Family Law Attorney Kingwood, TX
Whatever the nature of your family law matter – we want you to know that you can depend upon us.
Our family law attorneys are here to help you with your family law issue. No matter if you are considering divorce, want to modify an existing court order, need to establish parental rights and obligations for your child born out of marriage, or want to make your family complete through either a private adoption or step-parent adoption or need assistance with any other family issue, we are ready to go to work for you. When you call on us, our lawyers respond. If you have questions, our lawyers will answer. If you have concerns, our lawyers will address them. Our only goal in family law cases is to help you, and your family, get through this difficult time as “intact” as possible and with a minimum of stress, delay and cost.
Experienced Family Lawyers You Can Depend Upon
At Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C., we are more than just attorneys. We have families of our own and we understand how deeply such personal and sensitive family law issues impact our client’s lives. Recognizing that, we strive to help our clients throughout Northeast Houston, Harris County, Montgomery County and Liberty County find the solutions that will work best for them as they transition into new phases of life. Our experienced Humble area family law attorneys are equipped to handle your matter through strategic negotiations with opposing counsel, persuasive arguments at the mediation table or, if necessary, with aggressive representation in the courtroom.
Put Our Collective Family Law Experience to Work For You
Our Lake Houston Area family law attorneys have 45 years of combined experience and have guided hundreds of clients through the divorce process. We are honored that many of our former clients express their approval of our legal work by referring their friends and relatives to us. Conveniently located in Northeast Harris County, our Kingwood, Texas law offices are easily accessible to clients seeking downtown-quality representation in a more comfortable environment. You do not have to face this difficult time alone. Put our combined experience to work for you and contact our family lawyers today.
An Overview of Our Family Law Attorney Services
Divorce/Dissolution of Marriage
Divorce is just as much as a beginning as it an end. As a set of rules for your family to follow moving forward, the divorce agreement merits attention from a legal professional. Many people, however, make the mistake of going it alone. They do not understand the importance of the agreement they are about to enter, particularly how the divorce agreement will affect their children and property rights.
Divorce can be approached in many ways. At Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C., our Northeast Harris County Divorce Lawyers strive to approach family law cases like the divorce process proactively with your best interests at the core of what we do. Our staff understands how deeply a divorce can affect you and your children. Our divorce lawyers can help you find workable solutions as you transition into your new phase of life.
Rather than leave these matters to chance, you need an experienced legal professional in your corner. With more than 45 years of combined experience, our attorneys know how to help you protect your rights. Our family law attorneys can help guide you through your divorce to emerge intact, with minimal stress, delay, and cost. Our lawyers identify the appropriate legal process for each client to resolve your case through negotiations, mediation, or aggressive representation in the courtroom.
Our experienced divorce attorneys can help you with important divorce issues such as:
- Property Division -
- Child Custody -
- Child Support -
- Spousal Support -
Texas is a community property state. All marital assets – property and assets acquired during the marriage – are to be divided equitably.
Conservatorship of a child must be established with the rights and duties of each parent clearly defined including the periods of time the child will spend with each parent.
Provisions for the financial support of the child must be clearly established and include provisions for health insurance.
Certain spouses may be eligible for spousal maintenance after divorce.
Modification of Existing Court Orders
Court orders involving children can be modified as long as the children are under the age of eighteen (18) or enrolled in program leading to a high school diploma. Family circumstances may change over time. As children grow older, visitation schedules that once were workable become unworkable. Income of the parent paying child support increases or decreases justifying a change in the amount of support paid. In some instances, actual primary custody of the child may need to change.
A change of circumstance must occur before a court order affecting a child can be modified. The modification must also be in the best interest of the child. The Lake Houston area family law attorneys at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. are experienced in helping parents modify existing court orders to reflect the current needs of the child.
Child Custody
If you are a parent experiencing separation or divorce, you most likely will have many concerns about the custody and care of your children. Your legal rights to parent your children are specified by the Court. These rights include the right to establish the residence of the child, the right to consent to medical care for your child, and the right to make educational decisions for your child.
At Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C., our experienced child custody attorneys represent parents pursuing their rights and understanding their responsibilities as a parent in child custody proceedings. In Texas, the courts consider foremost the best interest of the child. Our child custody attorneys use their experience to advocate on behalf of their clients seeking to protect their children in custody disputes.
In Texas, child custody is presumed to be awarded to both parents as joint managing conservators. In joint conservatorship, parents may share the rights, privileges and duties of raising the child in varying degrees. Typically, one parent has the right to establish the residence of the child. Joint Managing Conservatorship does not mean equal parenting time. The Court will order specific periods of possession for the non-primary parent. For many parents, the possession periods ordered will be the Texas Standard Possession Order (SPO).
Our experienced child custody lawyers can explain the options available to you based upon the circumstances of your family and assist you in obtaining the child custody arrangement in the best interest of your child. At Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C., we represent parents in both contested and uncontested child custody proceedings. To find out more about child custody, please contact us for a consultation.
Visitation Rights
In Texas, child visitation is referred to as possession of and access to a child. The Judge will establish the possession schedule based upon the best interest of the child. In most circumstances, the possession order will be the statutory Standard Possession Order (SPO) for children three (3) years of age and older. The Standard Possession Order includes a provision permitting the parents to agree on whatever parenting schedule works best for them. Whenever the parents cannot agree to periods of possession, the schedule set forth in the Standard Possession Order then applies. The Standard Possession Order provides for access during the school year, summer vacation and holiday periods. Periods of possession for a child younger than three (3) years of age are typically custom orders designed to advance from frequent short visits to longer visits culminating in a Standard Possession Order at age three (3).
However, sometimes circumstances dictate that a parent’s rights of possession be restricted. This may be due to a parent’s addiction to alcohol or drugs, physical abuse or neglect. Restricted possession can include shortened periods of possession or periods of possession supervised by a third party.
The family law attorneys at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. are experienced in negotiating and drafting possession orders for children. Child visitation proceedings can be complex in addition to being stressful and emotional. Our lawyers are parents too. We want to protect your legal interests and obtain possession orders in the best interest of your child and you.
Property Division
Texas is a community property state. All marital assets – property and assets acquired during the marriage – are to be divided equitably. Separate property is property which a person owned prior to marriage or inherited or received as a gift or an award for personal injury pain and suffering. Separate property assets, properly traced, are not community assets to be divided between the spouses.
A “just and right” division of assets is not necessarily an equal division of marital property. The Court can consider many factors in determining an equitable division of the property. These factors include marital fault such as adultery or physical abuse, wasting of assets by a spouse, disproportionate earning capacity of the spouses and more.
Critical to property division is identifying all the community property of the spouses. You have to know what you have before it can be divided. We assist clients in identifying all property accumulated by the spouses.
Let an expert family law attorney at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. assist you in obtaining your fair share of the marital assets based upon your personal circumstances. Call today to schedule your appointment (281) 359-0100.
Child Support
Parents have a legal duty to support their child. When parents separate or divorce, the court will almost always order one parent to pay child support to the other parent. The parent paying child support is the parent who has less possession time with the child. The child support payable is based upon a statutory formula calculated using the paying parent’s net income as defined by statute and considers the number of children being supported.
For example, child support for one (1) child is 20% of net monthly income up to a maximum net monthly income of $8,550.00 or $1,710.00 in child support.
In addition to monthly statutory child support, the parent paying child support is also required to provide health insurance for the child. The insurance can be provided through an employer, a private plan, CHIPS or Medicaid.
Our child support family law attorney at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. will help you establish child support payments for your child. Contact an experienced family law attorney today at 281-359-0100 to schedule your appointment.
Spousal Maintenance (Alimony)
Certain spouses may qualify to receive monthly financial support from their ex-spouse after marriage for a limited amount of time based upon the length of marriage. The spouse requesting “maintenance” must show that they do not have the ability to provide for their “minimum reasonable needs.” The minimum length of marriage required to qualify for maintenance is ten (10) years in most circumstances. The award of post-divorce maintenance is discretionary with the court. The divorce attorneys at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul, & Knapp will help spouses determine if maintenance payments are feasible.
Paternity
The family law attorneys of Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. can assist parents in establishing their parental rights in cases where a child is born to parents who are not married. Child support, custody, possession schedules and the rights of parents to make decisions for the child are all issues that should be determined and defined in a court order. Let the family law attorneys of Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. help you establish and protect your rights regarding your child.
Enforcement of Court Orders
If you have a court order for payment of child support or visitation with your child and the other parent is not following the order, contact the enforcement attorneys at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. to assist you. We enforce court orders to collect your child support. Our attorneys can also assist in enforcing possession schedules.
Grandparent Rights
Grandparent rights in Texas are very limited. Grandparents have visitation rights to grandchildren when the child’s parent is deceased or incarcerated. In limited instances, grandparents may have the ability to seek custody of children whose parents are unable to provide appropriate care for the grandchildren.
To find out what rights you have with your grandchildren, contact our family law attorney today to schedule your appointment 281-359-0100
Adoptions
Let the adoption attorneys of Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. help you complete your family through adoption. We handle private adoptions and step-parent adoptions.
Name Changes
Our family law attorney at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. can help you with your name change. People seek name changes for a variety of reasons. It may be you want to change the spelling of your name. Or perhaps you want to return to a prior name. It may be that you just want a fresh start. Whatever the reason, we are here to assist you in changing your name.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Marital Agreements
Prenuptial and Postnuptial marital agreements define the ownership of property between spouses. To find out how you can benefit from a prenuptial or postnuptial property agreement, contact the family lawyers at Currin, Wuest, Mielke, Paul & Knapp, P.L.L.C. to schedule your appointment.
Mediation Services
Mediation Services are provided by Randy R. Rowney. Mr. Rowney received his certified mediator credentials through the A. A. White Dispute Resolution Center at the University of Houston Law Center.
Mediation is a method of resolving disputes that arise in family relationships in marital dissolution, conservatorship, property division, parentage, suits affecting the parent child relationship and other family litigation.