When you file for a divorce it is important to know what the final result looks like. Knowing this can be very helpful in getting your divorce finalized and off of the battlefield. Once your soon-to-be ex-spouse knows that none of her/his complaints about you that don’t rise to the level of breaking laws, and none of her/his emotions are going to be considered as subject matter that are ultimately made into the judgment in your final decree, she/he might be able to come to agreement and finalize your divorce either pro se or at much less attorney expense than if you had gone to battle in the courtroom.
At the Texas Young Lawyers website you find the following pdf. They are a nonprofit organization however and provide this free to the public, so if you are in a position to make donations, I’m sure they would appreciate it.
http://www.texasbar.com/ (This document contains a sample Petition for Divorce and a sample Final Divorce Decree for those pro se representing yourself in court and for those with an attorney that knows how important it is to understand and take a hands on approach with your divorce and custody.)
What’s important about this particular pdf is that it covers pretty much most things that can come up in a typical divorce and gives you all of the different possible wording for your decree that the Texas courts recognize. This is not a replacement for legal advice and this does not include how you would protect yourself from false allegations, etc. That takes more skill and education that you can find in other sources like the Texas Evidence books you can purchase from WestLaw and from appellate cases. Also you can sit in courts and listen to how the lawyers present evidence and what is successful and what is not in your family courtrooms. Remember though that the district level is not the final say in these matters and if you see something that works for someone else or doesn’t, does not mean that it does not or will not work for your case. This is why it is important to also consult with an attorney, even if you just pay them from time to time for advice and coaching and to help you write your pleadings, affidavits, etc. All of this will help you come out of this with a contract and judgment that will be more likely to protect you and the children’s rights and help you and the other parent if you find yourself in conflict or disagreement again in the future.
The pdf link attached to this posting may not help you in a high conflict custody battle unless you are able to get the adversarial parent to reason with you after realizing that the content in the attached final decree of divorce is generally what most divorcing couples end up with. You might be dealing with an alienator, and if so it is a must that you seek further coaching and assistance from other professionals in addition to your attorney for dealing with this intractable parent that could cause you a lot of trouble later if your decree is not written precisely in a way that limits the alienation and is enforceable.
Some of these professionals are:
Go to Dr. Kathleen Reay for a workbook called Toxic Divorce for learning how to effectively deal with parental alienation and parental alienation syndrome.
Go to Rosalind Sedacca http://www.childcentereddivorce.com/kids/ for a book that doesn’t just tell you how to say to the kids you are getting a divorce but tells it for you. This book will help you tell your kids about your divorce without making the kids pay the price for your divorce. This book also has guides and is a workbook.
Go to Dr. Michael J. Bone http://www.jmichaelbone.com/ for educating yourself and your attorney and counselor on how to present alienation to the courts. Dr. J. Michael Bone is also an expert witness.
Go to Dr. Richard Warshak http://www.warshak.com/ for educational materials like a video you can share with your children called Welcome Back Pluto and you can educate yourself with a book about preventing badmouthing of the other parent called Divorce Poison. Dr. Richard Warshak is also an expert witness.
Go to Dr. Amy J.L. Baker http://www.amyjlbaker.com/
Go to Dr. Douglas Darnall, Ph.D. http://www.parentalalienation.org/
Go to Jennifer McBride’s book for a primer in parental alienation at https://www.createspace.com/3716700
