2021 is finally here, and Texas lawyers brace for surge in divorce filings

by Trey Yates

If you are online searching for divorce information as the New Year begins, you are not alone.
Divorce filings spike this time of year for many reasons, and the pandemic has heightened
this pattern.

“Divorce is seasonal,” says Vicky Townsend, co-founder and chief executive of the National
Association of Divorce Professionals, which includes lawyers, therapists and financial
advisers who may be used in divorce proceedings.

She explains that couples may have been considering divorce in the final months of last year
but put it off over the holidays. And all the talk of New Year’s resolutions gets them thinking
again about a new year and a fresh start.

Some conclude “the holidays are over, and I’m not going into this year as miserable as I was
last year,” she adds.

Divorce specialists also cite potential tax reasons, unique state laws, or facts surrounding a
specific case that may determine why and when couples file for divorce.

Whatever the reason, if you are considering divorce in 2020, the sooner you start to prepare
the better. In Texas, there is a minimum waiting period of 60 days from the time you file until
you can legally obtain a final decree of divorce, if a couple agrees quickly to settlement
details. In our office, we usually see most divorce cases take at least six months but may take
many more months depending on the case and the couple involved.

We advise individuals who are considering divorce to learn all they can about the divorce
process in Texas, starting before they file. Also, we suggest you get up to speed quickly on all
your marital finances. Begin pulling financial documents together and making copies of bank
statements, retirement and investment accounts, your mortgage statement, loans and credit
card statements, the last three years of your income tax filings, and more. Order recent credit
reports on yourself and your spouse. Then, become very familiar with all the details of these
documents.

Identify several experienced board certified, divorce family law attorneys and make
consultation appointments with them to find the one with whom you connect. Bring as much
information about your case as possible to your consultations and have your questions ready.
Knowledge about your finances will help your divorce attorney offer appropriate advice to
guide you on several levels.

Consider attending a The Guide to Good DivorceSM seminar this year. These are information-
packed workshops that offer presentations from several divorce experts, including myself, as

well as divorce financial analysts and wellness professionals. I founded the program in 2011
and have enjoyed helping more than 500 seminar attendees make the transition through
divorce to their next best life.

It is a New Year, and a New Decade. It is time to live your next best life.

Sam M. “Trey” Yates, III is a Houston-based Board Certified Family Law Attorney and creator
of The Guide to Good DivorceSM seminars for women. If you have questions about your Texas
divorce, please contact The Law Office of Sam M. “Trey” Yates, III, P.C. for a consultation. If
you would like more information about Trey Yates’ 2021Guide to Good Divorce seminars,
please visit www.GuideToGoodDivorce.com or call 713.742.6606.