Preventing Custodial Parent From Relocating Children Out of State
Mom and Dad are divorcing or have been divorced and are now sharing joint custody of their children in the same city in Texas. One parent receives a letter from the other parent’s attorney requesting that this parent be allowed to relocate the children to another state so he/she may take a better job position with another company! This is a dilemma no parent ever wants to experience! Child Custody cases involving interstate relocation jurisdiction issues cause much heartache and are costly legal battles.
What can a Parent do to protect themselves from children being relocated away from the non-moving parent to another state without her/his consent? How may this affect the parent’s relationship with the children?
The Texas Family Code 153.002 Best Interest of Child states “The best interest of the child shall always be the primary consideration of the court in determining the primary consideration of the court in determining the issues of conservatorship and possession of and access to the child.”
The Texas Family code does not elaborate on the specific requirement for modification in the residency-restriction context, and there are no specific statutes governing residency restrictions or their removal for purposes of relocation. Texas Courts have no statutory standards to apply to this context.
The Texas Legislature has provided Texas Family Code 153.001, a basic framework on their public policy for all suits affecting the parent-child relationship:
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The public policy of this state is to:
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Assure the children will have frequent and continuing contact with parents who have shown the ability to act in the best interest of the child;
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Provide a safe, stable, and nonviolent environment for the child;
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Encourage parents to share in the rights and duties of raising their child after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage.
How does The State of Texas treat an initial Child Custody determination?
Texas Family Code 152.201 of the UCCJEA states, among other things, that a court may rule on custody issues if the Child:
*Has continually lived in that state for 6 months or longer and Texas was the home state of the child within six months before the commencement of the legal proceeding.
*Was living in the state before being wrongfully abducted elsewhere by a parent seeking custody in another state. One parent continues to live in Texas.
*Has an established relationship with people (family, relatives or teachers), ties, and attachments in the state
*Has been abandoned in an emergency: or is safe in the current state, but could be in danger of neglect or abuse in the home state
Relocation is a child custody situation which will turn on the individual facts of the specific case, so that each case is tried on its own merits.
Most child custody relocation cases tried in Texas follow a predictable course:
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Allowing or not allowing the move.
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Order of psychological evaluations or social studies of family members
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Modification of custody and adjusting of child’s time spent with parents
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Adjusting child support
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Order of mediation to settle dispute
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Allocating transportation costs
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Order opposing parties to provide all information on child’s addresses and telephone #
Help to Prevent Your Child’s Relocation in a Texas Court by Preparing Your Case!
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Does the intended relocation interfere with the visitation rights of the non- moving parent?
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The effect on visitation and communication with the non-moving parent to maintain a full and continuous relationship with the child
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How will this move affect extended family relationships living in the child’s current location?
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Are there bad faith motives evident in the relocating parent?
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Can the non-moving parent relocate to be close to the child? If not, what type of separation hardship would the child have?
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The relocating parent’s desire to accommodate a new job, spouse, or other criteria above the parent-child relationship. A Parent’s personal desire for move rather than need to move?
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Is there a significant degree of economic, emotional or education enhancement for the relocating parent and child in this move?
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Any violation of an order or prior notice of the intended move or a temporary restraining order
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Are Special Needs/ Talents accommodated for the child in this move?
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Fear of child and high cost of travel expenses for non-moving parent or child to visit each other to be able to continue parent- child relationship.
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What other Paramount Concerns would affect the child concerning the relocation from the non-moving parent?
At the Nacol Law Firm PC, we represent many parents trying to prevent their child from relocating to another city or state and having to experience “A Long Distance Parental Relationship” brought on by a better job or new life experience of the relocating parent! We work at persuading courts to apply the specific, narrow exceptions to these general rules in order to have child custody cases heard in the most convenient forum in which the most qualifying, honest evidence is available; cases where the child’s home state or other basic questions are clarified, and cases where a parent has the right in close proximity with their child regardless of other less important factors.
Contract Review: Proper Form to Prevent Future Breach
Before signing a contract, read through it carefully. Have an attorney review the contract. Make certain that you know what obligations are stated and/or implied. If you are uncertain as to your duties and you sign the contract, you may be liable for a future unintentional breach of the contract.
Contract negotiations, especially in the context of important financial contracts, can be taxing and difficult at best. An attorney can assist you with negotiations to ensure your needs and requirements are met. Additionally, your attorney can properly draft and/or review the contract, explain to you your rights and duties under the contract, and make suggestions as to provisions which may be necessary to protect your best interest.
The following is a good guideline for contract review. It is not an all-inclusive list, but may be used as a tool to assist with contract drafting and review:
- Make sure the language contained in the contract is clear and understandable. In most cases, limit the use of highly technical terms when possible. Unnecessary legal wording may make the contract confusing, thus use regular wording to make sure the parties understand what the contract says and means.
- Give a clear and concise description of the goods and/or services to be received.
- Give a clear description of the amount of money or other consideration for the contract.
- If any payments are payable outside the U.S., make sure the payments are in U.S. dollars.
- Make sure the contract contains a specific time and place for performance.
- The contract should contain a method of providing notice of default and opportunity to cure default.
- Rights, obligations, and duties of every party should be clearly listed. Each party’s responsibilities should be identified in understandable wording.
- Use clear and concise names when listing parties to the contract, including address, telephone number, fax number, and email addresses.
- Be sure you have a contact person for each party to the contract, including address, telephone number, fax number, and email addresses.
- Establish a date the contract is to begin and end.
- Make sure the contract contains all other important dates to the contract (milestones, deadlines, reports, etc.). Use full dates. Such dates should be clearly identified.
- The procedure for renewal of the contract should be clearly identified.
- If an employment contract, the procedure for termination of the contract should be clearly identified (termination for cause and/or termination at will).
- Indemnification, liquidated damages, attorney’s fees, waiver of contractor’s liability, waiver of statutes of limitation clauses should be incorporated if necessary or applicable.
- Establish the contract is governed by the laws of the State of Texas.
- Establish the venue for suit is in the county where the Company’s main office or parties signing are located or agree otherwise.
- If insurance is required, define the types and levels of coverage.
- Confidentiality provisions, if applicable, should be incorporated.
- Ensure Act of God or force majeure clauses are incorporated if necessary.
- Assignment by either party should be approved in advance in writing.
- Incorporate an Alternative Dispute Resolution clause, if required or desired.
- All appendices, exhibits, attachments, and schedules should be attached.
- Title and authority of person signing the contract should be properly stated and warranted.
- Spelling, formatting, grammar, punctuation and general appearance of the contract should be professional and accurate.
Preprinted form contracts should only be viewed as a starting point, not a final expression of the parties’ agreement. Protection for all parties is usually minimal to non-existent in such pre-printed forms. No pre-printed form can be expected to cover the particulars of all agreements between two or more specific parties. Having an attorney review and negotiate pre-printed forms may prove prudent and smart.
It is imperative that the terms of a contract are fairly negotiated, properly drafted, and reviewed to ensure the contract meets the intentions of the parties.
Home Owner Associations ( HOA ) : Are You in For Problems?
Everyone loves and hates their HOA. A HOA has the power to make every neighbor’s’ life a little easier by establishing restrictions that keep the neighborhood clean, safe, and accountable.
HOA’s also in some cases have been given power to make an individual homeowner’s life unhappy. Depending on the circumstances, a HOA in a neighborhood of homes may not have the same specific powers as a HOA in a condominium or townhouse setting. Regardless whether you are an owner of a home, condominium, or townhouse and you have been wronged by your HOA, here is a list of things you must do:
- Read the HOA by-laws CAREFULLY!!
- Keep all documentation of correspondence you have had with the Board, the Executive Officers, and Management Co., if there is one.
- Prepare a demand letter citing the specific by-laws that support your position.
- Record the HOA meetings in which your issues are presented or addressed and request minutes of the meeting from the secretary.
- Do not delay hiring an attorney if the HOA is not responsive to your grievances.
Certain issues, depending on the by-laws, such as unjustified forced foreclosures, failure to repair plumbing or foundations, trying to force you to construct or build a fence on your separate property are worth seeking legal advice. An experienced attorney is needed if you are to take on a Texas Home Owner’s Association. Many by-laws are open to interpretation regarding what a Texas HOA must repair and what is not responsible for under the HOA by-laws. To battle a strong HOA organization it takes an experienced real estate lawyer and if you have been a victim of HOA oppression seek an experienced lawyer immediately.
Julian Nacol, Attorney
Nacol Law Firm P.C.
How an Executor of “The Will” Might Be Breaching His/Her Fiduciary Duty
The executor of a Texas will is the person chosen by the deceased to administrate the provisions of the will of his/her estate. The executor must be at least eighteen years old and have no prior felony convictions. Executors are usually family members, accountants, or lawyers. The duties of the executor start at the time of death and finish when the last state and federal taxes, if any, are paid. And the estate is closed or otherwise fully disposed of. Executor responsibilities include accounting of assets in the estate, payment of estate liens and debts, and final distribution of assets to the beneficiaries.
An executor has legal fiduciary responsibilities and must act with utmost honesty, impartiality, and scrupulousness on behalf of the deceased and the estate’s beneficiaries. Rational decisions must be made; and the executor must overcome emotion caused by loss and adhere to the terms of the will.
But what if the Executor decides to put his/her own interests ahead of the estate’s beneficiaries or neglects to carry out his/her responsibilities. Has the Executor of the will breached their fiduciary duty? Some serious examples of an executor’s breach of fiduciary duty include:
- Mismanaging estate assets
- Misappropriating estate assets
- Hiding estate assets
- Failing to notify beneficiaries of their interests
- Using estate assets for the executor’s own benefit
- Unnecessarily delaying distributions to beneficiaries
- Paying themselves large and exorbitant, unearned fees
- Selling estate assets for an inappropriate price
- Ignoring important probate deadlines
- Failing to collect money owed to the estate
If an executor has breached his/her fiduciary duty in an estate where you are a beneficiary, this is a very serious issue that needs immediate attention. If you, as a beneficiary, feel that your interest in an estate is being compromised by your current executor, you should contact a Professional Probate Litigation Attorney immediately for help or the estate could experience serious consequences that will not only cause horrible problems between family and friends but also financial issues in the estate from possible fraud, theft of cash/property, or total disregard of all legal fiduciary responsibilities and duties.
Need Help? Give Us A Call!
The Nacol Law Firm P.C.
Probate Litigation Attorneys in Dallas TX
972-690-3333
Texas Divorce Financial Checklist for 2024
Preparing for a Texas Divorce: Assets
Going through a Divorce is painful no matter the circumstances. Before you get into the Texas Divorce Process, you can reduce expense, stress, and conflict by making sure you are financially prepared. Advanced planning helps you in making sound decisions, start preparing for post-divorce life, and avoid many post-divorce pitfalls. Below is a list of items you need to gather before counseling with an attorney. Financial Documents are a must to show what your true assets and liabilities are in the marriage. This is a very general checklist. Disregard what is not pertinent to your situation.
Documents:
- Taxes (at least three years)
- Federal Tax Return
- State Tax Return
- W2
- Tax Liens
- All other IRS related documents
- Wills and Trusts with all attachments reflecting corpus and trust holdings
- Listing of all liabilities (including mortgages, credit card debt, personal loans, automobile loans, student loans, etc.):
- Name of entity, address, and telephone number
- Account number
- Amount owed
- Monthly payment
- Property securing payment (if any)
- Most current statements and account status of lenders (from last 3 years)
- A Listing of the address and location of all Real Property, (includes time-shares, vacation properties, commercial property, and lots):
- Deeds of Trust
- Notes including equity loans and second liens
- Legal Descriptions
- Mortgage Companies and Loan Servicers (Name, Address, Telephone Number, Account Number, Balance of Note, Monthly Payments) for all Primary and Secondary Mortgages
- Evidence of purchase gift or inheritance documents
- Current fair market value.
- Appraisals
- Motor Vehicles (including mobile homes, boats, trailers, motorcycles, recreational vehicles; exclude company owned):
- Year, Make, Model of all Motor Vehicles
- Value
- Name on title
- VIN Number
- Fair Market Value
- Name of creditor (if any), address and telephone
- Persons listed on debt
- Account number
- Balance of any loan and monthly payment
- Net Equity in vehicle
- Current statements from last 3 years
- Cash and accounts with financial institutions (checking, savings, commercial bank accounts, credit union funds, IRA’s, CD’s, 401K’s, pension plans and any other form of retirement accounts):
- Name of institution, address, and telephone number
- Amount in institution on date of marriage
- Amount in institution currently
- Names on Account and Account Number
- Social Security Documents
- Pension Documents
- Company loans and documents related to benefits
- At least 3 years statements on all pertinent accounts
- A listing of separate property (property owned prior to marriage, family heir looms, property gifted, inherited property):
- Records that trace your separate property. These assets will remain yours if properly documented
- Retirement Benefits:
- Exact name of plan
- Address of plan administrator
- Employer
- Employee
- Starting date of contributions
- Amount currently in account
- Balance of any loan against plan
- Documents (Date of start of plan is especially important for divorce settlement)
- Publicly traded stock, bonds, and other securities (include securities not in a brokerage, mutual fund, or retirement account):
- Number of shares
- Type of securities
- Certificate numbers
- In possession of
- Name of exchange which listed
- Pledged as collateral?
- Date acquired
- Tax basis
- Current market value
- If stock (date option granted, number of shares and value per share)
- Stock options plans and related documents
- Insurance and Annuities Policies and Inventory:
- Name of insurance company
- Policy Number
- Insured
- Type of insurance (whole/term/universal)
- Amount of monthly premiums
- Date of Issue
- Face amount
- Cash surrender value
- Current surrender value
- Designated beneficiary
- Other policies and amendments
- Closely held business interests:
- Name of business
- Address
- Type of business
- % Of ownership
- Number of shares owned if applicable
- Value of shares
- Balance of accounts receivables
- Cash flow reports
- Balance of liabilities
- List of company assets
- Hobbies or side businesses that generate income
- Mineral Interests (include any property in which you own the mineral estate, separate and apart from the surface estate, such as oil and gas leases; also include royalty interests, work interests, and producing and non-producing oil and gas wells:
- Name of mineral interest
- Type of interest
- County of location
- Legal description
- Name of producer/operator
- Current market value
- needs leases or production documents related to the asset
- Money owed by spouse (including any expected federal or state income tax refund but not including receivables connected with any business)
- Household furniture, furnishings, and Fixtures
- photos
- purchase documents
- Electronics and computers including software and hard drives
- Antiques, artwork, and collectibles (including works of art, paintings, tapestry, rugs, crystal, furniture, quilts) All major collections always need to be appraised! (Cars, Guns, Jewelry, Coins & Stamps, Action Figures, and Books)
- Miscellaneous sporting goods and firearms
- Jewelry including appraisals
- Animals and livestock
- Farming equipment
- Club Memberships
- Safe deposit box items
- Burial plots including documents of ownership
- Items in any storage facility
- Travel Awards Benefits (including frequent flyer miles)
You may decide to divorce or not, but it is very important to have all financial information before you enter into a Divorce! This is a very general Divorce Financial Asset checklist. Disregard what is not pertinent to your situation.
After reviewing this list, you may also decide to go and review the Family Information Form. This form is basic information about you and your spouse. By the time you are looking at this, you will realize that you may not really know your spouse’s information. You will need to know the correct information before filing for divorce in Texas.
These two informational lists will prepare you with the basic financial information that any attorney will need to get your divorce started.
You can click on these links to download and print our Texas Divorce Financial Checklist and Family Information Form for a Texas Divorce.
Nacol Law Firm P.C.
Dallas Divorce Attorneys
Call (972) 690-3333
NACOL LAW FIRM P.C.
8144 Walnut Hill Lane
Suite 1190
Dallas, Texas 75231
972-690-3333
Office Hours
Monday – Thursday, 8am – 5pm
Friday, 8:30am – 5pm
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Attorney Mark A. Nacol is board certified in Civil Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization