Four Tips for Keeping Your Llano County Divorce Private

 Posted on February 21, 2022 in Family Law

Regardless of how confident you feel in your decision to get divorced in Texas, you likely are hoping that the details of your divorce will remain as private as possible. Unfortunately, neighbors, friends, and busybodies are often interested in the details of a couple’s divorce, and this is especially true if the couple has a high net worth or maintains a public profile. 

Because divorce decrees are legal documents that are filed in court with a judge’s approval, they are technically public records which may be accessed by anyone. Nevertheless, with the help of a skilled Texas divorce attorney, there are things you can do to keep your divorce details more private. 

Mark Sensitive Data

When a divorce document contains personal information, such as a driver’s license number or social security number, you can ask the court to keep that record private. The consequences of this information being available can result in identity theft, so courts willingly keep documents with sensitive information out of the public record. 

Use Your Initials or Other Identity Concealment

For couples with a high-profile divorce case in which there might be significant public interest, divorce decrees can use initials rather than full names. Likewise, certain divorce documents can be referred to by names such as “M and B’s Property Division” rather than by including the entire document. This can prevent details about property division and child custody arrangements from being accessed by the public. 

Stay Out of the Courtroom

Most divorces in Texas are no longer litigated in the courtroom. Spouses and children are generally better off for this, especially in divorce cases wherein spouses wish to maintain a low profile. With mediation or collaborative divorce, couples can resolve their problems by meeting cooperatively in private instead of hashing out differences in front of a judge in an open courtroom. 

Request That Your File Be Sealed

Couples can ask a judge to seal an entire divorce record with good reason. Sealing divorce records in Texas is easier than in many other states, and a judge has discretion about whether to seal all or part of a divorce record. Once a record is sealed, a third party may request that a court unseal it, but this rarely happens. 

Meet with a Llano Family Law Attorney

Divorce can feel like a private affair that has gone very public. If you are worried about privacy in your divorce, consider meeting with an experienced Llano divorce attorney with Law Office of Russ Alan Baker, PLLC. We will do everything we can to protect your privacy and allow your family to retain as much normalcy as possible during this time of change. Call us today at 325-216-2006 to schedule a case review. 

Source: 

https://texas.staterecords.org/vital.php