281-201-1481
Marc and one-time model Claudia Correra have been divorcing for years. The wealthy couple entered separate divorce petitions in 2010 and 2011. The husband sought to end the marriage in Paris, where the pair moved with their two sons in 2009.
Brazilian-born Claudia Correra filed for divorce in Texas, where she resides with the couple's children. The wife recently amended her complaint in Fort Bend County to include claims that her husband was in trouble with the law in Europe and the U.S.
Mario Williams is a successful National Football League player. The former Houston Texan is now a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills, comfortable with a $100 million job contract. The athlete probably never imagined the transition would include a family law dispute.
The NFL player made the professional move last spring, weeks after proposing to his girlfriend. Erin Marzouki accepted his proposal in Feb. 2012, but by Jan. 2013, the engagement was off. Williams has since raised legal issues with a Texas court over ownership of the 10-plus carat engagement ring.
The professional basketball season has not been a healthy one for ex-Dallas Maverick point guard Steve Nash. The former Texas athlete struggled to overcome a broken leg and other medical issues that kept him on the Los Angeles Lakers' bench for 34 games.
Nash has also undergone a legal struggle with his ex-wife Alejandra Amarilla over child support for the couple's three children. The long-time National Basketball Association player convinced a judge that monetary contributions he makes to his children are adequate.
Cultures, religions, states and spouses differ on the meaning and responsibilities of marriage. Married life carries societal and individual expectations. For legal purposes, U.S. marriages are contracts between two people. Under current federal and Texas rules, recognized marriage includes members of the opposite sex.
At an elementary level, the divorce process severs a marriage agreement to return individuals to an independent, single state. As ex-spouses and their attorneys know, divorce is often anything but simple.
How many Fort Bend fiancés wanted to cancel a wedding but didn't have the courage to disappoint relatives and lose a reception hall deposit? An alternate question from a Texas family law judge: How many fiancés agree to prenuptial agreements to avoid backing out of marriage plans?
An answer to the first question may be difficult to get unless spouses have divorced. What still-married person would admit marrying under social or financial pressure? The second question could come up during estate or divorce litigation when prenuptial agreements are relevant. The answer would help determine the financial agreement's validity.
The traditional top wage earners among married couples have been husbands, but times are changing. Women in Texas and across the U.S. have increased their presence in higher learning institutions and their influence in workplaces, leading to increased individual incomes.
Women take advanced education and fat paychecks into marriage, sometimes eclipsing their spouses' salaries. Pew Research Center examined 2010 census data and found that wives' incomes outstripped husbands in about one of every three married couples' homes. Divorce sends some high-earning wives into shock when ex-husbands make asset demands and spousal support requests.
Among the decisions Texas spouses make when a marriage ends is how to divorce. Legal options have expanded beyond traditional divorce to include collaborative law and mediation.
Family law judges do not want to make choices for divorcing couples. Judges prefer spouses to sort out their differences before coming to court. Of course, if spouses were harmonious, they would probably not divorce or need a judge to step in on property division or child support matters.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering two related cases that could change nationwide laws affecting legal relationships. Justices recently heard arguments over the abolition of the Defense of Marriage Act and states' rights to ban same-gender marriages.
Texas lawmakers outlawed gay marriage a decade ago. Voters have also backed the DOMA definition of marriage -- the legal union of one man and one woman. When gay marriage laws are nullified, gay divorce also becomes impossible. Same-sex couples cannot marry or divorce in Texas.
A series of studies support the idea that children of divorce are not doomed to become maladjusted. In fact, research seems to indicate kids bounce back from the separation of their parents better than adults expect. The news is welcome to Fort Bend County parents who feel guilt or anxiety over their children's physical and mental health after divorce.
Many family analysts have concentrated on the behavioral and emotional responses of children after a family split. A compilation of several studies that compared children of married and divorced couples found inconsequential, long-term differences in emotions, grades, social interactions and behavior.
A trial over the parental rights of a famous mother and father kept Deion and Pilar Sanders in a Texas courtroom for over a week. The estranged couple's child custody dispute was settled after a majority of jurors agreed the former Dallas Cowboy should be the children's primary custodian.
One juror disagreed with the final decision, but only 10 had to share the same opinion for a verdict. Sanders' estranged wife felt the ruling was unfair. The children's mother called the outcome "one-sided," although she retained shared child custody of her daughter.
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Law Office of Michael D. Tracton, P.C.
12920 Dairy Ashford Road, Suite 140
Sugar Land, TX 77478
Phone: 281-201-1481
Fax: 281-242-2325
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