Maintaining health insurance coverage is a major concern for many divorcing couples and questions arise about continuing coverage--we address some of the issues in this post.
There are many good reasons to change your name. Have you always used your middle name? Are you named Riot or Jezebel—and don’t share your parents notion that it was a cute idea? Trying to hide from an crazy ex? Maybe a name change is what you need. We talk to lots of folks who want to change their names for various reasons. If you are a Texas resident and want to change your name-- call us today to schedule a consultation.
Being falsely accused of child abuse can lead to serious consequences for you and your family. You may face a long jail term and a ruined reputation. If you are accused of child abuse, it is in your best interest to contact legal representation immediately. Mounting a vigorous defense is essential. Whether you are being investigated for injury to a child or alleged sexual abuse, have been arrested or indicted, we are prepared to aggressively defend you.
A man in Houston has been battling in court for the last 13 years because he has been ordered to pay child support for a child that is not his. Willie Carson has DNA proof that shows that it is not his biological child, nor has he ever supported the child in any way, yet he has been paying child support for over a decade.
In Texas, the city of El Paso has recovered almost $13 million in unpaid child support through the implementation of a state program that makes delinquent parents work off their debts instead of sending them to jail.
A Texas jury convicted Mr. Martin, 64, for his tenth offense of driving while intoxicated (DWI) along with a retaliation charge for threatening to harm the arresting officer and his family. The jury gave him two life sentences for his crimes.
Getting a divorce can be one of the most difficult things that a person goes through, but a woman in Houston made the process even worse by pretending to be a divorce attorney and taking on their cases. Brittany Phillips took on several clients, falsely holding herself out as a divorce lawyer onl...
States are required to work together when one parent is out-of-state and not making required child support payments. The Texas Attorney General’s Office, Child Support Division helps parents who are not receiving child support from an out of state parent. The Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA) controls child support orders that occur over state lines as well as defines the options available for collecting unpaid support.
Texas courts allow for the payment of alimony, or spousal support, from one former spouse to another following a divorce. However, the paying spouse can petition that the alimony payments be modified or terminated under specific circumstances. This includes a showing of a substantial change in circumstances, if the receiving spouse remarries or cohabitates with a significant other.
Wishing a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our friends and clients!
To all of our friends and clients who are celebrating Hanukkah, we wish you a happy holiday season!
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled last month that the state's controversial law that allows police officers to collect blood samples of suspected intoxicated drivers without a warrant is unconstitutional. This ruling has the potential to drastically affect future DWI cases throughout the state.
We are working on producing an on-line video library. As part of that effort, we have created several video intro pages. Here is one of our new intro videos. Please check back often as we work to expand this effort.
Houston attorney Lori Elaine Laird was honored to be named a Texas Super Lawyer in 2014 in the area of family law. This short video explains the Super Lawyer selection process and names Lori Elaine Laird as a recipient of the distinguished Rising Stars category of attorneys in Texas.
Paternity is the legal identification of a child’s father. When a child is born out of wedlock in Texas, there is no legal father. There is a difference between a legal father and biological father in the eyes of the law, and establishing paternity gives rights to both the child and father involved. Paternity can be established in three different ways under Texas law, and an experienced family law attorney will be able to help you figure out which option is best for your family
Many couples eager to adopt discover that it can be a long, arduous, and expensive process. That is why many are now turning to social media and well intentioned strangers to help them cover the costs. One Houston couple is doing just that and is using crowdfunding for help paying the adoption costs of a second child.
Over one hundred individuals have been arrested over the past few months in child support roundups happening in counties across the state. Police are working with the Texas Attorney General’s Child Support Division and through Operation Take Care to hold parents accountable for their failure to pay court-ordered child support.
Divorce can be complicated. This is especially true when one spouse is not forthcoming about all their assets, or when they purposefully disadvantage the other spouse financially during the divorce. Filing a restraining order assures that your interests are kept safe in family law matters. Yet many people are unaware of how a restraining order works, how it differs from a protective order, or the necessary steps for enacting one.
Many spouses in a divorce assume that spousal support is automatic or at a fixed rate like child support; however, that is not the case in Texas. In order to receive spousal support, which is different than alimony, a spouse must first qualify to receive it. Once a spouse has qualified, the court looks at additional factors to see how long the support order will remain in place.
Under Texas law, indecent exposure is defined as “exposing his anus or any part of his genitals with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, and he is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by his act.” Indecent exposure is considered a Class B misdemeanor in Texas, which can come with up to 180 days in jail, a fine up to $2,000, or both. In addition, because indecent exposure is sexual crime the person accused could also be forced to register as a sex offender.
Some people do not take theft arrests very seriously, but a conviction can mean prison time, a damaged reputation, criminal record, and other personal and professional consequences that come with being labeled a thief. If you or a loved one has been charged with a theft or property offense in the Houston, Galveston, or greater Texas area, let The Law Office of Lori Laird, PLLC represent you. We are here to provide you with a personalized and strategic defense to your case.
Medical records are a vitally important part of any litigation that involves a person’s injury or wellbeing. However, at the same time a person has the right to keep their health information private, and laws have been enacted that protect the personal health information of individuals. This is a very short overview of some of the privacy laws in effect and articulates various steps our firm takes to ensure protection of your confidential information.
Wrongful deaths- Drowning Tragedies Tragically, in this month alone, four young lives were lost in three separate Texas drowning incidents. Negligence and Water Injuries--Sadly, safety guidelines are not always heeded and often even the mandatory regulations are not always abided. Most drowning and water injury accidents are avoidable. Many of these accidents are due to the negligence of another person or party. In general, negligence is when, “Conduct … falls below the standards of behavior established by law for the protection of others against unreasonable risk of harm.” This is an emotionally charged issue. Nobody is happy when a child dies or is seriously injured. No monetary reward resolves the pain but legally, if negligence occurred it might ward off another child from being harmed.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, last year, more than 29,000 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) accidents and injuries occurred on our Texas roadways. Typically, when a tractor-trailer truck is involved in an accident, because of its sheer size, the damage and injuries tend to be more significant than accidents that solely involve single-passenger vehicles. An 18-wheeler can weigh roughly 80,000 pounds, whereas a passenger vehicle weighs only about 3,000 pounds. Traffic accidents happen everyday in Texas, and beyond. The risk of personal injury is an unfortunate reality on our roadways. If you have suffered a personal injury from a vehicular accident, call our office today for a consultation.
Can I just tear up that Contract? In the business world, a key component of brokering a deal is to have a “meeting of the minds.” This generally leads to a written or verbal contract between the parties bargaining for an exchange of products or services. But what happens when it goes wrong? This brief article discusses contracts and contract disputes.
Harris County, Galveston County, Brazoria County, Fort Bend County, Chambers County, and Montgomery County. Call 832.699.1966 today!
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