FAQs - Koons, Fuller, Vanden Eykel & Robertson, P.C.

Divorce and the many financial and emotional issues surrounding it can be confusing. To clear up some of this confusion, the attorneys of Koons, Fuller, Vanden Eykel & Robertson offer answers to the questions they are most frequently asked.

To scroll down to the answer, just click on the appropriate question below:

Is there a waiting period between when a divorce is filed and when it is final?
Since Texas is a community property state, can you expect a "50-50" split of assets in a divorce?
Are divorce actions matters for a judge, or can you have a jury hear the case?
What are the advantages of hiring a board certified family lawyer to handle your divorce?
What are my chances of gaining custody of my children?
Does joint custody mean each parent having equal time with the children?
Will I have to pay child support?
If my spouse wants a divorce and I don't, how can I stop it?
Can a prenuptial agreement avoid the messiness at the end of a marriage?
What is the first step in the divorce process?
Is mediation required in most Texas divorces?
Why would I ever need a team of attorneys instead of just one divorce lawyer working alone?
What's the first thing I need to do to build a winning divorce case?
How often is alimony awarded in Texas?
Can one attorney represent both parties in a divorce?
If your case is scheduled to go to court on a certain date, are you guaranteed that it will happen?
If you want to avoid the anger and bitterness that going to court often produces, is there an alternative?

Question #1

Is there a waiting period between when a divorce is filed and when it is final?

Most jurisdictions have a waiting period. This serves either as a cooling off period or as a time to adjust your affairs to single life. In Texas, you must wait 60 days from the time you file until your divorce is final, even if the divorce is uncontested.

Question #2

Since Texas is a community property state, can you expect a "50-50" split of assets in a divorce?

Not necessarily. Property in a divorce is divided in a manner that the judge deems "just and right" and he or she may look at projected future earnings of the parties, who's at fault for the divorce and other criteria in making a disproportionate division.

Question #3

Are divorce actions matters for a judge, or can you have a jury hear the case?

Either party in a Texas divorce can ask for and receive a jury trial, a unique feature of Texas law. But as a practical matter, judges hear most divorce-related matters and jury decisions that are binding on the court are limited. Juries are more common in child custody cases.

Question #4

What are the advantages of hiring a board certified family lawyer to handle your divorce?

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization was established by the state to recognize attorneys who do most of their work in one area of the law and meet annual requirements including a certain level of continuing legal education. The practice of law is becoming so complex that attorneys who handle criminal cases or estate planning may have difficulty staying current on the Texas Family Code.

Attorneys who are not board certified in family law can handle divorce-related matters. But most cases that involve complex property arrangements or difficult child custody situations have a board certified family lawyer on one or both sides.

Question #5

What are my chances of gaining custody of my children?

That depends on the facts of your case. Joint custody is preferred in this state. If both parents were involved with the children during the marriage, joint parenting will be the presumption going into the case. There are many misconceptions about joint custody and it is important to understand them before making a decision.

Question #6

Does joint custody mean each parent having equal time with the children?

Not always. Joint custody means the sharing of parental rights and duties and not necessarily equal time.

Question #7

Will I have to pay child support?

The spouse who does not have primary custody of the children will, in most cases, pay child support to the primary custodial parent after a divorce based on guidelines in the Texas Family Code, according to income.

Question #8

If my spouse wants a divorce and I don't, how can I stop it?

Once a divorce is filed in Texas and one party wants to go through with it, you can't stop it from happening in the court system. Your only hope is to convince your spouse to consider reconciliation.

Question #9

Can a prenuptial agreement avoid messiness at the end of a marriage?

"Pre-nups" have become a very popular way to avoid the struggle over assets when a marriage ends. These agreements have historically been used to deal with assets that are not divisible, such as an interest in a family owned business or a large tract of real estate. Now people with relatively modest holdings use prenuptial agreements to make a split less messy.

Question #10

What is the first step in the divorce process?

Once you've decided that divorce is the best thing for you, your attorney will file the divorce petition. This contains certain factual information about the parties, as well as grounds for the divorce. Because Texas is a no-fault state, the reason for the divorce usually is incompatibility. This means the parties have different interests and have grown apart and this condition is irreconcilable.

Question #11

Is mediation required in most Texas divorces?

Yes, in most cases. Texas has the most progressive and intensive use of mediation in the country. In 1987, four of the seven family district court judges in Dallas County began to order mandatory mediation in all divorce cases. Since then, most Texas courts have begun to require mediation before a family law case can be scheduled for trial.

Question #12

Why would I ever need a team of attorneys instead of just one divorce lawyer working alone?

Some cases are just too complex for one attorney, no matter how gifted, to handle flawlessly. If you have a family business, a child custody problem and an aggressive lawyer on the other side, you may benefit from the knowledge base of a large number of attorneys. At Koons, Fuller, Vanden Eykel & Robertson, you hire one attorney who is your main contact throughout the process. But among our 17 family law attorneys we have one who is a certified public accountant as well as others with experience in asset tracing and child custody litigation. We can use all their talents to benefit your case.

Question #13

What's the first thing I need to do to build a winning divorce case?

Beside hiring an accomplished matrimonial law attorney, the most important thing you can do at first is to secure three to five years of financial records and anything else that might become evidence in your case.

Question #14

How often is alimony awarded in Texas?

Although the Texas Legislature passed an alimony statute in 1995, not many people qualify. Unless you have no significant assets or means of support or you and your spouse agree to it, there will be no significant long-term alimony once the divorce is final.

Question #15

Can one attorney represent both parties in a divorce?

No. An attorney can draft the documents in a divorce for both parties to sign, but he or she can't legally advise more than one of the parties how to proceed in the divorce.

Question #16

If your case is scheduled to go to court on a certain date, are you guaranteed that it will happen?

No, because 10 to 15 cases may be set on the judge's docket the same day as your case. Another case may be heard before you and your case may be reset for another day.

Question #17

If you want to avoid the anger and bitterness that going to court often produces, is there an alternative?

Most divorces are settled out of court by mediation or simply attorney-to-attorney settlement. The newest method of settlement, that completely avoids the courthouse, is collaborative law. Both attorneys and the divorcing parties vow beforehand to do everything possible to reach a settlement. Sessions are private and the process is meant to eliminate the rancor often associated with divorce.