Texas Divorce Discovery

Texas divorce discovery

One of the main parts of a Texas divorce proceeding is the discovery phase, which a Houston divorce attorney can help tremendously with. Both parties and/or their attorneys arrange a meeting to discuss any parts of the family that haven’t yet been documented and to share any pertinent information with the other side in the divorce. During this time, either party may make special requests for the divorce like giving the matrimonial house to one party or giving custody of the children to the other party. This can be a difficult time for some divorcing couples, as sometimes one partner tries to hide a particular piece of property and not make it known to the other side. The discovery process may be an ongoing series of informal meetings by the attorneys of both sides in a divorce.

Texas divorce

When an individual files for divorce in Texas, multiple documents must be immediately presented to family court. The initial filing papers for divorce in Texas can be as many as 40 pages long and must include everything about the family that is pertinent to the case including children, property ownership and any financial accounts. The following documents must be prepared before an Original Petition for Divorce may be filed and the Texas divorce proceeding can begin:

• Property deeds
• Bank account statements
• Retirement account statements
• Child birth records
• Child adoption records
• Child support information
• Premarital agreements

Once the documentation is compiled and the Original Petition for Divorce is written, the document must be served to the spouse. Depending on the dynamics of the divorce case a Texas temporary restraining order can be issued to both spouses, demanding that neither party sell any property or remove large amounts of cash from any financial accounts.

Trials

Not every Texas divorce ends in a trial. Many times, both parties in a divorce case become comfortable with how the property, money, and children are split, and they agree to avoid the lengthy and expensive process of going through a trial. This is called a divorce settlement.

An experienced Houston family attorney can work with parties to a divorce who want the split to end happily in a settlement rather than ending in a trial. A qualified Houston family lawyer will work with his client to fight for what’s rightfully his in a divorce hearing and can often do so in a peaceful manner.

If you have a family law matter, contact Houston family lawyer John K. Grubb at his office in Houston, Texas. He serves all communities throughout Houston, Texas, including Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, and Brazoria counties.