Custody decisions shape your children's daily lives for years. The Hale Firm, P.C. represents parents in Harris County and the surrounding counties both in setting the first custody order and in changing one that no longer fits. Initial custody. In a divorce or other custody case, the court decides conservatorship, possession and access, and child support based on the best interest of the child. We help you build a parenting plan and the evidence to support it, and pursue it through negotiation, mediation, or trial. Modifications. Life changes after an order is signed. A parent relocates, a child's needs change, or a schedule stops working. Texas courts can modify conservatorship and possession when circumstances have materially and substantially changed and the change is in the child's best interest, and can modify child support after a material and substantial change or when the guideline amount has shifted enough since the last order. We help you evaluate whether your situation meets that standard, gather the evidence that supports it, and pursue a resolution through negotiation, mediation, or, when necessary, a hearing or trial. Whether you are seeking a change or responding to one, call (713) 784-7700 or schedule a free Zoom consultation.

A court order only helps if it is followed. When the other side ignores a custody order, divorce decree, or mediated settlement agreement, The Hale Firm, P.C. helps clients in Harris County and the surrounding counties ask the court to compel compliance. Possession and access. When a parent denies court-ordered time with your children, a motion for enforcement can seek make-up time, contempt, and other remedies for each violation. Child support. Unpaid child support can be reduced to a judgment with interest, collected through income withholding, and enforced by contempt. Property division. When a former spouse fails to transfer property, pay amounts owed, or sign documents required by a decree or mediated settlement agreement, the court can order delivery, award a money judgment, and clarify terms that are being disputed. Attorney's fees. The court can order the party who violated the order to pay the fees incurred to enforce it. We document every violation carefully so the court has what it needs to act. Whether you are enforcing an order or responding to an enforcement action, call (713) 784-7700 or schedule a free Zoom consultation.

A premarital agreement lets a couple decide before the wedding how property and finances will be handled during the marriage and if it ends. In Texas, a premarital agreement must be in writing and signed by both parties, and it can address separate and community property, income, debts, and other financial matters. It cannot reduce a child's right to support. A strong agreement starts with full and fair disclosure of each party's property and obligations and gives each party time to review it with independent counsel. We draft and review agreements with those protections in mind, so the agreement holds up if it is ever challenged. Married couples can also use a postmarital agreement to partition community property or to agree on how future income and assets will be treated. To discuss an agreement, call (713) 784-7700 or schedule a free Zoom consultation.

Hal D. Hale serves as a family law mediator, helping parties resolve divorce, custody, and modification disputes without a trial. Mediation is a confidential process in which a neutral mediator helps the parties negotiate. The mediator does not decide the case or give either side legal advice. Many Texas family courts require parties to attempt mediation before a final trial. A mediated settlement agreement that meets the requirements of the Texas Family Code is binding on the parties, which gives both sides certainty and avoids the cost and risk of trial. With more than 25 years in Harris County family courts, Hal brings a realistic view of how cases are likely to be decided, which helps parties reach agreements that work. To schedule a mediation, call (713) 784-7700.