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| About the Authors | |
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| Contemplating Action | |
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| Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst | |
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| Divorce Can Cause Financial Hardship | |
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| Divorce Stats | |
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| The Financial Truths of a Texas Divorce | |
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| Consider Reconciliation | |
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| Staying Together for the Kids? | |
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| Planning Your Divorce | |
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| He Said, She Said: Two Looks at a Marriage | |
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| In An Uncertain Economy, Divorce Is More Difficult | |
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| Cash Problems Lead Stress Parade | |
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| Business Values Vary | |
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| Collaborative Divorce Can Save a Business | |
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| Everyone on Economic Scale Affected | |
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| What Kind of Divorce Will This Be? | |
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| Can Your Spouse Remain a Friend? | |
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| Gain Access to Information | |
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| Seven Simple Steps to Prepare for Divorce | |
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| Think Strategically | |
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| With or Without an Attorney | |
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| Representing Yourself | |
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| Sharing One Attorney | |
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| The Importance of a Specialist | |
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| Initial Interviews | |
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| Questions to Ask Your Attorney | |
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| Guarantees vs. Experience | |
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| Collaborative Law | |
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| A Paradigm Shift in Family Law | |
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| If Settlement Fails, Attorneys Must Withdraw | |
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| Locate a Collaborative Lawyer | |
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| He Said, She Said: A More Humane Method | |
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| Save Money on Legal Fees | |
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| Educate Yourself | |
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| Contingency Fees | |
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| 10 Effective Strategies for Controlling Legal Fees | |
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| Work Toward Settlement | |
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| What Is Fair? | |
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| Major Financial Blunders | |
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| Most Cases Settle | |
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| The Importance of Mediation | |
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| The Benefits Are Significant | |
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| Beware of Mediation Abuse | |
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| The Role of Your Attorney in Resolving Disputes | |
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| Handling Temporary Matters | |
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| Temporary Restraining Orders | |
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| Temporary Orders | |
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| Protective Orders | |
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| Contested Temporary Hearings | |
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| He Said, She Said: To Her a Drunk, To Him a Loving Dad | |
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| Finances in the Short Term | |
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| Use of Joint Accounts | |
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| Joint Credit Card Debt | |
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| Paying Bills During the Case | |
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| Discovery | |
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| Hiding Money, Finding Assets | |
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| Make an Inventory | |
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| Formal Discovery | |
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| Interrogatories | |
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| Request for Production of Documents | |
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| Request for Admissions | |
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| Depositions | |
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| Electronic Evidence | |
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| Financial Planning | |
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| 14 Suggestions for Your Financial Security | |
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| Other Professionals Your Attorney May Enlist | |
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| Other Legal Specialists | |
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| Accountants | |
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| Estate Planners | |
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| Appraisers | |
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| Business Valuation Experts | |
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| Mental Health Professionals | |
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| Couples Living Together | |
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| Common Law or Just Unmarried? | |
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| Children of the Unwed | |
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| Proving Paternity Now Easier | |
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| 12 Steps to a More Productive Divorce | |
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| Dividing Assets and Debts | |
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| He Said, She Said: It's Her Separate Property | |
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| Dividing Assets at Divorce | |
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| Identify Your Assets | |
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| Community Property or Separate Property? | |
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| What Is Your Property Worth? | |
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| The Property Division | |
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| Letting the Court Decide | |
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| Dividing Assets in a "Just and Right" Manner | |
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| Dealing with the Family Home at Divorce | |
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| Sell the Home and Divide the Equity | |
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| Determine Net Equity in Your Home | |
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| Appoint a Receiver to Sell Your Home | |
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| Transfer Interest in Your Home from One Spouse to the Other | |
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| Temporary Use by One Spouse | |
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| When a Judge Must Decide | |
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| Consider Your Housing Options | |
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| Tax Matters Related to a Home | |
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| Play It Safe: Do a Title Search | |
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| He Said, She Said: Who Can Afford the Family Home? | |
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| Dividing the Family Business | |
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| Who Gets the Business? | |
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| Valuing the Business | |
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| Favored Business Entities | |
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| Tax Liabilities of the Business | |
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| He Said, She Said: Dental Practice a Major Asset | |
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| Employee Benefits/Retirement and Beyond | |
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| Characterization and Division of Assets | |
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| Options Not Just For the Wealthy | |
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| Orders to Divide Retirement/Employee Benefits | |
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| Loans, Taxes and Penalties/Retirement Plans | |
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| He Said, She Said: Sometimes Forgotten Assets | |
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| Divorces at a Certain Age | |
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| Social Security Benefits | |
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| He Said, She Said: The Ultimate Loss of Identity | |
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| Community Debt and the Impact of Bankruptcy | |
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| Cataloguing Your Debt | |
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| Apportioning Debt | |
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| Which Debts Belong to Whom? | |
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| Bankruptcy and Its Effect on Community Debts | |
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| Alternatives to Bankruptcy | |
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| Look to the Future | |
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| He Said, She Said: No Clear Line between Child Support and Visitation | |
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| Support Your Children | |
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| Child Support Collection | |
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| Calculating Child Support | |
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| Special Circumstances | |
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| Pay Child Support through State System | |
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| How Long Do You Pay Child Support? | |
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| Insuring Your Health and Life | |
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| Health Insurance for the Children | |
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| Health Insurance for Your Spouse | |
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| Life Insurance Protects Future Payments | |
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| He Said, She Said: Helping Her Regain Her Balance | |
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| Alimony and Maintenance | |
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| Limited Eligibility | |
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| Types of Alimony | |
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| Factors to Consider | |
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| Modifying Alimony | |
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| Tax Implications | |
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| Impact of Bankruptcy | |
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| Comments From Divorcing People That Make a Family Lawyer Flinch | |
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| Common Tax Issues | |
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| Prior Year Liabilities or Refund | |
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| Who Files Current Year Tax Return? | |
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| Payments and Transfers | |
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| Who Gets Dependency Exemptions? | |
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| Retirement Plan Issues | |
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| Overpayment of Texas | |
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| Taxing Closely Held Businesses | |
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| If You Go to Court | |
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| The Family Court Setup in Texas | |
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| Your First Court Setting | |
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| Appearing in Court | |
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| Courtroom Cast of Characters | |
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| A Trail Docket Primer | |
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| Judge or Jury Best in Property Cases? | |
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| Composed on the Stand | |
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| Basic Rules for Giving Testimony | |
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| A Divorce Is Granted | |
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| The Final Decree | |
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| Details, Details, Details� | |
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| Still Upset? Try an Appeal | |
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| He Said, She Said: A National Hot-Button Issue | |
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| Relocating a Child and Other Modifications | |
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| Relocating a Child | |
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| Change of Custody | |
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| More or Less Support | |
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| Modifying Visitation | |
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| Getting On With Your Life | |
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| When Confronted, Choose Reason | |
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| But When Reason Doesn't Work� | |
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| Prenups and Postnups: Anticipating Another Marriage | |
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| What's Protected By a Prenuptial Agreement? | |
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| Why a Postnuptial Agreement? | |
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| How to Enforce or Break These Agreements | |
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| Never Again | |
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| Appendices | |