Since 2002, almost all child supportFunds which are ordered by the court to be paid by one parent to the custodial parent of minor children after a separation or divorce. payments go through the State Disbursement Unit (SDU) in San Antonio. They record when payments are received and then send them on to the recipient. This may sound like an unusual arrangement, but it's good for both the person paying child support and for the person receiving it.

If you're paying child support, there is direct proof that payments have been made through the SDU.

The test for a common law marriage is fairly straightforward. Texas has a 3 question test. If you can answer "yes" to all 3 of the questions, you are common law married. If you answer "no" to any of them, you probably aren't.

1. Both parties must have intended to be married.
2. You must have lived together as husband and wife.
3. You must have held yourself out to others as married.

Texas is a "no-fault" divorce state. That means that you can file for divorce simply because "the marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities between you that has destroyed the legitimate ends of the marriage."

Insupportability is the most common ground.

In our firm, it's not unusual for us to be the only attorney in a divorce case. I can't really speak for other attorneys, but there are a few things you should be aware of in this situation. First and foremost, an attorney can only represent one spouse. Specifically, in a divorce case, only one spouse is the real "client" and the attorney can only advise his or her client. The attorney can't give legal advice to the other spouse. read more »

To calculate the amount of child supportFunds which are ordered by the court to be paid by one parent to the custodial parent of minor children after a separation or divorce. that will be paid, you'll need to come up with the monthly net income of the possessory parent. To determine your monthly net income, subtract federal income taxes, state income taxes, social security taxes, and union dues from your monthly gross income. read more »

Not everyone can afford to hire an attorney in the traditional way to help them navigate a family law matter. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources that are available to people here in Austin and Central Texas.

Austin Do-It-Yourself Divorce Service

It's a comprehensive service that gives you full access to all the forms you need for your divorce with detailed instructional videos that explain exactly how to use them. We also have plans that offer unlimited legal advice via email for a very low cost. read more »