Texas Appellate Court Reverses Damages Award Under Final Divorce Decree

The process of finalizing a divorce can involve significant time and emotional energy. When the parties finally receive a divorce decree, the last thing they want is to come back to court. Unfortunately, a spouse may have to seek court enforcement of the decree if his or her former spouse does not abide by its…

Texas Appellate Court Partially Reverses Husbands Petition To Enforce Divorce Decree

Typically, divorce decrees award certain items of property to each spouse. The terms of a decree are final, but a court can enforce them after entering the decree. If one spouse fails to turn over property awarded to the other spouse, the court often must enforce the decree by requiring the spouse to transfer the…

How Prosecutors Use Expert Witnesses in Texas Criminal Cases

For some criminal prosecutions, the government will go to great lengths to influence a jury to convict a defendant. Prosecutors will often retain and call expert witnesses to testify in support of a guilty verdict. Expert testimony is not always permitted, though when experts are allowed to testify on the state’s behalf, their testimony can…

The Texas Penal Code And Statute Of Limitations

Statutes of limitations are specific laws within the Texas Penal Code that detail how long the government has to bring charges against you. Understanding how statutes of limitations work is important, especially for those who have been charged for a crime based on conduct that occurred years ago, if at all. At Guest & Gray,…

What Is Divorce Mediation In Texas And When Is It Appropriate

Divorce can be an emotionally draining and contentious process. However, it doesn’t always have to be a battleground. At the Dallas County divorce law firm of Guest & Gray, we often recommend divorce mediation as a viable alternative to traditional divorce litigation. This blog post will shed light on what divorce mediation is and when…

In Focus: Lives that Hang in the Balance Under an Uncertain Future for the CARES Act

Thousands of Lives Are Subject to Being Upended as the CARES Act marches towards eventual reincarceration. These are some of their stories. As referenced in a previous post, the Bureau of Prisons has no incentive to keep inmates serving at home away from prison. This is evidenced by the Biden Administration essentially cosigning a memo…

Burglary Of A Habitation In Texas Does The Garage Count

What is burglary of a habitation in Texas? Burglary of a habitation is a 2nd-degree (2-20 TDC) felony in Texas. The law forbids entering a “habitation” without permission from the owner and then attempting or committing theft. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 30.02(a). What is a habitation? “Habitation” means “a structure or vehicle that is…

Texas Has Two Types Of Marriage Ceremonial And Common Law

So you want to get married? Or you think you are married? If you are in Texas, there are two different ways to be married. The first is called a ceremonial marriage. It’s what you think of when you picture a traditional wedding or a couple saying their vows in front of a justice of…

Constructive Abandonment And Parental Rights In Texas

What is Constructive Abandonment? The Texas Family Code section allows involuntary termination of parental rights if clear and convincing evidence supports that a parent engaged in at least one of the twenty-one grounds for termination and termination is in the best interest of the child. See TEX. FAM. CODE § 161.001(b)(1)(A)-(U), (b)(2). A court will look at…