Dallas Divorce Lawyer | Child Support Attorney Dallas County Texas

At Goldstein & Scopellite, PC, our focus is our client. What this means is that you come first. We listen to what you have to say and we work together with you to find the best path and strategy to ensure that your needs are met and your rights are protected. We are not interested in unnecessary paperwork, lengthy litigation; argument for the purpose of increasing fees; or expediting your case without covering all the bases. What we are interested in is providing you with necessary information, as to the law and the evidence, so that you can make a logical path in deciding the future of your case.

We focus on doing things right! Our goal is to try to establish a positive relationship with the opposing counsel in your matter so that we can help you form an amicable future with your opposing party, and, should you have children together, between each party and the child(ren). We are an active voice in favor of a future relationship between the parties!

Our firm can help you achieve an amicable and successful conclusion to a variety of family law matters, some of which are listed below:

Divorce including contested custody matters can be a painful experience. Some psychologists state that Divorce is second only to mourning the death of a loved one in its intensity of emotion and feeling.

At Goldstein & Scopellite, PC, we understand that the family matter that brought our client to our firm will carry tremendous emotional weight. If not resolved, our firm will help you investigate and understand the root causes of this conflict so that we can attempt to find creative solutions to resolve our client’s matter, mitigate the trauma or conflict, and allow our client's family to continue to function with minimal upset. In divorce, the parties’ children and property will be most affected, possibly permanently. Our firm will take the steps to ensure that our client's wishes are met. We do not lose sight of the responsibility that we carry in protecting our clients and their families from harm.

Goldstein & Scopellite, PC believes in protecting children first in family law matters and, in order to do that, we try to limit, when possible, conflict during all family litigation. We are practiced in all types of family matters regardless of their complexity, including but not limited to the issues of divorce, custody modification, child support modification, custody enforcement, child and medical support enforcement, paternity, and adoption. We are elated when the parties can agree on the terms of their family matter and are able to reach a quick and amicable resolution.

However, we do not shy away from the highly complex and conflicted cases or taking strong, adversarial actions in order to protect our client’s interests. We are there to protect you and we are successful. If a jury trial is required our attorneys are experienced and knowledgeable in jury charges and patterns, selecting a jury, filing proper documentation, pre-trial and the actual jury trial itself. We take the legal actions necessary to help our client have a future that will be positive with their child(ren).

If there is the possibility of settlement between the parties, we will make every attempt to facilitate that settlement and we will also encourage you to bring to our attention any settlement agreements that may have been made privately between the parties so that we can expound upon those agreements and strive to reach a final settlement that leaves a relationship in place where both parties will be able to work together in harmony throughout the coming years.

Our belief is that the family is a unit that should maintain its integrity, to the best of its ability, even past a divorce, a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, or a modification suit. Remember, you will be in constant contact at least until the youngest child until they reach 18 years of age. The family relationship isn't simply undone when the divorce, separation, modification or child-support battle is finalized. If there are children, our focus becomes the children and what is in their best interest.

Whether you have children or not, time and expenses can be saved if the parties can agree to some of the terms of their separation, divorce or modification before they come to our Firm. We believe that the relationships that remain are more important than "winning" in any family law case.

One important part of child custody is child support, whether paid or received. Oftentimes, the spouse, the "ex" spouse or the party paying child support (the non-primary parent) will feel bitter or angry about paying child support, believing that the money is going to the other spouse, "ex" spouse or party, and not the children. What they do not realize is that the party with primary custody of the child(ren) is paying for the child(ren) in addition to the support they receive. Further, the Court believes that both parents have the duty to support their children. This is the case even if neither parent has custody. At Goldstein & Scopellite, PC, we try to emphasize that the children benefit from each parent’s contributions, whether in child support or time. We assist you in determining a proper child support amount. We assist you in implementing this support properly into an order designating support, and if need be, in executing a withholding order that allows a deduction for child support to be taken from the designated party’s pay check. [Back to top]

Should a prior Order need to be modified due to a change in circumstances or issues relating to custody, visitation, medical support, child support, domicile, clarification of a prior order, telephone contact, drop-off locations, or withholding orders, Goldstein & Scopellite, PC is prepared to listen to what new or pertinent facts exist, put together a case that will help you achieve the goals that you have, and implement that modification through filing proper pleadings and negotiation or litigating your matter. [Back to top]

Many of our clients come to us when they have participated in the birth of a child, while not having been married the other party involved in the child’s conception, or they come to us when they are alleging non-paternity to a child alleged to be their biological child. In order to protect the future of the child born, and to protect the interests of the parent-child relationship, it is necessary to initiate a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship and determine the parentage of the child and to protect the interest of our client and the child. Goldstein & Scopellite, PC is practiced in the resolution of such matters. Many times our firm has been able to safeguard the life of the child with our client. This is first done by aiding in the determination of the biological parents and then, when paternity is established, by assisting in setting proper custody, possession and access, child support and a workable relationship so that the parties’ child will have a life with both parents. [Back to top]

Since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Troxel, the laws in all of the states have been changing when it comes to grandparent’s rights. Texas is no different and, in fact, the laws have changed here, as well. Grandparents have rights to grandchildren, under specific circumstances, and we have helped grandparents on many occasions to protect those rights and gain visitation or custody, whether on a temporary basis or on a permanent basis. If you believe that your right to possession or access with your grandchildren is being violated, or if you feel your grandchild(ren) would better off if you intervened, please feel free to contact one of our attorneys and we will be happy to discuss the law with you to see if your specific case applies.[Back to top]

Goldstein & Scopellite, PC is dedicated and experienced in the adoption process including assisting you throughout the entire adoption process not limited to preparing and filing the Petition for adoption, preparing and filing the termination of rights affidavits, preparing and filing the petition designating rights in the adoption, initiating social and background studies, preparing and entering the final order of adoption, and if needed in immigration matters, petitioning for the adopted child’s Citizenship or immigrant Visa after the adoption takes place.

Adoption can be a positive asset for biological parents who, for whatever reason, cannot care for a child, to ensure that their child is taken care of: by either a relative, family or third party family. [Back to top]

Retirement plans are uniquely drafted by each company. No two QDRO’s are the same nor are the corporate rules in diviging a QDRO the same from one company to another. In many divorces the retirement plan will need to be divided or a percentage designated and transferred to the other spouse. Goldstein & Scopellite, PC is experienced in assisting you in the production of, drafting of, and implementation of, a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) ensuring the proper division of your retirement benefits. [Back to top]

In certain situations, one of the parties to an upcoming marriage may find it advisable to protect his/her separate property assets from co-mingling those assets with the ensuing community property of the upcoming marital estate. The parties may also find it desirable to determine a specific, designated settlement, support, or maintenance to be distributed for the less endowed spouse should that marriage be dissolved by divorce. Goldstein & Scopellite, PC has extensive knowledge in drafting such Pre-Nuptial Agreements so that the parties’ interests are protected. Through a well-drafted Pre-Nuptial Agreement, one spouse’s separate property can be protected and the other spouse can be protected if the marriage needs to be dissolved. Our firm will ensure that the Pre-Nuptial Agreement is drafted as directed by the parties, we will assist you in having the Pre-Nuptial signed before the marrieage and we can ensure that the Pre-Nuptial Agreement is re-executed after at least 30 days of marriage or it will be unenforceable. We are happy to say that our firm’s attorneys are trained to provide both you, and your future spouse, a friendly, accommodating, and informative environment in which to make these very important lifetime decisions. [Back to top]

If you are in need of an attorney to assist you with a divorce, child custody, child support, modification or any other family law matter, please do not hesitate to contact one of our attorneys at our office today. We provide a free 20-minute consultation so that we can help you understand more clearly what your legal issues really are. Our firm is dedicated to making a difference.

The office of Goldstein & Scopellite, PC represents clients located in and around the Dallas / Fort Worth area of Texas, including the communities of Dallas, Collin, Tarrant, Denton, Plano, and all of the surrounding areas..

Goldstein & Scopellite, PC
Attorneys at Law
2515 Thomas Avenue
Dallas, TX 75201
Telephone: 214-351-9100
Facsimile: 214-351-2889
E-mail

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Dallas County-Collin County-Tarrant County-Denton County (DFW) Family Law Lawyers