One of the most controversial figures in our world these days is Andrew Tate. If you are new to the blog here at the Law Office of Bryan Fagan you may have missed our other blog posts detailing the situation involving Mr. Tate and his brother, Tristan, find themselves in now. Andrew Tate, former world kickboxing champion, and Tristan Tate currently reside in Romania. Both hail from the United Kingdom and have made names for themselves as being men who promote a swashbuckling, man-about-town lifestyle on social media. Winning big in business, having a lot of attention from women, and leading a hyper-masculine lifestyle are characteristics of the online brand these two have attempted to build for themselves in recent years.
That description does not provide you all with the full situation involving the Tates and Andrew specifically. The Tate brothers were both arrested in late 2022 in Romania on a range of criminal charges related to a business the brothers operated involving women, webcams, and selling subscriptions to view the women via webcam. This type of business model has existed for as long as the internet has. However, the difference here is that, allegedly, Andrew Tate convinced multiple women to leave their home countries to join him in Romania with the assurances it was for a romantic relationship with him.
Women left their homes, and moved into the Tate compound in Romania only to, again allegedly, find that they were going to be made to perform via webcam in the business model described above. Additionally, these women were not able to leave the compound when they wished and were often performing via webcam for hours on end. This is where the Tates find themselves currently- pending trial and under house arrest after having served time behind bars in Romania in late 2022 and early 2023.
Enter Candace Owens of The Daily Wire. Ms. Owens is a bit of a provocateur herself. She has reached a certain level of notoriety among online, political circles for taking somewhat controversial opinions regarding topics as far ranging as COVID-19 vaccines, racial subject matter, celebrity culture, and notions of masculinity and femininity in the home. She and Mr. Andrew Tate sat down for an interview that lasted the better part of three hours where the two were able to talk about the controversies surrounding Mr. Tate, celebrity culture, the world at large, and somewhat about politics.
So, why is a family law office writing a blog post on Andrew Tate and an interview he had with a conservative news outlet? The reason is this- we believe that Mr. Tate’s actions, habits in the public eye, and the relationship between those subjects and human relationships fit in quite well when it comes to discussing the subject matter in Texas family law. So, hang with us today as we go through some of the highlights of this interview and then tie it into the subject matter which is related to the world of Texas family law.
If you are looking for answers to family law questions, then you have come to the right place. At the Law Office of Bryan Fagan, we do our best to mesh together issues related to family law, culture, real life, and families. What makes family law unique is that it relates to a subject matter which impacts of the lives of all of us every day. Most everyone in our community has a potential family law case that is just around the corner. That doesn’t mean that you are going to become involved in a family law case in your own life. However, the components of a family law case are there- a spouse, a significant other, money, a house, children, abuse, neglect, and problems of other types. You live a life just like the rest of us- ups and downs with issues coming up along the way that you couldn’t have anticipated or prepared for.
When you find yourself wondering about a problem that you are facing in your daily life which relates to family law, why not take the first step towards finding answers and solutions to your problem by contacting the Law Office of Bryan Fagan? Our licensed family law attorneys offer free-of-charge consultations six days a week in person, over the phone, and via video. These consultations are a great way for you to learn about Texas family law in a way that is practical and specific to your life.
Mr. Tate and his experiences filming an adult movie and managing a webcam business
We touched on some of the subject matter related to this issue earlier in today’s blog post. Mr. Tate parlayed his fame into entering the adult-oriented world of webcams and movies. He played a part in filming a pornographic movie and has owned and operated a business focused on generating income by filming and recording the performances of women on webcams. These are titillating subjects but are also ones that are relevant to the life of Mr. Tate.
Andrew Tate has taken to the fame and lifestyle that being a successful athlete afforded him. It’s not as if being a kickboxer put him on the same level of fame as a soccer player in the UK, but he was able to parlay his success as a professional fighter into success in other areas of life. Whether you agree with this method, persona, or opinions, he has achieved financial success. How he spends his money is up to him, ultimately. How he uses this wealth is also up to him.
This is not unlike how you and your spouse could approach matters in a divorce situation. One of the most unique parts of a divorce is related to property division and matters which have to do with finances and structuring your life during and after the divorce. One of the parts of a divorce case that people forget about sometimes is the need to make sure that bills can be paid during the divorce. It is easy to assume that your life will hum along as normal during a divorce but that is not necessarily the case. Rather, there is the distinct possibility that you may find yourself with less household income due to your spouse moving out and taking their income with them.
Where does this leave you if you are staying in the marital home? For one, you need to make sure that the major bills associated with home ownership are taken care of. This includes the mortgage and utilities. Things like lawn care, cable TV, etc. are nice to have but aren’t exactly necessary. When household bills are the focus of a part of your divorce, the budget that you operate from should be considered, as well. We at the Law Office of Bryan Fagan know that many of you out there do not have a household budget that you work with. Rather, you pay your bills as they come and don’t give much of a second thought to how the bills function within the rest of your household responsibilities. You aren’t intentional and as a result, your life can become hectic. A divorce is only going to exacerbate that tendency for life to get out of control for you and your spouse.
Focusing on your household bills may not be the most glamorous or fun part of a divorce but I can assure you that it is necessary. The last thing that you want to do is to figure out how to climb out of a tough spot with your mortgage company now that you are in a position where you have fallen two or three payments behind. Rather, you need to stay on top of your bills and develop a game plan with your spouse to ensure that bills are paid on time and in full. If you can’t find the money to do this during the divorce it is a sign that you need to develop another plan for possibly selling the house, downsizing your lifestyle a living a more austere, conservative lifestyle for the time being.
This flies in the face of what many people, especially parents, want to do during a divorce. From experience, I am here to tell you that if you feel guilty about putting your children through a divorce then you are not alone. Rather, many people in your spot feel like they have let their children down by decreasing the stability and consistency in their children’s lives in favor of getting a divorce. From a financial standpoint, many parents hope that by staying in the home their kids grew up in that they will find some stability in a period of the storm. This is a mistake. When you can afford to stay in the house, and it is the best thing for you or your family then that may be for the best.
On the other hand, to arrive at that decision requires some intentionality. If you have not thought through the decision to try and remain in the marital home beyond “the kids want to,” then you are not serving your children or yourself very well. Instead, you need to develop a budget, figure out your income and your expenditures then perform an analysis of whether it is a good idea based on those numbers to stay in the marital home. Even if you and the kids love the home it is not worth putting yourselves over a barrel to remain in the house. Stability is compromised by foreclosure proceedings.
For Mr. Tate, these sorts of considerations have not been necessary as of yet. As you watch the interview with Mr. Owens, Mr. Tate comes off as someone so secure in their place that nothing could ruffle him. Now, we of course do not know the man privately. His persona is worth a great deal to him, so we do not know if this is an act. However, he gives off the impression that he is so stable financially and that he has so much money that he can “afford” to make bad decisions. Whether that ends up being the case we shall see. His legal situation in Romania is unsettled and a trial date has not yet been set. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain this self-assured demeanor as we approach his trial date and the consequences which may come along with that date.
Making apologies means understanding you did wrong
One of the interesting parts of the interview involved Mr. Tate’s apparent lack of remorse for any of the things that he has said or done which has been hurtful towards others or at least does not paint him in the most favorable light. Ms. Owens pressed Mr. Tate to explain some of his past behaviors during the interview. Mr. Tate was, to his credit, at times regretful and even embarrassed at recalling some of the things he has done and said in the past. However, he was not remorseful and went on to discuss why he feels remorse for a person’s past actions is not productive in the long run for that individual.
Mr. Tate instead stated that, essentially, all’s well that ends when it comes to past bad actions. Lacking remorse for your past bad actions is not something that will win you many points with a family court judge, for example. Let’s suppose that you are involved in a divorce case where you have been accused of adultery in the marriage. Adultery is a fault ground for divorce, meaning that if your spouse is successfully able to prove that you committed adultery during the marriage there is the potential for negative impacts for you in areas like your community property division, child custody, and visitation.
The first step in this process is for your spouse to come forward with evidence that you did have a sexual relationship with another adult during your marriage that was consensual. This is the definition of adultery as applied to a family law case. If that is true, then your spouse needs to allege that in their petition or counterpetition for divorce. Alleging that something occurred is not the same as presenting evidence that the event or events occurred, however. For that, your spouse will need to produce enough evidence to show a judge that the adultery occurred and profoundly impacted the marriage. Photographs, testimony, social media posts, hotel bills, credit card bills, and other types of evidence may be presented in the divorce proceedings to prove that adultery happened.
This would all come out in a trial. Adultery by itself, however, does not mean that you are going to have the book thrown at you by the judge. While adultery is painful and something that can destroy the bonds of marriage, it does not necessarily mean that you will find yourself facing an outcome with no money and no time with your children. What can happen is that you may put yourself in those circumstances if you display no remorse and if you were cavalier with your significant other before and during the divorce.
One thing that hurts people during a divorce case as far as the optics of your case are concerned is if you date someone during the divorce. Treating the divorce like a done deal just because you have filed a divorce petition is not a smart move. Until the judge signs a final decree you are not officially divorced. For that reason, you should hold off on dating until your divorce is over. However, some folks who go through a divorce get a little jumpy and start to think that the game is over before it has even begun. Dating in the open and even introducing your children to the other person while the divorce is ongoing will make you look like you are rubbing your spouse’s face in this new relationship which is something that will not win you many points in your favor.
Instead, you need to focus your attention on your case. If you have cheated on your spouse, then you need to share those circumstances with your attorney. Do not shy away from the details. Let your attorney talk to you about the situation and determine if the information you tell him is relevant to the divorce or not. Do not put your attorney in a position where he is going to be caught by surprise in a situation involving bad deeds or bad actions. Otherwise, watch this interview with Mr. Tate again. See how he conducts himself and generally holds himself up as being beyond reproach. In a divorce, nobody is above the law. Treat yourself, your spouse, and the court with respect and you will find that the outcome of your case will reflect the respect which you have shown.
Questions about the material contained in today’s blog post? Contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan
If you have any questions about the material contained in today’s blog post, please do not hesitate to contact the Law Office of Bryan Fagan. Our licensed family law attorneys offer free-of-charge consultations six days a week in person, over the phone, and via video. These consultations are a great way for you to learn more about the world of Texas family law as well as about how your family’s circumstances may be impacted by the filing of a divorce or child custody lawsuit.
Bryan Fagan, a native of Atascocita, Texas, is a dedicated family law attorney inspired by John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief.” He is the first lawyer in his family, which includes two adopted brothers. Bryan’s commitment to family is personal and professional; he cared for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s while completing his degree and attended the South Texas College of Law at night.
Married with three children, Bryan’s personal experiences enrich his understanding of family dynamics, which is central to his legal practice. He specializes in family law, offering innovative and efficient legal services. A certified member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, Bryan is part of an elite group of legal professionals committed to ongoing education and high-level expertise.
His legal practice covers divorce, custody disputes, property disputes, adoption, paternity, and mediation. Bryan is also experienced in drafting marital property agreements. He leads a team dedicated to complex family law cases and protecting families from false CPS allegations.
Based in Houston, Bryan is active in the Houston Family Law Sector of the Houston Bar Association and various family law groups in Texas. His deep understanding of family values and his professional dedication make him a compassionate advocate for families navigating Texas family law.
