For a non-custodial parent, keeping a strong parent/child bond after a divorce is finalized can certainly be challenging. Visitation schedules can be arranged to help with this, but, sometimes, the amount of time granted is limited due to a parent's personal circumstances - such as the need to relocate. Thankfully, parents in Texas have the ability to seek virtual visitation schedules.

What is virtual visitation?

If you are granted virtual visitation as part of your parenting agreement, this means that you will be able to keep in contact with your children by using some form of technology. Depending on your individual circumstances, this may grant you free access to contact your children as often as you want or it may come with limitations as to how and when you are able to reach out to your kids. In either case, it is a great option for those who are unable to have a significant amount of physical visitation time.

If late spring and early summer are a never-ending parade of weddings, interestingly "wedding season" seems to be sandwiched between two different divorce seasons. Divorce filings hit their peaks in March and August every year.

According to the American Sociological Association (ASA), couples who are on the outs seem to want to tough it out during the holiday season, even though most couples fight about money during that time.

You undoubtedly know that the holidays can be a really tense time, on account of all the spending and travel: buying holiday gifts, paying for plane tickets, massive credit card bills in January, and holiday parties. If you have strained relationships with your in-laws, those obligatory trips on Thanksgiving and Christmas may only add fuel to the fire.

Divorce automatically delivers a new life full of changes and unknown variables that need to be worked out. For many parents, they must entirely rethink the way they parent and how they will care for their children.

One major variable here is the cost of childcare - particularly if one parent must now return to work. Daycare is expensive. It is a lot for one person to bankroll on their own. Many people assume that child support payments factor in this expense and will cover it.

The standardized formula for determining child support, however, does not factor in the cost of daycare, generally. In some cases, the court will address the expense in its divorce decree, mandating that both parents pay a certain percentage of the bill.

As a grandparent, looking out for the best interests of your grandchild or grandchildren is not always easy, especially when the traditional family structure falls apart. If your family has suboptimal circumstances that you believe negatively impact your grandchildren, there are steps you can take. While your legal rights may be diminished when compared to biological parents, you are not completely without options.

What are my rights?

The first step to providing a stable environment is to understand your rights. In Roxel v. Granvill, the Supreme Court ruled that grandparents do not have a constitutional right to visit their grandchildren. This means that your visitation or custody rights are not federally protected. Instead, laws about visitation vary by state. In Texas, there are laws in place that create a clear avenue to file for visitation rights or custody of grandchildren.

Whether you've been married for a few years or for several decades, property division may be the most complex aspect of your divorce, especially if you've accumulated significant wealth.

For many people, property division at divorce forms the foundation of their financial lives for many years to come.

Fair and realistic property valuation is crucial to obtaining a fair divorce settlement.