Once a Texas divorce is finalized, the terms of the divorce decree generally remain unchanged and Texas courts have the authority to enforce the terms and sanction anyone who does not comply with their divorce decree. 

Sometimes, however, a divorce spouse will need or want to change their divorce decree. This could be because they feel the terms are fundamentally unfair or that the law was incorrectly applied, or because their circumstances have changed enough that the original terms of something like child support or child custody no longer makes sense. If this sounds like your current situation, it is important to understand when a divorce decree can be changed. 

Which Parts of a Texas Divorce Decree Can Be Changed? 

Courts are reluctant to approach certain parts of a divorce decree after the order has been handed down; after all, few people are completely satisfied with the terms of their divorce decree, and endless appeals would needlessly clog up an already stressed court system. 

In the hustle and bustle of the divorce process, you may not take the time to fully review your financial affairs and may only realize that something is off once you view your spouse’s financial affidavit. Do his or her bank account balances seem low? Could you have sworn there was a valuable baseball card collection that simply is not listed on the affidavit? Are you starting to suspect your spouse is being less than honest with you, their attorneys, and the court to get out of paying child support or spousal support? 

If so, it is important to listen to these hunches. People can and do try to hide assets from their spouses, especially during high net worth Texas divorces, and unless you take the steps to ensure you find any hidden assets, you could lose out on a valuable portion of your marital estate. Having an experienced Texas divorce attorney can help you examine your spouse’s financial affidavit and find ways to prove there are more assets than are currently listed. 

How Do Spouses Hide Assets? 

Unsurprisingly, spouses with greater financial sophistication are more likely to hide assets in ways that are more difficult to recover. If your spouse has been dishonest with you in the past about finances, has sought to control your family’s financial management, or refused to give you passwords to shared accounts, you have good reason to be suspicious in your divorce. Here are some common ways spouses try to hide assets: 

Several decades ago, the classic impression of a divorce case involved two angry spouses, duking out their differences in court. Divorces could drag on for months or years before finally getting resolved, and the needs of any children were often subject to the conflict of the parents. 

After significant research showed that both adults and children are better off trying to resolve their differences with the help of alternative dispute resolution strategies like mediation, Texas courts now encourage couples to work out their differences together - before even filing for divorce, if possible. However, this is not possible in every circumstance and trying to resolve issues outside of court may even be dangerous for some people. If you are considering divorce and are wondering whether your case is likely to go to trial, read on and then contact a Texas divorce attorney who can help. 

Issues That Drive Divorces Towards Courtroom Litigation

Perhaps unsurprisingly, spouses who experience extreme levels of conflict or abuse are the most likely to require a judge to resolve their issues. Common problems that require a judge to hear both spouses’ arguments and make decisions on their behalf include: 

While divorce is never easy, for people married to high-conflict partners, the very prospect of divorce can keep people in unhappy marriages far longer than they wish. This is because people who have certain personality disorders or characteristics often escalate already difficult situations into intense conflict, making the situations even more difficult to manage. Sometimes the escalation is a deliberate effort to keep a spouse from leaving. If you are hoping to divorce your high-conflict spouse, it is important to prepare yourself for a wide range of responses and to have the help of a Texas divorce attorney at your side. 

Common Divorce Scenarios Involving High-Conflict Personalities

One of the most challenging aspects of a relationship with a high-conflict partner is that bad attention is often better than no attention. The idea of the relationship ending may trigger deep-seated fears of abandonment, which can manifest as frightening outbursts of anger or attempts to control the partner trying to leave. Other common divorce scenarios involving high-conflict personalities include: 

• False accusations of abuse or neglect

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Couples who have worked long and hard to earn and maintain a significant net worth often face considerable challenges when they get divorced. Resolving the division of complex assets is usually the most challenging obstacle to overcome, but other problems are also common. High net worth couples frequently enjoy significant influence in their community, which can make privacy concerns paramount during a divorce. Alimony payments can be very difficult to negotiate in a high-net-worth divorce case. If you are a high-net-worth individual in Fort Worth and are considering divorce, here are five unique challenges to prepare yourself for. 

Sorting Assets into Marital and Non-Marital Property

Generally speaking, anything that either spouse acquires during the marriage is considered marital property. In fact, the presumption in a divorce is that all property owned by either spouse is marital property, and a spouse who wishes to claim certain property as individually belonging to him or her will need to provide convincing evidence of the property’s ownership. Spouses frequently contest property as being marital or non-marital, so be prepared to dig back into an asset’s history for proof. 

Valuing Complex Assets

Savings accounts and family vehicles may be easy to value, but complex assets like investment portfolios, business assets, art, and collectibles can be far more difficult to assess. Complex asset valuations often require specialists with industry-specific knowledge and, for assets with varying value (such as a stock portfolio), couples will need to agree on a specific valuation date so the value is not in flux throughout the divorce process.