Richardson divorce attorneys often see clients caught off guard by deadlines and restrictions that begin the moment a divorce is filed.
Key Takeaways:
- Texas courts can consider fault even in no-fault divorce filings.
- Concealing marital assets during divorce carries serious legal consequences.
- Neave Law, PLLC brings legislative experience most Richardson firms can’t match.
Texas divorce law doesn’t require proof of wrongdoing, but that doesn’t mean fault disappears from the case. What happened during your marriage, how assets were handled, and how quickly you act after filing can all shape the outcome. The choices made in the opening weeks are difficult to undo later.
Richardson divorce attorneys at Neave Law, PLLC represent clients through every stage of divorce, with a focus on protecting your family, your property, and your finances.
Book a free case evaluation today.
Fault vs. No-Fault Divorce in Texas
Texas allows spouses to file for divorce without proving either person did anything wrong. Most cases proceed this way, citing insupportability, a legal term for a marriage that can’t be saved.
Fault still matters, though. A spouse can allege adultery, cruelty, abandonment, or felony conviction, and a judge can weigh that fault when dividing property or deciding custody. Fault-based filings tend to move slower and cost more, but they can also shift outcomes in ways a no-fault filing can’t.
Whether to file with or without fault is a strategic decision, not a default choice. Our Richardson divorce attorneys weigh it based on the evidence available, the behavior at issue, and what result you’re actually trying to achieve under the Texas Family Code.
The Divorce Timeline From Filing to Final Decree
Texas requires a minimum 60-day waiting period between filing and finalization, but that window is rarely quiet. Temporary orders hearings, financial disclosures, and mediation often happen well before that period ends.
Contested cases involving property or custody disputes can extend well past the 60-day minimum, sometimes by months.
Our Richardson divorce attorneys help you understand what’s coming at each stage to keep you from locking in a misstep you can’t easily walk back once it’s on the record.
What Happens When a Spouse Hides or Wastes Assets?
Texas is a community property state, and both spouses are required to fully disclose what they own and owe. Some spouses try to get around this by moving money, undervaluing a business, or spending down joint accounts before filing.
Courts take this seriously. A judge who finds that a spouse hid or wasted community property can award the other spouse a larger share to offset it.
Protecting your position starts with documentation:
- Bank and investment statements going back at least two years, gathered before the case is filed if possible.
- Business records, if either spouse owns or has an interest in a company, since valuations are easy to manipulate.
Waiting to gather this documentation until a dispute arises puts you at a disadvantage that’s hard to make up later.
How Child Support Is Calculated and Modified
Texas calculates child support using a percentage of the paying parent’s net monthly income, adjusted for the number of children involved. That baseline can shift based on additional factors a court is required to weigh.
Courts consider:
- Health insurance costs for the children, which are typically added on top of the base guideline amount.
- Substantial changes in income for either parent, which can justify a modification after the order is in place.
Support orders aren’t permanent. A significant change in circumstances, job loss, a new job, or a change in custody can open the door to a child support modification months or years later.
Why Choose Our Knowledgeable Richardson Divorce Attorneys
Victoria Neave spent eight years in the Texas Legislature helping write the very statutes that now govern your Richardson divorce case, including four terms chairing the House committee with direct jurisdiction over the Texas Family Code. Few attorneys in Texas can say the law they practice is law they helped draft. Victoria can.
That legislative record sits alongside litigation training from a leading national law firm and membership in the Texas Bar College, a distinction held by fewer than 4% of Texas attorneys. Neave Law, PLLC also offers bilingual services in English and Spanish, so language is never a barrier to the representation you deserve.
The choices you make early in a Richardson divorce are hard to reverse later. Our knowledgeable Richardson divorce attorneys are ready to help you get them right from the start.
Book a free case evaluation today.
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