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Family Law

• » Divorce
  • •Divorce can be one of the most difficult experiences of a person's life. It can be emotionally stressful, financially taxing and physically draining. At The Stewart Law Office, we understand this concept and are committed to protecting our clients during these troublesome times.
  • • Whether your case is a simple, uncontested divorce or you're fighting over property, custody, or both, we will protect you in each step of the process.
• » Custody & Child Support Issues
  • • We can assist you in obtaining child support, modifying the amount of child support you are either responsible for paying or are entitled to receive, obtaining possession of your child and much more.
  • • Unfortunately, children are all too often heavily impacted by divorce. That is why it is more important than ever to have our experienced and compassionate attorneys on your side. We will help minimize the stress you and your children feel during your divorce while ensuring your legal rights are protected.
• » Paternity
  • • While child custody, support and visitation rights are common concerns for married parents in a divorce, these issues must also be resolved when two unmarried persons have a child together. For a single, unmarried mother as well as the father of a child born outside of a marital relationship, the issue of parentage and paternity testing is the first, and most important, step in determining child support and other related legal obligations. The Stewart Law Office represents women and men who wish to clearly define a child's parentage through an action under Texas paternity laws.
  • • Even though the question of parentage can be easily determined through simple paternity testing, a "Suit Affecting Parent Child Relationship" (SAPCR) is emotionally charged and often quite complex. Our office offers skilled family law representation to our clients' paternity and other family law pursuits.
  • • After a valid paternity test has established parentage, the father must begin sharing his responsibility of his child's basic needs including food, clothing, education, healthcare costs, insurance premiums and more. Although a child and mother will both benefit from the additional resources, it is important to understand that paternity judgments also grant visitation rights and potential custody to the father. Therefore, it is oftentimes the biological father who will be filing the paternity action to pursue these paternity provisions and establishing his rights to the child.
  • • Timing is critical as each passing day means you and your child do not receive the financial support or time together that can make a big difference in your lives. Call our office today to discuss your legal rights and options.
• » Enforcement
  • • The Stewart Law Office provides sound legal counsel and representation for persons who find themselves in need of enforcing a court order, divorce decree or modification order when the other party involved is not following the court-ordered requirements. The majority of the enforcement actions involve child support, property division and visitation.
  • • The party ordered to pay child support may have never paid any child support, stopped paying or is not paying the full amount. Such persons may be held in contempt of court, thrown in jail and/or fined. Past due child support amounts can be reduced to a money judgment and the non-paying party ordered to make additional payments on this money judgment every month, in addition to paying the previously ordered child support.
  • • For the party not paying child support as ordered, there may be valid reasons why you cannot pay. You may have lost your job, suffered an injury that takes you from the workplace for an extended period of time, become disabled or otherwise become unable to earn enough money to pay your support obligations. Upon such an occurrence, you should immediately take the necessary steps to modify the amount of child support you are obligated to pay. Inability to pay can be a defense to any contempt proceeding, if properly presented and documented.
  • • Assets awarded to one party may not be turned over, as ordered, to the other party. An enforcement action may be necessary to ensure that the ordered division of marital assets occurs.
  • • One parent may refuse to surrender the children to the other parent according to the visitation schedule. This too, may result in an enforcement action.
  • •When settlement is not an option, your rights need to be vigorously prosecuted and defended. Call our office today to discuss your legal rights and options.
• » Adoptions
  • •An Adoption is a legal arrangement where parental rights are transferred from the natural or birth parents to the adoptive parents. The adoptive parents then become legally responsible for the child they adopt and they obtain all legal parental rights and duties with regard to the child.
  • • The adoption process in Texas consists of:
    • •Pre-Adoptive Homestudy - A report prepared by a licensed social worker with experience specific to adoption studies. This process is a very detailed review of the adoptive parents and includes the following:
      • » Interview of adoptive parents
      • » Verification of legal documents
      • » Letters of reference from friends and family
      • » Confirmation of finanical status
      • » Criminal history check
      • » Child abuse check
    • • Termination of Parental Rights - Before a child can be adopted, the biological parents' rights must be terminated. In Texas, this can be done voluntarily or involuntary under certain circumstances.
    • • Final Adoption

For more family law information please visit www.dallasfamilylaw.org