detrimental to your custody petition.
• Child’s Preference: Depending upon the age of the child, the court may also ask about his likes and preferences. However, this not the sole evaluator for the decision. The judge may consider the child’s choice in conjunction with other factors.

In addition to the above mentioned, there are various other factors that are used to determine child custody. These may include history of substance abuse or assault, parenting skills, child’s physical and mental vulnerabilities, relationship with either parent, and sexual orientation of parents’ etc.

Things To Avoid During Divorce Proceedings

With the intense emotional pressure that surrounds a divorce, it is understandable why people end up making the worst mistakes during the period leading up to the divorce, and often have to live with these decisions for the rest of their lives.

Here is a look at some of the biggest pitfalls made during divorce proceedings:

• Making poorly informed decisions: While you might think that divorces are governed by common sense, and that you are smart enough to know what is right for you, the truth is that a divorce is a purely legal process, which is why it is important to seek legal counsel. Hiring an experienced divorce lawyer in Killeen can help make your job a lot easier, ensuring you understand the legal implications of every decision you make.
• Allowing the attorney to control the entire process: Although it is important to hire an attorney to guide you through the process, this does not mean that you completely hand over the reins of your divorce in his hands. It is important to remain involved throughout the process, and ask as many questions as you need, to ensure that you completely understand what you are signing up for.
• Following an approach of revenge: If you step into the courtroom with revenge against your soon-to-be ex-spouse being your prime motive, be ready for nothing more than an inflated ego. It sure might be satisfying to lash out at them and let the entire courtroom know how they have wronged you, but you need to understand that the court will not punish anyone without proper procedure and decorum followed.
• Settling too low or committing to high: When it comes to the financial aspects of a divorce, it is far too common for one party to be exploited without them even realizing it. Divorce lawyers can play a major role here, helping you to have a realistic view of what to expect in the years to come, and take into account often ignored aspects such as tax implications and inflation. Your goal should be to play it fair with everyone involved, you included.
• Letting emotions come in the way: Another common mistake witnessed is people choose a less-valuable asset like their marital home, over a much more lucrative one, like say, a share of their spouse’s pension. It is important to ensure that you do not let emotions govern the decisions you make during this testing time.

Lawyer For Drug Possession In Killeen, Texas

Being found in the possession of drugs in the state of Texas can have severe consequences, depending on the nature of drugs and their quantity. Texas law divides drugs into four penalty groups, based on the severity of their possession. The drugs that are included in these categories are not limited to marijuana, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, methamphetamine, PCP, opium, and morphine. The Texas state government incurs a lot of expenditure in the trial of drug offenders, aiming to set an example of them.

No matter how insignificant the amount of drugs you are found in possession of, you could face serious criminal charges, including going behind the bars, huge fines, and even a suspended driver’s license. In case the drug falls under penalty group 1, and you are found with large quantities, you could be at risk of being sentenced to life imprisonment.

Once you are accused of drug possession in Killeen, the first thing you need to do is hire a criminal lawyer to present your case in court. It is advisable to carry out enough research regarding lawyers in your area. When it comes to cases of drug possession, the experience of the lawyer makes a huge difference in determining the fate of case. Feel free to ask for references, and contact them regarding their experience with the lawyer in question.

Having the right lawyer can go a long way in reducing the severity of your conviction, especially in Killeen, TX, where drug possession is considered to be a serious criminal offense.  A well-experienced criminal lawyer will be able to assess the conditions of your arrest, and hence build a strong defense in your favor. For instance, it might be possible to gather evidence to prove that the drugs were planted on your property or on you without your knowledge, or that there wasn’t any proper evidence showing that you were in possession of drugs at the time of your arrest.

A common defense that works in favor of drug offenders is the violation of civil rights. Being well versed with the law, your criminal lawyer can carefully analyze the circumstances of your arrest, and find a way to show that your civil rights were violated at the time of your arrest. This could help to reduce the charges filed against you, or even completely drop them.

How Can A Custody Lawyer Help You?

Custody cases are amongst the most complicated and turbulent lawsuits and finding oneself embroiled in such a case is no less than a nightmare. However, with a well-experienced custody lawyer to help you, the process can be a made a lot easier and streamlined. To start with, such a lawyer plays the role of the middleman between both parties, eliminating the need for direct communication, which can often result in unnecessary friction. Moreover, a child custody lawyer helps you to have a clear understanding of the laws of your state surrounding child custody, increasing the chances of you working in the direction of a win.

The child custody lawyer will evaluate the individual parameters of your case, including your variables, as well as those of the opponent party, hence coming up with a clear picture of the course that the case is likely to take. By understanding the points that could possibly work against you, you can make certain efforts, with the help of your lawyer, to eliminate them or decrease their impact by the day of the court hearing.

Other steps could include joining parenting classes, making renovations in your home, getting a better job, attending counseling sessions, etc. Cases in which you have lost custody of your children once and are trying to get it back can be more complicated. In these cases, your child custody lawyer can recommend other precautionary measures, such as attending all hearings of the case, following restriction clauses, abiding by visitation rules, returning your kids on time, etc. Sometimes it might be a better idea to request visitation or shared custody before fighting for complete custody.

 While choosing a child custody lawyer in Killeen TX, it is a good idea to carry out some basic research beforehand. Make sure that the lawyer you choose has a positive track record, and previous experience in dealing with child custody cases. It also helps to discuss issues regarding the lawyer’s fee well in advance. You want to be clear about any additional costs that shall be incurred in the process of the case beforehand, and also be clear about clauses regarding winning fee, etc.