In Texas, the short answer is “maybe.” The concept of an informal marriage, sometimes referred as Common Law marriage, does exist in Texas. According to current law, (which may undergo a major re-write in this upcoming session of the Legislature) the … [Read more...]
DACA and Trump
There are many questions related to the future of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) now that President-elect Trump is due to take office on January 20, 2017. HISTORY OF DACA: Since the initiation of DACA in 2012, United States … [Read more...]
CONFESSIONS Article 38.22 Code of Criminal Procedure and 51.095 Family Code-
A statement of a person accused of a crime may be used against him if it appears the statement was freely and voluntarily made without compulsion or persuasion. Often a person accused of a crime will make a statement concerning the facts of the … [Read more...]
Understanding the “Standard Possession Order”
In a divorce with children, and in other cases involving custody, the courts often impose what is commonly known as a “Standard Possession Order” or “SPO” for short, to resolve the competing desires of the parents to allocate periods of time with … [Read more...]
BAILEY & GALYEN WINS MAJOR JURY VERDICT – SECURES NEARLY $800,000 FOR AUTO ACCIDENT INJURY VICTIM
After unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a settlement in a motor vehicle accident injury claim, Bailey & Galyen’s personal injury team took its case to a judge and jury (48th Judicial District Tarrant County, Texas), receiving a $794,127 verdict … [Read more...]
WHAT IS A SPECIAL NEEDS TRUST?
A Special Needs Trust is a trust that can be used to supplement a disabled beneficiary’s needs while allowing that beneficiary to continue receiving his or her governmental benefits. These benefits include Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social … [Read more...]
Revocable Living Trusts
For most people, a carefully prepared will and, in the case of incapacity, powers of attorney are sufficient for a complete estate plan. However, there are times when a revocable living trust may be preferable. How does one decide which is a better … [Read more...]
New Executive Director of Bailey & Galyen
Effective July 12, 2016, Rick Cruz CPA became the new Executive Director of Bailey & Galyen. As Executive Director, Mr. Cruz oversees the Firm operations including finance, human resources, information technology, facilities, and marketing and … [Read more...]
UPDATE ON DAPA and EXTENDED DACA PROGRAMS ISSUED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA
On June 23, 2016 the Supreme Court released a 4-4 split decision in the case of United States v. Texas. The case was brought by Texas and many other states challenging President Obama’s executive orders for Deferred Action for Parents of Americans … [Read more...]
Civil laws-our Common Law system
As a lawyer in my 28th year of practice, together with additional years of education and training before that, I quickly accepted the task of writing a paper on “Civil Law” for our firm’s newsletter because it seemed to be quite obvious and … [Read more...]
ESSENTIAL ESTATE PLANNING DOCUMENTS
A surprising number of people do not think ahead when it comes to their estate planning. Many people believe that because they don’t consider themselves to be wealthy, such planning is unnecessary. However, everyone has an estate, no matter how … [Read more...]
UPDATE ON U.S. v. TEXAS – DAPA and EXTENDED DACA
On Monday, April 18, 2016 the Supreme Court heard the oral arguments in the case of U.S. v. Texas, in which President Obama’s executive order is being challenged as over stepping his Executive authority. Although speculations arose after the release … [Read more...]