El Paso Local Area Business Talk
El Paso Local Area Business Talk
Divorce Lawyer El Paso, Texas | Laine Law Firm, PLLC
Navigating Divorce in El Paso: What to Expect from a Divorce Lawyer at Laine Law Firm, PLLC
Divorce can be one of the most emotionally and financially challenging times in your life. Whether you're considering a Simple Divorce, an Uncontested Divorce, or need legal advice regarding property or support, choosing the right Divorce Lawyer is crucial. At Laine Law Firm, PLLC in El Paso, Texas, clients are offered professional, compassionate legal services that focus on delivering results while making the process as smooth as possible.
đ¤ The Benefits of Uncontested Divorce and Simple Divorce
Many couples opt for an Uncontested Divorce or a Simple Divorce to avoid prolonged court battles. In an Uncontested Divorce, both spouses agree on all key issuesâsuch as child custody, property division, and spousal support. A Simple Divorce is ideal for cases with limited assets, no children, and mutual agreement to separate.
Choosing a Divorce Lawyer who specializes in Simple Divorce and Uncontested Divorce cases can save you time, stress, and money. Laine Law Firm, PLLC focuses on streamlining the process while ensuring your legal rights are protected throughout.
đ Protecting Your Future: Prenuptial & Postnuptial Planning
When it comes to asset protection, a Divorce Lawyer at Laine Law Firm, PLLC may recommend a prenuptial agreement before marriage, especially if one spouse brings significantly more assets or income into the union. If a prenuptial agreement wasn't signed, a postnuptial agreement can still be drafted after marriage to clarify property and financial arrangements.
Many people mistakenly believe that once separated, any new income is theirs alone. However, under Texas law, all income earned until the divorce is finalized remains community property. A qualified Divorce Lawyer can draft the appropriate documents to protect your earnings, business income, and retirement investmentsâwhether youâre pursuing a Simple Divorce or facing a contested situation.
âąď¸ Post-Divorce Surprises to Avoid
Some clients come to Laine Law Firm, PLLC after attempting a do-it-yourself Divorce and discovering that major issuesâlike the division of the homeâwere left out of the decree. In these cases, a Divorce Lawyer must file a motion to reopen the matter, potentially costing more time and money.
By working with an experienced Divorce Lawyer from the beginning, especially for a Simple Divorce or Uncontested Divorce, you avoid costly mistakes and ensure every detail is accounted for.
đ Why Choose Laine Law Firm, PLLC?
Located at 700 N. Stanton in the heart of El Paso, Laine Law Firm, PLLC is easily accessible from anywhere in the city. Their reputation for compassionate yet aggressive legal representation has earned them top reviews and the trust of clients throughout West Texas.
Whether youâre filing for a Simple Divorce, seeking an Uncontested Divorce, or need the strategic guidance of an experienced Divorce Lawyer, the team at Laine Law Firm, PLLC is ready to help you move forward with confidence.
đ Contact Information
Laine Law Firm, PLLC
Address: 700 N Stanton St #200, El Paso, TX 79902
đ (915) 200-4316
đ lainelawfirm.com
Okay, so we're still here talking. Thank you for all that helpful information. We're going to dive in a little deeper in these segments, and we're just going to go ahead and talk about divorce law here in El Paso, Texas, things that people should be aware of before coming to an attorney for a consultation, what to expect throughout the process, things like that. So I'm just going to ask you a few questions and just whatever your area of expertise. You are a divorce lawyer here in El Paso, Texas, and somebody's going to come to you for a consultation, right?
SPEAKER_01:Right.
SPEAKER_00:Do you charge for those?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, we do.
SPEAKER_00:What's your fee?
SPEAKER_01:We charge$200 for the consultation.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, and that usually lasts about an hour or
SPEAKER_01:so. Usually about an hour, yeah, but what it does is it secures your spot on the calendar since we have a lot of hearings and things scheduled throughout the week. That's
SPEAKER_00:what it does. Yeah, and I know you're a very busy lady because it's been so hard to schedule a podcast. You definitely are very busy, which is a good sign. And then your reviews on Google are high as well. I think you have like a 4.9 or a 5.0 rating, which says a lot.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we really appreciate that.
SPEAKER_00:Your reputation precedes you, basically. So that makes sense. Okay, so it gives them a spot in the calendar. They're going to come to you for a consultation. Oh, I don't know what to do, Miss Lane. My life's falling apart. I'm getting a divorce, and she's coming after me. Can you help me? What should I do next?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so we start out trying to figure out what's the reason for the divorce because they can in Texas, so you don't have to have a reason to get divorced. Anybody can get divorced for any reason just because they want to. It wasn't always the case. It's just pretty strange, but... Since the 70s, you can get a divorce for any reason. But if somebody's at fault for the divorce, like someone was not faithful in the marriage or abusive in the marriage, then that doesn't really affect the divorce or the children sometimes. It just affects the division of property. So if someone's at fault for breakup, then that person may get less of the estate. And normally the judge is considering that a just and right division of the property is 50-50. But if one party is at fault, then it may shift to maybe 60-40 or something.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. So they can be awarded more if they were accidentally, not accidentally cheated, but like were unfaithful or...
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so the innocent party, I guess the innocent spouse gets more of the estate because they're not, had the marriage continued as they had wanted, they would have benefited from the marriage continuing.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so I know just from popular culture that people in California, I think they get alimony, something like that. Is there something like that here in El Paso, Texas?
SPEAKER_01:Yes, in Texas it's called spousal support. But so on a temporary basis, most likely one spouse could get spousal support. But there's like specific factors that need to be in place for this other spouse to get spousal support ongoing after the divorce.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, so there is such a spousal support post-divorce. Is it permanent or like how long does it last?
SPEAKER_01:It could go up to seven years depending on the length of the marriage.
SPEAKER_00:What are some factors that would... Just give me some examples.
SPEAKER_01:A good typical example would be somebody who was a housewife for the whole marriage. Maybe the marriage lasted 10 years. And so they're not in a position where they can support themselves anymore. And they have done everything they can to try to find a job and everything to be able to support themselves and meet their minimum reasonable needs. And they haven't been able to do that, either because of disability or just because of their experience and stuff. That person probably would qualify for spousal maintenance, especially if the other party makes a lot.
SPEAKER_00:Makes a lot of money. Yeah, so spousal support is a thing here in Texas.
SPEAKER_01:Definitely.
SPEAKER_00:And the award, whoever's at fault. So what if there's like a no-fault divorce? Usually it goes 50-50?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So that's why it's preferable if you have a large estate and you want to keep things as amicable as possible and also protect your assets, then it's preferable to reach an agreement. Because otherwise you're looking at 50-50 possible spousal support.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so you see a lot of divorces as a lawyer. So I've got to ask you, if you have a young person, man or woman, because women work a lot too, so like... And they're making a considerable amount of money more than their future spouse.
SPEAKER_01:What
SPEAKER_00:would you recommend them to kind of just, you know, because everybody gets married, they think it's going to last forever, right? We obviously know that's not the case. A lot of people get divorced. So you're coming in, I'm your nephew or something, your niece. I'm like, Auntie Elaine, can you kind of tell me what I should do before I get married? I love him, but I hear all sorts of horror stories.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I probably would recommend that person to get a prenup.
SPEAKER_00:A prenuptial agreement.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because otherwise everything from the marriage is for both parties. It's community property and it's going to get split 50-50. And a lot of people think that once you get separated and you file for divorce, anything that you make after that is yours and it's your separate. No, it still remains community property and the other party is still entitled to half of it.
SPEAKER_00:So you can be moved out and the opposing party you know, your spouse that you're going to get divorced to can drag this out for years. And every dollar that you make 50% is entitled to the state.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. It's also your retirement. So those times that you're separated, you built up your retirement, your stocks have gone crazy, whatever your crypto went crazy. It's all a half of hers. So, or his.
SPEAKER_00:Wow. That's crazy. I didn't know that. Okay. So yeah. Prenuptial agreement. Um, What about before you get married? Let's say there's no prenuptial agreement. Let's just say you have a house. She moves in with you. She lives there 10, whatever, 20 years, let's say. Is she entitled to the house? No.
SPEAKER_01:So if you have your own house before marriage, that's considered separate property. So that would be your separate property estate that belongs to you. Well, let's say that during the marriage, you still owed a mortgage on that separate property home. and she was also contributing to the mortgage or even not contributing, but just being married and your community assets, your income over the years was paying off that mortgage. She could ask for a portion of that to be basically reconstituted to the community. So all of that money, let's say you're paying a thousand a month on your mortgage. And so that money is leaving the community property bucket and go into your separate property to benefit the mortgage getting lowered. She could ask for a reimbursement of that.
SPEAKER_00:I see.
SPEAKER_01:To the community.
SPEAKER_00:Now, let me ask you another question. So after divorce, I'm sure there's maybe people that might have sour grapes. Can they come after you after the divorce, post-divorce, I guess, and try to re-litigate everything?
SPEAKER_01:Well, they could if it wasn't included in the decree. So I have some clients that came to me after they, I guess they try to do the divorce on their own. And like, for example, the home was not divided in the decree. Then I had a client. She came to me like that. And then we went and the house was ordered, sold, and then they had to divide the proceeds.
SPEAKER_00:Oh,
SPEAKER_01:wow. So, yeah, they could come back later if it wasn't included in the decree.
SPEAKER_00:Wow, that's pretty interesting. Yeah, that kind of sums it up. I do want to talk to you about a little bit more about child custody issues. pertaining to divorce and adoption issues, but we'll do that for another segment. So this is Lane Law Firm, located at 700 Stanton, the heart of El Paso, downtown, west side, far west, easy access. You're literally, I'm talking to you, and I'm looking at this freeway outside your window. You're literally right off I-10, which is so convenient for anybody looking for a family law attorney. But yeah, thank you so much. What's your phone number and website, just for everybody that's watching?
SPEAKER_01:The phone number is 915-200-4316, and the website is lanelawfirm.com.
SPEAKER_00:Cool. I'll go ahead and include that in the link as well, so you guys can click on it. Well, thank you again. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you.