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Single father households have increased in recent years

Posted on July 27th, 2011 No Comments

In recent years, more and more fathers have been gaining full custody of their children, thereby increasing the number of single father households in the country.

In Texas, it has been estimated that 6 out of every 100 households are headed by single fathers. This is almost a 14 percent increase from 2000. Other states, like Maryland, Wisconsin, California, and Michigan also show a significant increase in single father households.

This rise in fathers gaining full custody of their children has largely been attributed to increased career opportunities for women and a cultural trend for fathers becoming more involved in their children’s lives. Also, old court room adages, such as the “tender years presumption,” which claimed that mothers are better at caring for young children, have been thrown out. Fathers now stand a much better chance of winning full custody of their children than they did in previous decades.

If you or someone you love is involved in a child custody battle, please contact the Houston child custody attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151 to learn how we can help you.

Dating violence is prevalent among teens today

Posted on July 21st, 2011 No Comments

Domestic violence can occur in many forms, and, often, domestic violence does not just involve adults. Today, teenagers across the country are involved in intimate relationships, even living with their boyfriend or girlfriend at a young age, and some of them are being abused.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the most vulnerable group to domestic violence are women who are ages 16-24. Other reports have shown that parents do not talk to their children about teen dating violence because they do not think that it will happen to them, even though the rate of teen dating violence is nearly triple that of the rate of domestic violence among adults.

When in a relationship, there are signs to look for to know that a partner is abusive. One sign is if the partner checks their boyfriend or girlfriend’s cell phone or email without permission. An explosive temper and an attempt to isolate their partner from their family or friends are also tell-tale signs of abuse.

If you or someone you love is being physically or emotionally abused by a loved one, please contact the Houston domestic violence lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151.

Rate of military divorce in 2010 stayed the same

Posted on July 13th, 2011 No Comments

The rate of divorce in the military plateaued in 2010, which is good news for those in the military because it means that the rate is no longer steadily rising as it had been since 2001.

The main cause for divorce in the military is that the partners of those in the military have high expectations when their partner comes home that her or she often has difficulty living up to. This strain on the relationship often leads military marriages to end in divorce.

Programs have been created to help military couples stay together by offering support and counseling. One study found that military couples who attend marriage support programs specifically designed for those in the military have a 33 percent lower chance of divorce than those who do not attend such programs.

If you or someone you love is in the military or married to someone in the military and would like a divorce, please contact the Houston military divorce lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151.

University of Iowa research shows correlation between teen sex and divorce

Posted on July 6th, 2011 No Comments

Researchers at the University of Iowa recently released a study that showed a correlative link  between teen sex and the rate of divorce among women.

According to the research, which consisted of surveys given to more than 3,000 women who had been married at least once, 31 percent of women who had sex for the first time during their adolescence were divorced within five years of getting married. 47 percent of these women were divorced from their husbands within ten years.

Women who had sex before the age of 16 or who had unwanted sex during adolescence were twice as likely to divorce from their partner at some point. Dr. Anthony Paik, who conducted this research, stated that other variables were controlled for during the study and that teen sex showed to be a factor in divorce.

If you or someone you love is in the process of getting divorced, please contact the Houston divorce attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151.

Houston man claims baby isn’t his, still forced to pay child support

Posted on June 30th, 2011 No Comments

A man from Houston has recently been raising flags in the city’s family court system as he is claiming that he is being forced to pay more than $50,000 in child support for a child that is not his.

The man has been paying child support for the child since 1986. However, he began to suspect that the child was not his when her hair began to turn red. After many years, he underwent a paternity test and learned that there was a zero percent chance that he was the father. When he presented the test to a Houston judge, the judge stated that the man still had to pay his child support because his case was too old.

The man currently owes $52,000 in back child support, $13,000 of which is interest. The man says that the city has been taking money out of his paycheck in order to pay the child support.

If you are having problems with your child support agreement, please contact the Houston child support lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151.

Doctor found guilty of abusing wife currently awaiting sentencing

Posted on June 21st, 2011 No Comments

A 47-year-old doctor from Alabama is currently awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty of physically abusing his wife. The man was convicted of felony domestic violence by a  jury in January.

According to reports from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the man attacked his wife in the fall of 2010. He hit in her in the face 30 times until she blacked out, and she suffered a broken arm as well during the attack.

The man is facing two to twenty years in prison for the charges. Under the Alabama statute for domestic violence, he can serve no less than six months in prison. It has been speculated that he will also have his medical license suspended.

If you or someone you love has been abused by a spouse, please contact the Houston domestic violence lawyers of Garg & Associates at 800-242-2151.

Houston couple awaits court’s adoption decision

Posted on June 15th, 2011 No Comments

A couple from Houston has been engaged in a legal battle with Child Protective Services since CPS placed a boy in their home to be adopted, only to later take him away from the couple. They are now fighting in a Harris County courtroom for custody of the boy.

CPS allowed the baby boy to live with the couple after he was found to have cocaine in his system when he was born. The couple expressed their wish to adopt the boy, who had siblings living with adoptive parents in Killeen. CPS initially said that they would allow the couple to adopt the boy, however, they then said that he should live with his siblings.

The boy’s biological mother stated in court that she wanted him to stay with the couple because he already grew attached to them. According to the couple’s attorney, “…[the boy] has a home, he has parents, and that’s where he should remain.” The judge will be making a decision in the case on Thursday.

If you or someone you love needs legal help in battling for custody of a child, please contact the Houston child custody lawyers of Garg & Associates, PC, at 800-242-2151.

Maria may receive $100 million in divorce from Arnold

Posted on June 9th, 2011 No Comments

After news broke of Arnold Schwarzenegger cheating on his wife of 25 years, Maria Shriver, for over a decade and fathering a 14-year-old boy, the two are now close to a divorce settlement, and Shriver could be receiving a substantial amount of money.

Some have speculated that Maria may stand to receive $100 million, which is half of Arnold’s net worth that he has gained since being married to Maria. Although it is not known if the two signed a prenuptial agreement before they were married, a prenup would probably no longer have an effect because of the length of time the two were married.

Many factors will go into how much Maria will receive, including how supportive she was during her marriage to Arnold and the pain she went through when learned of his cheating ways.

Infidelity in a marriage can be extremely painful to go through, and prenuptial agreements are a good way to set up guidelines for a divorce if a spouse cheats. To learn more about the usefulness of prenuptial agreements before marriage, please contact the Houston prenuptial agreement attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151.

Is it okay to separate siblings in custody agreements?

Posted on June 3rd, 2011 No Comments

It’s no secret that divorce can be extremely hard on children, and custody disputes can be the hardest part of a divorce. Some parents decide to split their children up after a divorce, with one child staying with one parent and his or her sibling staying with the other parent. But how do these kinds of custody agreements affect children?

Sibling relationships can be extremely important to a child’s well-being. If a child is taken away from their sibling, it can have serious detrimental effects as the child grows up. A child who is separated from their sibling not only loses a friend to play with, he or she also loses a confidante who knows what the child is going through.

While separating siblings in custody agreements can have negative effects, there are a few circumstances in which it might be the best option. For instance, if children are given the option of which parent to live with, siblings may decide to choose different parents. It is important that siblings have a say in what parent they will live with so that they can feel a sense of control and stability in an out-of-control situation.

If you or someone you love is going through a divorce and needs to make custody arrangements, please contact the Houston child custody attorneys of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151.

Psychologist weighs in on why successful men cheat

Posted on May 25th, 2011 No Comments

In the wake of celebrity stories of cheating in recent years, a psychologist and researcher who writes for Healthy Living recently published her thoughts on why successful and powerful married men cheat.

One theory posed as to why successful men cheat on their wives is that they think they won’t get caught. Because they have the resources to cover up their infidelity, like money and connections, they believe that they will never have to deal with the long-term repercussions of their cheating.

Another theory is that there is an unlimited amount of opportunities for men who are wealthy, famous, and powerful to cheat. Many men, whether they are actors or musicians or businessmen, are away from their homes and wives for several weeks or months at a time. During these time periods, it is easy for men to stray because they aren’t near their spouse.

A final theory is that men like this are often enabled by “yes” people. Many successful men have a team of people, such as assistants and managers, who do not want to speak out against their boss. Therefore, they are never told that what they are doing is wrong.

At the end of the day, people are individuals and reasons for cheating vary from person to person. If you or someone you love has been cheated on and would like to file for divorce, please contact the Houston divorce lawyers of Garg & Associates, P.C., at 800-242-2151.

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