Travis County, TX · Free Consultation
Pflugerville, TX LGBTQ Divorce Lawyer
What Our Clients Say
When a couple was together for decades but legally married only briefly, spousal support becomes a puzzle. In Pflugerville, SMB Law, PC helps same-sex spouses pursue — or respond to — a fair maintenance claim. A Pflugerville LGBTQ divorce lawyer knows how a long relationship but short legal marriage complicates a maintenance claim, and how to argue it. Shane has been licensed since 2003 and personally handles these spousal support questions for Central Texas same-sex couples.
Pflugerville couples with a long shared life but a short legal marriage are often surprised that Texas maintenance rules can seem to ignore most of their years together.
Where a Pflugerville LGBTQ divorce is handled
Pflugerville is in Travis County, so the divorce and any maintenance claim are filed with the Travis County District Clerk at the Civil and Family Courthouse on Guadalupe Street in Austin, close to our office.
Spousal maintenance after a long relationship, short marriage
Texas is conservative about post-divorce spousal maintenance. Eligibility usually requires either a marriage of at least ten years combined with an inability to earn enough to meet minimum reasonable needs, or specific circumstances like family violence or a disabling condition. For a same-sex couple together since 2004 but legally married in 2015, a court counting only the licensed years may find the marriage falls short of ten — even though the partnership plainly exceeded it. This is where establishing an earlier informal marriage can be decisive: pushing the marriage date back past the ten-year line can open the door to maintenance that the license date alone would foreclose. Even short of maintenance, contractual alimony can be negotiated as part of a settlement. We help Pflugerville spouses on the requesting side build the case for the longer marriage and genuine need, and help spouses on the paying side respond to claims that overstate either — so the outcome reflects both the real length of the relationship and what Texas law actually allows.
Where the marriage date decides the money
In Pflugerville maintenance disputes, the whole case can hinge on a single date. Because Texas often ties eligibility to a ten-year marriage, the difference between counting from a 2015 license and from a proven 2004 informal marriage can be the difference between qualifying for support and not. That makes the informal-marriage evidence — joint finances, shared home, holding out as married — do double duty: it shapes property division and it can unlock maintenance. We help the spouse seeking support prove both the longer marriage and the genuine need the statute requires, and we help a paying spouse test a claim that stretches either element too far. We also keep contractual alimony on the table as a settlement tool, since a negotiated arrangement can serve a long-partnered couple better than a rigid statutory test. The goal for a Pflugerville client is an outcome that honors the true length of the relationship while staying within what Texas law permits.
Working with us from Pflugerville
Our office is about 15 miles southwest in downtown Austin via TX-130 and US-290. We handle most Pflugerville LGBTQ divorce matters by phone, video, and e-signature.
At SMB Law, PC you work directly with attorney Shane M. Boasberg, who has represented Texans for more than two decades and has been licensed by the State of Texas since 2003. We handle every LGBTQ divorce with respect and discretion, explain things in plain English, and keep you informed from your first confidential consultation through final resolution.
Why clients choose SMB Law, PC
- Direct attorney access — you talk to Shane, licensed since 2003, not a call center.
- Respectful, informed advice on the issues unique to same-sex divorce.
- Transparent fees explained before you commit.
What working with us looks like
- Confidential consultation to understand your marriage, your family, and your goals.
- The full picture — marriage timeline, property, and each spouse’s parentage confirmed.
- Negotiation or court to resolve property, support, and children fairly.
- A final decree that protects your rights and can be enforced.
Frequently asked questions
Do our years before legal marriage count for support?
They can. Establishing an earlier informal marriage may push the marriage past the ten-year threshold that Texas maintenance eligibility often requires.
How long must a marriage last for maintenance in Texas?
Generally ten years, paired with an inability to meet minimum reasonable needs — though violence or a disability can qualify a shorter marriage.
Is alimony available if I do not qualify for maintenance?
Contractual alimony can be negotiated in a settlement even when court-ordered maintenance is unavailable, giving couples a flexible option.
Where is a Pflugerville LGBTQ divorce filed?
With the Travis County District Clerk at the Civil and Family Courthouse on Guadalupe Street in Austin.