If you are getting a divorce in Texas, you may want to start with a consultation with one or more attorneys. This can help you better understand the process ahead of you and give you an opportunity to find an attorney whom you are comfortable with.
Gathering information
Before your consultation, you should try to gather as much financial information as possible on shared and individual assets. Bank statements, tax returns and investment information may all be helpful. You will need to share the financial information that you have with the attorney. You will also talk about your children and their ages and any other information relevant to your divorce. This will all give the attorney the necessary information to discuss what may happen with child custody, spousal support, child support and property division.
Considerations in a divorce
During your first meeting the attorney may explain the alternatives to litigation. Alternative dispute resolution methods include mediation and collaborative divorce. You may want to consider one of these approaches because they can be less expensive and less stressful than going to court.
Property division
A final consideration is that in Texas, shared property is supposed to be split equally. However, this does not necessarily mean that you have to split every item that you own with your spouse 50-50. One option that works well for some couples is for each of them to take different items that have a similar value.
If you negotiate your divorce agreement instead of going to court, you may have more control over how your property is divided and other elements of the divorce agreement. However, you may want to discuss litigation with the attorney if there are issues such as abuse or hiding assets.