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It’s never easy for anyone to admit their marriage is over. Every spouse who files for divorce or is on the receiving end of a divorce complaint goes through a great amount of stress and anxiety. You worry about your children. You worry about your finances. It’s natural to feel afraid and angry. Even in amicable divorces, you’re bound to have many questions about the divorce, custody, property division, and support parts of your case.

Rest assured, our Texas family law firm has the experience and resources to help spouses and parents move securely forward with their lives. We’re here to answer all your questions.

Here are a few guidelines for helping you cope during this stressful time.

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There are some parts of the divorce that end when the divorce ends. For starters, the marriage is over. Once there is a resolution of the marital property issues, the actual transfers normally take just a few weeks or months. For example, the titles to assets such as the home, bank accounts, and vehicles can be quickly prepared, signed, and recorded. QDRO agreements should preserve a spouse’s rights to retirement benefits when those benefits vest.

There are two items though that will remain open for years or even decades after the divorce is finalized. Parents are normally required to pay child support until a child reaches the age of 18. A spouse may be required to pay alimony until he/she dies or until their spouse dies or remarries. A life insurance policy for the benefit of the spouse or child helps to protect those payments if the spouse who is obligated to make the payments dies before all the payments are due.

Life insurance for child support and childcare

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A recent case decided by the Ninth Circuit examined the relationship between immigration law and divorce law. The Ninth Circuit began its review of a Nevada case by reviewing the Court’s ruling in a case named Park v. Barr that the Court had just ruled on a few months earlier. The prior case involved a woman who was in the United States even though she had overstayed her visa.

The woman, Woul Park, married Byung Gug Choi in Korea in 1988. Both spouses were Korean. Ms. Park entered American in 2003 on a B-2 tourist visa. She overstayed her visa. Ms. Park has lived in California since 2003. In 2009, the couple divorced under Koran law. After the divorce, Ms. Park married James Young Park – who is a US citizen. Ms. Park then filed and was granted legal permanent residency (LPR) based on the second marriage.

Ms. Park applied to become a naturalized citizen in 2014. That petition was denied because the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) determined that her divorce from Choi wasn’t valid under California law – which, in turn, invalidated her second marriage. USCIS based its finding that the divorce was invalid on California Family Code § 2091, which bars California from recognizing a foreign divorce if both spouses are domiciliaries of California.

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We understand that our family law clients are concerned about how much their divorce is going to cost. Divorces, especially contested divorces, are more costly than most people expect. With some planning and communication, there are ways that spouses and parents can manage some control over how much their divorce is going to cost.

The cost of a divorce varies depending on the lawyer who is handling your case. At Lyttle Law Firm, we do more than explain the court costs. We provide a written agreement that sets forth our rates, including hourly rates and/or rates that depend on the types of divorce claims we pursue on your behalf.

The initial consultation

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The initial consultation you have with your lawyer sets that foundation for all your divorce issues. At our firm, we call initial consultations Strategy Sessions. And that is exactly what it is. We custom prepare a roadmap for you and a path to resolution of issues that concern you. Your lawyer needs to understand all your concerns. She needs to know all your faults, all your debts, and anything that might negatively impact your concern. Many of the items you fear disclosing, your spouse probably already knows. You lived with your spouse for some time, maybe decades. Most likely, your spouse already knows that you failed to pick your kids up on time. He or she probably knows how much you earn. We need to know what your spouse knows.

Simply put, the more we know about you, the better we can represent you. Nobody expects you to be perfect. If we know your income status, how well or not well you get along with your spouse and his/her relatives, and what your kids think of you – we can make sure we file the correct claims at the right time. We can prepare your case and raise questions about your spouse’s case – so that you get the best results possible.

Whether the initial conference takes place in person or on Zoom, honesty about your difficulties helps us help you.

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Attorney Daniella Deseta Lyttle of Lyttle Law Firm, PLLC, was featured in the March 2021 Edition of Women to Watch!
If you are looking for an attorney to handle your family law, immigration law, or your wills & estates matters, contact us at (512) 215-5225. Our attorneys are ready to assist.

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Divorce is a difficult decision for everyone. Divorce is an especially hard choice for couples when one or both of the spouses are immigrants. According to Asian Journal, the good news is that there are four ways in which divorce can actually help immigrants obtain their green card.

Married daughters and sons of US Citizens

For immigrants who seek legal permanent resident (LPR) status based on a family-sponsored preference (F3) by a parent who is a US citizen – and based on being a daughter or son who is a married 21-year-or-older daughter or sone – there is normally a long time to wait for approval depending on your country of origin. In some cases, it may take decades before your application is reviewed. Your application’s priority date is typically the date your US citizen parent(s) filed your petition.

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For the most part, it doesn’t matter who files a Texas divorce case – you or your spouse. You both have the right to assert your rights and defenses. These rights and defenses include contesting the grounds for divorce, the division of the property, spousal support, child custody, and child support.

The benefits of filing first are mostly psychological and procedural. Each case is different. An experienced Texas family lawyer will explain the pros and cons of being the person who files the divorce case.

The psychological benefits of filing first

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People with a 401 (k) may consider taking money from their accounts for many reasons. Struggling to make ends meets during the COVID-19 pandemic is one reason. Another reason is that they’ve separated from their spouse and need the funds to survive.

A 401 (k) is a defined contribution plan where employees contribute funds each year to a retirement plan. The employer may provide matching amounts. The advantage of a 401 (k) is that you don’t have to pay taxes on the income until you withdraw the money. Often, withdrawing money later in life means you’re in a lower tax bracket than when you contributed, so you save on federal taxes by postponing the withdrawal.

In Texas, all property acquired during the marriage is considered marital property unless there is a pre-nuptial agreement or a post-nuptial agreement. Marital property does not include property either spouse owned before the marriage. Marital property does not include property acquired during the marriage if the parcel was obtained – by a gift, through a will or estate when someone dies. Marital property doesn’t include a personal injury recovery unless the recovery is for loss or earnings (while the accident victim was married).

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Contact Information
AUSTIN OFFICE
1811 W Ben White Blvd
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Austin, TX 78704
Phone: 512.215.5225 Fax: 877.485.1163
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