The most carefully crafted estate plan may fall to pieces if family members, trustees, and executors and others do not understand what you have prepared and what their duties will be. A McKinney will attorney knows one of the best ways to avoid chaos and enable everyone to face the future with confidence is to hold an estate planning “fire drill.”

Even though tax laws change, one constant feature is that parents can usually obtain some form of financial benefit when they are able to claim a minor child as a dependent on their tax return. After parents divorce, one question a McKinney child custody lawyer often receives is “can we both claim the tax benefits?” Parents also usually want to know whether the tax benefits are based on custody arrangements.

An award of spousal maintenance unofficially referred to by McKinney divorce lawyers as alimony can be affected by many factors. Is cheating one of them? For example, do you still have to pay support to an ex who committed adultery? Or if you started seeing someone after your separation, will that be counted against you? McKinney divorce lawyers explain how extra-marital relationships could affect a court’s determination regarding alimony, property division, and more.

The results of a paternity test can drastically change family dynamics or have virtually no effect at all, depending on the situation. But what are the legal ramifications? Seasoned McKinney family lawyers explain the consequences of establishing paternity in Texas.

We’ve all seen scenes in movies where an attorney in a black suit reads a will aloud to family members waiting anxiously to learn what property they have inherited. Wills can provide a way to distribute property in minute detail. But they can also fulfill a function that is even more important. You can use a will to direct and protect the future of your minor children. If you have children under the age of 18 or plan to have children in the future, it is a good idea to talk to a McKinney will attorney about incorporating guardianship provisions in your will. 

Allen family lawyers often talk to divorced or separated parents who are uncertain about whether they need permission from their ex to take their child on vacation. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question because many factors affect the legal rights and requirements of the parties involved.

In Texas, couples can get married without the formality of any type of ceremony. This is known as common law marriage or informal marriage. Although many states do not allow residents to marry without formalities the way Texas does, common law marriages formed in Texas are recognized in all other states.

When most people hear the term “estate planning,” they think about older people preparing to distribute property in a will or trust. However, estate planning is just as critical for young adults, including those just heading off to college.

Whether for work, family ties, or just a change of scenery, one partner often decides to move out of the area after a divorce. When parents of a child were never married to begin with, the likelihood that one parent will relocate may be even greater.