Family and Criminal Law Blog

Whether you see them coming or catch you off guard, being in the midst of criminal charges can be daunting. Knowing when you should see the assistance of a criminal defense attorney can make all the difference in preserving your rights and protecting your freedom. Let’s take a look at some of the times you should be sure to reach out to criminal attorney for assistance.

When to Call A Criminal Attorney

The truth is that there are a number of times and stages that can lead up to a criminal charge where you should call a criminal attorney. In fact, if you think you may be under investigation for a crime, contacting a criminal attorney can be one of the best steps you can take to protecting your legal rights.
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You’ve likely heard of bail and have a vague notion of what bail is. If you are ever held in custody as an accused person waiting for their court appearance, however, bail will likely become a very important subject of which you will want to know much more. Here, we’ll discuss bail basics and what you should know about it.
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The step-parent relationship can be a special one. Step-parents can play a big role in a child’s life and can often develop a relationship as solid as anyone held by the child and one of their biological parents. In fact, many step-parents wish to pursue the adoption of a step-child to legally recognize the bond that has been created.
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Child support orders are based largely on the income of the parents and the needs of the child. Of course, over time, these are things that can change a great deal. If your circumstances have changed, you may be able to request a child support modification reflecting those changed circumstances. In fact, the sooner you do this, the better. The existing child support order will not automatically become unenforceable because you experienced a change of circumstances.
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Domestic violence can have a significant impact on children. It is no wonder then that domestic violence can also have significant impacts on child custody determinations. After all, the best interest of the child standard is the guiding star in these types of court decisions.

Texas is a community property. As such, all income and assets acquired over the course of a marriage is considered to be equally owned community property of the spouses, unless it is proven to be otherwise. In many cases, community property will include retirement assets. Sometimes, the parties to the divorce will reach a mutual agreement not to divide retirement assets and will instead accept compensation in the form of more easily divided community property. If retirement funds are divided, however, certain formalities must be observed in order to avoid substantial tax penalties.

If you have pending nuptials, perhaps you should consider a prenuptial agreement. After all, there a variety of benefits to having a prenuptial agreement in place. For starters, it can lay a solid foundation for your marriage. Many people fail to acknowledge the fact that, in putting a prenuptial agreement in place, both parties make detailed financial disclosures and even include terms dictating how marital finances will be handled. The setting of expectations and financial honest can be a great way to start out a marriage.
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With the legalization of same sex marriages across the U.S., a lot changed in the legal landscape regarding same sex couples. For instance, it means that a Read more . . .

State laws pertaining to divorce can get complicated. Texas seems to take this one step further. You see, states are usually either community property states or equitable distribution states, with most jurisdictions following the equitable distribution model.

The fear experienced by victims of violence, stalking, or sexual abuse can linger for a long time, perhaps indefinitely, after a certain incident occurs. The threat of harm too can linger for quite a bit of time. That is why there are certain legal protections victims can have a court put in place. An order of protection, or “protective order,” for instance is one such legal protection.

What is an Order of Protection?

A protective order can be available to victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and dating violence, as well as those victims of stalking and human trafficking.

If you have decided to adopt, or are even considering adoption, it can be both an exciting and stressful time. After all, adoption leads to pivotal growth to a family. It is life changing in the most beautiful way.