Texas Family Law Attorney Shares Tips for Managing Finances During and After Divorce

/in /by

If you are divorcing, you may wonder how you will be able to afford to take this much-needed step towards personal freedom. Divorce does cost money, but it is important that you do not put it off or even worse give up on it out of fear that you cannot afford it. The following tips can help you secure your finances before, during and after your divorce.

When divorcing spouses maintain a focus on agreement, they save money. Divorce is not easy, but the notion that cooperation can cut costs can be a powerful motivator to set conflict aside. One way in which agreement can reduce the financial burden of divorce is in the area of legal fees. It is important that each spouse retains his or her own attorney, but the amount of work that your attorney has to do on your behalf is directly connected to the amount that you will end up paying them. If you and your soon to be former spouse are approaching your attorneys with drafts of a divorce agreement that you have worked on together, you will not spend as much on legal fees as you would if you are fighting with each other through your attorneys about who should get which assets and what your parenting plan should look like, if you have children.

In reality, not all divorces can be resolved amicably. Fortunately, you can keep your costs down regardless of the level of conflict in your divorce. Knowing the details of your personal and household finances is one of these strategies. You can gather information about your debt and any marital debts that you and your spouse have, and you can do some research and find out what your household expenses are as well as what you might expect to pay to establish a new home for yourself.

Making financially wise decisions during your divorce can reduce not only the up-front costs of divorce but also the long-term costs. Divorce is an emotional process, but it is essential for your financial well-being that you do your best to address your emotional needs – through counseling, talking with supportive friends or whatever works for you – and make financial decisions from a purely practical frame of mind. For example, you may have to work through your feelings about your marital home before you can do an honest and sufficiently detailed calculation to determine whether it makes sense to try to keep it on either a short-term or a long-term basis.

As you and your soon to be former spouse work through your divorce, see whether the two of you can agree on whether to sell any items to make more cash available to pay off debts or divide amongst each other. There are laws that govern marital property, so you must check with your attorneys before selling anything because an improper sale is illegal. Selling items requires consulting with your attorney, but you are free to reduce your personal expenses by eliminating unnecessary spending, starting your new household with only the bare minimum of utilities and looking for ways to save money on one-time and recurring costs.

While you work to build a strong financial future for yourself, a Texas Family Law Attorney can help you pursue an outcome in your divorce that will meet your current and future needs. To learn more, please contact attorney Alex Tyra at (903) 753-7499 to arrange a consultation, or visit us online and submit a convenient online contact form.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Talks about Organized Crime

/in /by

Two of the dozen or more individuals who are allegedly involved in an organized crime ring recently entered guilty pleas. One man received a fifteen-year prison sentence, and the other was sentenced to twenty-eight years in prison for his role in stealing approximately eighty thousand dollars’ worth of ATVs.  A third individual is alleged to have participated directly in the theft, and about ten other people were allegedly involved in indirect ways before, during, and after the theft took place.

The two men, along with a couple of accomplices, participated in a similar ATV theft one week after the first theft, this time in Louisiana. After an anonymous tip set into motion a chain of events that included gathering evidence and arresting accomplices, authorities were able to unravel the details of the ATV thefts and make connections between those crimes and other ATV thefts and rooftop burglaries which had occurred throughout several states.

The two men were apprehended earlier this year, and at the time of their arrest, authorities seized cell phones which provided multiple types of evidence that implicated them in the organized crime activities for which they recently entered guilty pleas.

Some crimes are isolated incidents, but other crimes are part of something more complicated. When people work together to plan and carry out a series of crimes, they are subject to organized crime charges in addition to charges for whatever criminal activities they have allegedly participated in. Chapter 71 of the Texas Penal Code describes organized crime and sets out the penalty scheme for various activities that fall into the category of organized crime. Basically, a defendant who is accused of any crime or any combination of crimes can also be accused of being a part of organized criminal activity if it can be shown that they committed the crime or combination of crimes “with the intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a combination or in the profits of a combination or as a member of a criminal street gang”. (Texas Penal Code Section 71.02)

It is important that people understand that actual participation in the crimes is not a prerequisite for organized crime charges. In addition to direct involvement or indirect involvement, an individual may be charged with conspiring to commit organized crime.

Sometimes, one or more of the people who are participating in an organized crime scheme withdraw fully from it before it is completed. Some of these people may even go so far as to renounce their involvement in it, and they might even inform authorities of the plans that had been made. Renunciation is a defense to organized crime charges, but just like any other defense to any crime, its effectiveness is directly tied to the facts of the situation.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Defending Texans against Criminal Charges

If you have been charged with organized crime, you need someone in your corner who can safeguard your rights and build the best possible case on your behalf. If you have been charged with organized crime and you have questions, please call Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499. Alternatively, you may contact us online.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Talks about Organized Crime

/in /by

Two of the dozen or more individuals who are allegedly involved in an organized crime ring recently entered guilty pleas. One man received a fifteen-year prison sentence, and the other was sentenced to twenty-eight years in prison for his role in stealing approximately eighty thousand dollars’ worth of ATVs.  A third individual is alleged to have participated directly in the theft, and about ten other people were allegedly involved in indirect ways before, during, and after the theft took place.

The two men, along with a couple of accomplices, participated in a similar ATV theft one week after the first theft, this time in Louisiana. After an anonymous tip set into motion a chain of events that included gathering evidence and arresting accomplices, authorities were able to unravel the details of the ATV thefts and make connections between those crimes and other ATV thefts and rooftop burglaries which had occurred throughout several states.

The two men were apprehended earlier this year, and at the time of their arrest, authorities seized cell phones which provided multiple types of evidence that implicated them in the organized crime activities for which they recently entered guilty pleas.

Some crimes are isolated incidents, but other crimes are part of something more complicated. When people work together to plan and carry out a series of crimes, they are subject to organized crime charges in addition to charges for whatever criminal activities they have allegedly participated in. Chapter 71 of the Texas Penal Code describes organized crime and sets out the penalty scheme for various activities that fall into the category of organized crime. Basically, a defendant who is accused of any crime or any combination of crimes can also be accused of being a part of organized criminal activity if it can be shown that they committed the crime or combination of crimes “with the intent to establish, maintain, or participate in a combination or in the profits of a combination or as a member of a criminal street gang”. (Texas Penal Code Section 71.02)

It is important that people understand that actual participation in the crimes is not a prerequisite for organized crime charges. In addition to direct involvement or indirect involvement, an individual may be charged with conspiring to commit organized crime.

Sometimes, one or more of the people who are participating in an organized crime scheme withdraw fully from it before it is completed. Some of these people may even go so far as to renounce their involvement in it, and they might even inform authorities of the plans that had been made. Renunciation is a defense to organized crime charges, but just like any other defense to any crime, its effectiveness is directly tied to the facts of the situation.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Defending Texans against Criminal Charges

If you have been charged with organized crime, you need someone in your corner who can safeguard your rights and build the best possible case on your behalf. If you have been charged with organized crime and you have questions, please call Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499. Alternatively, you may contact us online.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Talks About DWI Penalties

/in /by

Did you know that the penalties for DWI in Texas are relatively light compared to those in other states? Did you know that despite what the law says, penalties for DWI in Texas vary from case to case? People in Texas are wondering what the state’s DWI laws really mean, in light of recent repeat-offense DWI cases that have made it apparent that drivers who are arrested for DWI are not always kept off of the road for very long, even after a subsequent offense.

First and second offense DWIs are misdemeanors in Texas. The Texas Penal Code lists fines, jail time, loss of drivers’ license, and increased fees to reinstate the license as penalties for driving while intoxicated. As is the case with any type of crime, not all first offense DWI defendants pay a two thousand dollar fine, not all of them receive a sentence of one hundred and eighty days in jail, not all of those who receive a sentence must serve all of it in jail, and not all of them receive the standard loss of license and increased fees that are listed as possible penalties.

The differences in outcomes in DWI cases is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong with the criminal justice system in Texas. Rather, it illustrates something that is true for all criminal defendants regardless of what crimes they are charged with – every crime is a unique occurrence, and each defendant is a unique individual. Criminal cases are not decided uniformly because they should not be decided uniformly. The facts of each case can be argued by defense counsel in a way that supports an outcome that is appropriate for what actually happened. In other words, DWI defendants and their attorneys do have the ability to affect the outcome of their Texas DWI cases. This is good news for DWI defendants because it means that they can work with a DWI defense attorney to pursue workable outcomes in their DWI cases.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Defending Texas Drivers Against DWI Charges

If you are facing DWI charges, the thought of facing those charges in court on your own might be rather intimidating. It is important that you know that you do not have to face your DWI charges alone and that working with a Texas DWI Defense Attorney can help you work towards the best possible outcome in your DWI case. The consequences of a Texas DWI conviction are serious and a conviction could affect just about every area of your life. Your freedom, your license, your job, your relationships, and your future are all at stake. If you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, take the important first step of protecting your rights today, by calling an experienced Texas DWI Defense Attorney. If you have questions or concerns about DWI in Texas, please call Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499, or contact us via our online contact form.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Talks About DWI Penalties

/in /by

Did you know that the penalties for DWI in Texas are relatively light compared to those in other states? Did you know that despite what the law says, penalties for DWI in Texas vary from case to case? People in Texas are wondering what the state’s DWI laws really mean, in light of recent repeat-offense DWI cases that have made it apparent that drivers who are arrested for DWI are not always kept off of the road for very long, even after a subsequent offense.

First and second offense DWIs are misdemeanors in Texas. The Texas Penal Code lists fines, jail time, loss of drivers’ license, and increased fees to reinstate the license as penalties for driving while intoxicated. As is the case with any type of crime, not all first offense DWI defendants pay a two thousand dollar fine, not all of them receive a sentence of one hundred and eighty days in jail, not all of those who receive a sentence must serve all of it in jail, and not all of them receive the standard loss of license and increased fees that are listed as possible penalties.

The differences in outcomes in DWI cases is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong with the criminal justice system in Texas. Rather, it illustrates something that is true for all criminal defendants regardless of what crimes they are charged with – every crime is a unique occurrence, and each defendant is a unique individual. Criminal cases are not decided uniformly because they should not be decided uniformly. The facts of each case can be argued by defense counsel in a way that supports an outcome that is appropriate for what actually happened. In other words, DWI defendants and their attorneys do have the ability to affect the outcome of their Texas DWI cases. This is good news for DWI defendants because it means that they can work with a DWI defense attorney to pursue workable outcomes in their DWI cases.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Defending Texas Drivers Against DWI Charges

If you are facing DWI charges, the thought of facing those charges in court on your own might be rather intimidating. It is important that you know that you do not have to face your DWI charges alone and that working with a Texas DWI Defense Attorney can help you work towards the best possible outcome in your DWI case. The consequences of a Texas DWI conviction are serious and a conviction could affect just about every area of your life. Your freedom, your license, your job, your relationships, and your future are all at stake. If you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, take the important first step of protecting your rights today, by calling an experienced Texas DWI Defense Attorney. If you have questions or concerns about DWI in Texas, please call Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499, or contact us via our online contact form.