The Palmer Law Firm

08/28/2026

TEXAS' MOST BIZARRE DIVORCE CASES- Part I:
Mayes v. Stewart, 11 S.W.3d 440 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2000, pet. denied)

08/20/2026

🏠 SHOULD YOU KEEP THE HOME AFTER A TEXAS DIVORCE?

For many people, the marital home is the most emotional asset in the divorce—and sometimes the one they evaluate least objectively.

Keeping the house may provide stability, but it also means taking responsibility for the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs, and potentially buying out your spouse’s equity. You must also consider what retirement, investment, or other assets you may be giving up to keep it.

The better question is not simply, “Who gets the house?”

It is: “What role should the house play in the overall financial settlement?”

In my latest article, I discuss the principal options—keeping the house, selling it, delaying the sale, or trading home equity for other assets—and the legal and financial issues that should be considered before the divorce decree is signed.

Watch the video and read the full article here:
https://www.thepalmerlawfirm.com/blog/the-house-in-a-texas-divorce-keep-it-sell-it-or-trade-it-for-other-assets

08/17/2026

You had the money before marriage. Or perhaps you received it through an inheritance. So it is obviously still yours—right?

Under Texas law, it may qualify as separate property. But in a divorce, knowing where the money started and proving where it is today are two very different things.

After years of deposits, withdrawals, transfers, reinvestments, and mixed marital funds, a substantial separate-property claim may depend on tracing the financial trail with clear and convincing evidence.

My new article explains how Texas courts approach separate property, commingling, inheritances, investment accounts, and the documentation needed to protect a claim.

Watch the video and read the article here:
https://www.thepalmerlawfirm.com/blog/separate-property-in-a-texas-divorce-when-does-your-money-stop-being-yours

08/14/2026

You spent twenty or thirty years building your 401(k). The account is in your name, and every contribution came through your employment.

So it is entirely yours in a Texas divorce—right?

Not necessarily.

A retirement account can contain both separate and community property. Determining what each spouse actually owns may depend on when contributions were made, whether older accounts were rolled over, what records still exist, and whether a claimed separate-property interest can be proven.

When substantial retirement assets are involved, the balance on the latest statement is only the beginning of the analysis.

Read the full article:

https://www.thepalmerlawfirm.com/blog/what-happens-to-your-401k-after-a-long-marriage-in-texas

08/13/2026

Two assets can have the same dollar value on a divorce inventory—and still be worth very different amounts in the real world.

Taxes, debt, liquidity, selling costs, and access restrictions can make an apparently equal property division far less equal than it looks.

In my latest article, I explain why understanding what an asset is actually worth to you may be more important than simply asking whether you received half.

Read the full article here: https://www.thepalmerlawfirm.com/blog/why-500000-in-retirement-is-not-necessarily-worth-the-same-as-500000-in-home-equity-in-a-texas-divorce

07/23/2026

I’ve released a new video about an important Texas Supreme Court decision involving child custody and primary residence.

Suppose a jury awards you the exclusive right to determine your child’s primary residence, but the judge then gives the other parent most of the actual parenting time.

Can the court do that?

In *Gopalan v. Marsh*, the Texas Supreme Court said no. The Court explained that the legal designation of primary residence cannot be contradicted by a possession schedule under which the child actually lives more often somewhere else.

In the new video and accompanying article, I explain what the decision means, what it does not change, and why parents should count the actual overnights instead of relying only on the labels in a custody order.

The article and video are linked in the first comment.

We can’t protect your heart, but we can protect your rights.

07/21/2026

Never a dull moment at The Palmer Law Firm. Here was the scene moments ago from our lobby door on Egret Bay. Thanks to our League City FD for their quick action.

The driver was unharmed.

05/28/2026

Think your spouse’s “stock compensation” is just another bonus?

Think again.

Restricted Stock Units — or RSUs — can become one of the most valuable and heavily disputed assets in a Texas divorce. And many people don’t realize they may be entitled to a portion of stock that hasn’t even vested yet.

The difference can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

I recently wrote a detailed article breaking down how RSUs are analyzed, valued, and divided in Texas divorce cases — including the hidden tax and compensation issues most people never see coming.

Read the full article here:

Texas family law insights on divorce, custody, child support, property division & mediation for League City and the greater Houston–Galveston area.