Dallas Divorce Law Blog : Dallas Texas Divorce Lawyer & Attorney : O'Neil Attorneys Law Firm : TX Child Support & Custody Issues

Today, Michelle May O'Neil, Board Certified Family Law Attorney of Dallas Family Law boutique O'Neil Attorneys, posted an article on How to Find a Good Lawyer When You Need One? via JD Supra.

SUMMARY: Most people do not have a clue how to find a good lawyer when they need one. In fact, statistics show that 68% of consumers spend two hours or fewer gathering information before selecting a lawyer. The vast majority of consumers report feeling they “can trust” their lawyer is the most important factor in the selection process. Dallas Family Lawyer Michelle May O'Neil reviews the best way to find a good lawyer when you need one.

This advice provided by Michelle May O'Neil is particularly useful when searching for a good divorce lawyer or family lawyer in Dallas Texas, including a divorce lawyer that handles child custody or division of business interests in a divorce.

Michelle May O'Neil has over 18 years of experience representing men, women, and children related to family law matters such as divorce, child custody, and complex property division. Described by one lawyer as "a lethal combination of sweet-and-salty", Ms. O'Neil exudes genuine compassion for her client's difficulties, yet she can be relentless when in pursuit of a client's goals.

O'Neil maintains her divorce law firm in Dallas, Texas. You can learn more about her at www.oneilattorneys.com or read her blog at Dallas Divorce Law Blog.
 

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In Collin County, Texas, every divorce that gets filed has the Collin County Standing Order attached to it, which is effective against both parties to the divorce.  The Standing Order replaces the previous procedure to apply for the standard family law restraining orders.  The purpose of the Standing Order is to provide some general rules of behavior for parties during a divorce. It prohibits behaviors such as changing the child's school or day-care, making harassing phone calls, or opening the other parties mail.  It also prohibits either party from changing beneficiaries on life insurance or disconnecting utilities at either party's residence.

As far as enforceability... the Standing Order is not very enforceable.  So, if there's some behavior you are particularly interested in curtailing, the better course of action is to get an order from the court directed specifically at the party to prohibit the action. 

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I have been asked several times lately about whether it is a financially good idea or a bad idea to get a divorce during this recession.  Luckily, Texas and specifically the Dallas area, has not been hit as hard by the recession as other parts of the country.

Determining whether divorce is the right option for you requires weighing many different factors, including the financial impact of this decision on you and your family. It is no surprise that with the current state of our economy, the portion of the community estate most people leave their marriage with today is worth less now than it was in the very recent past. Whether it is a bad idea to get a divorce in the current economic climate depends, in part, on the types of assets that make up the community estate and the financial positions of the parties, namely, their immediate need for cash and liquid assets.

Often in a divorce, it is necessary to sell the marital residence and/or cash out an investment or retirement accounts. Now, with the current economy, these assets are worth less than they were in the past and will be again in the future. Frequently, in these tough financial times, people must sell their marital residence upon divorce because neither of them can afford it on their own. Cashing out retirement and other investment accounts upon divorce is also common due to increasing unemployment and the immediate need for cash. If selling or cashing out these assets at their current value is unavoidable, there are some definite economic disadvantages to getting a divorce right now.

 On the other hand, for those people in the financial position to hold on to these assets until the economy improves, it can give them more “bang for their buck” in the final property division. Since community assets are valued as of the date of divorce, these assets represent a smaller portion of the community estate now than they would have before the current economic downturn. The current economy enables people who can afford it the opportunity to obtain community assets in the final property division, like the marital residence or their entire 401(k) plan, at what is effectively a discount.
 

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