San Antonio Legal Blog

Couples who file for legal separation or choose to terminate their marriage in Texas must deal with a myriad of issues before signing the final divorce settlement. One of the most challenging may be that of separating property that was accumulated during years of marriage. People may get attached to certain items and it can be emotional when it comes time to divide property, vehicles, furniture and possessions.

In Texas, all community property is separated equally, with half going to each spouse. Couples who wish to determine their own property division, however, may go through mediation and create their own plan. In addition to basic shared items, community property can include lottery winnings, income tax refunds, antique collections, travel rewards points, intellectual property and even cemetery plots.

If you and your spouse are Texas parents contemplating a divorce, your biggest concern likely is the custody and visitation arrangement you will make for your children. You therefore should become familiar with two important legal terms Texas uses with regard to these matters. The first is possession order, meaning your parenting time schedule. The second is possessory conservator, meaning your children’s noncustodial parent.

As Texas Access explains, the Texas Family Code contains a Standard Possession Order that acts as the default visitation arrangement in all Texas divorces involving children. What this means is that if you and your spouse cannot agree between yourselves on how to divide your children’s time between you, this SPO does it for you. The SPO is a detailed parenting time schedule that sets forth exactly when each of you will have your children throughout the year, as well as where and how you will exchange them.

Over the decades, the life of a trucker has been romanticized in popular culture. Truck drivers get to explore the countryside while being paid for it. However, as many people in Texas are aware, the life of a truck driver is not always so carefree. You probably encounter large trucks every day you are on the road, and you know that often, semi-trucks can be dangerous. The trucker lifestyle may contribute in part to this danger.

Truck driving is a stressful job, as Smart Trucking explains. You may already be aware that truck drivers are often on the road for long hours, driving in isolation. This fact alone can contribute to a host of other problems that may cause accidents, including the following:

• Drowsiness due to long shifts and monotonous scenery
• Depression from being away from family and friends for long periods of time
• Unhealthy eating habits when home cooked meals are substituted with fast food or convenience store snacks
• Mental and physical effects of sleep deprivation
• Inadequate physical activity

At the Law Office of Roland R. Esparza, PC, in Texas, we know what grievous injuries you and your passengers can suffer in a car crash, particularly one involving a head-on collision with another vehicle. What if you could reduce your risk of not only head-ons but also single-vehicle and sideswipe accidents by 11 percent? Would you do it?

As reported by CNBC, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released the results of its new study finding that collision avoidance systems do exactly that. Furthermore, these technologies, including blind spot and lane departure warning systems, reduce your risk of injuries in a crash by 21 percent because they give you the time you need to avoid an impending crash.