San Antonio Family Law Blog

Tips may help to make life after divorce easier

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, April 2, 2020.

Getting divorced can no doubt feel like both an emotional and a financial roller coaster. Figuring out what to do in the aftermath of the divorce process can, thus, feel challenging. Here are some important steps to take once the dust of the divorce proceeding has settled in San Antonio.

First, regarding the business side of life post divorce, it is critical that those who are newly divorced change their names and update their licenses. They may also want to update their emergency contact data and their wills. Furthermore, if they co-owned vehicles or homes with their exes, it is paramount that they transfer names either off or on the paperwork. In addition, those who are living in new locations following their divorces will need to update their mailing addresses.

Dealing with child custody during new coronavirus can be tricky

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Child Custody on Friday, March 20, 2020.

During the current coronavirus pandemic, many parents located in San Antonio have decided to self-isolate with their children. However, for divorced parents, this may mean that their co-parents may not be able to see their children as much as they used to. How do they resolve this issue? Here are some tips for tackling this child custody matter.

First, it would be in the best interests of the two divorced parents to recognize that their children's health and safety come first. This may mean that one parent may spend more time with the children than the other parent does during the spread of the coronavirus. Being understanding of the situation and remaining flexible through it will help the entire family to navigate the pandemic as smoothly as possible.

Financial mistakes made in divorce can have major consequences

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, March 5, 2020.

The dissolution of a marriage can be a devastating ordeal physically, mentally and emotionally. However, it can also lead to major unanticipated monetary consequences. Here is a rundown on a couple of financial mistakes that people who are going through divorce often make, and how to keep from making these mistakes in San Antonio.

First, many individuals head into divorce not knowing all of the debt that their household has accumulated. Household debt includes credit cards, mortgages and car loans. However, it also includes student loans, loans against 401K plans or IRAs, and home equity credit lines. Considering household debt during the property division process is critical because both debts and assets are divided as part of this process.

Divorce attorney can be invaluable during a marital breakup

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, February 20, 2020.

The marital breakup process in San Antonio is often emotionally and financially difficult. The two parties may find themselves fighting for certain assets and trying to cope with hurt feelings along the way. In light of this, one of the most important steps a divorcing individual can take is to hire an experienced divorce attorney.

A divorce attorney will speak with divorcing parties about their wants and needs. Then, the attorney will assist his or her clients in building legal profiles that will allow them to aggressively pursue the assets to which they are entitled. An attorney can additionally facilitate communication between the two divorcing parties so as to minimize emotion-fueled interactions and disputes.

What kids of divorce should know when facing their own divorce

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC on Friday, February 7, 2020.

If your parents divorced when you were a child, you may worry that you have the divorce gene. You may even believe that your experiences or your genetics doomed your marriage from the start.

Statistics show that women with divorced parents have a 60% higher chance of going through divorce themselves than women who grew up with parents who stayed married. Men with divorced parents have a 35% higher divorce rate than men whose parents stayed together.

Tips may help 20-somethings during divorce process

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, February 6, 2020.

Getting divorced at any age can be daunting, but it can especially seem earth-shattering for people in their 20s. This is because they have likely spent the majority of their adult lives with their soon-to-be exes. However, a few tips may help to make the divorce process go as smoothly as possible for them.

First, young couples in San Antonio who are getting divorced may want to revisit their prenuptial agreements if they created these prior to getting married. Their agreements will probably address many divorce issues, including property division. If there is no prenup, issues such as property distribution, alimony, child support and child custody will have to be negotiated or decided in family court. Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that helps the parties address open issues without the need for costly and time-consuming litigation in court.

Divorce later in life can have huge financial repercussions

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, January 23, 2020.

The rate of marital dissolution has nearly doubled for people age 50 or older since the 1990s. In fact, this rate has actually tripled since that period for people age 65 or older. Unfortunately, divorce this late in life can have major financial consequences for individuals in San Antonio.

The reality is, people who divorce when they are older are usually not as financially secure as widowed or married older adults are. In fact, research shows that, for this group, poverty rates tend to be high, and benefits from the Social Security Administration tend to be low. Part of the reason for this is that, when people divorce as older individuals, they do not have much time to recover financially from the divorce.

Divorce during pregnancy is possible

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Friday, January 10, 2020.

Getting divorced in San Antonio can no doubt be challenging at any stage of adulthood. However, it can be especially difficult for those who are pregnant. Still, it is possible to successfully navigate the divorce process during pregnancy. Here are a couple of tips for managing pregnancy and divorce at the same time.

For starters, it is critical for pregnant women who are contemplating divorce to meet with attorneys right away. A Texas attorney can explain to a pregnant woman her rights during and after the divorce process. The attorney can also explain the father's rights when it comes to parenting time and child custody.

Divorce affects 401(k) savings

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, December 26, 2019.

In addition to being difficult to cope with emotionally, dissolving a marriage can pose financial challenges. Naturally, people in San Antonio might wonder how divorce will affect their retirement savings. Here is a glimpse of how courts handle the splitting of retirement funds during the divorce process.

For starters, two people who are getting divorced need to consider the steps they took before walking down the aisle. Specifically, did they take time to draft a prenuptial agreement? If a prenuptial agreement is in place, it will determine how their retirement funds will be handled during the marital breakup. However, if no such agreement has been established, then one spouse's 401(k) must be split between the two parties.

Finance-minded divorce planning can be advantageous

On behalf of Law Office of George C. Ruiz, PLLC posted in Divorce on Thursday, December 12, 2019.

The marital dissolution rate has decreased from nearly 50% to 39% from the 1980s to now. Nonetheless, divorce sometimes is unavoidable because two married individuals cannot resolve their differences. Although divorce can certainly take a toll on people financially in San Antonio, a little finance-minded planning can go a long way in minimizing the negative impacts of divorce.

For starters, it may be helpful to seek the assistance of a financial planner before embarking on the divorce process. The reason for this is that these individuals can help a person who is going through divorce to have a firm understanding of the assets they own as well as their liabilities. This is essential for both parties, but it is particularly critical for the spouse who was not heavily involved in the household finances. This is the person who, for example, did not pay the bills, create the budget, or make contributions to investment and retirement accounts.