Losing a job is rarely an easy experience, but it can be especially difficult when a person is laid off in the middle of a significant life transition. Being laid off or fired in the middle of a divorce means that an individual will have to face some unique hurdles during the process. This makes it all the more important for those in Texas who are dealing with such a situation to be aware of how their actions could influence their future and the outcome of their divorces.
How a person lost their job is an important distinction to the court. Take, for example, a person who lost their job because of company-wide layoffs. The court would probably take this into consideration when looking at how child and spousal support should be calculated. If a person was fired because of misconduct at work or otherwise poor behavior, the court may determine that support payments should reflect his or her former income.
Regardless of the manner in which a person finds him or hersel unemployed, it’s important to begin looking for a new job as soon as possible. The middle of a divorce is usually not a good time to try out a dream job that pays significantly less than an old job. Instead, it is a good idea to apply for jobs with similar incomes, and to record all submitted applications, job interviews and more. Depending on the situation, the court may take a person’s efforts at finding a new job into account when considering how to set post-divorce payments.
Few people expect to have to find a new job on top of ending their marriage, but the reality is that jobs do come and go. This situation might even be more common in Texas than most people think. However, lack of employment does not change the end goal of divorce, which includes things like financial security. Instead, it simply means that these individuals might need to pay closer attention to the financial details of their divorces, and may even need to speak with an experienced attorney about their options.
