Marriage Dissolution

• Author: Cindy Stormer
• Pages: 803-980

10−1

MARRIAGE

DISSOLUTION

CHAPTER 10

MARRIAGE DISSOLUTION

I. General Points

§10:01 Family Law Statistics

§10:02 Texas Family Law Practice Manual

§10:03 Annulment

§10:04 Common Law Marriage

§10:05 Pre-Marital Agreements

§10:06 Family Law Resources

II. Initial Client Contact

§10:10 Establish Jurisdiction

§10:11 Obtain Preliminary Information

§10:12 Anticipate Costs

§10:13 Determine Appropriate Lawsuit

§10:14 Preparing the File

III. The Original Petition

A. Jurisdiction

§10:20 Matrimonial Long Arm Statute

§10:21 Minimum Contacts

§10:22 Divorce and Child Custody: Personal Jurisdiction Not Required

§10:23 Property Division and Child Support: Personal Jurisdiction Required

B. Preparing and Filing the Petition

§10:30 Basic Elements

§10:31 Waiver of Service

§10:32 Domestic Torts

§10:33 Attorney Fees

§10:34 Special Requirements

§10:35 Filing the Petition

§10:36 Request for a Jury Trial

§10:37 Notice to the Attorney General

§10:38 Name Change

C. Service

§10:40 Waiver of Service

§10:41 Advise Against Signing a Waiver

§10:42 Serve the Opponent

§10:43 Service by Posting or Publication

§10:44 Service by Posting

TEXAS SMALL-FIRM PRACTICE TOOLS 10−2

MARRIAGE

DISSOLUTION

§10:45 Service by Publication

IV. Temporary Orders

§10:50 General Points

§10:51 Temporary Ex Parte Restraining Order

§10:52 Child Support

§10:53 Spousal Maintenance

§10:54 Inventory

§10:55 Requesting a Hearing

V. Dividing the Property

A. General Points

§10:60 Just and Right Standard

§10:61 Disproportionate Division

B. Types of Property

§10:70 Community Property

§10:71 Separate Property

§10:72 Mixed Property

§10:73 Presumption of a Gift

§10:74 Personal Injury Recovery

§10:75 Professional Degrees

§10:76 Stock Options

C. Reimbursement

§10:80 Equitable Reimbursement

§10:81 Joint Ventures

§10:82 Non-Reimbursable Claims

§10:83 Claim for Reimbursement; Offsets

§10:84 Claims for Reimbursement

D. Tracing

1. General Points

§10:90 Trial Court Has Broad Discretion

§10:91 Inception of Title

§10:92 Tracing Experts

§10:93 Livestock

2. Tracing Methods

§10:100 Clearinghouse Method

§10:101 Minimum Sum Balance

§10:102 Community First Out Rule

§10:103 Pro Rata

§10:104 Value Tracing

§10:105 Item Tracing

VI. Real Estate Documents

§10:110 General Points

§10:111 Contracts Near the Time of Marriage or Divorce

§10:112 Special Warranty Deed

§10:113 Deed of Trust to Secure Assumption

§10:114 Real Estate Lien Note and Deed of Trust

§10:115 Warranty Deed With a Vendor’s Lien

§10:116 Quitclaim Deed

§10:117 Filing the Decree in Lieu of Real Estate Documents

10−3 MARRIAgE DISSOLuTIOn

MARRIAGE

DISSOLUTION

VII. Issues Regarding Children

§10:120 Parenting Plan

§10:121 Paternity

§10:122 Possession and Access

§10:123 Parental Alienation

§10:124 The Non-Custodial Parent’s Visitation

§10:125 Interference with Custody or Visitation

§10:126 Uniform Child Custody Long Arm Statute

§10:127 Intervention by Grandparents or Others

§10:128 Representing Children

§10:129 No More Written Designations for Child Over 12 Years

VIII. Vehicle Transfers

§10:130 Power of Attorney to Transfer Automobile

§10:131 Documents for the Tax Office

§10:132 Motor Vehicle Transfer

§10:133 Mobile Home Transfer

IX. Discovery and Trial

§10:140 Discovery in Family Law Cases

§10:141 Pleadings: Sufficiency and Amendments

§10:142 Motion for Summary Judgment

§10:143 Conducting a Contested Hearing

§10:144 Social Media

X. The Final Decree

§10:150 Preparing the Final Decree

§10:151 Withholding Order

§10:152 Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO)

§10:153 Income Tax Exemptions

§10:154 Finalize the Divorce

XI. Post-Divorce Matters

§10:160 Partition of Undivided Property

§10:161 Protective Orders

§10:162 Motion for New Trial

§10:163 Beneficiary Designations and COBRA

§10:164 Closing the File

Forms

Form 10:10 Marriage Dissolution—Telephone Intake

Form 10:20 Family Law—Telephone Intake

Form 10:30 Intake Questionnaire

Form 10:40 Cohabitation Agreement

Form 10:50 Pre-Marital Agreement Intake

Form 10:60 Pre-Marital Agreement

Form 10:70 Marital Agreement

Form 10:80 Employment Contract

Form 10:90 Checklist—Marriage Dissolution

Form 10:100 Report of Divorce or Annulment of Marriage

Form 10:110 Service of Process Information Sheet

Form 10:111 Change of Name Petition