Q. Tell us about yourself and your practice.
A. I was licensed to practice law in 1998. I got my JD from Texas Wesleyan and my Master of Laws from SMU in 2000. I worked for several law firms prior to going out on my own in 2003. I practice exclusively family law.
Q. Do you offer a free initial consultation?
A. I do offer a free 15 minute phone consultation. I do charge if a client wants to come to my office for a consultation. The fee is $275.00 per hour.
Q. Does your office offer paralegal services to help with simple document filings?
A. I have a process server that files my documents and will then go out and serve them. I have a courier service that also can file documents. I am a solo practitioner and all documents are prepared by me. I return all calls from clients usually within the hour.
Q. How long do you take to process a divorce?
A. I can have the Petition filed within a day, after I have been retained.
Q. How long does it take for a divorce to become final?
A. It takes at least 60 days from the date the Original Petition of Divorce is filed, until the divorce can be finalized. If there are contested issues it will take longer.
Q.Who receives custody of the children in a divorce?
A. There is no set answer to who receives custody of the children in a divorce. If the parties do not agree between themselves on what the custody and visitation arrangements are, then the judge makes that decision for them during the temporary orders hearing. Many different factors are taken into consideration. The judge will also usually order a social study and the social worker makes a recommendation, as to who should get primary custody.
Q. Who will have to pay alimony in a divorce?
A. Alimony is not something that is granted too often. In cases of family violence, it is sometimes ordered. Also, if a party has been married for at least 10 years and cannot support himself / herself the party may receive alimony for several years or until the party gets into a better position to support himself / herself.
Q. How does one obtain support for herself and her child?
A. During the pendency of a divorce, the temporary orders hearing will help the judge to decide the support for a child and the dependent spouse. If you will visit my website you will find that there are additional questions and answers in the Divorce Resources section, under the frequently asked questions heading.
Q. How long do you have to be married before you can file for a divorce?
A. There is no set time that you have to be married before you can obtain a divorce. Once you have been married, you need to get a divorce if you no longer want to remain married. Texas does not recognize separations.
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