When it comes to family law matters such as divorce, child support, and child custody, conflict is extremely common between the parties involved. This conflict can make it hard to come to amicable agreements that are in the best interests of everyone involved, especially when each party is fighting fiercely for what they believe is the right decision.

This means that many family law firms are geared towards litigation, as opposed to mediation and negotiation that protects relationships going forwards.

We do things differently here at Youngblood Law, PLLC. We work hard to protect those important family relationships and to help divorcing spouses to work through their divorce without the need for costly court involvement.

Ultimately, the goal in all family law matters is to help every party to move forwards into a bright new future, with as little friction as possible. This is always in the best interests of everyone involved, especially if there are any children, as it protects them from the conflict and displacement of a messy divorce.

Get in Touch With a Parker County Family Law Lawyer at Youngblood Law, PLLC Today

When family law matters are handled through litigation, there are expensive court costs, and it often takes longer due to the need for countless hearings. During this process, relationships can be destroyed beyond repair.

We utilize negotiation tactics to help families and spouses to come together without the need for court intervention and in more conflict-heavy cases, we utilize mediation.

Only once these methods have been explored and exhausted will we move to litigation, and although we prefer to avoid this, our attorneys are skilled and aggressive litigators, ready to fight your case in court.

This new-age approach to family law means we are fast becoming the top choice for families in crisis in the Parker County, TX area. We have experience working with the courts in Weatherford but we have also worked with numerous divorce attorneys in the area, meaning we may have worked with your spouse’s lawyer before. These relationships allow us to tailor a bespoke approach that best suits your needs.

Youngblood Law, PLLC is working hard to reject the toxic divorce and family law processes that are common. This approach is preferable and can help families to thrive after the matters are settled.

Call us today at 817-369-3970.

Collaborative Divorce

One of the legal services we offer is assistance to divorcing spouses that wish to move forward with a collaborative divorce process. A collaborative divorce is one where both parties wish to come to amicable agreements and cooperate without the need for court involvement. This gives a lot more control over the agreement and avoids decisions being made by a Judge that both parties may not be happy with.

Often, divorce law firms are not willing to take on collaborative divorce cases, as they will usually result in lower billing for their services. Instead, they prefer uncollaborative divorce cases.

This is one of the toxic practices that we are attempting to displace here at Youngblood Law, PLLC. When our clients want to work together and avoid conflict, we are encouraging and happy to help however we can.

It is worth remembering that even if you and your spouse wish to proceed with a collaborative divorce, there will still be disagreements and likely several arguments before you are done. This is why employing a skilled divorce attorney from an effective family law practice that utilizes negotiation and mediation tactics can prove extremely useful.

The Collaborative Divorce Process

If you wish to proceed with a collaborative divorce, you and your spouse will each need to hire your own attorney that will represent you, and you and your spouse will start by signing a participation agreement and disclosing all of your assets in full.

The collaborative divorce process involves joint meetings. These meetings begin by being carried out in the same room as your spouse, with both of your attorneys representing you.

You and your spouse may have tried to sit down and come to agreements together already and may have found it was unproductive. However, with an attorney that is skilled in negotiation by your side, the discussion often moves forward much easier and with less conflict. Often spouses are surprised by the ground they can make in these meetings.

If the meetings go well and your agreement details are decided upon by both parties without issues, you will sign your paperwork. It will then be presented to a family law Judge who will sign it off if they agree with the terms.

Negotiation Vs. Mediation

In our experience, there is a lot of negotiation in a typical divorce.  Much of this negotiation can be quite informal.  Sometimes, spouses are able to work out numerous contentious issues among themselves, and the lawyers formalize the agreements in legal documents.  Of course your lawyer also advises about different approaches to informal negotiation.  However, sometimes the spouses want to negotiate, but without structure to the discussions, they are unable to nail down agreements that work.  That is where mediation comes in.  

With mediation, you and your spouse will each be in separate rooms with your attorneys, and a third-party mediator will help you converse.

Mediation is particularly useful for clients that really want a collaborative divorce, but are struggling to sit down without conflict or emotions clouding their judgments. If you and your spouse can’t sit down together without arguing, mediation is a great tool. A benefit of mediation is a settlement in mediation is final.  With very few exceptions, once the spouses enter an agreement at mediation, it is final!

Benefits Of A Collaborative Divorce

• Saves money on expensive court proceedings
• Saves time as you are not required to wait for the court to hear your case
• Helps foster amicable relationships
• Protects children and adults from stressful court proceedings and conflict
• Allows for personalized arrangements that ensure both sides have their needs met
• Private and confidential

Child Custody Cases

While the love you feel for your spouse may have faded or disappeared entirely, the love you each feel for your children will never fade. For this reason, child custody discussions are the most likely to become emotionally charged and break down.

When this happens, it is usually because both parties are fighting for what they believe to be the right plan for their children. When this doesn’t align with the other partner’s opinion, neither party may be willing to back down. When this happens, it is always important that parents are reminded of what is truly important, the children involved.

Studies have shown that children in divorces that go on to have a fair and equal visitation schedule, with access to both loving parents, have the best chance of healthy development. For this reason, Texas family law courts will always prefer a fair visitation schedule involving both parents.

The only time the courts will not want this, is if it has been shown that one parent poses a danger to their children. This may be the case if they are abusive or addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Our law firm understands where you are coming from. We know how important your children are to you and how important these decisions are. We also know that the other parent likely feels the same. We will always attempt to bridge any gaps and help you both come to an agreement that is favorable to all, and beneficial to the children involved.

Our approach involved creating a productive space for you and your spouse to voice your opinions and desires, and hear your spouse’s opinions and desires too. Following this, we will use our skills in negotiation to help you reach amicable decisions, under the understanding that you both want what is best for your children. Because co-parenting relationships last for years, it makes sense to reduce conflict as much as possible so that the parents can live their lives without constant turmoil until the children become adults.

That being said, if you are worried your spouse poses a danger to your children, we will do everything within our power to protect them. If this means we need to fight fiercely in family court and present your case to the Judge, we are ready to do so.

Domestic Violence

When a spouse is in a marriage full of domestic abuse, the decision to leave can be extremely difficult. This means they need a strong and secure support network in place to obtain the confidence to leave, and we can provide that. We have worked with clients before, helping them remove themselves and their children from further harm and violence.

One way we may do this is by seeking a protective order that gives the Judge the ability to restrict your spouse’s access to you and your children while you file for divorce.

Protective Orders

A protective order is similar to a restraining order, but it gives the Judge more flexibility in the terms of the order. When these orders have been issued, they are legally binding and enforceable by law enforcement, meaning if your spouse breaches them, they can be arrested.  Violating a protective order is its own crime.  

Property Division

Over the period of your marriage, all of the property, assets, and debts you and your spouse have acquired are presumed to be community property. In a community property state like Texas, these assets are jointly owned and subject to equitable division. Equitable means fair, and is different from equal. If the Judge believes one spouse has the right to 60% of the assets, they have the power to award this.

Deciding on how property should be divided without court involvement means that the decision is in the hands of you and your spouse, not the Judge.

Often, when we deal with spouses that are divorcing, one party feels more entitled to a larger share. This may be because they are the higher earner, or a spouse may believe they deserve more because they have sacrificed their career and education for the marriage.

By working with a family law attorney, you can come to a fair and reasonable agreement on how to split your assets, reducing court costs.

Child Support

When you get married and have children, you are in a partnership that has an equal responsibility to your children. All of their needs must be met, but in a partnership, this often means splitting those responsibilities. One party may stay home and look after the child, and one may become the primary income.

When you divorce, the child still has the same needs, such as their financial needs, emotional needs, and physical needs. These needs must still be met by both of you, even though you are no longer together.

The child will spend most of their time with one parent, while the other parent has visitation rights to see their child on a set schedule. The spouse where the child has primary residence will usually be awarded child support, which is a payment from the other spouse to help with the costs of supporting, feeding, and clothing the child.

There are set rules and regulations that decide the value of child support, and an experienced family law attorney will help you work out your child support agreement in accordance with these.

Spousal Support

Spousal support is only awarded to allow one spouse to continue to support themselves while they build a new life, seek employment or go through education to become self-sufficient.  Spousal maintenance is rare in Texas, and many spouses do not qualify under Texas law for it.  So if you will need spousal support, your lawyer will need to drill deeply into the facts of your case to advise about spousal maintenance.

Adoption

Adopting a child is one of the most rewarding things that a married couple can do. However, it is an extremely complex process that comes with a number of different requirements and a long list of paperwork.

The attorneys at Youngblood Law, PLLC, have been helping families adopt children since 2014. We know the process, and we can help you, and your spouse avoid the pitfalls that may delay your adoption.

We can help with:

• Private adoption
• Step-parent adoption
• Relative adoption
• Foster care adoption
• Any legal issue relating to the adoption

Why Choose Youngblood Law, PLLC as your Parker County, TX family law lawyer

We believe in new beginnings and bright futures, and this is why we reject the toxic divorce and family law processes that are all too common in Texas. We want families to work together through their issues, allowing them to emerge with relationships intact.

We handle divorce, custody, adoption, child support, and protective orders for clients in Parker County, TX, Denton County, TX, Fort Worth, and Tarrant County. Our local attorneys are committed to practicing family law. While some law firms try to do it all, from personal injury to criminal defense, all of our professional time is dedicated to helping people like you.

When issues arise, a speedy response can prevent a lot of problems, which is why we keep our phones manned around the clock 24/7. When you need us, you can call us. Once you have, our support team can ensure that a dedicated attorney is assigned to your case.

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