With domestic violence making headlines as of late (with Johnny Depp being accused of ongoing domestic violence by wife, Amber Heard, and television actor Michael Jace, sentenced to 40 years in prison for shooting his wife to death), our Dallas family violence attorneys feel that it is necessary to recap your rights when faced with domestic violence. No form of domestic abuse is 'too innocent' to not report and prevent. If you or a loved one is the victim of domestic abuse, consult with a legal representative from our family law firm to learn more about your protective options.

Your Legal Protections Against Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a very serious allegation, and you should only seek protective injunctions if you are seriously being abused. Accusations, like abuse itself, can have severe criminal repercussions that only the guilty should have to deal with. With that in mind, if you are the victim of domestic violence, do not allow it to continue for another day. At the Law Offices of Stephen Clark, we are here to protect you. In the meantime, here are four civil and criminal protection orders that you can file for to protect yourself:

Texas is one of the few states that still recognizes fault-based divorces, and may grant a divorce in one spouse's favor if sufficient grounds for fault are established. Under Section 6.005 of the Texas Family Code, abandonment is one of the seven grounds for a fault-based divorce in Texas. If a spouse is found guilty of abandonment, it can have serious consequences on the outcome of the divorce. For instance, if the courts determine that claims of abandonment are true, they may grant more custody to the abandoned spouse, as well as a greater share of the marital assets.

If your spouse abandoned you and your children, contact the Clark Law Group to speak with a Dallas divorce attorney about filing for a fault-based divorce.

Grounds for a Texas Divorce

You hear the term ' High Conflict Divorce' and you wonder, 'Aren't all divorces high conflict?' Yes, it is true that divorce is a highly conflicting time in a couple's life, and yes, it does almost always come with its fair share of tears, anger, and conflict, but when a couple begins to let their feelings interfere with the divorce proceedings, the divorce turns 'high conflict.'

In a high conflict divorce, one or both parties create a 'war' of sorts that is both costly and damaging. If the couple has children, they may use their children as pawns to get one another to acquiesce to outlandish demands. In fact, most high conflict divorce cases become so vile that even friends and extended family members become affected by the dysfunction demonstrated by the warring couple.

Recognize the Signs of High Conflict Divorce

At the Law Offices of Stephen Clark, our Dallas divorce attorneys aim to help our clients achieve a fair and amicable settlement in their Texas divorce. Unfortunately, most divorces require months of litigation, and still end up in frayed emotions, lost time and money, and with one or both parties unsatisfied with the outcome. Divorce is complicated enough, which is why our legal professionals always recommend our clients sign a prenuptial agreement before they say, 'I do'-especially when there is a family inheritance at stake. At the very least, a prenuptial agreement can eliminate the stress of the division of assets aspect of divorce, and allow each party to maintain reasonable expectations throughout the entire process.

Is an Inheritance Considered a Marital Asset?

While most individuals never expect their marriage to end in divorce, time changes people, and after years together, one or both parties may find that they are no longer compatible. When this happens, separation is often inevitable. Unfortunately, when two individuals have built their life together, their assets become entangled, making it difficult for the parties to figure out what they get to leave the marriage with. According to the Texas Family Code, Chapter 4, Section 4.003, a prenuptial agreement in Texas is a premarital agreement between two parties that outlines how exactly marital property is to be divided in a divorce, and what property is to remain the sole and separate property of each individual.

Divorce may be one of the most difficult events that an individual has to cope with in his or her lifetime, and because of that, it often comes with a string of emotions, ranging from hurt and sadness to anger and frustration. It is these emotions that lead to long, drawn out battles over everything from furniture to the children, and subsequently, the high costs typically associated with divorce.

If you and your spouse are both feeling bitter about your impending separation, and if you just cannot agree on anything, you may want to consider divorce mediation. Divorce mediation gives you a venue in which to discuss your issues regarding the divorce and to attempt to reach an agreement with the help of a trained, neutral third-party.

Mediation Allows You to Take Control of Your Divorce