Blogs
A Texas Divorce Is Always a Lawsuit
No matter what type of divorce you think youre gettingagreed, uncontested, collaborative, or mediatedin Texas, a divorce is always a lawsuit. Instead of plaintiff and defendant, the parties are calle
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Divorce & Custody: Is Artificial Intelligence the Answer?
I love Artificial Intelligence. I use it just about every day. I have an AI app on my phone and a different AI app on my laptop, and I use Grok Twitter/Xs version of AI. I use them all.It seems that
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Celebrating Forty Years in the Law
Almost exactly forty years ago, I was an Artillery Officer in the United States Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. The Battalion was getting a new Commanding Officer, and needed
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Is Divorce Season Coming? Seven things that dont mean you are not getting divorced
Getting divorced is not fun. Getting surprised by a divorce is worse. [Warning: This information is hard to hear, especially at this time of year. But for those that need it, it can be lifesaving.]
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Divorce: 10 Things That a Good Divorce Lawyer Knows That You May Not
Going through a divorce can be an emotionally challenging and legally complex process. While you may believe you have a good understanding of your situation, it's essential to recognize that Texas div
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'Silver Divorce' in Texas: Five Things to Consider
Divorce can be a challenging and emotional process, regardless of age. However, when couples decide to end their marriage later in life, it is commonly referred to as a "silver divorce." These divorc
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Can We Just Use the Same Divorce Lawyer? Here are Five Rules to know
Clients often ask, Can my spouse and I just use the same attorney to save money on our divorce? Well, theres good news and bad news but the bad is really more good, in disguise. The good news is t
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Yes, We Charge for Consults. Heres Why.
When was the last time that you got something truly valuable for free? Im not talking about the pair of ugly socks that you get when you jump on trampolines those arent free. Im talking about somet
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Divorce or Custody: Top Five Reasons Why Collaborative Law May Be Right for You
A Collaborative Family Law case is handled under a different set of rules than a Litigated Case. The substantive law is the same, but the procedural rules differ.If you are in or about to be in a Divo
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Introducing a New Resource to Help
Im excited to let you know about a resource on our website called Settify. We are one of the first law firms in the country to provide this revolutionary technology to you. Settify is an online
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Family Law: A Little Bit of Legal Knowledge
I've always said, "A little bit of legal knowledge is a dangerous thing." Nevertheless, I just read something that stated some legal concepts that every Texan should know. Section 3.001 of the Texa
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Dividing Property in Divorce the Top Seven Questions
If you are going through a Texas Divorce and you have been married for more than a minute, you have property that you need to consider. Many people think they don't have Community Property even if
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Divorce: Breaking it down to its parts
A divorce is a lawsuit. It is a strange kind of lawsuit, but its a lawsuit. Every divorce, whether labeled Uncontested, Contested, Amicable, Collaborative, Mediated or other must go through the court
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Joint Managing Conservator: What it means
The first substantial portion of a Texas Custody Order is the issue of Conservatorship. In days gone by thirty or forty years ago custody cases typically ended with one parent being named as the Ma
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Help for Some Non-Deadbeat Moms and Dads
For over 20 years, Texas law has been clear: Moms and Dads are not allowed to modify their own child support orders without court approval. Up until now, however, the cases have all dealt with situat
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Texas Standard Possession Order (also known as the Standard Possession Schedule and/or SPO)
Here is the Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO) or Standard Possession Schedule per the Texas Legislature, as of the time this was posted. Keep in mind that the Statutes are modified from time to t
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Child Custody: Electronic access to your child
Court Orders for phone Calls, emails, and video-chat with your child Spending time with your child is important. Everyone knows that. But when parents are not together, courts often have to get invo
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What Happens to My Children if My Ex Passes Away?
Some people think that if their Ex passes away, they will have possession of their child automatically. They believe that any Court Orders regarding possession of their child, child support, and limit
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Divorce: When are you required to "Announce" it?
Have you ever watched a movie that had a scene in which there was a "Reading of the Will"? You know, where everyone who might be left something in the Will shows up, only to find out that some of th
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Beal Law Firm Names New Managing Attorney
Ryan L. Asprion, an Associate Attorney with Beal Law Firm, PLLC, has been named Managing Attorney of the 30-year-old Family Law Boutique. A 1997 St. Mary's School of Law graduate, Asprion has extensiv
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Beal Law Firm Adds Former Special Litigator to the Team
Robert Hight is now a part of the Beal Law Firm Team as a Senior Associate attorney. Hight handles all types of family law Divorce, Custody, Support, etc. for clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Wort
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Gambling at the Courthouse
Do you like to gamble? Have you ever lost badly? Can you imagine how badly you could lose if you don't know the rules of the game? That's what I thought of the other day, as I watched a Family Law
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Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
When I was in the Marine Corps several years ago, one of the things they taught us was Land Navigation. After I mastered the skill, I was proud of the fact that you could drop me off in the middle of
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What Can I do to Protect My Child if Im Gone?
NOTE: As of June 26, 2020, the Texas Supreme Court has come out with a decision that causes a major change to the information given in this article. Please see below. Everyone has health concerns. At
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Thirty Years: Beal Law Firms First 30 Years
Thirty years is a long time. Do you know where you were 30 years ago? I know where I was. I was sitting in a tiny office about a third of the size of the one that I had had less than two years earlie
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Child Support: The Economy is Changing. Does your Child Support need to?
Youve seen the news. Inflation is up. School and pre-school schedules are uncertain. Jobs are available, but some dont pay a living wage. And there is a lot of flux in the Texas Economy right now. A
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Stuff That Matters
Its that time of year! You are probably about to give other people some new Stuff. And youre likely to get a bunch of new Stuff yourself. Remember when you were a kid? Not getting what you wanted s
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Timing Your Case When Should I file?
The question often comes up, When should I file my case so that my kids can start school in their new school? Or, If I start my Divorce now, will it be done by the end of this school year? The quest
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The Family Law Advantage
I got a call a couple of days ago. It was from an old client. I represented him years ago, and Ive only talked to him a few times since. Its always great to hear from him because it causes me to ha
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What Kind of Client are You? 4 tips for working with attorneys
I know what its like to be a client. And I know what its like to be a lawyer. One of the things that I think has helped me throughout my practice is that I have been on all sides of everything. For
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Happy Independence Day!!
I love the 4th of July! I love remembering all of the things that America stands for and all of the great people that helped found it and keep it. One of the greatest things about this Country is tha
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Texas No-Fault Divorce: Five Things to Know
No-Fault Divorce is often misunderstood. Many people think that since Texas has a no-fault statute, there is no issue of Fault in any divorce proceedings. Some people think that no-fault Divorce mea
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If It Hurts, Ask About a Solution
Wow, that hurts! Thats what I thought every time. But then I would suffer through it. I had an old pair of glasses that I kept in my truck for emergencies since I am supposed to wear glasses when I d
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When do you have to tell them?
For years Ive advised, if you know youre going to be in a fight, hit first. I am a firm believer that that advice is good on the playground and in litigation. Of course, if you guess wrong, now youre
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Can a Gummy Ruin Your Life?
Gummy bears are cute. Gummy bears are tasty. And if you possess a gummy bear with THC in Texas, really bad things can happen to you. Yes, I'm talking about one gummy bear. Or one THC Cookie. Or one o
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Beal Law Firm Brings Divorce and Family Law Support to Frisco with Latest Location
Frisco Square houses entertainment, restaurants, and shops for residents of Collin and Denton counties, and now, Beal Law Firm joins the community. Frisco was recognized as the fastest-growing c
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Happy Thanksgiving!! Time to phone a friend.
Okay. Im a guy, so I hate talking on the phone. I dont really mean phone. I mean text, phone, communicate through social media, something. There are few things worse than living through the first
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Don't Feel Trapped: Understanding the Attorney-Client Relationship
Have you ever felt trapped? In our line of work, we deal with people that feel trapped in a marriage or trapped in a bad situation with their custody arrangement, but thats not what Im talking about.
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Stress and Family Law
Have you ever met anyone that never got a speeding ticket? You have now. I know its weird, but one of the things that Im most proud of in life is that Ive never gotten a speeding ticket. I have go
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Child Support Just Changed
Child Support law in Texas just changed, as of September 1, 2019. Whether the law hurts you or helps you depends upon which side of the fence youre on. If youre getting child support, it never see
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Donuts and Pajamas: Two Things Id Have Done Differently
Eating donuts in my car with my kids still in their pajamas provide some of my favorite memories of them when they were young. We used to have a good time or at least as good a time as possible.
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The Important Things: Trust and Care
My family and I flew over an ocean yesterday. Weve only ever done that a couple of times before, and it reminded me of the importance of Trust. I was trusting the lives of my children, my wife, an
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Freedom!
July 4th, 1776. The Declaration of Independence. The Revolutionary War. What was it all about? In a word: Freedom. Freedom from Great Britain and Freedom from laws that unreasonably interfere wit
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Parental Alienation: What is it?
Happy Fathers' Day!! Fathers' Day can be great! Unless there has been Parental Alienation by the other parent. Here's a short piece that I wrote a couple of years ago regarding Parental Alienatio
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Guns and Divorce
Guns are a hot topic these days. Some people love them. Some people hate them. Not too many people have no opinion on them. If you own guns or ammunition, and you are headed for a Texas divorce, he
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The Truth about Lies
When hiring a lawyer, should you try to hire the best liar? Is our system built so that the best liar wins? What about movies, and other things in our media that suggest that all lawyers are liars?
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If You Dont Understand, Ask!
I love motorcycles. I fell in love when I was 7 years old, and the love has never died. Ive come close a couple times, but it hasnt. Recently, I got the chance to go to Las Vegas to rent a GS 1200
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Learning curves hurt.
I just got off of a call with a lawyer. I hired him. The relief is overwhelming. Okay, so technically, I just got off of an internet video call with a lawyer, but the feeling of relief is real and
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December 28th! Time to get the Kids!!
Its today!! Today is the day that many children whose parents dont live together get to see the other parent for the first time during the 2018-2019 Christmas break! Why? Because this is the arbit
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Divorce and Holidays: Be the Best Friend You Can Be
Suddenly finding yourself in a divorce just before the holidays begin can be quite a shock to the system. It can be devastating. Even if this is your year with the children, the fact that you have
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