Texas Divorce Lawyers
Kingwood | Sugar Land | Houston
Most people don't enter a divorce looking for a fight. However, if you aren't assertive in the early stages of your case, the fight might find you.
At the law firm of Martin & Lilly, our lawyers believe in providing aggressive representation from the start of your divorce or legal separation case, and that means pursuing temporary orders that will protect your community property interests and put you in a good position for the child custody agreement you want.
The marriage dissolution process in Texas begins with one of the two sides filing a petition for divorce. After the other side responds, the family law judge will hold a hearing to issue temporary orders for child custody, child visitation, spousal support and, if one side wants the other to pay his or her legal expenses, interim attorney's fees. Our lawyers will also seek a restraining order to protect the community estate while the divorce case is pending.
Next comes the discovery phase. Discovery consists of finding out what the other side wants in the divorce settlement and telling the other side what you want. An important part of discovery is identifying all of the community property assets. Often, people do not know all of the assets their spouse has, so our lawyers will use forensic accounts to uncover those assets. We will also examine credit card statements and other financial records.
After the discovery phase is over, the two sides will consider a settlement through negotiations with the other side or through an alternative dispute resolution method, such as mediation.
If the two sides are unable to negotiate a settlement, the next step is a trial. Our lawyers are willing and able to try divorce cases if that is necessary to protect your interests. In Harris County, you can typically get a trial within nine to 12 months after filing your divorce petition.
Discuss your divorce case with an aggressive Texas attorney
For more information, contact an attorney at Martin & Lilly. For your convenience, we have offices in Kingwood, Sugar Land and Houston.
