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 |    Family Law
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 | | Marc R. May
Marriage is a legal relationship between two people. Many legal matters arise when a marriage is to be dissolved and you need help to find your way to an agreeable settlement. As your legal representative, our firm has the experience and creativity to understand the difficulties that arise and the flexibility to help you discover new ways to cope during this stressful time. When a couple has been married for any length of time, it is likely that they have obtained assets together. If the marriage is dissolved, those assets need to be valued and divided in a manner that is fair and considers the needs of both parties. Because I have experience with divorce, I have also dealt with many levels of property division. Cases involving business valuation or professional practice valuation are particularly complex because they involve a mix of objective and subjective factors. These cases require both a competent valuation expert and a divorce attorney who understands the objective factors that are used, sees that the subjective factors are applied appropriately and is fully aware of the latest Texas case law in this area. Maintenance, also known as alimony or spousal support, is an allowance which the husband or wife pays to the other spouse for support while they are separated or after they are divorced. As with other aspects of a divorce settlement, determining if alimony is appropriate and calculating amounts can be complex. Child Custody / Third-party Custody Custody consists of the rights and responsibilities of one or both parents to make key decisions concerning the child as determined by the court or the agreement of both parties. Some of these major decisions are consent to marry before eighteen, consent to enter military service before eighteen, consent to obtain a driver’s license, authorization for non-emergency health care, choice of school and religion. The determination of whether custody should be sole or joint is based on the best interest of the child with a presumption that joint custody is usually best for the child. There are situations when, for a variety of reasons, custody is granted to someone other than the parents. For example, issues of foster parent custody, third party non-relative custody, relative and grandparent custody, and other proceedings outside of marriage dissolution proceedings may take place. With today's complex and ever changing definition of "family," the knowledge that my firm brings to multiple types of non-marriage dissolution custody proceedings can be of significant help to my clients in meeting the challenges of providing strong advocacy in difficult situations. It is undisputed that divorce has emotional implications on the family. Financial implications can be almost as daunting. Child support is based on the amount of time that the child spends with each of their parents and the incomes of the parties. We will work with you to ensure that the proper amounts are being paid taking into consideration not only the child support formulas but also health insurance and dependency exemptions. Prenuptial agreements are contracts entered into by a couple in contemplation of marriage. They usually address property issues that may arise in the event of divorce or death, and are often used as vehicles to provide for greater awards of property to children from previous marriages, or when one spouse brings substantially greater assets to the marriage. Prenuptial agreements help couples start off with a feeling of security and with the added benefit of an open approach to their finances. We are experienced in preparing prenuptial agreements and can draft the right document for any client, regardless of their pre-marital assets. Because a Prenuptial Agreement will almost certainly alter a spouse's rights under the law, each spouse-to-be is strongly advised to seek the advice of his or her own lawyer before signing. This is a legal action to establish that a man is the father of a child. A paternity action may be brought in order to impose a child support obligation, establish a right to inheritance, secure consent for the child's adoption, or gain or prohibit custody or visitation rights. Establishing paternity is financially important and establishes parental rights as well as contributing to a child's sense of identity. We have access to the resources to help establish paternity or to set the record straight when paternity has been incorrectly asserted. Adoption is a legally recognized way of forming a family. Adoption options include international adoptions, domestic adoptions, agency adoptions, independent or private-placement adoptions, stepparent adoptions, blood-relative adoptions, open adoptions, and closed adoptions. Adoption is a judicial proceeding that transfers all rights and responsibilities of a natural parent, if known, to an adoptive parent. The procedures as set out by law are intended to protect the best interest of the children and the rights of parents or guardians. Usually the court will generally not grant an adoption unless the child’s parents and guardian consent, however there are exceptions when consent is not necessary. Adoptive parents accept all the challenges, rights, and responsibilities of parenthood. The adoption process can be a maze of legal twists and turns. We know what it takes to navigate the adoption process quickly and efficiently and can help you bring your new family together. Family law matters and divorce necessarily raise issues related to wills, trusts and other estate planning concerns such as providing for the children’s future in the event that something would happen to either or both parents. As part of Marc’s full-service family law representation, he assists clients who need to establish estate planning documents or make changes to existing wills or trusts. If you would like more information about Marc R. May's practice, or to schedule an appointment, please call (214) 387-8501 or email mmay@ntxfamlaw.com. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation. Copyright © 2008 by Marc R. May Attorney at Law. All rights reserved. You may reproduce materials available at this site for your own personal use and for non-commercial distribution. All copies must include this copyright statement. | |  |
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