Abilene TX Divorce Law Blog

Six parents arrested for failure to pay child support

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Support on Monday, March 18, 2019.

Most parents are only too happy to care and provide for their children. This can hold true even if parents who share children are not in a relationship with one another. However, for varying reasons, some parents have difficulty supporting their children financially. Even if a parent has a valid reason for struggling to make child support payments, it does not negate the responsibility to do so. Local Texas police recently made several arrests of parents who had failed to make their proper payments.

Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, sent out a news release regarding the arrests. He stated that his office's Child Support Division was responsible for the sweep. Local authorities were used to conduct the operation. Paxton said that parents have a moral responsibility to ensure that their children receive proper care. His hope is that this type of enforcement will have a positive impact on children's futures.

Nonprofit helps fathers make child support payments

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Support on Monday, March 4, 2019.

When two parents are not in a relationship with one another, it often means that one of them is the primary caregiver for any children they share and the other makes child support payments to that parent. Though many Texas parents meet their obligation to pay child support without any problem, some parents do not. One out-of-state program seeks to rectify that by helping fathers, who frequently are the ones making child support payments, honor their responsibility and stay connected to their kids.

The nonprofit was founded in 2010 and aims to help fathers stay involved in their children's lives. It targets those who have difficulty making child support payments. One father was ordered by judge to utilize the program instead of being sent to jail for a third time for unpaid child support. The program offers job training, legal assistance, parenting classes and other helpful services. The man now makes his payments every month on time and interacts with his children on a regular basis.

El Paso police accused of not enforcing child custody orders

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

Fathers often get a bad rap, particularly when they are no longer in a relationship with their child's mother. There is a stereotype that says that fathers are not interested in caring for their children, but it is often not true. In fact, many fathers in Texas allege that authorities are not enforcing child custody orders, which prevents them from spending valuable time with their children.

One father, who lives in Dallas, drives to El Paso almost every other weekend to see his 5-year-old daughter. He says that her mother is refusing to honor their court-ordered custody agreement, which is a felony. He also claims that the district attorney is refusing to prosecute the case, despite reports from Child Protective Services that the mother's boyfriend is abusive.

Singer Natalie Maines' husband requesting child support

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Support on Monday, February 4, 2019.

Many people believe that being wealthy would make them immune from problems, but of course, that is not the case. Rich and famous people are just as susceptible to misfortune as anyone else. When wealthy people divorce, they can have a difficult a time in determining the provisions of child care. The recent divorce case of singer Natalie Maines, who is from Texas, illustrates this exact idea. She and her husband are attempting to work out the details of their divorce, which will possibly include child support.

Maines and her husband, actor Adrian Pasdar, had been married for seventeen years when she filed for divorce back in 2017. They had two sons together, and Pasdar claims that he put his career on hold to take care of them due to Maines' career. She is part of the country band The Dixie Chicks. Pasdar is best known for his parts on television series such as "Heroes" and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Move out of state granted in child custody case

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Custody on Thursday, January 24, 2019.

When parents divorce or end their relationship, the well-being of their children is of the utmost concern. Generally, it is beneficial for children to have a relationship with both parents, unless one of them is abusive or neglectful. Depending on a particular family's circumstances, child custody can be arranged in varying ways, with one parent serving as the primary caregiver, or both equally caring for their kids. That agreement can often include a provision preventing a parent from moving out of state. Parents here in Texas may be interested in a recent case where a mother's request to relocate with her children to another state was upheld by an appellate court, as there is a great deal to learn from her situation.

The mother in question and her ex-husband were married 18 years ago, and they had two children together before divorcing in 2014. A court granted them joint custody, with the mother being the primary caregiver. She was also awarded child support and half the equity of their shared home, but the court order also prevented her from moving out of state.

Putting kids first: How to manage out-of-state parenting

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Custody on Monday, January 7, 2019.

Divorce can be hard enough to begin with, though many families in Texas know all too well how especially tough it can be when children are involved. Most parents want whatever is best for their children and will strive to ensure that their kids' needs are put ahead of their own. However, that can be difficult to do even in the best of circumstances. If one spouse has to move away for any reason, it can make shared or joint custody difficult to manage. Though it may be necessary, out-of-state parenting can have adverse effects on children, as a recent interview with a teenage boy whose parents are divorced demonstrates.

The parents divorced when he was 4, and his mother eventually moved out of state. The parents shared custody, with the boy going to see his mother for holidays and during the summer. Though he assured the interviewer that he loved both of his parents, he conceded that he struggled with the differing values and rules that each of his parents held, as well as having to leave his friends and other relatives at the home he had with his father. Even at his young age, he recognized that his life would be easier if his parents lived closer together.

Is your child support order not working for you?

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Support on Thursday, December 27, 2018.

Raising children takes a lot of love, patience and money. If you have been through the divorce process, you and your ex likely have a child support agreement in place that, at the time of your divorce filing, made sense and worked for your children's needs. If that support order is no longer working for you, the state of Texas does allow you to seek a modification.

Let's face it, it is impossible to predict the future. When you divorced, there was no way of knowing how your income level might change over the years. There was no way of knowing exactly how your children's needs might change over time. A support amount was set solely based on your income level and children's needs at that time.

Dealing with child custody issues during the holiday season

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, December 11, 2018.

The holidays are a time that Texas families want to be together, and parents want to create memories and spend time with their kids. This can be complicated, however, for families after divorce, and some parents may find themselves dealing with depression, anger and other emotions when their children are with the other parent. The Christmas season can make child custody issues quite complicated and difficult.

One of the most important and practical ways that divorced parents can deal with hurt feelings and disappointment during the holidays is to let go of expectations. It is also prudent to be thankful for any time with the children, even if it is at a different time or on a different day than hoped. Parents will also find it helpful to spare their children from additional difficulties by refraining from talking bad about the other parent.

The clock is ticking on alimony tax deductions

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Military Divorce on Thursday, November 29, 2018.

For Texas couples preparing for a military divorce, spousal support may play a central role in the negotiation process. Those couples should be aware that the ability to claim alimony payments as tax deductions is scheduled to come to an end at the close of this year. Understanding how that change might impact the bottom line for each spouse is important, and there is very little time left to make adjustments before the new rules kick in.

Currently, spouses who make alimony payments receive a dollar-for-dollar tax deduction. However, for divorces finalized in 2019, that deduction will no longer apply. That will leave the paying spouse with a higher tax obligation. What many spouses don't understand is that, with more money going to taxes, nothing is left for the parties to divide. The tax change could leave the recipient with significantly less alimony than he or she anticipated.

Texas woman celebrates divorce with a big bang

On behalf of Law Offices of Randy Wilson and Kristin Postell, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, November 15, 2018.

People respond to the end of their marriages in different ways. Some embrace the change and look to the future with excitement, while others pine and mourn for what once was and what could have been. Still others celebrate this new and exciting chapter of their lives in unorthodox ways. There have been reports of women burning their wedding dresses, but one woman in Medina County, went a step further following her divorce.

A day after her Texas divorce was finalized, ending a marriage that had lasted for 14 years, the woman celebrated the occasion by detonating 20 pounds of explosives and blowing her wedding dress to pieces. According to reports, she used an explosive called Tannerite, and people could hear the blast for miles around her family farm where the incident took place on a recent Saturday night. The woman stated that she has initially planned to simply burn the garment, but her father came up with the idea of using explosives.