McKinney Divorce Law Blog

In the modern age of social media, people are bombarded with statistics and claims that often prove to be false. While there is much emotional turmoil surrounding family law issues, including child custody, a recent social media post that claimed fathers were committing suicide over custody issues was debunked. Texas residents who are struggling with this issue may have seen various forms of this statistic while scrolling social media sites. 

According to a post on Facebook earlier this year, it was claimed that an estimated 21 fathers committed suicide every week after being denied access to their children. This drew the attention of certain fact checker sites that investigated to determine whether it was based on concrete facts. The post was later tracked to an earlier one from 2017 that circulated in another country and stated that men who were struggling with family-related problems were committing suicide at an alarming rate. This post was purportedly started by a candidate for office who was attempting to reform that country's domestic violence laws.

For most couples, a divorce is a fairly straightforward undertaking. Once custody and property division is settled, each individual goes his or her separate way and starts a new life without undo complications. However, in the new age of digital money, wealthy Texas residents may find that cryptocurrency adds complexities to an already complex divorce.

By now, most have heard the term bitcoin, which is a type of Internet money that came into being approximately 10 years ago. In 2017, this currency was worth an estimated $20,000 per coin for a brief period of time. While that surge in value quickly self-corrected, it is still being used as a digital currency in certain circles. In addition to this form of money, there are several others that have been established over the past few years that all share the common traits of being difficult to assign a particular value to and are difficult to trace for those who are unfamiliar with the world of cryptocurrency.

While the overall divorce rate has purportedly declined, the same cannot be said for those aged 50 and older. Though there may be a variety of reasons for a couple to seek a divorce, the property division for those nearer to retirement age becomes more challenging and critical. Texas residents who are facing this prospect may have several concerns regarding their finances.

A divorce seldom happens in a vacuum, and there are usually several factors that contribute to the decision. One reason may simply be that divorce has become more acceptable. A couple may find that, once their children are raised, they no longer have any common interests. While past generations remained married due to societal pressures, couples today are more inclined to seek their personal happiness rather than preserve an unhappy union. Infidelity and addiction are two other common reasons that couples cite as a grounds for seeking a divorce.

In many homes, pets are considered to be cherished family members and are loved almost as much as children. As a result, the idea of parting with a beloved pet after a divorce is often repugnant to Texas pet parents. Unfortunately, pets are usually considered to be a part of the property division when it comes to settling a divorce.

Recently, a third state passed a more comprehensive law that gives family court judges the option of considering which spouse could provide a more suitable home for a pet in question. Judges who choose to take on this matter during a divorce hearing will often take into consideration such questions as who was the primary caregiver and whether a pet was purchased as a gift or was a joint decision. Though some view the law as unnecessary, others applaud the effort to treat pets as more than possessions.