Tyler Legal Issues Blog

When parents in Texas decide to divorce, they may be concerned about how the end of their marriage will affect their children. Of course, many people know that children can suffer when their parents separate, but by being conscious of how they interact with each other and the kids, parents can help to mitigate these effects. Experts note that marriages that are full of conflict, infidelity, contempt or abuse can be particularly dangerous to children's well-being and can teach damaging messages about relationships for the future.

This means that divorce is not necessarily a net negative for children. However, it is important for the parents involved to put their children's interests first and work to ease the changes that can accompany their parents' separation. If possible, parents can work to keep their children in the same school district, for example. Of course, the financial and practical aspects of divorce mean that some changes are inevitable, but parents can help with these issues by being open and communicative with their children.

People in Texas who are getting a divorce may struggle to keep their divorce separate from their work life, but it is important to do so. The stress and anxiety of divorce can have a significant effect on a person's performance at work if strategies are not in place to deal with it. People should also avoid mistakes that could compromise the confidentiality of the divorce.

A lack of discretion could be damaging in the unlikely event that a work colleague is deposed as part of the divorce. Divorce-related issues may come up throughout the work day, and the best way to deal with them is to set aside a time to do so. People should make phone calls in a private area. They should also avoid leaving private documents where they might be seen by others or using work email for divorce-related issues. Digital documents should be kept in one place for quick access when needed.

Texas couples who are concerned about making their marriages last should be aware of the silent relationship killers that can lead to a divorce. These are problems that usually start out small but can escalate quickly and cause both partners to decide that sticking things out is no longer the best option.

When a person starts to look at his or her spouse with resentment or contempt, that individual sees everything that his or her partner does in a negative way. These feelings can undermine a person's desire to keep on working at improving the relationship. Learning to tackle conflict early in the marriage can allow both individuals to freely express how they feel and then find a compromise with which they are both happy.

Wedding planning in Texas now includes the preparation of a prenuptial agreement more than it used to. Members of the Millennial generation have grown up familiar with the use of marriage contracts that govern the distribution of property in the event of a divorce. Now that people in this generation are getting married, lawyers have reported an increase in clients requesting the agreements. A survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers found that 51 percent of lawyers had worked with growing numbers of millennial clients who wanted prenuptial agreements.

Modern marriages typically begin for people at later ages than earlier generations. Extended single lives provide people with more opportunity to accumulate assets, which they may choose to protect when entering marriage. In 2005, the average age of marriage for women was 25.5 and 27 for men. Currently, women are not getting married on average until age 28.1. For men, their average marriage age now stands at 29.9. Financial concerns that inspire people to complete prenuptial agreements include real estate ownership, business interests and family inheritances.