There is not a calculator or spreadsheet for determining alimony in Oklahoma. The law simply says this in 43 O.S. § 121: “Either spouse may be allowed such alimony out of real and personal property of the other as the court shall think reasonable, having due regard to the value of such property at the time of the dissolution of marriage. Alimony may be allowed from real or personal property, or both, or in the form of money judgment, payable either in gross or in installments, as the court may deem just and equitable.” That is all that it says.

If you are looking online at a website that claims to have a formula for calculating alimony or spousal support in Oklahoma, you are being misled. Alimony factors only come from decades of appellate cases.

The judges in Washington County, Arkansas, have issued a “Standing Order of the Court in Domestic Relations Cases.” The Standing Order is designed to preserve the status quo until either an agreement is reached or a hearing is held by the judge assigned to the case. The Standing Order goes into effect against the Plaintiff when the petition or complaint is filed and it is effective against the Defendant once the Defendant is served with the paperwork. It is a serious order and any violation of the order could result in a fine or even jail time. 

The provisions of Benton County’s Standing Order are common sense. Neither party may harass, threaten, or injure the other. Neither party may sell property without an agreement or judicial permission. Neither party may remove the children from Arkansas without permission from the judge, except for short vacations. Neither party may cancel insurance of any type, nor may they change cell phones, utilities, or other necessities of life without permission from the Court. These orders are designed to minimize disruption during the many changes that occur during the transition of a family breakup associated with divorce. The provisions of the Standing Order are serious and meaningful, and any violation of any term or provision of the Order could result in serious, adverse consequences, including even jail time. 

In Oklahoma, the Automatic Temporary Injunction (ATI) is a court order established by statute at 43 O.S. § 110. It goes into effect as soon as a divorce petition is filed by a Petitioner and the documents are served on the Respondent. It is designed to protect both parties and to an extent maintain the status quo while the divorce proceedings are underway. It only applies to divorce cases and does not apply to paternity cases filed pursuant to the Uniform Parentage Act.

Text messages and emails can be important evidence in family law cases. There are apps that can be used to export text messages and emails to PDF format. Photos, videos, and audio recordings should be printed and saved on USB flash drives for use in court.

It is important to keep a record of parenting time, including when each parent has the child and when the other parent does not exercise their parenting time. Notes about parenting time and other events should be made close to the time they happened.

There are many actions you can take that seem counterintuitive or even uncomfortable but will position you for a successful outcome in a lawsuit. You cannot take anything for granted, and you cannot make assumptions. By being proactive and by communicating, you can put the other side on their heels early and often.

Many parents are frustrated by oversight and lack of attention to detail in their child custody orders and parenting plans. We can help you upgrade your orders with comprehensive terminology and provisions to address the needs of your children and improve and enhance expectations between parents

Transparency and patience are important concepts when dealing with an unreasonable opposing party in a lawsuit. By being upfront about your position, evidence, and willingness to negotiate, you can signal that you're not playing games or hiding information.

By making good decisions early about who to hire as your counsel and what your desired outcome should realistically be for your type of case, you can make your money go further for your case.

Individuals with legal issues can find specialized lawyers by seeking referrals from other attorneys, utilizing the few legitimate online legal directories such as Chambers and Partners or The Best Lawyers America, or searching academy or fellowship directories like the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers or the International Academy of Family Lawyers.

A "Chess, Not Checkers" concept emphasizes strategic, long-term thinking and planning over short-term gains and reactive decision-making.

By utilizing advanced document generation technology, Bundy Law can efficiently produce high-quality documents at a lower cost than traditional legal drafting methods, allowing you to focus on your family and change in circumstances.

Attorneys with higher rates are more likely to have transparency and a system that lets you smartly evaluate where to best put your money. They have reports and other data that lets them give you an estimate of attorney fees to anticipate for your type of case. In some cases, a lawyer whose rate is 3x or 4x that of their competitor may actually charge a lower total fee than the lower-priced attorney. Higher-priced, experienced lawyers are often more efficient and informative than lower-rate competitors, putting you in a better decision to make big-picture decisions and move your case along to resolution.

The law requires us to bill by the hour except for our work on injury cases. Our fee arrangement is called an "Evergreen" retainer, meaning that our clients maintain a pre-established amount in trust with us throughout our representation.

An Evergreen retainer requires the client to replenish the account whenever the balance falls below a predetermined minimum. This ensures that there are always sufficient funds to cover legal fees. As the lawyer provides legal services, they bill against the retainer. The fees are deducted from the trust account, and the client is notified of any remaining balance.

Evergreen retainers are more flexible than traditional retainers and provide both the lawyer and the client with a more predictable and efficient way to handle legal fees.

Child support calculators are designed to work for incomes ranging from upper-middle class to below the federal poverty level. The formulas cease to work when incomes exceed a certain amount per month. When your income exceeds your state’s child support ceiling, the court has discretion to make an “upward deviation” and require additional child support beyond the maximum obligation in the child support calculator.

C-suite executives often receive a variety of compensation packages beyond traditional salary and bonuses. An expert is often needed to find and value compensation plans in a divorce involving a business executive.

Business interests and investments are things of value and assets subject to valuation and division in a divorce. Business valuation is a complex process that requires specialized knowledge and skill.

There are two major reasons that the damage from an unfair one-sided communication can’t be corrected simply by giving the other side a chance to speak and be heard later.

To request emergency custody of a child, the person seeking the emergency must be able to show that an emergency order is necessary because the child is in harm's way and will likely be irreparably harmed if the emergency is not granted.

This example illustrates why it is in your interest to hire experienced legal counsel as early as possible to help you avoid expensive and stressful scenarios like this one. It also shows that if divorce is imminent, it’s important to move forward proactively.