Divorce Definitions

Paternity The determination of who the father of a child is in order to arrange child custody and child support in the event of a divorce. Alimony A payment made by one spouse to another pending divorce or separation. Custodial parent The parent who has physical custody of the children. Supervised visitation A form of visitation in which an adult supervisor must be present when the child is visiting with the non-custodial parent. Legal Separation A court order arranging the terms (custody, support, etc.) under which a married couple will live separately. This addresses the same issues as divorce, but does not completely dissolve the marriage. Abandonment When a parent leaves a child without enough care, supervision, support, or parental contact for an excessive period of time. Domestic Violence Petition This form serves as your application for a protective order; after obtaining one from the courthouse clerk, completing and returning it, it will be reviewed by a judge. Mediation A non-adversarial process in which a neutral third party acts to encourage and help disputing parties reach a mutually acceptable agreement. May not be a good option when domestic violence is present. Uncontested Divorce A divorce where both parties are able to make a mutually agreed-upon arrangement. Contested Divorce A divorce where the parties are unable or unwilling to come to a mutual agreement.

Contact our Houston Divorce Lawyer now.

	Did You Know?
	About my ex-spouse visitation rights Unless the court has granted a modification of the visitation arrangement, then you can not and should not deny visitation! Denying visitation is one of the biggest mistakes made by most custodial parents. You may believe you have a justifiable reason for denying the visitation rights, but by law your are not permitted to do so.