Father's Rights Movement

Father's Rights Movement - Contains gryping about the Father's Rights Movement.

Divorce Proof Your Life

Men and women view marriage very differently. To you, marriage means future, security, family, status, love, closeness and many other good things. To men, marriage means loss of freedom, responsibility, loss of choice, expense, stress, etc. When you look at it like that, it doesn't seem so appealing, does it?

Society puts a lot of pressure on women to be married. As you know, women often define themselves by their relationships. A good relationship means, "I'm a good person"; a bad relationship means, "I'm a bad person".

"What I tell women is this: don't focus on the goal of being married. There is nothing wrong with that goal particularly, but it isn't the most important thing. Instead, focus on the quality of the relationship." Full Article

Divorce Proof Your Marriage Before You Go to the Alter

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This article provides ways to prevent divorce BEFORE the wedding day.

1. Attend pre-marital counseling: Pre-marital counseling will help to surface issues that may not be recognizable to lovebirds in love. With the help of an experienced counselor, you will be forced to face foibles in your partner or differences that may trigger divorce in the future.
   
2. Marry for the right reasons: This one seems like a no-brainer, but you should definitely make sure you are marrying for the right reasons. Don't marry for money, security, sex or because you desparately want children. Marry for the wrong reasons and you're bound to be heading for divorce court later.
   
3. Don't rush into marriage: If you rush into marriage, you may regret it later. While some shotgun weddings are successful, many more end-up on the cutting floor of life, with hearts broken and children torn apart. Take your time getting to know your partner before you get married.
   
4. Don't get married just because you're expecting: A baby is not a great reason to get married as a crying child does not make a bad relationship better. If you're expecting a baby and you love each other dearly, that's one thing. But a baby is not the best reason to get married and could lead to divorce.
   
5. Don't Get Married Just Because Your Clock is Ticking: This is a very strong driver for women who want to get married and have children. Marrying someone according to your biological clock is a sure sign for disaster. Some women will grab the guy nearest to them just to ensure they'll have kids. But, it's more wise to wait for the right one, then start a family.
   
6. Discuss Major Decisions (Like Religion) Before the Wedding: Determine your religion, what church you will attend and other serious matters before the wedding. There may be a deal breaker in the way that will surface. It's better to get things out in the open before the wedding day, than afterwards on the way to divorce court.
   
7. Keep your eyes open: Don't deny obvious red flags in your potential spouse thinking that "love conquers all." Love doesn't conquer anything after the butterflies wear off. Make sure you check under the hood to assure your loved one isn't a devil in disquise.
   
8. Be honest with your partner: If you have addictions or past situations that need to be dealt with, don't hide them from the one you're set to marry. Marriage is based upon trust, which is based on honesty. A marriage without honesty is doomed for disaster.
   
9. Be honest with yourself: If there are certain things that you expect from your potential spouse, make sure to get real before you marry. Glossing over your needs and wants in lieu of your beloved can lead to real problems later in the relationship.
   
10. Leave emotional baggage at the alter: Some people think marriage is where you resolve all your emotional baggage. Really, it's your responsibility to deal with your own emotional scars from childhood, etc... Your spouse is not responsible for hurts inflicted on you by others, so try to deal with it beforehand as much as possible.

1. Dallas Divorce Attorneys

Most Expensive Celebrity Divorces - Forbes.com

#10 - Mick Jagger & Terry Hall ($15 to $25 million)
# 9 - Lionel & Diane Richie ($20 million)
# 8 - Michael & Diandra Douglas ($45 million)
# 7 - James Cameron & Linda Hamilton ($50 million)
# 6 - Paul McCartney & Heather Mills ($60 million)
# 5 - Kevin Costner & Cindy Silva ($80 million)
# 4 - Steven Spielberg & Amy Irving ($100 million)
# 2 - Neil Diamond & Marcia Murphey ($150 million)
# 1 - Michael & Juanita Jordan ($150 million)

* Estimated Settlements

US Divorce Resources

• The Effects of Divorce on America - The Heritage Foundation
• Americans for Divorce Reform - Supporting cultural and legislative efforts to reduce divorce.

Divorce Statistics in America

US Marriages in 2005: 2,230,000
US Marriages in 2004: 2,279,000 (despite 2.9 million population increase from 2004-2005)
US Divorces in 2005: 3.6 divorces per 1000 people (lowest rate since 1970)
US Divorces in 2000: 4.2
US Divorces in 1990: 4.7
US Divorces in 1981: 5.3 (Peak Divorce Rate according to AP)

Dallas Divorce

Austin Ventures joins forces with Divorce Website

Austin Ventures has stepped into the social networking world with an investment in Divorce360.com, which bills itself as a guide to the emotional and financial travails of divorce.
Austin Ventures and private investors — including Cotter Cunningham, the CEO of Divorce360 — invested a combined $2.5 million in a first round of funding, Austin Ventures plans to announce today. (Austin Statesman)

Helping Children Cope with Divorce

Children are the innocent victims in any divorce case, therefore it is important to remain civil during divorce proceedings to keep from harming the children. There are a few rules that you can implement between yourself and your divorcing spouse to keep the children as far from pain as possible.

Don't drag kids into the fight.

Don't talk about issues or fight in front of the children.

Don't talk to your children about your problems, they are not adults.

Take time to spend time with your children doing happy things.

Take time to talk to your child, encouraging open communication about feelings.

Allow children time to heal and grieve.

Don't pretend everything is hunky dorey either -- this can screw up their perception of reality.

Don't use your child as a pawn in your anger.

Don't talk bad or disrespect your spouse to your children for ANY REASON!!!

Allow your child to be angry, if he or she doesn't share his feelings now, it will come out later.

Plan your new life and roles in as much detail as possible, sit down with your child and take time to orient him or her to the new routine and situation.

Keep rules the same as they were. Use the "as if" rule, keeping rules the same "as if" you were still married. No special toys, gifts, leniency or favors.

If the children are distressed, parents should talk with them and normalize their upset, not let them get away with inappropriate behavior or compensate with inappropriate favors or gifts.

Don't try to make up for the divorce by bribing kids with "favors," nothing can make up for losing the marriage of your mom and dad.

Maintain loving discipline throughout the divorce process. Discipline is an important way to show love, even though it takes a lot out of you.

Don't play the victim in the presence of your children which will make them resent the other parent, whether you're respectful to the other parent or not.

If one parent is not taking his or her responsibilities seriously, don't throw in the towel on your parenting duties. One parent is better than none.

If your child tries to use this time as an opportunity to complain or manipulate you into granting leniency, stand your ground, even if the other parent caves in--be strong and don't let these tactics work.

Kids are notorious for pitting parents against one another, even in families where divorce is not an issue. Don't allow this to happen during the difficult period of divorce.

Do not give into your child protesting to get his or her own way. Children protesting do not make them right. As long as you remain firm, they learn that you cannot be swayed and they behave accordingly. Over time, they also learn to respect the parent that offers rules, routines, limits and expectations as this provides for a more stable and predictable environment that encourages healthy development.

Major changes in a child's life in terms of lifestyle and parental oversite can trigger a child's fight-or-flight response of anger and fear. A child cannot express these emotions and in turn may internalize the divorce and blame himself or herself.

The effects of divorce can last for a lifetime for your child. Make certain that you mitigate the damages by maintaining firm parental control and lots of love.

Separation and Moving Out

According to Dallas Attorneys I've talked to, there is no such thing as "legal separation" in the state of Texas. This means that you're either divorced or separated in the eyes of the law in Dallas Fort Worth.

Even though the court doesn't recognize separation in Texas from a legal standpoint, it may still be time for you to separate from your spouse in effort to see if there is anything left of your marriage to salvage. If that is the case, then you should be very careful during this process. The things you do during the separation phase can effect what you are awarded (or not awarded) later on if the marriage ends up in divorce court.

• Be Cautious. No matter how emotional and upset you are, do not make rash moves. Be careful, methodical and cautious.
  
• Be Considerate. It's extremely important not to try to hog all the resources, no matter how much you know you're the one who deserves them. Later on, if the matter ends up in court and you have things at stake like assets and custody, it's crucial that you appear conscientious through and through. The judge will consider asset hogging in determining your fault in the matter. This may not be legal, but people are human and this can happen. Share and share alike, even if the bum or the witch :-) doesn't deserve it.
  
• Document Everything. If you end up divorcing, you will be in a whole new world. The court will be getting all into your business like you wouldn't believe. You will be asked to provide all your bank statements and everything in your filing cabinet. Beyond that, you can provide documentation to prove your point later on. Document everything from early on and you'll thank me when this nightmare is over.
  
• Get Counsel. It's a good idea to consult with an attorney early-on, even during the separation phase, even if you think there's no way you're divorcing. An attorney can advise you of what to do and not to do, such as removing your name from utilities, leases and other accounts as well as freezing your bank accounts to prevent money leakage. This may or may not be a good idea, depending

Separation is a horrible thing, but in many situations it's the only remedy to solve major marriage troubles, or to get out of an unhealthy marriage. I strongly advise that you contact an attorney to help you, such as Dallas Divorce Attorney, Len Conner of Cashman & Conner, LLP.

Dallas Real Estate Agents

If you are a Dallas resident in the process of getting a divorce, or thinking about getting a divorce, please contact any of the following Dallas Real Estate Agents:

• Dallas Real Estate - Keith Dobbs Team - Re/Max Dallas Suburbs
• Dallas Real Estate Texas - Brenda Mancil - Re/Max Premier
• McKinney Real Estate - Trey Teichelman specializes in homes, investments and foreclosures.
• Dallas Luxury Homes & Park Cities Real Estate - Bernice Edelman with Keller Williams Elite in Park Cities offers homes in Highland Park, University Park and Preston Hollow.
• Cedar Hill Homes & Real Estate - The Debose Team specializes in homes in Cedar Hill, Joe Pool Lake and Arlington, Texas. Also serving Dallas.
• Celina Texas Real Estate - Goodell Realty specializes in Celina Texas, Anna, Allen, McKinney and all of Tarrant County

Non-Contested Divorce in Texas

Certain states allow for divorces to be obtained through "no-fault," Texas is one of them. A no-fault divorce is a non-contested divorce that is agreed to by both parties. In order to be considered a non-contested divorce, everything about the split must be agreed to and both parties must be willing to sign the divorce papers stating there are no arguments.

Most non-contested divorces are sought by people with little to no assets, property or children. The typical divorcing couple will have need for complete divorce procedings.

You may or may not need a divorce attorney to handle your no fault divorce in Texas. In my experience, no fault divorces are relatively simple and require no ligitagation. You should be able to obtain a no fault divorce for less than $1000 if you hire an attorney. If you handle your own no fault divorce, you will only have to pay for the court filing fees.

As with any Texas Divorce proceeding, one of the parties must have been a resident of Texas for six consecutive months prior to finalizing a divorce and must have lived in Texas for 90 consecutive days prior to the initial filing of divorce papers.

Jenna Ryan is not an attorney. This article is written for informational purposes only. Please consult your attorney for sound legal advice about your divorce.

Dallas Divorce Attorney

Dallas Bagging Saggy Pants

Dallas Banning Saggy Pants - Dallas News Article banning saggy pants. Isn't there something else they can worry about?