Posted on August 24, 2026 in DWI

Although it may be surprising, an arrest for DWI in Texas doesn’t always require a breath or blood test. An officer generally needs a legal reason to stop the driver and probable cause to believe the driver was intoxicated before making an arrest.

If you were arrested for DWI without performing a chemical test in 2026, a Dallas, TX DWI attorney can help you understand if the officer was acting within the bounds of the law.

Do Police Need a Breath or Blood Test to Arrest You for DWI in Texas?

A DWI arrest in Texas doesn’t require a breath or blood test. Rather, it’s based on reasonable suspicion and probable cause.

An officer might have reasonable suspicion to make a traffic stop based on driving behavior or other facts suggesting that a driver is impaired. During the stop, the officer may notice other signs of intoxication. Under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 14.01, an officer can make a warrantless arrest for an offense committed in their presence or view. The officer can consider the total circumstances when deciding whether there is probable cause for a DWI arrest. Therefore, a breath or blood test is not required before an arrest.

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 Posted on August 10, 2026 in Child Custody

Sharing custody does not cancel child support in Texas. Even in cases of nearly equal possession and access (part of what Texas calls custody), parents may still be ordered to pay child support. A Tarrant County, TX child support lawyer can walk you through child support might work in a 2026 custody case.

Who Gets Child Support When Parents Share Custody in Texas?

Understanding the two parts of Texas conservatorship can clarify who is entitled to receive child support in a joint custody case.

Conservatorship

Conservatorship is the decision-making authority of a parent over their child. It often covers significant choices like schooling, non-emergency medical care, and psychiatric treatment. Conservatorship also refers to a parent's court-ordered responsibilities for their child.

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 Posted on July 27, 2026 in Child Custody

Prescription drugs can lead to serious criminal charges when someone has them without a valid prescription. This can include jail time if you are convicted. Having a family member's leftover pills can potentially result in an arrest. Carrying your own medication outside its original container is not necessarily illegal, but it may make it harder for officers to confirm that you have a valid prescription.

A Dallas drug possession defense attorney can advise you if you have been charged with illegal possession of prescription drugs in 2026.

What Happens If You're Caught With Drugs Without a Valid Prescription in Texas?

Texas law prohibits the possession of many prescription drugs without authorization. Many common prescription medications fall into what's called Penalty Group 3. This group includes drugs like Xanax, Valium, Ritalin, and certain anabolic steroids.

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 Posted on July 12, 2026 in Child Custody

Custody issues are often extremely emotionally charged, with good reason. It can be difficult as a parent to think about an outcome that harms your child or limits your rights to them. However, it’s important not to let fear dictate how you approach your custody case. Doing so will only add strain to your life in the short term. It may also hurt your position in court.

If you're heading into a custody case in 2026, a Tarrant County, TX custody attorney can help you go into it with confidence.

What Are the Most Damaging Mistakes in a Texas Custody Case?

Many behaviors that hurt a parent’s custody case are fairly small. The parents themselves may not even register them. However, the following behaviors can be very telling for a judge reviewing the case.

Speaking Negatively About the Other Parent in Front of Your Children

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 Posted on June 27, 2026 in Violent Crimes and Domestic Violence

Criminal charges can substantially alter your life, even if you never end up being convicted. If you’re charged with family or domestic violence but the charges are later dropped, your record is not automatically cleared. Certain steps need to be taken to clear, or expunge, the charges from your record.

If you find yourself in this situation in 2026, a Dallas, TX criminal defense attorney can help you understand what is required to get your record cleared.

Does an Arrest Disappear From My Record if Charges Are Dropped in Texas?

Regardless of charges being dropped, an arrest record remains part of your criminal history until a court formally orders it removed. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 55A gives people the right to petition for expunction in some circumstances. These may include if charges were dismissed, no grand jury indictment was ever presented, or the case ended in an acquittal.

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 Posted on June 10, 2026 in Property Division

Higher income alone doesn't give your spouse the right to keep the house in a Texas divorce. Texas law covers dividing property fairly between spouses based on the total value of the assets they shared during marriage. If you're worried about asset division in your 2026 divorce, a Tarrant County, TX divorce attorney can help you understand what you're actually entitled to.

How Does Texas Law Decide What Gets Divided in Divorce?

Division of assets is done based on what is considered the couple’s "marital" or "community" property. Texas Family Code § 3.002 defines community property as any property acquired by either spouse during the marriage. It doesn’t matter whose name is on the title or deed. This includes the family home if it was purchased after the wedding.

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 Posted on May 28, 2026 in DWI

A DWI charge can follow you for years if it isn't cleared from your record. It can show up in background checks, making getting a job or housing much more difficult.

Texas does allow for the expungement, or erasing of, a criminal record. However, it can only happen under some circumstances. A Dallas, TX criminal defense attorney can review your situation and help you understand what options might be available to you in 2026.

When Can You Expunge a DWI in Texas?

Expungement comes with strict eligibility requirements in Texas. Many DWI convictions don't qualify. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 outlines the circumstances under which a record can be expunged.

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 Posted on May 13, 2026 in Divorce

Few things can complicate a divorce as much as a spouse being arrested. Criminal charges mean another legal process starts while your divorce proceedings are already in progress. It can be overwhelming to try to figure out how this will affect your own case.

If your spouse gets arrested before a divorce is finalized, our Tarrant County, TX divorce attorney can help you understand what to do to keep your case moving forward.

Does Your Texas Divorce Case Stop if Your Spouse Goes to Prison?

Incarceration doesn't stop a divorce from moving forward. Texas law doesn't require both spouses to be free and available for a divorce to be filed or finalized. The most important thing is that your spouse be properly served with divorce papers and given the opportunity to respond during proceedings.

If your spouse is jailed or incarcerated, they can typically be served through the prison system they are in. From there, they have the right to take part in the proceedings. In 2026, this may mean appearing via phone or video. They could also submit written responses through an attorney. Courts take steps to ensure that an incarcerated spouse isn't shut out of the process, even when they're in custody.

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 Posted on April 25, 2026 in Theft

A theft charge in Texas can range from a minor misdemeanor to a serious felony, depending on the circumstances. The difference between those two outcomes can mean the difference between a small fine and years in prison. If you've been charged with theft in 2026, a Dallas, TX criminal defense lawyer can help you understand exactly what you're facing and what your legal options are.

What Is the Line Between a Misdemeanor and a Felony Theft Charge in Texas?

In Texas, the single biggest factor in determining the level of a theft charge is the value of what was allegedly stolen. Texas Penal Code §31.03 lays out a tiered system that begins with Class C misdemeanors at the low end. At the top are first-degree felonies.

The tiers break down by value as follows:

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 Posted on April 14, 2026 in Child Support

If you have children from more than one relationship, you may be worried that you’re going to be slammed with child support payments. The good news is that Texas understands that there are limits to how much of a parent’s paycheck can realistically go to child support, and they have a different system for determining how large payments will be for parents of two families. If you’ll be paying child support to more than one person, a Tarrant County child support attorney can help you know what your payment is likely to be.

How Does Texas Calculate Child Support for a Single Family?

Texas uses a percentage-of-income model to calculate child support for just one family. Under the Texas Family Code Section 154.125, the court starts with your net monthly resources. This is basically your income after taxes and certain deductions. It then applies a set percentage based on how many children you're supporting.

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