Dallas Family Law Attorneys

If your marriage is on shaky ground, it’s never too soon to start planning to protect your future. Texas law also provides for mandatory disclosure of certain information in a divorce case. If you’re unfamiliar with the assets and debts in your marital estate, try to discover as much as you can before you file, but consult with an attorney before you start digging to ensure that you are complying with privacy laws.

Whether your case is a divorce or a suit for child custody or support, recent pay stubs and tax returns, W-2s, 1099s, and Schedule K-1s for both you and your spouse, or your co-parent, will be important to have. Both parties will be required to disclose all of these items early in the case. Epstein Family Law can assist you in obtaining these documents.

We share your goal of protecting your children during your divorce, and Texas family courts do as well. If you discover that your spouse is disparaging you to the children or directly exposing the children to your conflict, we can seek relief from the court to stop this. Worse, if your spouse is abusing or neglecting your child, then we can request emergency orders for the protection of the children.

It’s common for spouses to disagree on many issues at the start of a divorce, and that doesn’t mean your case is destined for a drawn-out court battle. Most divorces settle before trial, often through negotiation between attorneys or through mediation, where a neutral third party helps both sides work toward common ground. Even in high-conflict cases, agreement on some issues usually emerges over time as both people gain clarity on what’s realistic and what matters most to them. Our role is to advocate for your interests while also helping you identify where compromise makes sense, so you’re not paying for a fight over issues that don’t need one.

Yes. Texas is a no-fault divorce state, which means you don’t need your spouse’s agreement or cooperation to move forward with a divorce. If your spouse refuses to participate, doesn’t respond to the petition, or actively obstructs the process, the court has procedures in place to keep the case moving, including default judgments in situations where a spouse simply doesn’t respond. An uncooperative spouse can make the process slower and more contentious, but it cannot prevent you from ultimately obtaining a divorce.

Not necessarily. Many divorces are resolved through negotiation or mediation and never require a trial, meaning you may only need to appear in court briefly for a final, uncontested hearing, or in some cases not at all. However, if you and your spouse cannot reach an agreement on key issues like property division, custody, or support, a judge will need to make those decisions for you, which does require litigation and court appearances. We’ll always aim for the most efficient and least stressful path forward for your situation, while making sure you’re fully prepared if court involvement becomes necessary.