Tyler Legal Issues Blog

When a couple in Texas begins a marriage following "traditional" gender duties of child care and housework, they might be more likely to get a divorce if the woman starts to spend more time on her career and make more money than the husband. This is less likely to happen if the couple has a marriage that is more equal from the start, according to a recent Swedish study.

It is not uncommon for a wife to postpone her own career development in order to raise children and relocate for a husband's career. They may also pick up the bulk of the household chores. When wives begin to focus on their own careers and make more money, some men respond with anger. Some jealous husbands might try to control the money or make accusations of affairs.

Divorces among people who are older are on the rise. When older Texans choose to end their marriages, they may encounter some unexpected financial problems. These problems may be especially difficult to handle when there has been a power difference between the men and the women in terms of the financial decisions made during the marriages.

As much as 56 percent of women report that they let their spouses make the financial decisions in their marriages while the women assume other duties. If these couples decide to get divorced, the women may be left with an unclear picture of the state of their finances. They might also not have gained the knowledge that they need to handle their finances when they are suddenly on their own.

Parents going through a divorce in Texas may often be most concerned about how the end of their marriage will affect their children. While the romantic relationship between the adults has come to an end, in many cases, both parents want to protect their kids from pain and confusion during the divorce process. While some amount of disarray and disorientation may be unavoidable, divorcing parents can work to protect their children from unnecessary pain as their marriage comes to an end.

In the first place, it can be important for parents to avoid placing their child between them or pushing him or her to take sides in the divorce. Kids often love both of their parents, especially when child abuse or neglect is not a factor. They should not feel that their parents' divorce needs to be a divorce for them as well. Similarly, when a child returns to one parent after custody or parenting time with the other person, that parent should not pepper him or her with questions about his or her former partner. Parents should communicate directly with each other, especially about co-parenting matters; the children should not be forced into a position of having to be messengers between their parents.

According to the U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement, approximately $33 billion was obtained for child support in the 2016 fiscal year. Of the money collected, 75 percent was procured through some form of income withholding. Despite that large number, the OCSE is offering recommendations to the payroll community that could affect the paychecks of Texas residents currently paying child support.

One area of guidance the OCSE discussed was verification of employment. The OCSE has been receiving a rising number of complaints from state child support divisions regarding employer use of third-party processors in answering verification of employment requests. Specifically, the state groups are frustrated that these third-party providers attempt to charge states a fee for processing these requests despite employment verification being the duty of the employer. The OCSE noted that in the future it may suggest state governments refuse to pay and issue notices to employers regarding their responsibilities.