Texas Divorce Attorney Discusses the Advantages of Remaining Calm During Your Divorce

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It is well known that keeping a level head can be very helpful in navigating any sort of difficult or complicated situation. Since divorce can be both difficult and complicated, divorcing spouses who are able to remain calm throughout the divorce process are at an advantage compared to those who are unable to do so. People make better decisions when they are calm, and the divorce process involves making many decisions. If you are able to keep a clear head as you go through your divorce, you will be able to assess your options and make choices that will lead you to an outcome which works well for you. It is not always easy to be calm during divorce, but the following tips just might help you to make it happen.

Keeping information about your divorce to yourself is a powerful tool that you can use to stay calm during your divorce. While it is important that you discuss your thoughts and feelings about divorce with someone in order to avoid bottling those feelings up inside of you, it is essential that you choose wisely who you share those conversations with. A trusted family member, a therapist, or a very close friend that you have known for a long time can all be good choices, as you can trust that they will respect your wishes to keep the information that you discuss with them private. It is much easier to keep calm and carry on when you know that your divorce is not the talk of the town.

In addition to keeping information about your divorce between yourself and a select few others, it is essential that you disclose as little information as possible to your children. This is not to say that you should not talk about the changes that your family is going through, it is more of a reflection on which types of things the kids need to know, and which things they are better off knowing nothing about. For example, they need to know that they are unconditionally loved, accepted, and supported by both of their parents. They do not need to know that the two of you have fallen out of love, or that one parent cheated on the other or anything like that. Parents and children both benefit from the reduced level of acrimony and conflict that occurs when parents commit to keeping communication with their kids about their divorce respectful and appropriate.

While you are in charge of managing your emotions during your divorce, working with a Texas Family Law Attorney can make that task much easier by attending to the legal aspects of your divorce case. Your Texas Family Law Attorney can help you understand the options that are available to you, and they can help you to find all of the information that you need to make the choices that are right for you and for your family. If you have questions about a Texas divorce or family law case, please contact attorney Alex Tyra today, to schedule your free consultation. We can be reached at (903) 753-7499, or you may visit us online to submit a convenient online contact form.

 

Texas DUI Defense Attorney Explains SR-22 Insurance

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If your driver’s license has been suspended, you may wonder whether there is any way that you could be allowed to drive to work, so that you don’t lose your job, in addition to losing your license. Fortunately, Texas does issue something called an occupational or essential need license, which allows drivers whose licenses who have been suspended to operate a non-commercial motor vehicle for the purposes of work, school, and performing essential household duties. There are a few requirements which must be met before the Department of Public Safety will issue an occupational driver’s license. Many of the requirements are straightforward, but one requirement, the SR-22, often causes a great deal of concern and confusion.

If you are wondering what an SR-22 is, it is an endorsement that can be attached to an automobile insurance policy which creates an obligation for the insurer to continually monitor the status of that insurance policy, and to notify the Department of Public Safety if the policy’s status changes.

If you are required to obtain an SR-22, there are a few things that you should know in advance. One thing that you need to know is that not every insurer is willing to issue an SR-22. Before you contact your insurer to ask whether they will issue one for you, it is important that you understand the possible implications of doing so. If you ask your insurer to issue you an SR-22, they may initially refuse to do so, and they may even refuse repeatedly if you ask more than once. It is also possible that they might say that they will issue one, and then take a very long time to actually issue it. In some cases, the insurer takes such a long time to issue the SR-22 that the driver’s policy gets cancelled due to their license suspension before the SR-22 form is issued. What’s more, the driver who needs the SR-22 is not the only person who experiences consequences because of it. Insurance companies treat all of the drivers on an insurance policy as a group, so when one driver requests an SR-22, the entire family’s policy is labeled as “high risk”. This results in higher premiums for all family members, as well as the risk of nonrenewal.

Since attempting to obtain an SR-22 from your insurer could result in a long wait for the form to come through (and thus a lengthy wait for your occupational license), and the risk of nonrenewal or cancellation of the insurance policy which covers you and the other drivers in your family, you may wish to obtain an SR-22 from a source other than your insurer. If you choose to go this route, be aware that there is a right way to go about it and a wrong way, and that going about it the wrong way can result in unfavorable consequences. It is essential that you obtain a SR-22 on a non-owner’s or operator’s policy, and not on the owner’s policy for the vehicle that you drive. The reason for this is that if you were to obtain a SR-22 on an owner’s policy from a secondary source, that new policy would cancel your regular policy because duplicate coverage is not permitted under Texas law. Also, avoid purchasing your SR-22 through TAIPA, the “state pool”, because after you submit your application, it could take weeks, or even months, before you actually receive your SR-22.

An occupational driver’s license can help you to keep your job, take care of your home and family, or get to school. However, avoiding license suspension altogether is the best possible outcome for a driver who has been accused of driving under the influence. Your Texas DUI Defense Attorney can build an aggressive DUI defense which could keep you, and your driver’s license, in the clear. To learn more, call attorney Alex Tyra today, and schedule a free consultation. We can be reached at (903) 753-7499, or submit a convenient online contact form.

 

 

Texas DUI Defense Attorney Explains SR-22 Insurance

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If your driver’s license has been suspended, you may wonder whether there is any way that you could be allowed to drive to work, so that you don’t lose your job, in addition to losing your license. Fortunately, Texas does issue something called an occupational or essential need license, which allows drivers whose licenses who have been suspended to operate a non-commercial motor vehicle for the purposes of work, school, and performing essential household duties. There are a few requirements which must be met before the Department of Public Safety will issue an occupational driver’s license. Many of the requirements are straightforward, but one requirement, the SR-22, often causes a great deal of concern and confusion.

If you are wondering what an SR-22 is, it is an endorsement that can be attached to an automobile insurance policy which creates an obligation for the insurer to continually monitor the status of that insurance policy, and to notify the Department of Public Safety if the policy’s status changes.

If you are required to obtain an SR-22, there are a few things that you should know in advance. One thing that you need to know is that not every insurer is willing to issue an SR-22. Before you contact your insurer to ask whether they will issue one for you, it is important that you understand the possible implications of doing so. If you ask your insurer to issue you an SR-22, they may initially refuse to do so, and they may even refuse repeatedly if you ask more than once. It is also possible that they might say that they will issue one, and then take a very long time to actually issue it. In some cases, the insurer takes such a long time to issue the SR-22 that the driver’s policy gets cancelled due to their license suspension before the SR-22 form is issued. What’s more, the driver who needs the SR-22 is not the only person who experiences consequences because of it. Insurance companies treat all of the drivers on an insurance policy as a group, so when one driver requests an SR-22, the entire family’s policy is labeled as “high risk”. This results in higher premiums for all family members, as well as the risk of nonrenewal.

Since attempting to obtain an SR-22 from your insurer could result in a long wait for the form to come through (and thus a lengthy wait for your occupational license), and the risk of nonrenewal or cancellation of the insurance policy which covers you and the other drivers in your family, you may wish to obtain an SR-22 from a source other than your insurer. If you choose to go this route, be aware that there is a right way to go about it and a wrong way, and that going about it the wrong way can result in unfavorable consequences. It is essential that you obtain a SR-22 on a non-owner’s or operator’s policy, and not on the owner’s policy for the vehicle that you drive. The reason for this is that if you were to obtain a SR-22 on an owner’s policy from a secondary source, that new policy would cancel your regular policy because duplicate coverage is not permitted under Texas law. Also, avoid purchasing your SR-22 through TAIPA, the “state pool”, because after you submit your application, it could take weeks, or even months, before you actually receive your SR-22.

An occupational driver’s license can help you to keep your job, take care of your home and family, or get to school. However, avoiding license suspension altogether is the best possible outcome for a driver who has been accused of driving under the influence. Your Texas DUI Defense Attorney can build an aggressive DUI defense which could keep you, and your driver’s license, in the clear. To learn more, call attorney Alex Tyra today, and schedule a free consultation. We can be reached at (903) 753-7499, or submit a convenient online contact form.

 

 

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Discusses Possible Legislative Reforms

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The next Legislative Session won’t start until January of next year, but there are a couple of issues which are likely to be debated during that Session which may be of interest to young Texans. The first of these issues is a possible reform of anti-truancy laws, and the other is the possible reform of the rules for sealing and expunction of certain criminal offenses.

In Texas, the failure to attend school is currently a Class C misdemeanor. Most states do not consider truancy a crime, in fact, Texas is one of only two states which treat it as such. Other states handle the issue of failing to attend school through civil proceedings. If it is determined that handling truancy as a civil offense rather than a criminal offense is feasible, the rules may change to that effect.

Changing truancy from a criminal offense to a civil offense is likely to have positive consequences, for both the offenders and for the state. Incarcerating young people who fail to attend school does not help them to become educated. It can limit their present and future educational opportunities, and it goes a long way towards discouraging those who are already facing social and economic barriers to success. Civil penalties could be designed to discourage truancy, while at the same time accomplishing the purpose of encouraging youth to continue pursuing some form of education.

Possible changes to the rules for sealing and expunction of low-level criminal offenses may also have positive implications for young Texans. It is not uncommon for young people to make a couple of mistakes as they navigate the teen years and grow towards adulthood. Unfortunately, some of the mistakes that some young people make are considered criminal offenses, albeit often minor, non-violent ones. The consequences of these mistakes are far-reaching, and they can affect an offender’s job prospects, housing, educational opportunities, and other areas of their life for many years after they have occurred. Fortunately, the Legislature is considering changing the rules so that certain offenses can be sealed and expunged after a certain period of time, in order to decrease the length of time that the offenders will suffer from the consequences of their convictions.

While some of the issues that are up for debate in next January’s Legislative Session could make life a bit easier for young Texans, being accused of any crime is still a very serious matter. If you have been accused of a crime, it is essential that you get help from an experienced East Texas Criminal Defense Attorney. Criminal charges can have far-reaching impacts on your life, and you need an experienced criminal defense attorney in your corner to help you present your very best case. An East Texas Criminal Defense Attorney can help you pursue the best possible outcome in your stalking case. To learn more, call attorney Alex Tyra today, to schedule a free consultation. We can be reached at (903) 753-7499, or submit a convenient online contact form.