Family Law

Call it the law of unintended consequences.  A final divorce, which is certainly consequential, can have all sorts of surprising consequences. Some might be welcome, while others can result in havoc. Revocation of Beneficiary Designations One surprising consequence is the statutory automatic revocation of beneficiary and agent designations made before the divorce is final.  Life insurance is a perfect example. If you named your spouse as the beneficiary of your life insurance, then...

Did you know that you are no longer the legal guardian of your 18-year-old son or daughter? Eighteen is the age of majority in Texas, meaning that after their 18th birthday, young adults are presumed competent to make decisions about health care, finances, and other important areas of life.   Health Care Decisions What does that mean for your son or daughter in their senior year, or graduating from high school and...

Happy Father’s Day! Ah, but this is a legal column, so let us look at that greeting a bit more closely.  There are many types of fathers. There are biological fathers, legal fathers, intended fathers, step-fathers and adopted fathers. A man might be a father for purposes of family law but not a father for purposes of the probate law.    Fathers can be presumed, contractual, or acknowledged. They can be estopped into...