Hints on hiring a family law attorney in Texas

Here are a few hints on finding a decent and reputable family law attorney:



1. Check out websites like http://www.lawguru.com/ or http://www.avvo.com/ 



Attorneys answers questions for free so you can read their answers and get a "feel" for them before you call them.



Most family law attorneys offer payment plans. 



How much is a down payment?  This can vary dramatically.  Anywhere from $500 - rarely $100,000.



Some attorneys will let you make a down payment of $1,500 if the case is a "basic" case. 



If the case is complex or there is a hearing pending, then you should anticipate paying closer to $5,000. 



Why?  The attorney is going to need to do a lot of work to get ready for the hearing. 



(You expect to get paid for the work you do and so does your attorney.)

On the http://www.avvo.com/ website beware of their rating system -- many excellent attorneys have never "claimed" their profile so their rating might be low -- don't necessarily trust a high or low rating!

Should I hire a board certified attorney?



If money is an issue for you, you don't need to hire a board certified attorney -- their prices are much higher per hour than a non-board certified attorney Most board certified attorneys charge at least $400 per hour - so expect your legal bill to add up quickly.  If you hire a board certified attorney, expect your legal bill to easily run $20,000.  Some "high profile" attorneys charge a one-time fee just to accept your case!  And, these fees are non-refundable if you have a change of heart later!  Remember, if name dropping is important to you, then you are going to pay for this privilege.  FYI:  There are many excellent attorneys in Houston that are not written up in the press or are not known by the public.  These attorneys are just as respected by the Judges and their peers. 


What sort of experience should I look for in an attorney?



Try to hire an attorney that does at least 70% family law and has at least 5 years experience. I personally would prefer someone with at least 10 years experience, but try to avoid someone with less than 5 years experience -- they are too new!



You might want to call PATRICIA BUSHMAN at 713-807-9405.

She will go outside Harris County. She offers payment plans and accepts credit cards. Her deposits are reasonable.  I thinks she takes a common sense approach to practicing law.  She does only what is required.  She does not try to do a lot of extra work to charge extra money.  She represents both men and women.

She has represented men and has gotten men custody. 

She has handled several jury trials. 

She is not afraid to go to trial.

(Believe it or not, many attorneys will NOT go to trial & they will withdraw right before trial.)

I rent space in her office so tell her that I sent you to her!



2. You can read my blog. www.txfamilylaw4u.blogspot.com and read about my comments on family law. Of course, the TX legislature changes the law every 2 years so really old blogs might be somewhat out of date, but you can get an idea of Tx family law.



There are many attorneys that "blog". Of course, it's our opinions. So "filter" every attorney's comments and blogs!

3. Do your research. I always say that knowledge is power!  The TX Family Code is availabe on-line. There are many law libraries around the State of Texas.  Many are located inside small courthouses.  Be aware that they may NOT contain the most recent form books and/or up-to-date books.  However, they are free and open to the public.



The Houston Bar Association has an excellent basic, free brochure on their website called "family law".  It's approximately 50 pages - available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.



The Office of the Texas Attorney General has a website that contains lot of information on family law for free.



You can go to my website at www.familylaw4u.com and look under "links" for some website links.



If you "google" family law or divorce law be sure to only look under TEXAS LAW.  Texas courts do not care what California law says!



What most people don't understand is that divorce law (also known as family law) is a states right issue.  Divorce law is regulated by the state and it varies from state to state. 



Therefore, a Texas attorney does not know what a Louisiana court will do!



4. You can go to your local courthouse and visit the courthouse. It's usually open to the public and you can usually visit the any courtroom. It's very educational and informative. 



If the baliff asks you what you are doing, tell him that you have a family member involved in a family law matter and that you are observing.  You must turn off your cell phone, not wear a hat, not chew gum, cannot wear a hat, etc.  You must dress appropriately and observe all court rules. 



While you are visiting the courthouse, pick up a copy of the local court rules.  Your relative will need to know the local county rules.  Also, does that court have their own court rules?  Each judge is allowed to set their own set of rules to follow.



Be sure to stand when the judge enters and leaves the bench!



5.  If an attorney PROMISES you anything, run.  No decent family law attorney can promise you that you will win custody, etc. 



6.  Ask your friends and family for a referral.  If your friend recently went through a divorce, ask him/her who the opposing attorney was in their case!  I received many referrals from an FBI agent who was the opposing party in a divorce I handled many years ago!  He thought I handled his difficult divorce in a respectful manner and he sent many people to me over the years! 



7.  If an attorney says that he/she has WON 100% of their cases, run!  No family law attorney ever actually WINS a case!  A family law attorney is dealing with the death of a family.  There are no "winners" in family law - except the attorney who is making money on this case! 



If an attorney "won custody" for a father who sexually abuses his children, would that be a "win" for those children? I don't think so. 



I've been on cases where there were issues of drug abuse and the attorneys worked together to protect the children.  This is what professionals do when for the "best interests of the children."



As a mediator, I'm often put in a horrible position of gently letting the party know that all outrageous promises their attorney told them at the beginning of the case will NOT happen. 



8.  Hire an attorney BEFORE you need one.  It's easier to pay for a consultation & receive peace of mind.  I'm an attorney and when I need legal advice in an area of the law that I'm not familiar with, I talk to an attorney that is knowledgeable in that area of the law. 



It's a lot like going to the dentist every 6 months for a dental cleaning, it's cheaper and easier to go every 6 months then to wait until it's a major dental emergency! 



Or, it's a lot like getting my oil changed every 3,000 miles rather than waiting until the engine blows up! 

Houston TX helpful numbers to know

Here are some helpful numbers for the Houston & Harris County Texas are:



Certified Public Accountant Referral

CPA's

http://www.houtoncpa.org/

713-622-7733



Chamber of Commerce

Greater Houston

http://www.houston.org/

713-844-3600



City of Houston Deed Restrictions

832-393-6333



Copies of State and Federal Laws

Austin, Texas

http://www.capitol.state.tx.tus/



Federal Public Defenders

http://www.fpdsdot.org/

713-718-4600



Greater Houston Fair Housing Center

for housing discrimination

713-641-3247



Houston Apartment Association

http://www.haaonline.org/

713-595-0300



Houston Association of Realtors

http://www.har.com/

713-629-1900



Landlord Dispute Hotline

City of Houston

sends inspectors to check out complaints with apartments

713-868-8461



Harris County Law Library

Downtown Houston

Open to the public

713-755-5183



Harris County Tax Assessor & Collector

713-368-2000

24 hour emergency & crisis intervention services

Here is a list of emergency & crisis intervention services from the Houston Bar Assocation's Resource & Referral Guide of 2010:



Center for Disease Control & Prevention

http://www.cdc.gov/

1-800-232-4636



Crime Stoppres

http://www.crime-stoppres.org/

713-222-tips



Crisis Hotline

713-hot-line



Harris County Sheriff's Office

713-221-6000



Harris County Family Domestic & Sexual Assault Unit

713-967-5743

http://www.hcso.hctx.net/



Houston Police Department

Non Emergency Line

713-884-3131



Houston Police Dept.

Family Violence Unit

713-308-11--



Mental Health & Mental Retardation

Authority Crisist Line

713-970-7070



Morgue

Harris County Medical Examiner's Office

www.co.harris/tx.us.me/

713-796-6761

open 8-5 only Monday-Friday



Rape Crisis Hotline

1-800-256-0661

713-528-7273



Runaway Hotline

1-888-580-4357



Star of Hope Mission

http://www.sohmission.org/

713-748-0700



Teen Crisis Hotline

713-529-teen



Texas Department of Protective & Regulatory Services

Abuse Hotline

Report abuse or neglect or children & the elderly

1-800-252-5400



Texas Youth Hotline

1-800-210-2278



United Way Information

http://www.unitedwayhousotn.org/

713-957-4357

713-658-2300

Pro Bono Services in Houston, Texas

With the economy down, more and more people are looking for free (pro bono) legal services.



Here is a brief list of the pro bono services that I'm aware of in the Houston and Harris County area:



Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program

713-228-0732

This agency is overwhelmed - anticipate a 6 month waiting period

http://www.hvlp.org/



Lone Star Legal Aid

713-652-0077

This agency is overhelmed - it is difficult to even get accepted by this agency

http://www.lonestarlegal.com/



University of Houston Law School

Accepts easy cases for law school students to get experience



South Texas College of Law

Accepts easy cases for law school students to get experience



Texas Southern University  Law School

Accepots easy cases for law school students to get experience



Protective Orders

Harris County District Attorney's Office

Falmily Violence Unit

Criminal Law Division

713-755-5888

http://app/dao/hctx.net



Harris County Domestic Relations Office

713-755-6757

http://www.dro.hctsx.net/



National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

NAACP

713-526-3389

http://www.naacphouston.org/



Texas Attorney General's Office

Several locations around Houston & Harris County

Anticipate 6 months minimum - this agency is overwhelmed

http://www.oag.state.tx.us/



A V D A - Aid to Victims of Domestic Dispute

713-224-9911

http://www.avda-tx.org/



FOR MORE IDEAS OF PLACES TO GO FOR HELP:



HOUSTON BAR ASSOCIATION puts out a list - Resource & Referral guide of non-profit agencies in the Harris County area that helps low income people



Go to your local public library for ideas & help



United Way Information

713-957-4357

http://www.unitedwayhouston.org/

Happy Veterans Day 2010

U.S. Army Vet Driving While Black in East Texas from DallasJustice.com on Vimeo.

Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: 100% Republican

Yesterday was Election Day, and while many spotlights were focused upon the Governor's race between Rick Perry and Bill White (and Kathie Glass), some pretty powerful statewide spots were being decided as well. Positions on the two highest state courts - the Texas Supreme Court for civil matters, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal matters - were also on the ballot.

And, once again, Republicans won every race. This keeps both high courts completely Republican - no Democrat, no Libertarian, no Independent, no Green Party - and it's been that way since 1994.

Sixteen Years of a Republican Monopoly in the Two Texas High Courts

Of course, there are those that argue this is not that big of a deal. Judges at the appellate level make decisions based upon law, not party affiliation. They aren't stumping for votes like Congressmen and Congresswomen. They aren't giving speeches and taking voters' questions like Mayors, County Commissioners, School Board Members, or even the Governor himself. Judges, it's argued, are above all that: taking on the label of one party or the other is simply a necessary evil given the reality that these are elected positions.

However, the mere fact that judges must run for office means that they must become politicians at some level. They need the campaign support that a party provides (at least most of them do) and they will have their own campaigns to run albeit smaller and more discrete than their legislative and executive contemporaries.

Does it Matter?

Are they swayed by their party affiliations? Some argue yes. These are the folk that push periodically for judges to be appointed, not elected. Look around, that's not been a very successful venture here in Texas. (Federal judges are appointed here in Texas and elsewhere, by comparison.)

As the appointment debate continues, the reality that Texas faces today is this: a uniform Republican presence on the state's highest courts. Are you comfortable with that?

Need a divorce, come see us!

Our lawyers have been helping people going through divorce in San Antonio and in Bexar County. We understand that divorce is a difficult time, and you need some one to care about your legal needs.

The Baez Law Firm has experienced attorneys that will fight for your rights and the rights of your children in court. Let our experience guide you through this difficult time in your life. Many times our attorneys advise clients that divorce is not the only option. This is why we say, we will treat you with respect and dignity.

To us, you are not a number, you are almost family. The divorce is between spouses, never between the children, so we let our clients know that. We care about your legal needs. When you are facing a divorce in San Antonio, come and see us!