Category: Divorce Law Firms

What Is a Temporary Divorce Order and When Is It Used?

When a Texas divorce is contested and spouses cannot easily work together on the negotiations and decisions, divorce lawyers sometimes recommend seeking a temporary divorce order to facilitate the process.

Temporary orders, which are orders of conduct that the family court lays out while the process is ongoing, allow divorce attorneys and their clients to handle the negotiations without them being complicated even further by arguing over the details covered in the order.

Through the request and issuance of temporary orders, divorce law firms hope to simplify the divorce procedure by removing arguing points that may not even apply to the final divorce agreement approved by the court.

What Details Do Temporary Divorce Orders Cover?

  • Residence - When couples cannot agree on who will move out of the marital residence during proceedings, temporary orders drawn up by divorce attorneys assign who stays and who must relocate, at least during negotiations. 
  • Children - Temporary orders sought by divorce lawyers assign where the kids will live, who will pay child support and how much, visitation schedules, and other related decisions during the progression of the divorce. 
  • Bill Payment - If there are concerns about the bills, temporary orders may also assign who is responsible for paying what bills with regard to mortgage payments, utility and phone bills, healthcare bills, car payments, credit card debt, and other bills. 
  • Spousal Support - A temporary order drawn up by divorce lawyers could also assign one spouse to pay spousal support to another during the progression of the divorce. While the state of Texas does not usually award spousal support, the family court may award support temporarily while details such as the distribution of marital wealth and other related issues are worked out. 

Temporary Orders May or May Not Be Part of The Final Divorce

Ultimately, temporary orders sought by a divorce law firm are designed to stop arguments about the immediate circumstance while spouses separate, allowing them the ability to work on future planning, and making decisions that will be the basis of their divorce.

While some of the decisions the divorce law firms work on and are included in a temporary order made by the judge could become a permanent part of the final divorce order, this is only so if it works out to everyone’s benefit.

Divorce lawyers stress that temporary orders essentially provide a hold-over while they and their clients figure out how to effectively divide the couple and/or family and their wealth, debts, as well as other responsibilities up in the best possible way. 

Let's Add This Up

Temporary orders in Texas are just that – temporary.

What matters the most is that spouses use the time under those orders wisely, to work with their divorce attorneys on coming up with favorable agreements that will help complete the divorce process faster and with less disagreement.

Keep Some Sensitive Information Private by Sealing Divorce Records

Like other public records, information about divorces is open to the public and available to anyone who wishes to look them up

While this may not be that much of an issue for some, divorce lawyers find that for others, keeping certain personal details private is more recommended.

For those interested in having their divorce records sealed, divorce law firms can assist with that process, as it requires filing a valid reason with the family court as to why those records should be sealed.

What Are The Reasons To Request Privacy?

What are considered valid reasons for a divorce attorney to have their client’s divorce records sealed and made inaccessible to the public?

  • Mental Illness or Addictions of A Spouse - Divorces involving a spouse with a mental illness or some kind of addiction can be sealed by divorce law firms for the privacy of both spouses who have been dealing with those circumstances
  • Cases of Sexual Abuse or Child Abuse - Among all reasons why someone might request to have their divorce records sealed by the court, divorce lawyers find e is preferred by those involved in these cases.
  • Libel - False allegations between spouses can be extremely damaging when this information is publicly available. As such, divorce attorneys and their clients can request to the courts that this information be sealed to prevent damage to a spouse’s reputation by unproven accusations.

Can Financial Records Be Kept Private?

When it comes to financial records, it is a different story.

While the previous three types of information are requested to be sealed by divorce attorneys and then sealed by the family court to protect the privacy of the individuals involved, financial records are no longer generally able to be sealed by request, as it has been found to violate certain constitutional rights.

Instead, some divorce law firms can help their clients arrange for certain sensitive and identifying information to be redacted from public record, but that is all.

Some Info Can Be Kept Private In A Divorce – Some Cannot

Going through a divorce can be a challenging event, in part due to the fact that divorce records are considered public records that are accessible to anyone.

When spouses wish to privatize certain sensitive information such as accounts of mental illness, sexual abuse, child abuse, or damaging false allegations, an experienced divorce lawyer can help them present a compelling case to the family court to have those records sealed.

By properly demonstrating good cause and that leaving certain records open to the public could be damaging, spouses can hopefully succeed in a motion by their divorce attorney to have those sensitive records sealed.