Austin Family Law And Personal Injury Blog

Children and divorce: Keep watch for signs of concern

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC on Friday, May 1, 2020.

You might have felt a bit nervous the day you informed your children that they would soon experience some big changes in life. While divorce is not uncommon in Texas or elsewhere across the country, it doesn't mean it's an easy thing to do to inform your children that this is soon going to be a reality for your family.

Children are typically quite intuitive, so it may well have been that they suspected your marriage was headed for divorce even before you and your spouse told them. Divorce doesn't have to ruin kids' lives. In fact, there are many ways you can be proactive to help them cope and keep things as peaceful as possible between you and your ex to avoid legal problems.

Fatal car accidents often involve speeding drivers

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.

No doubt, many Texas drivers can understand how easy it can be to exceed the speed limit while behind the wheel, particularly with a wide-open road ahead. However, most people, when faced with such a temptation, will closely monitor the situation and drive responsibly, knowing that car accidents can result from speeding. Unfortunately, though, some people still drive too fast, sometimes causing a tragic outcome. Such was the case recently when two pedestrians were killed by a speeding SUV on a Houston roadway.

The horrific accident happened late on a Monday evening. Reportedly, two men, both 38 years old, were walking on the road when a northbound SUV struck and killed them. The driver then swerved off the road, hitting a utility pole. A family member has said the men were cousins and they were on their way to their grandfather's house at the time.

Texas car accidents: 2 killed in multi-vehicle crash

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in car accidents on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

Many Texas residents have experienced a flat tire sometime during their driving history. Typically, people in such a position are able to safely pull over to the side of the road and change the tire. However, car accidents can occur in such situations, either when the affected vehicle slows down to exit the road, or even when the car's occupants stand outside the vehicle once it has stopped. Unfortunately, what began as a fairly common and easily rectified problem can sometimes end in tragedy.

Recently, two people were killed and several others were injured in a multi-vehicle pileup on an interstate in Houston. According to authorities, the incident began very early on a Friday morning when a man driving an SUV that was pulling a trailer realized he had a flat tire and tried to pull over. While he was doing so, another vehicle crashed into the trailer and stopped in a sideways position on Interstate 45 North Freeway. Then, the driver of a pickup truck approached the accident site, lost control of his vehicle, crashed into a wall and ended up in the middle of the road as well. Police have said that at some point, two people involved in the crash got out of their vehicles.

Should you settle or go to trial during a divorce?

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in divorce on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

All divorcing Texas couples hope the process of ending their marriage runs a quick, smooth course. Unfortunately, the reality can be much different for some. Spouses may disagree on many issues: fair division of assets, custody arrangements, child/spousal support details, etc., and sometime during the divorce process, everyone involved may decide going to court and trusting a judge's decision is in everyone's best interest. Divorcing partners should keep in mind a few points before deciding whether to go to trial or to reach a settlement between them.

For one, people planning a trial will likely spend a great deal of time preparing and waiting for trial dates; sometimes the entire process can take a year or more. Most often, those who reach a settlement through negotiation are able to finalize their divorce much more quickly. As well, people need to consider the costs involved in a divorce trial; typically, the cost for preparing a settlement agreement is much lower.

Car accidents: Server charged following horrific fatal crash

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

As most people likely know, restaurant and bar employees who overserve alcohol to a patron and/or serve to a minor can be held responsible if that person later becomes involved in a motor vehicle crash. Unfortunately, car accidents sometimes result from a server or bartender failing to serve alcohol responsibly. In a recent example, a server has been charged after she allegedly served alcohol to three teenagers at a Texas restaurant. The teens were killed later that night when their vehicle crashed into a tree.

The incident happened near Dallas. According to a recent police news release, the teens' vehicle caught on fire after crashing into a tree. All three occupants, ranging in age from 16 to 18 years, were pronounced dead at the accident scene.

Divorce: Negotiation skills to keep in mind

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC on Friday, March 6, 2020.

You might be one of many people in Texas who are known for being a peacemaker. Do you typically avoid confrontation and opt for peaceful, amicable discussion to resolve problems whenever possible? Then again, maybe negotiating has never been a strong point of yours. Either way, if your preparing for divorce, it pays to practice good negotiation skills.

Thinking of the settlement process as a series of negotiation sessions may help you streamline your efforts by having certain goals in mind, then cooperating with your spouse to accomplish them. Perhaps, you and your spouse don't get along so well. It's still possible to keep stress to a minimum in divorce by using helpful negotiation tools.

Texas car accidents: Man killed in head-on crash in Houston

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.

Sometimes, a person is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, most often in multi-vehicle accidents, one driver is responsible and other drivers involved are completely innocent. In a tragic example, a young man died on a Texas roadway when a wrong-way driver struck him head-on.

The horrific crash happened in Houston in the early morning hours of a recent Saturday morning. The 26-year-old man was driving home when he was struck head-on by a truck traveling in the wrong lane. Police have said they do not know why the 25-year-old truck driver was driving the wrong way. Apparently, they had received several 911 calls, and prior to the crash, officers had attempted to stop him.

Street racing often leads to tragic car accidents

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, February 18, 2020.

Most drivers are responsible people who closely adhere to the rules of the road, avoid drugs and alcohol before driving, wear seat belts, etc. Unfortunately, however, not every person who gets behind the wheel behaves this way, and car accidents can happen when drivers choose to act recklessly, essentially turning their vehicle into a dangerous weapon. Such was the case when a pair of street racers killed a Texas man when one of their cars collided with his vehicle.

The horrific crash happened early on a recent Sunday morning in Pleasant Grove. Police have said a 45-year-old man was on his way to donate plasma the day after celebrating his birthday. While he was crossing an intersection, his car was struck by one of the racing vehicles. The vehicle that was hit then spun out of control, ejecting the driver and throwing him across three lanes of traffic. He was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

Head-on car accidents often result in fatalities

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in car accidents on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

Head-on collisions can happen for various reasons and are sometimes a result of circumstances out of the driver's control, such as a medical condition or mechanical failure. Other times, drivers who cause these types of car accidents were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time, or something inside the vehicle, such as a cell phone, caused a momentary distraction. Whatever the reason, wrong-way drivers often cause fatalities, and such was the case recently when two people died in a horrific collision on a Texas roadway.

The incident happened in Arlington on a Thursday evening. Police have said, according to witnesses and video surveillance, a vehicle was traveling southbound in a northbound lane. The car struck a northbound SUV, causing a chain reaction involving two other vehicles.

Guiding you toward a successful divorce resolution

On behalf of The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, PC posted in divorce on Friday, January 24, 2020.

Much like there are many emotions at the start of a marriage, there are a wide range of emotions to navigate throughout the end of a marriage. While no one gets married with the intention to get divorced, the unfortunate reality is that the divorce rate still remains around 50 percent. Thus, those intending to get married and those currently married need to consider the possibility of divorce in their future. With this consideration, many partners will take the steps to develop a prenuptial agreement. While this document can be very beneficial in the event of the divorce, it is important to understand that this marital agreement does not address all divorce issues.

While a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement could help address some major divorce issues, the legal team at The Law Offices of Mark C. Roles, P.C., understand that these marital documents do not address all divorce issues. Additionally, divorcing couples in Texas may have reason to challenge these documents, giving rise to many additional decisions that require attention.

Skilled Divorce And Personal Injury
Representation