How Far Back Can Child Support Go? Retroactive Support in Texas
Texas courts can order child support for time before a case was filed. How the four-year presumption works, what reduces it, and how arrears differ.
Small Estate Affidavits in Texas: Who Qualifies and What the Court Still Requires
A Texas small estate affidavit can settle a modest estate without full probate. The value limit, what it cannot transfer, and why many get rejected.
Transfer on Death Deeds in Texas: When One Replaces a Trust, and When It Backfires
A Texas transfer on death deed can pass a home without probate. When it can stand in for a living trust, and the mistakes that send families to court anyway.
When an Ex Claims You Were Common-Law Married: How to Disprove It in Texas
Someone says you were informally married in Texas and wants a divorce. How the three elements, the two-year presumption and the evidence can defeat that claim.
Above the Cap: How Texas Child Support Works for High Earners
Texas guideline child support stops at a monthly net resources cap. What happens above it, and when a court can order more under Family Code 154.126.
Does a Texas Divorce Petition Expire? Dismissal for Want of Prosecution Explained
A Texas divorce petition does not expire on a set date, but a stalled case can be dismissed for want of prosecution. What triggers it and how to keep a case alive.
The 10-Year Rule in a Texas Divorce: What It Means for Spousal Maintenance
Texas ties court-ordered spousal maintenance to marriage length, and ten years is the first line. Here is what the rule does, what it caps, and what it does not.
Holographic (Handwritten) Wills in Texas: When They Hold Up and When They Trigger a Probate Fight
Texas recognizes handwritten holographic wills with no witnesses. That makes them easy to write and easy to contest. Here is when one holds up in probate.
Dying Without a Will in Texas: How the Estates Code Splits Property Between a Spouse and Kids From a Prior Relationship
When you die without a will in Texas, the Estates Code decides who inherits. A spouse plus children from a prior relationship makes the split surprisingly messy.
Muniment of Title: The Texas-Only Probate Shortcut That Skips Administration
Texas is the only state that probates a will as a muniment of title, skipping full administration. Here is when it works and when the court will not allow it.