Harris County Divorce Law Blog

Deciding to get a divorce can be a scary, emotional decision. It can be especially daunting for the person in the marriage who might not make as much money as their spouse. Will they be able to support themselves and their kids if they leave the marriage?

Often times, it is the woman who feels she is risking financial security the most in a divorce. A recent report about finances after divorce, however, suggests that the risk is worth it for many ladies. They are working hard and earning their own living.

In a previous divorce post, we discussed famous athlete Deion Sanders and the ending of his marriage to his estranged wife Pilar. They have been married for about 12 years and have three children together. What looked like it might have been an amicable divorce, however, seems to have taken a turn for the nasty.

In the past post, we noted that Pilar didn't want out of the marriage. She was supposedly hoping to work on the relationship, despite the fact that Deion had filed for their Texas divorce. But her attitude regarding the divorce has changed. This means that a contested divorce is ahead of the family, including a fight for child custody and money.

Moving on after a divorce can be challenging for many reasons. In part one of this series we discussed a counselor's advice, including how picking up where you left off before you were married might not be the best or easiest option.

The experiences of marriage and divorce change you, and it's important to take the time to find what you really need to move forward in your life and find the happiness you deserve as the person you are now. Following are a couple of more tips about intentionally starting over after divorce.

In the U.S., more divorces occur in January than in any other month. For some this is due to trying to put on too brave of a face during the holidays. Others ride the "starting over" mentality that happens for many in January. And others choose the month for financial reasons.

Regardless of someone's reason to file for divorce, moving forward and redefining oneself as a single person can be challenging. This two-part series will tackle some of the challenges that a person might face and how to deal with her new life after divorce, according to a counselor whose advice is featured in The Huffington Post.

Largely, the fantasy football season is coming to an end. The excitement is now shifting toward the Super Bowl. But one NFL player seems to be lacking any optimism in his life. Terrell Owens, known for his football career but also his work on reality TV, is now being referred to by his family law attorney as "a man without a team."

In the family law world, a professional football player without a team presents a problem for any children that he might have fathered. Owens' proven paternity of multiple kids means that he has the court-ordered responsibility to pay child support for each child. When income changes, however, a parent can try to get a court to allow him to pay less in support.

Throughout the county, there is a rich Native American heritage. Whether in Texas or Minnesota, there are certain areas in the states where different tribes live on their tribal lands. On those lands, tribal laws exist, laws that are different than the laws that non-Native Americans live by.

When those laws extend outside of tribal land, complications can arise. Emotions are running high among an out-of-state family who adopted a daughter back in 2009. They didn't know that the biological father was a member of the Cherokee Nation. And they didn't know, until recently, that his connection with that heritage would mean the loss of custody of their adopted child.

Another famous athlete. Another high-profile divorce. Deion Sanders isn't just a famous athlete, but he is undoubtedly one of the most famous in the U.S. He is one of few stars to play professional football and baseball. His sports successes have landed him a luxurious Texas home, a home that he is reportedly still sharing with his wife Pilar, even though Deion filed for divorce in Texas last month.

According to ABC News, he filed the divorce papers on Dec. 21. Whereas we know that a divorce can be finalized relatively quickly in Texas, it sounds like this split might not go as smoothly as Deion would hope. Pilar reportedly wants to try to reconcile the relationship.

Everyone knows divorce can be sticky emotionally, but the economics of divorce can get tricky too, especially when checks are still being written to an ex-spouse after a divorce is final. Depending on how the money is allocated, there are different tax implications for both the recipient and the payer.

As part of a divorce settlement, a family law court may ask one of the spouses to pay spousal support (aka alimony), child support, or both.