Dallas, Texas Family Law Blog

Once upon a time, many women hid money from their husbands - it was often the only way that non-working wives obtained an emergency fund, a nest egg or "fun money" to buy her or the family's extras. But in today's culture of two working parent households, are women or men still hiding assets from their mates? The answer is yes, and the reasons are not always as innocent as in years past.

According to a British Internet survey, 75 percent of women and 53 percent of men admitted to hiding money from their spouses. Thus, one could argue that hiding money is prevalent in many marriages. But why do it? Some women believe that if theirs husbands knew about the money they were hiding, the husbands would want to spend it, and not necessarily on the little extras that they spend it on. Anthony Fava, a tax accountant, calls these types of secret accounts the innocent ones, according to his statement to MSN Money.

According to Fava and many divorce lawyers, the accounts a spouse should be worried about are the war chest accounts. A war chest account is one being concealed by a spouse who is anticipating a divorce or separation. The spouse is hiding this money either to flee the marriage or to prevent the other spouse from getting his or her fair share. If a spouse suspects or finds a secret account like this, he or she should consult with a professional such as a lawyer, a private investigator or an accountant to discuss his or her options.

On a frigid morning, officers from the Dallas police department responded to a possible child neglect call at the site of the "Occupy Dallas" protests. The officers reported that there were complaints from other protesters about a baby who had been crying all day and night. They located the 9-month-old infant who had been living in a tent, along with its parents. The officers, along with officials from Child Protective Services (CPS), believing that the baby was in danger of freezing to death, took the baby into custody.

Losing Child Custody in Texas

The parents, who are homeless, said that the reason that they were losing custody of their baby was that CPS determined the "Occupy Dallas" camp - where the family was living - to be an unfit environment for the infant. A spokesperson for CPS said the child's living conditions and the mother's mental health were factored in their decision to take custody of the infant.

In Texas, even a judge is not above the law. Recently, a Texas family law judge in Aransas County was placed under a temporary restraining order. The restraining order forbids the judge from visiting his 10-year-old daughter without permission from the daughter's mother - his ex-wife.

YouTube Video of Beating

The mother had filed the affidavit seeking the restraining order, claiming that their marriage was dysfunctional and the conflict had continued after the divorce. Her decision to get a restraining order was motivated by the fallout from an online video on YouTube in which the judge was seen viciously beating his older daughter. The 2004 video was secretly recorded and posted on the web site by the older daughter.

There are few things in this world as emotionally charged as a divorce. Often times, spouses are so involved with fighting each other that the children are often overlooked.

Texas children can often be put in the middle of the divorce, even though the reasons for the divorce have nothing to do with them - parents need to remember this, and do whatever they can to prevent children from being adversely impacted by the feuding adults.

In the face of the underperforming economy and the need to make spending cuts to balance the state's budget, Texas lawmakers opted to stop paying federal fees for child support enforcement services and pass those costs onto the custodial parents who receive the child support payments. As a result, support payments will shrink and the children will see less money.

Federal Fees

The federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 authorized a $25 fee levied on parents who receive the benefit of child support payment enforcement programs. The states administer the programs but the federal government funds them partially. Some of the options that these programs provide are income tax return garnishment and license suspension in order to make delinquent parents make their court-ordered child support payments.

Less than ten years ago there was no such thing as divorce insurance. Today, several companies can provide it. This is for real. The intent is to provide for the costs of a divorce including legal bills, of course, but also the numerous attendant expenses associated with separating such as moving, setting up housekeeping and more.

Typically, a "Unit" or specific amount of coverage, costs between $15.00 and $20.00 per month and pays roughly $1.300.00. Ten units would pay $13,000.00 and cost under $200.00 per month. This money is paid to the insured party after the marriage ends legally and a claim is submitted.

It has been traditionally held in most Texas divorce cases that complete -- if not primary - custody of the child often goes to the mother. However, public sentiment is changing to favor equal child custody. As the role of women has changed a great deal in our society, so too has the common conception about their role in the family unit. Slowly but surely, the father is being thought of as more than just a monetary provider in his child's life.

Changes in Gender Roles and Their Effect on Child Custody

The old way of thinking is based on the idea that the father is the "breadwinner," and the mother provides more direct care to the child. The common outcomes of custody hearings where the mother had custody and the father paid child support made sense in this light. However, this has not always been the typical family dynamic for a number of years, and the opinions of many Texans are starting to reflect this reality.

As evidenced by several family law specialists, prenuptials are becoming the norm by society's standards. Contrary to popular belief, a prenuptial agreement does not indicate that there is a lack of trust between partners, or an anticipated divorce on the horizon. In fact, you shouldn't even let a premarital request sap the romance out of your proposal. Taking the time to create a plan for property division in the event of divorce is in essence, one of the smartest business plans you'll ever make, and it can help ensure an amicable split should the unforeseeable occur.