Houston/Galveston Divorce Lawyer

At GP Schoemakers, PLLC we understand that every divorce is different. Every family has it’s own unique family dynamic, it’s own history and eccentric oddities. In family law this means that some divorces might be considered “a walk in the park” while others are highly contested. Whether you have a non-contested divorce or one that has complex child custody issues, our law firm can help.

We know divorce is not a “one-way fits all” situation, and because everything we do at GP Schoemakers, PLLC is specifically tailored to meet our client’s need, we have can tailor your divorce to your family’s specific needs. Many couples are not aware that they have a choice on how they reach the finish-line in a divorce.  The general perception is that there is only one way, namely litigation.

One of the most asked questions we hear from a person contemplating divorce is “What will it cost?” More times than not, the answer will be IT DEPENDS

Why? Because the more you Fight, the more it will Cost.

You might not be looking for a fight, but what about your spouse? If you have children, things will cost more, because no one in general seems to be happy with the way visitation schedules are made, if you have assets, a business, or a complex combination of kids, assets and business interests there will be more time involved to come up with  something both parties might agree to, or if no one agrees, a trial. But there is more!

Did you know that in reality, about 95% of all divorce cases in Texas are settled by agreement. How you get to this agreement makes all the difference in the world, not just on how you divide your community estate or the custody arrangement of your children, it will impact your wallet (the final cost) as well.

So let’s look at your options for a second. In Texas there are five ways to finalize a divorce:

1. DIY Divorce
   • You do-it-yourself, and see what may come from it. Although this might seem the most cost effective approach. In general if there are no kids or assets, people might find this to be the right approach for them. However, if there are kids, assets or a combination of the two, pro se litigation soon find out that they are prone to making errors due to lack of understanding of the law, and these errors might come back to bite them before all is said and done.
2. Informal Settlements
   • Informal settlements are simple in nature. It usually entails a couple sitting down together and working out an agreement between the two of them. Once an agreement is reached, it is taken to a lawyer to give it a more formal and legal form or it is combined with a DIY form.
   • This type of divorce can be relatively quick, inexpensive and timely when couples have no children and there are no substantial assets to be divided.
3.  Litigation
   • Parties go to court, even trial in some situations. They put their lives in the hands of strangers, allowing a judge or a jury to decide the issues of the case. If this doesn’t sound desirable to you, you are not alone, many parties fight in court only to settle in the end. Litigation is expansive, emotionally draining and can cause irreparable and lasting harm in particular when children are involved.
4. Mediation
   • Mediation is a process in which parties negotiate under the direction of their lawyers. Lawyers usually are the ones to state the terms (based on Texas law) and clients review and approve the end result. Sometimes Mediation is used and successful at the beginning of a case, sometimes it is applied multiple times with the hopes to avoid that final trial during litigation.
5. Collaborative Divorce
   • During a Collaborative Divorce, parties decide the terms that best fit their family’s needs, the terms of their settlement are highly personal and have the most chance of providing for lasting results. The terms during the collaborative process are reviewed by the lawyers of each party and will be approved into a final divorce order by a judge.

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