How to End Your Marriage
Few people enter into a marriage with a plan on how to end it should things not work out. To do so for most people is counter to the principles under which they married: “'Til death do us part.” However, the sad reality is that marriages often fail. The reasons for wanting to end a marriage are almost as numerous as the number of marriages that fail, but there are only a few options to do so. College Station divorce attorneys will help you determine what is best for your situation, but the following are ways to end a marriage in Texas.
Divorce, or Dissolution of Marriage
The most common way of ending a marriage in this state is divorce. Divorces may be contested or non-contested, the latter of which is generally far less complicated. Divorces in Texas may be sought either on no-fault or at-fault grounds, and there a total of seven of these. Divorce means that the marriage itself ceases to exist, and that all shared property is divided. Such matters as who retains custody of the children, visitation rights, child support, and spousal support, if any, must be decided. If the couple cannot come to a mutual agreement on these issues, the family court judge will do so for them.
Annulment
In some cases, a couple may seek an annulment. A misconception of annulments is that they are solely for marriages that have existed for a very short time. This is not the case. The result of an annulment is that, for legal purposes, the marriage never existed. Texas allows annulments under the following circumstances:
- One or both or the parties was under age 18 and no parental consent was obtained.
- The petitioning party was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the marriage, and he or she did not subsequently voluntarily cohabitate with the other party.
- One of the parties was impotent at the time the marriage took place and the other was unaware of this.
- One of the parties is mentally incapacitated.
- One of the spouses failed to disclose to the other that he or she was divorced within 30 days of the marriage, and the couple did not cohabitate after this was revealed.
Legal Separation
The laws of Texas do not recognize legal separation. However, a couple can use a partition and exchange agreement in order to divide the marital estate. Your attorney can explain this in more detail.
Work with Us if You Wish to End Your Marriage
If you have come to realize that your marriage simply isn't working and you wish to end it, it is important to have College Station divorce lawyers in your corner who can help protect your best interests. Call Peterson Law Group today to arrange a consultation at 979-703-7014 or 936-337-4681.
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