When Colleyville families face the challenges of divorce, child custody, or other family law matters, having an experienced local attorney is essential. Hargrave Law, PC — with offices in nearby Bedford — has served North Texas families for over two decades, providing the skilled and personal legal representation that Colleyville’s one of North Texas’s most desirable residential communities, known for its high-income households, strong school districts, and concentration of business owners and professionals deserve. Earl A. Hargrave and Benjamin C. Sauer bring a combined depth of experience across all areas of Texas family law, from straightforward uncontested divorces to complex contested cases involving closely held businesses, substantial real estate equity, retirement accounts, and deferred compensation arrangements.
Family Law in Texas: What Colleyville Residents Need to Know
Texas family law is governed primarily by the Texas Family Code, which establishes the framework for divorce, child custody, child support, and spousal maintenance. As a community property state, Texas presumes that most assets and debts acquired during a marriage belong equally to both spouses — a distinction that has major financial implications for Colleyville families with accumulated wealth. The courts in Tarrant County apply this framework alongside the best-interest-of-the-child standard in all matters involving minors, ensuring that children’s needs remain at the center of every family law proceeding.
Family law cases in Colleyville are heard at the Tarrant County Family Law Center, Fort Worth. Texas family courts have broad equitable powers to craft solutions that fit each family’s unique circumstances, which means that the quality of your legal representation — and the strength of your case preparation — directly affects the outcome. At Hargrave Law, PC, we prepare every case as if it will go to trial, while working diligently to reach fair and efficient resolutions that spare our clients unnecessary conflict.
How Earl A. Hargrave Approaches Your Family Law Case
Earl A. Hargrave has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 1999 and is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. His approach to family law is grounded in thorough preparation, honest communication, and a genuine commitment to his clients’ long-term wellbeing. He understands that family law cases are not just legal matters — they are life events that affect every aspect of a client’s world, from their financial security to their relationship with their children.
Attorney Hargrave takes a practical, results-oriented approach to every case. He evaluates each client’s goals, assesses the likely range of outcomes, and builds a strategy designed to achieve the best possible result efficiently. Whether the situation calls for skilled negotiation at the mediation table or forceful advocacy in the Tarrant County Family Law Center, Fort Worth, clients receive the same thorough and dedicated representation.
Family Law Services in Colleyville, Texas
Hargrave Law, PC provides a full range of family law services to residents of Colleyville and the surrounding area, including:
- Divorce — contested and uncontested, including complex asset division
- Child Custody and Conservatorship — primary conservator designation and possession orders
- Child Support — calculation, enforcement, and modification
- Alimony and Spousal Maintenance — seeking and defending spousal support
- Property and Asset Division — including real estate, business interests, and retirement accounts
- Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements — drafting and enforcing marital agreements
- Adoption — including stepparent and non-traditional adoption
Why Location Matters in Your Colleyville Family Law Case
Family law in Colleyville presents unique considerations that general-practice attorneys may not fully appreciate. The community’s one of North Texas’s most desirable residential communities, known for its high-income households, strong school districts, and concentration of business owners and professionals creates closely held businesses, substantial real estate equity, retirement accounts, and deferred compensation arrangements that require specialized knowledge and careful analysis. Custody arrangements must account for the academic calendars and extracurricular commitments of children in local schools. And the Tarrant County Family Law Center, Fort Worth has its own procedural practices and judicial expectations that experienced local practitioners understand.
Hargrave Law, PC serves families throughout Colleyville and the neighboring communities of Grapevine, Southlake, and Keller. Our familiarity with Tarrant County courts and our deep understanding of Texas family law enables us to provide representation that is both technically excellent and sensitive to the particular circumstances of our North Texas clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Texas calculate child support?
Texas uses a percentage-of-income formula for child support based on the paying parent’s net monthly resources. For one child, the guideline amount is 20% of net resources; for two children, 25%; up to a cap of 40% for five or more. However, courts can deviate from guidelines when circumstances — such as a high-income obligor or the child’s special needs — warrant it. In Colleyville cases involving business owners or high earners, determining ‘net resources’ can be complex and contested.
What are grounds for divorce in Texas?
Texas allows both no-fault and fault-based divorce. The most common ground is ‘insupportability’ — essentially irreconcilable differences — which does not require proving wrongdoing. Fault grounds include adultery, cruelty, abandonment, felony conviction, and living apart for three or more years. Proving fault in a Colleyville divorce can affect the property division, as the court may award a disproportionate share of community property to the innocent spouse.
How is spousal support determined in Texas?
Spousal maintenance in Texas is more limited than in many states. To qualify, the spouse seeking support must typically demonstrate that they cannot meet their minimum reasonable needs after divorce and that the marriage lasted at least 10 years, or that the other spouse was convicted of family violence, or that the requesting spouse has a disability. The duration and amount of support are capped by statute, making early legal planning important for Colleyville couples with significant income disparity.
Can I modify a custody order after it’s been entered in Texas?
Yes — Texas courts can modify a custody or support order if there has been a material and substantial change in circumstances since the order was entered, or if the child is at least 12 and wishes to state a preference to a judge. Common triggering events include a parent relocating, a significant change in income, or a change in the child’s needs. Earl A. Hargrave and the team at Hargrave Law, PC, regularly handle post-decree modifications for families throughout Colleyville and the surrounding area.
What is the difference between legal separation and divorce in Texas?
Texas does not recognize legal separation in the same way many other states do. While spouses can enter into a ‘partition and exchange agreement’ to separately manage their finances while remaining married, there is no formal legal separation status that provides automatic protections. Couples who want to separate their finances and legal obligations while remaining married should work with an attorney to structure appropriate agreements — or proceed with divorce, which is the only way to fully dissolve the marital estate under Texas law.
Contact Hargrave Law, PC
If you are facing a family law matter in Colleyville, Texas, do not navigate it alone. Contact Hargrave Law, PC today for a confidential consultation with Earl A. Hargrave or Benjamin C. Sauer. We will listen to your situation, explain your options, and help you understand what to expect every step of the way.
Call us at (817) 282-0679 or visit us online at https://www.ehargravelaw.com. Our office is located at 2719 Northridge Dr #200, Bedford, TX 76021, conveniently accessible to families throughout Colleyville and Tarrant County.
