An informal or “common-law” marriage is a marriage between two people who agree to be married, live together in Texas as spouses, and hold themselves out to others in Texas as spouses, but who have not obtained a marriage license and participated in a marriage ceremony. Informal marriages have been recognized in Texas since 1847.… Read More

In Texas, marital property consists of all property that a spouse brings into a marriage or acquires during the marriage. Subject to some limited exceptions, all marital property in Texas can be characterized as “separate,” “community,” or “mixed.” Separate Property Separate property is property that does not owe its existence to the marriage; it is… Read More

Occasionally, a parent has a desire to change their child’s name. Often, this occurs during a divorce of the parents but there are other circumstances as well. When you petition the court to change your child’s name, you must tell the court why a name change is being requested. You must also prove that the… Read More

Premarital agreements (aka “prenup”) are used to define the rights and obligations of couples who are about to marry. Premarital agreements are rare for the majority of the population, primarily because couples believe that having one is anticipating a divorce. However, there are some very smart reasons all couples should at least consider putting an… Read More

The purpose of spousal maintenance in Texas (court-ordered alimony) is to provide temporary and rehabilitative support for a spouse after a divorce. The higher-income spouse usually wants to avoid it and the lower-income spouse believes they really need it. Fortunately for everyone involved, there are specific eligibility requirements that help sort it out fairly. Establishing… Read More