Tarrant County Adoption

Tarrant County Adoption Help

Growing your family officially through the adoption process should be a time for turning cartwheels and celebration. All too often, however, the adoption process becomes a heated, tenuous experience for people who want to do what is best for their children.

As a full-service Fort Worth family law firm, The Fetty Firm, P.C., assists clients throughout the Metroplex with their stepparent and grandparent adoption needs. You shouldn’t have to worry about the process. You need a Tarrant County Adoption Attorney that understands the process. You need someone with years of experience in facilitating adoptions that understands the legal process while still providing support, empathy, and the level of care that you and your family need.

Tarrant County Adoption Law Firm

The state of Texas has a very indepth, strict process for adoptions. It is a serious matter that should not be taken lighly.  This process  includes an interview, background investigation and appearance at a formal court hearing. We will be beside you during every step of the process to ensure that you know what is going on with your adoption. Never should you have to worry about the state of your adoption or case. Experience matters.

Experienced Adoption Attorney

Step-parents and grandparents  often wonder, “Do I need to hire an attorney to adopt a child in Texas?” Yes. The process in Texas can be so long and protracted with so many intricacies in the law, that having someone to guide you along can be invaluable.

First, you can’t adopt your spouse’s child or a grandchild unless the biological parent’s parental rights have been legally terminated. The burden will also be on you to prove the parent is unfit or unwilling to parent the child. An experienced family law attorney will help. Having someone right here in Tarrant County can make the process even  more manageable. So many firms advertise that they do adoptions, but they are from all over the state, or sometimes even nationwide. Get someone who knows the local processes. Get someone  that is a Tarrant County Adoption Attorney.

Second, experienced adoption lawyers know that timing is essential during the adoption process, especially if the biological parent is unwilling to relinquish parental rights. For example, say you believe the parent is abusing drugs. In Texas, you need to file to terminate parental rights as soon as you realize egregious behavior is occurring, otherwise, the state may rule you don’t have standing (the right) to file a lawsuit in your case.

The state of Texas places a high priority on doing what is in the best interest of the child. Texas doesn’t like to separate children from their parents when possible, which means the state doesn’t take adoption lightly.

If you hope to adopt a stepchild or grandchild in Texas, you’ll need to be thoroughly vetted. Background checks, family interviews and home studies all take time, so keep that in mind as you set the wheels in motion to adopt.

It will also be your responsibility to pay for any background checks or home studies the judge orders. In addition, the judge may require that an amicus or ad litem attorney is assigned to the case to help determine whether the adoption is in the best interest of the child. Again, you will be responsible for paying the amicus or ad litem attorney’s fees, as well as your family law attorney’s fees.

The Fetty Firm handles domestic, international, and private adoptions along with parental rights cases. If you are about to go forward in the adoption process, you need a Tarrant County family law attorney with extensive experience and knowledge in adoption and parental rights law. Contact Rashelle Fetty with the Fetty Firm today.

Texas Estate Planning Lawyer

You need an  Estate Planning Attorney. Rashelle Fetty of The Fetty Firm can help you plan and secure your estate. No matter how young or old you are, you should be thinking of your assets and your loved ones. Particularly, you should bear in mind how they will deal with your passing. Undoubtedly, the experience will cause a lot of sadness, pain, and grief. Even if you departed peacefully, your loved ones will miss your presence dearly. With all that weighing on their hearts, it’s a kind gesture to make the transition process as easy on them as possible. That’s just one of the many reasons to plan your estate beforehand.

Colleyville TX Estate Lawyers Near Me

TX Estate Planning and Probate Lawyer

Why You Need a Colleyville Texas Estate Planning Attorney

As mentioned above, having your estate planned out before your passing makes things easier for those loved ones still on Earth. They’ll be more informed about your true wishes. Furthermore, you can rest assured that those wishes will be honored. A will is not a “suggestion,” it is a binding document. A will is your last opportunity to lay out your desires, and have them actually go into effect.

If you’re near the Colleyville area, you have the opportunity to work side by side with our attorney. This has quite a few benefits. For one, you can introduce your family to your estate planning attorney. If your assets have to go through probate court, your loved one will know that they’ve got someone on their side. They don’t have to scramble to find an attorney to represent your interests. Instead, they can just call the probate attorney who helps you plan your estate in the first place!

Probate court can be a long and draining process. Hiring a competent attorney can speed up the process. For one, you won’t waste time having to scrutinize the legitimacy of the document. Your will, and other matters of your estate, will surely hold up in court. On top of that, our skilled attorney will help shorten the process as much as possible. Some of your assets may be able to stay out of probate court entirely.

Additional Documents

Another reason to enlist the help of an estate planning attorney stems from the idea that you want your last wishes carried out. You can type up your own will, get it notarized, and hope for the best. However, every situation is unique. Depending on your financial situation and the type of family members you have, you may need a bit more than that. For example, if you intend for young people such as children to inherit your assets, you may need to form a trust. With a trust, you have the option to create certain (legal) stipulations concerning how the money is used. You can also appoint a sensible custodian. This ensures that your assets are used wisely, for the youth’s long-term benefits.

A trust is but one additional document you may need when planning your estate. The great thing about The Fetty Firm is that our estate planning attorney can assist you with all aspects of your estate plan. That’s not just limited to wills and trusts, though those are two important aspects of an estate plan. A good estate planning attorney will also make sure that your medical wishes are honored as well. For that, you will need a medical power of attorney or an advanced directive.

These documents not only go into effect once you pass away. This ensures that your final moments are as pleasant for you as possible, in the event that you are incapacitated. You won’t be able to make your own decisions in that moment. Therefore, it’s a good idea to appoint a person you can trust to make the choices that you would’ve made yourself. As you can see, an estate plan isn’t just about planning for your death. It’s about planning for the final moments of your life.

Colleyville Texas Family Law Attorney Near Me

Tarrant County Legal Services

What Your Estate Plan Includes

At the very least, your estate plan should include a legal will. In the will, you lay out all of your wishes. From there, we use supplementary documents to specify those decisions, as needed. In your will, you have the option to leave your assets and real estate to whomever you wish. You can establish a trust, name a person who will execute the will, and more.

What Happens If You Don’t Write a Will?

Without a will, your assets will be divided amongst your closest family members. However, who you feel closest to probably differs from what the state defines as “closest.” Depending on your individual family circumstance, your assets could go to your children. However, there’s also a likelihood that the property and assets could be divided amongst your siblings, or even inherited by your ex-spouse! Furthermore, you have no way to control what percentage of your assets goes to whom. Therefore, it’s a good idea to have a will. If you can avoid it, don’t leave any of your assets in the hands of the state. And now that you’ve found The Fetty Firm, you don’t have to.

Call Us Today!

Contact The Fetty Firm for all your estate planning needs. Our Texas Estate Planning Attorney will examine your unique situation. Also, we’ll address your actual concerns regarding your assets. In the end, you can be confident that your property and assets will be divided up just the way you would like. This includes charitable donations, inheritances, and more. As a comprehensive law firm, The Fetty Firm is able to help you navigate through even the most challenging legal issues. From family law to estate planning and beyond, our attorney has the skills and the experience to create and represent your estate. You can reach The Fetty Firm through our fast online form, or by calling our law office at (214) 546-5746. Our estate planning lawyer looks forward to helping you and your loved ones prepare for the future.

Living Trust – Pourover Will

Creating a Living Trust in Texas

If you haven’t thought about how a trust helps you pass your desires and wealth on, you could be making a critical error in your estate planning. Especially for individuals with substantial assets, protecting wealth for future generations should at the top of your priority.

Benefits of a Trust

An effective trust is carefully drafted by a qualified attorney and takes into account your specific circumstances and as well as current laws. Not having proper documentation could result in you not reaping the benefiting from the benefits of a trust.

Trusts Service

6 Reasons to Consider a Trust

Protecting Wealth with a Trust

One of the most powerful and straightforward ways to use trust is by ensuring that your heirs have timely access to your wealth. When transferring assets through a will, your estate undergoes a procedure known as probate, conducted in state courts.

This probate process can carry some unforeseen negative consequences for the administration of your estate, such as:

  • Delays – Probate proceedings can be lengthy, with some taking longer than others. Additionally, if you own property several states, probate may be required in each state.
  • Costs – The fees included in probate can be quite substantial. The fees are hefty, even in basic cases, with no conflict between beneficiaries.
  • Publicity – The probate process is public. A will becomes a public record once admitted to probate. This means that anyone who wishes to view it can do so. Such transparency can create unwanted scrutiny.

Control the Distribution of Your Assets

Texas Estate Planning

Texas Family Law firm

Trusts establish possible ways to transfer assets. Such as:

  • Distributions for specific purposes – Ability to stipulate that the trustees shall make money available to children or grandchildren only for college tuition or maybe future health care expenses.
  • Age-based terminations – The assets in a trust can also be distributed to heirs at periodic intervals. For example, 30% at the age of 40, 30% at the age of 50, and so on.

Building Your Legacy

The purpose of a trust is to help people realize a vision for their assets. With that being said, you should guide the discussion with your attorney with the goals you have for your estate. Overall, trusts can definitely help build your legacy the way you want it. Contact The Fetty Firm today at (214) 546-5746, for more information on our estate planning services.

Colleyville TX best divorce lawyers near me

Child Support Modification Tarrant County

Modify Child Support in Texas

In certain instances, it will be necessary to attempt to modify court orders pertaining to child support. Court orders can at times be unfair or unworkable from the start. Also, the circumstances that the court order was based on can change. Some of the circumstantial changes include children growing older, a change in financial standing, or a change in living arrangements. Whenever you are dealing with this type of case, your best bet is to acquire the services of an experienced attorney in family law cases. Rashelle Fetty has the experience and know-how to provide guidance and representation during the process.

Texas Law firm to modify support orders

Attorney for child support orders

Child Support Modifications

In Texas, child support orders can be modified if at least one of the conditions below is met.

  • It has been more than three years since establishing the order or the last order modification
  • The amount of the order differs by from the amount that the guidelines set by 20% or $100
  • A substantial and material change occurs since the last child support order

A material and substantial change applies if one of the following situations are true:

  • There are changes in the income of the parents that don’t have custody
  • Additional children become the legal responsibility of the non-custodial parent
  • There are changes in the child’s medical insurance coverage
  • If the child starts to live with a different parent

Fortunately, the Fetty Firm and its sole and experienced attorney, Rashelle Fetty, can elaborate on all the stipulations and also help you submit a review request to the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Additionally:

Experienced Law Firm for court order modifications

Consultation for modifying child support orders

  • Child support orders can only be modified through an in-person hearing (Child Support Review Process) or a hearing
  • Any type of informal agreements between the parents stated outside of the Review hearing, or court hearing do not change the original court order

Above all, it is important to note that this is only an overview of these types of cases. If you wish to learn more, make sure to give us a quick call. You can reach us by calling (214) 546-5746. Furthermore, you can learn more about child support modifications by clicking here.

Tarrant County Probate Attorney

Common Estate Planning Myths:

Lawyers say there are some common misconceptions when it comes to estate planning and probate law. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up with some of these untruths:

  • Only wealthy people or those with many assets need to have an estate plan. Estate planning is about much more than finances. A Tarrant County Estate Planner assists with what should happen if the testator is unable to care for himself or herself and is unable to manage finances.
  • Only older individuals need to have an estate plan. The fact is, every adult needs at least a will. It’s always wise to be prepared for life’s unforeseen events.
  • The state takes the assets of anyone who dies without a will. Every state has intestacy laws to determine who will inherit what.
  • Probate doesn’t apply if there is a will. That depends whether or not the testator owns real estate in more than one state. These properties might have to go through probate in the states in which they’re located.

Are you currently searching for top-rated Texas Estate Lawyers? If so, you should definitely check out the services offered by The Fetty Firm, PC. With over ten years in the legal sector, Rashelle Fetty, our sole attorney, has the experience necessary to assist clients in cases dealing with real estate plan and probate, family legal issues including personal injury, and other related legal services in and around Greater Dallas, Fort Worth, and Tarrant County. Thanks to our vast experience, we’re sure in our ability to get you the most comprehensive settlements for your cases. Even more, our commitment to excellence will ensure that you get legal services that adhere to the highest standards in the field.

When dealing with matters such as estate planning and family law, you don’t want to compromise on the quality of legal representation you get. There is too much at stake with these types of cases to neglect to acquire adequate services. With Rashelle Fetty and The Fetty Firm, you’ll receive legal assistance that is both attentive and personalized. We take great pride in truly helping our clients. Moreover, we always aim to excel in every case we take on. Overall, when you choose The Fetty Firm, you are betting on experience, dedication, and a true commitment to excellence. If you wish to learn more about our services and how they can help you, contact us at your earliest convenience.

Colleyville Texas Estate Lawyers

Among the Best Colleyville Texas Estate Lawyers

Among the Best Texas Estate Lawyers

Estate planning and family law matters are way too delicate to treat lightly. Generally speaking, the best form of action for these cases is to acquire the services of an experienced and dedicated family law attorney. Rashelle Fetty is both the owner and sole attorney of The Fetty Firm. Growing up in Enid, Oklahoma, Rashelle then went on to attend Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. While at ODU, Rashelle finished her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice while also playing for the school’s NCAA Division 1 women’s golf team. Afterward, Ms. Fetty began law school at Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia, completing her studies at Texas Wesleyan School of Law (currently named Texas A&M School of Law) in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2013, Ms. Fetty passed the Texas Bar Exam and went on to found The Fetty Firm shortly after.

Rashelle has been working in the legal field for over ten years, and as such, has a wide range of experience. She focuses her practice areas on family law, estate planning, and probate. So you can reach out if you need assistance in cases dealing with divorce, adoption, child custody, modification of family law orders, and other related cases. Above all, The Fetty Firm is pleased to be an excellent choice for clients with all types of legal needs and in all ranges of situations. We aim to provide big-firm results while providing the caring support of a small firm. Moreover, Rashelle Fetty always prioritizes her clients while helping them experience the difference that personal attention makes.

General Overview of Estate Planning

Here at The Fetty Firm, we give clients the personalized attention they deserve when dealing with estate planning. Furthermore, we’ll create a comprehensive estate plan that fits your particular specifications. For those who are yet to take care of their estate planning, the time to do it is now. And for parents, you should, at a minimum, have a will and a designation of a guardian in place.

Generally speaking, everybody should aim to have a comprehensive estate plan that ensures the accurate carrying out of their wishes. Fortunately, our experienced Colleyville estate planning attorney can assist in the drafting of wills, trusts, and other related documents. With our experience and commitment to excellence, we can help clients with the following:

Law firm for family law cases

Legal assistance for family law and estate planning

Trusts

A trust is not a necessity for everyone, but it is for many. The Fetty Firm can help you determine whether or not a trust is in your best interests. Given your circumstances, we’ll determine whether you need a trust and what type of trust would be best for you. Keep in mind that trusts are more complicated than wills, and you should seek legal advice from an experienced estate attorney such as Rashelle Fetty. Together, we’ll find the best type of trust for your particular circumstances.

In short, a trust is an arrangement where a person (trustee), holds a legal title over a property for the beneficiary. You can be a trustee to your own trust, which would allow you to maintain all control over the property held in that trust. Trust can actually be created when you’re alive and even after you pass away. If you happen to pass away, you can have a post-mortem trust created based on the terms held in your will.

Designation of Guardian

Experienced Texas Law Attorney

Great Law Firm in Texas

Although nobody wishes for this, the truth is that death and severe accidents do tend to happen. If you ever pass away or are incapacitated, you don’t want a judge determining who your child’s guardian will be. As such, it is very important that you designate a guardian for your children in the case that you can’t care for them anymore. Overall, designating a guardian is one of the most significant aspects of estate planning. Additionally, by designating a guardian, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be held even when you pass away or become incapacitated.

Advanced Directive/Living Will

An advanced directive/living will, is a document that instructs doctors and caregivers for what type of end-of-life medical treatments you want or doesn’t want in the case that you are unable to give the instructions yourself. These instructions can include do not resuscitate orders and instructions on organ donation. Advanced Directives usually cover:

  • Electric shock or CPR
  • Breathing machines
  • Tube feeding
  • Dialysis
  • Medicine
  • Palliative care
  • Organ donations

Contact Us Today

If you are interested in learning more about our services, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can reach The Fetty Firm by calling (241) 546-5746. Moreover, you can learn more about our services and why we are among Colleyville Texas Estate Lawyers by visiting our estate planning webpage.

Tarrant County Mediation

Tarrant County Mediator for Divorce

Rashelle Fetty is who you need as a mediator.

Finding an experienced mediator is important. Finding an experienced family law mediator that is also board certified is INTEGRAL in helping solve your unique family law problems. Trust Rashelle Fetty to help you with your Tarrant County Mediation issues.

What Is Mediation?

Mediation is a confidential process used to resolve conflicts in an amicable manner. An impartial mediator directs the process and facilitates the communication between the parties in an effort to explore solutions and obtain a mutually satisfactory agreement.

Rashelle Fetty can also provide remote solutions for your mediation needs.  Get the family law mediation help that you need from The Fetty Firm, P.C.

Mediation Objectives

The objective of mediation is for parties in conflict to participate in good faith in a dialogue regarding their dispute, to present their points of view and to explore options for settlement in an effort to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution of their dispute.

What Happens in Mediation?

The mediator welcomes the participants and explains the mediation process, the mediator’s role in the process and the rules of mediation. The participants present the issues they want to resolve, explore their interests and options and look for a mutual resolution. If the parties reach an agreement and sign it, this agreement may have the validity of a contract.

Allow The Fetty Firm, P.C. to guide your divorce mediation so that you can get effective problem solving with less stress and tension. Rashelle Fetty will strive to make your mediation experience the best possible so that all parties can possibly reach a decision.

 

Colleyville TX Probate

Tarrant County Adoption

There may come a time in your life where you will need a quality adoption attorney. If you are currently in search of adoption consultation, then you are more than likely looking into adopting. Adoption is a great way to start a family. It gives an otherwise under-privileged child the chance to grow and thrive in a loving, safe home. In addition to being quite lengthy, the adoption process is also very complex. In most cases, the best way to go through the process is with the services of an experienced and capable adoption attorney.

Adoption Law Services

Adoption Legal Consultation

Rashelle Fetty is the sole attorney at The Fetty Firm P.C. She has vast experience in helping clients through the very complex adoption process. With Rashelle’s extensive knowledge of Texas Family Law, you’ll receive the most experienced and skilled legal services around. Additionally, thanks to the small size of our firm, we can provide personal and attentive consultation that is unmatched by the bigger and less personal law firms. Call us today to learn more about our services and why we are a leading firm in North Texas

 Expert Adoption Legal Consultation

This list above is a number of the services we can provide regarding the adoption process. The adoption process requires lots of paperwork and consists of stringent rules and procedures. Furthermore, any missteps along the way could possibly result in adoption being declared invalid. To avoid this painful and heartbreaking conclusion, contact The Fetty Firm P.C. today. We make pay close attention to detail, and we go the extra mile to ensure our client avoids any roadblocks.

Contact us and learn more about our services. You can get in touch with us by calling (214) 546-5746 or clicking here. Moreover, if you want to learn more about our Adoption Legal Consultation, click here.

General Overview of Living Wills

Living Will vs. Medical Power of Attorney

It’s important that you make arrangements for medical care before you really need it. However, there are a few ways that you can go about this. Two of the most common options are the living will and the medical power of attorney. Which one is better? We’ll explain each option in more detail to kelp you pick the best plan.

Family law firm

Your family will thank you for your careful planning.

What is a Medical Power of Attorney?

A medical power of attorney designated a person to act on your behalf. If you become incapacitated, this is the person who will make all of your healthcare decisions, including surgeries, medicines, and even termination of life. This privilege doesn’t kick in until you become incapacitated and are unable to make the decisions yourself.

You and your medical power of attorney should have the same wishes regarding your healthcare. You both will have your best interests at heart, but you both may have different ideas of what that means.

Colleyville TX Family Attorney Near Me

Have you prepared for your future?

What is a Living Will?

A living will provides instructions for end-of-life care. This document goes into effect if you enter a totally vegetative state and addresses concerns such as resuscitation and life support. A living will make it easier for your loved ones to make the most difficult decisions. That because you’ll actually be the one giving that call.

Why Not Both?

A living will outline your wishes when you are in a severe medical state. Up until the point where there is practically no hope of recovery, someone else will be responsible for your medical decisions. If you don’t appoint a medical power of attorney, the hospital staff might make those decisions. In that case, it’s never certain which decisions will be made. Even if this doesn’t concern you much, your family may have additional peace of mind if you appoint someone special to make those decisions. However, when it comes to deciding whether to terminate your life, you can spare your loved ones lots of grief with a living will. As you can see, having both ensures that you receive the care that you want, up to the very end.

The Fetty Firm can help you prepare and legalize both your medical power of attorney and your living will. Call us today at (214) 546-5746 to learn how to get started with drafting these documents. You can also click here to contact us online, and click here to learn more about living wills.

Living Trust – Pourover Will

Creating a Living Trust in Texas

If you haven’t thought about how a trust helps you pass your desires and wealth on, you could be making a critical error in your estate planning. Especially for individuals with substantial assets, protecting wealth for future generations should at the top of your priority.

Benefits of a Trust

An effective trust is carefully drafted by a qualified attorney and takes into account your specific circumstances and as well as current laws. Not having proper documentation could result in you not reaping the benefiting from the benefits of a trust.

Trusts Service

6 Reasons to Consider a Trust

Protecting Wealth with a Trust

One of the most powerful and straightforward ways to use trust is by ensuring that your heirs have timely access to your wealth. When transferring assets through a will, your estate undergoes a procedure known as probate, conducted in state courts.

This probate process can carry some unforeseen negative consequences for the administration of your estate, such as:

  • Delays – Probate proceedings can be lengthy, with some taking longer than others. Additionally, if you own property several states, probate may be required in each state.
  • Costs – The fees included in probate can be quite substantial. The fees are hefty, even in basic cases, with no conflict between beneficiaries.
  • Publicity – The probate process is public. A will becomes a public record once admitted to probate. This means that anyone who wishes to view it can do so. Such transparency can create unwanted scrutiny.

Control the Distribution of Your Assets

Texas Estate Planning

Texas Family Law firm

Trusts establish possible ways to transfer assets. Such as:

  • Distributions for specific purposes – Ability to stipulate that the trustees shall make money available to children or grandchildren only for college tuition or maybe future health care expenses.
  • Age-based terminations – The assets in a trust can also be distributed to heirs at periodic intervals. For example, 30% at the age of 40, 30% at the age of 50, and so on.

Building Your Legacy

The purpose of a trust is to help people realize a vision for their assets. With that being said, you should guide the discussion with your attorney with the goals you have for your estate. Overall, trusts can definitely help build your legacy the way you want it. Contact The Fetty Firm today at (214) 546-5746, for more information on our estate planning services.

Tarrant County Mediation for Family Law

Tarrant County Mediator

What Is Mediation?

Mediation is a confidential process used to resolve conflicts in an amicable manner. Think of it as specialized problem solving.

A neutral mediator directs the process and facilitates the discussion between the parties with a goal to explore solutions and obtain a mutually satisfactory agreement.

Mediation Objectives

The objective of mediation is for parties in conflict to participate in good faith in a dialogue regarding their dispute, to present their points of view and to explore options for settlement in an effort to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution of their dispute.

What Happens in Mediation?

The mediator welcomes the participants and explains the mediation process, the mediator’s role in the process and the rules of mediation. The participants present the issues they want to resolve, explore their interests and options and look for a mutual resolution. If the parties reach an agreement and sign it, this agreement may have the validity of a contract.

Allow The Fetty Firm, P.C. to guide your divorce mediation so that you can get effective problem solving with less stress and tension. Rashelle Fetty will strive to make your mediation experience the best possible so that all parties can possibly reach a decision.