Austin Texas Family Law Blog

Many divorcing parents devote a great deal of time negotiating – and sometimes battling over – custody and visitation arrangements. After they've worked out things like how many days a week each parent has the kids and where they'll spend various holidays, they sometimes don't stop to consider how the kids will get back and forth between homes. They figure they'll work that out later.

Not having a visitation transportation plan included in your parenting plan can lead to conflict, confusion and anxiety for everyone involved – including your children. That's why it's essential to work out these details and codify them.

There are seemingly hundreds of things that separated and divorced co-parents can fight about. Often, they convince themselves that these fights (whether they consist of a few terse texts or a full-blown argument) are about things that are essential to their children's well-being.

In fact, many of the things that co-parents fight about have little, if anything, to do with their children. However, constant conflict between their parents can leave children feeling anxious, depressed and even frightened.

One of the first big event-related challenges that newly separated or divorced parents often face is a child's birthday party. If you're sharing custody of your child and live near each other, throwing one party rather than two and hosting it together is typically the best option for the child.

Here are just a few of the reasons why this is preferable for everyone:

• Your child can see their parents working together and getting along on a special day for them.
• It's less expensive to have one party than two.
• Having two adult hosts can make it easier to corral the kids. It can also help you be able to take turns just enjoying the party.
• Parents of your child's friends don't have to choose which party to let their child attend or feel obligated to bring them to both (along with a present for each one).

As a community property state, most assets that two people acquire, either individually or together, during their marriage are subject to equal division in a divorce in Texas unless they have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement that says otherwise. This includes things like income, savings, homes, artwork, vehicles, and other property.

There are some exceptions, however. One of these is inheritances. However, there are instances in which a spouse could try to claim that they're entitled to a share of the assets left to their husband or wife in a will or other estate plan document.