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Blog: Articles - Page 4

Divorce court

November 06, 2013Articles

Gay Marriage is Illegal in Texas . . . But What about Divorce?

As more states are passing legislation permitting same-sex couples to get married, the latest being Illinois just this week, the polls of citizens here in Texas demonstrate that such action is not likely to be successful in the chambers of the Austin state house anytime soon. That does not mean, however, that our state is exempt from dealing with the family law questions that develop when gay couples make their union legally binding in another...

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Bertolino LLP

July 18, 2013Articles

The "Dos and Don’ts" of Appearing Before the Texas Medical Board or Texas Board of Nursing

As you may already know from the unwanted experiences of your colleagues, the number of complaints filed with the Texas Medical Board and Texas Board of Nursing has greatly increased over the past several years. This influx of cases that must now be reviewed by overworked state board investigators is due largely to Proposition 12, which was passed by Texas voters in 2003. Under this legislation, the maximum amount that patients could win in a...

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Bertolino LLP

July 18, 2013Articles

Houston Billionaire Charged with Fraud

As multiple stories about fraudulent investment plans have come to light, the term "Ponzi scheme" has become a common phrase in the American vocabulary over the past year. The term was originally coined based on the deception practiced by an Italian immigrant named Charles Ponzi, who was swindling Americans out of their money around the turn of the last century. The most infamous person of our day to develop this illegal scheming is Bernard Madoff....

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Bertolino LLP

July 18, 2013Articles

Texas Considers Legislation That Would Allow Guns on Campuses

We all remember the tragedy. Nearly two years ago, a lone gunman opened fire on his fellow students at Virginia Tech and thirty-two people were left dead in the wake of the massacre. Last year, the students at Northern Illinois experienced a similar tragedy that resulted in five deaths and eighteen people wounded. The question that has plagued campus leaders across the country since then has been, "How do we prevent such violence at our...

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Bertolino LLP

July 18, 2013Articles

Cameras on U.S.-Mexico Border are Not Proving as Effective to Curb Illegal Immigration

Countless proposals have been made at both the state and federal level in the past couple of years to address the problem of illegal immigration. Some politicians want to build a fence across our entire southern border. Yet other politicians advocate the idea of punishing employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. For obvious reasons, there is no state whose residents are more adamant about finding solutions than the state of Texas. Last year, Texas Governor...

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Bertolino LLP

February 18, 2013Articles

Houston Foreclosures Increase While Homes Sales Drop

It is not at all uncommon to see "For Sale" signs posted in front yards throughout a typical neighborhood in Houston. Unfortunately, the reason for selling the property is not usually because a family's income has increased and they are moving into a bigger yard with a swimming pool and three-car garage nor is it due to a newly retired couple who has just purchased an RV with the intention of seeing the country. Instead,...

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Bertolino LLP

July 18, 2011Articles

Dismissal of Charges in Austin Yogurt Shop Murders

There are certain notorious crimes that leave a lasting impact even on the people that only read about the violence in the newspaper or see it on the news. Perhaps a high-profile celebrity gets killed and the details are fodder for the tabloids for months. Or, maybe the crime that is committed is done so against the most innocent and harmless among us, and the violence leaves everyone asking how such an act could occur....

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Bertolino LLP

July 18, 2011Articles

Understanding Prenuptial Agreements in Texas

Different states characterize married couples' property differently, and Texas is what is known as a "community property" state. This means that, in Texas, a couple's property upon divorce will be divided into two categories: separate and marital. Separate property goes to each spouse individually and includes property that he or she owned before entering into the marriage. Marital property includes almost everything earned or acquired by either spouse during the marriage, except for gifts and...

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Bertolino LLP

March 11, 2011Articles

Military Divorce Rate Expected to Rise

The troop withdrawal in Iraq marked the end of an era in American history. While thousands of servicemen will return home, it is anticipated that many more divorces will take place. According to a report by USA Today, 30,000 divorces occurred in 2011, and the military divorce rate reached its highest point since 1999. Chaplain Carleton Birch, a spokesman for the Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains, explained that the drawdowns in Iraq and...

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Bertolino LLP

March 01, 2011Articles

The "Just and Right" Division of Property in Texas Divorce Cases

The division of property can be one of the most contentious aspects of a divorce. This is especially true when the husband has been the primary financial provider in the marriage. By the time a marriage comes to an end, most couples have accumulated wealth that might include personal property, real estate, bank accounts, investments, family business assets, insurance, retirement accounts and other assets. Multiple types of assets earned over the years can make property...

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