Texas Family Law Insiders: Recent Episodes
Holly Draper
The Texas Family Law Insiders podcast brings together top divorce and family law attorneys and other professionals to discuss issues related to divorce, family law, child custody, child support, paternity, parental rights, grandparents’ rights, adoptions, and family law appeals in Texas.
Most family lawyers don’t know enough about the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction…
What are the must-know facts that family lawyers should be aware of if this convention becomes relevant to a client?
In this episode, Natalie Webb of Webb Family Law will break down the Hague Convention and its impact on family law.
She’ll cover:
- When does the Hague Convention apply?
- Common misconceptions about the Convention
- Working with the state authority on a case
- Determining a child’s habitual residence
- Related criminal statutes
- And more
What do attorneys need to know about the common psychological elements of family law cases?
In many divorce cases, a client may bring up concepts like narcissism and emotional abuse…
In this episode, we’ll cover how attorneys can navigate these situations, especially in high conflict cases.
My guest Christopher Meyer is a veteran and law firm owner whose practice focuses on high conflict divorce, child custody, and family violence cases.
He’ll share his insight on the psychology of divorce and how family lawyers can handle cases involving claims of narcissism and abuse.
How can intellectual property law affect divorce cases?
In this episode, I’m joined by intellectual property attorney Wei Wei Jeang to cover this area that may be unfamiliar to family lawyers.
Effective August 1, 2023, Wei Wei Jeang is a founding partner of the new law firm Fulton Jeang PLLC, a Texas-based virtual business law firm. Fulton Jeang focuses on corporate, securities, intellectual property, technology, data privacy, employment and litigation.
Wei Wei assists her clients in obtaining patent and trademark protection and enforcing their IP rights. She sits down with us to discuss aspects of intellectual property that family lawyers need to know.
She’ll discuss:
- Patents, trademarks, and copyright
- How common law plays into IP cases
- Signs that your client could have an IP issue
- Valuing intellectual property
- Division of intellectual property
- And more
What common mistakes do family law attorneys make when it comes to appeals?
In this episode, I’ll cover what family lawyers need to know about the process of preparing a case for appeal or a mandamus.
I’ll answer common questions such as:
- The difference between an appeal and a mandamus
- How to create a record
- The process of redacting
- Objecting and preserving the record when judges are difficult
- Appellate deadlines
- And more
How can family lawyers help women with careers navigate divorce?
Lindsey Obenhaus, a partner at Goranson Bain Ausley, regularly helps women in this situation.
In this episode, she’ll cover the major considerations for these clients, including:
- The history of alimony in Texas
- Dealing with possession schedules as a working mother
- Creative solutions to deviate from the standard possession schedule
- Property division
- How divorced parents can best handle unexpected schedule changes
- And more
Most attorneys make this crucial mistake about C.J.C…
They believe it’s a standing case—but it’s not.
In this episode, we’ll cover why attorneys have that misconception and explore the ins and outs of standing in family law cases.
Here to join me is Jimmy Evans of Evans Family Law Group. Jimmy has been practicing law in Texas since 1995, has been board certified in family law since 2010, and has handled 14 jury trials in family law.
Jimmy and I will share our knowledge on this subject and help attorneys gain clarity on how standing applies in family law cases.
What are the 7 essential systems a law firm needs?
My guest Davina Frederick is the founder and CEO of Wealthy Woman Lawyer, a company that helps women law firm owners scale their law firm businesses to and through 1 million dollars in gross annual revenue without burning themselves out in the process.
In this episode, she’ll share the internal and external systems that can help you grow your law firm and get more of your ideal clients.
Davina will also cover:
- The benefits of a coach
- How to leverage your resources
- A hiring system to attract ideal employees
- The KPIs firm owners should monitor
- And more
When the military intersects with family law, attorneys may feel out of their comfort zone…
Suddenly, you have to navigate complex policies that you’re unfamiliar with…
And face unique family circumstances such as deployment & childcare…
In this episode, Thomas Just shares his expertise on military family law and breaks down some of the essential facts attorneys need to consider when working on these cases.
We’ll cover:
- Why adultery claims work differently for military cases
- What happens if your client gets deployed during the case
- Handling possession schedules in case of deployment
- Child support & the military
- How divorce affects military pensions & benefits
- And more
Should you add a litigation strategist to your team?
A litigation strategist can be an invaluable tool for an attorney…
They can keep you organized, help you select the best clients, and save your clients money…
Jerome Stein is here to give you an inside look at his role as a litigation strategist and break down why attorneys can benefit from one.
If you draft an order that’s not enforceable, it’s worthless…
How can you ensure your order meets your client’s needs?
Nicole Voyles is here to discuss the ins and outs of drafting orders with an eye for enforcement.
Nicole covers the most common areas where family lawyers need to consider enforcement, including:
- Possession and access schedules
- Unreimbursed medical expenses
- Right of first refusal
- Child support
- The morality clause
- And more
Criminal law experience is an invaluable asset for a family lawyer…
When family law and criminal law cases overlap, you need the knowledge to navigate them…
And you can use the information-gathering techniques of prosecutors for your family law case…
Emily Doron of The Draper Law Firm is here to discuss her background as an Assistant District Attorney and how that has helped her as a family law attorney.
Listen to learn:
- The importance of understanding overlapping areas of criminal and family law
- Techniques for finding criminal history and other criminal-related evidence
- How to navigate CPS involvement in family law cases
- What to do if your family law client gets arrested
- And more
How can a forensic accountant help your case?
If your case involves tracing separate property, proving hidden assets, or business valuation, you may need to bring in a forensic accountant…
Amber Alwais is here to break down the role of a forensic accountant and answer common questions attorneys have about working with one.
Listen to learn:
- What types of cases benefit from a forensic accountant
- The threshold of net worth for using a forensic accountant
- How forensic accountants can find hidden assets
- What forensic accountants can do that attorneys can’t
- The red flags that signal a need for a forensic accountant
- How to hire a trustworthy forensic accountant
- And more
As a family law attorney, you may encounter Licensed Clinical Social Workers—or maybe you have clients that need a referral to one.
But what is the role of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and how are these practitioners involved in family law?
In this episode, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Samantha Greene answers these questions and discusses how you can help clients dealing with trauma.
Listen to learn:
- How a clinical therapist differs from a forensic therapist
- When clinical therapists can be involved in family law cases
- The science behind trauma & the brain
- Best practices for talking to clients undergoing trauma
- Why anger management isn’t always the right tool
- And more
In today’s episode of the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, I’m going to give you all the updates on what’s happened in Texas following the C.J.C. decision.
As you may know, I represented the father in the C.J.C. case from the trial court to the Texas Supreme Court…
I already discussed the background and opinions from C.J.C. in Episode 19, but today we will dive deeper into the takeaways from C.J.C. and what has happened in family law since that time. I will discuss cases that have substantively addressed the fit parent presumption since C.J.C. and where the law stands in setting forth the standard to overcome that presumption.
And I’m going to give you an inside look at how this case affects family law.
Listen to learn:
- Distinguishing standing from the right to relief
- The difference between the Constitutional Fit Parent Presumption and the Statutory Parental Presumption
- When the Fit Parent Presumption applies
- Cases since C.J.C.
- Where we are in establishing a standard for overcoming the fit parent presumption
- And more
Tracing is crucial in many clients’ divorce cases…
And any reputable family lawyer should understand this process.
If your client can’t afford to hire a tracing expert, you may be the one responsible for tracing—so you need to know the ins and outs.
In this episode, Chad Petross breaks down tracing for family lawyers and shows you how these techniques can help your client get the best possible result.
Listen to learn:
- Tracing techniques for bank accounts and investment accounts
- How to present tracing information in court
- Tips for preparing for mediation
- And more
Explaining divorce to a child is one of the most difficult moments a parent can go through…
As a single mother and teacher, my guest on this episode knows this firsthand.
Amy Tyson wrote a children’s book, One Princess, Two Castles, for her daughter, and she’s since shared the book with the world.
The book aims to bring hope, healing, and comfort to young children while reinforcing the idea that, “Things will be different, but things will be good!”
As a family lawyer, this book is a valuable resource to share with your clients who have children—demonstrating that you care for their emotional well-being, not just their legal concerns.
Listen to my conversation with Amy as we cover her book, parenting through divorce, and more.
When your clients are going through a divorce, they may want personal guidance through this difficult life change…
A life coach may be the answer.
But what is a life coach and how can you connect your struggling client to one?
Life coach Ashley Shihab helps people reconnect with themselves and move forward to a better future.
In this episode, she discusses the role of a life coach and how your clients can benefit from this resource.
As a private family law attorney, you may not know the ins and outs of the Office of the Attorney General, but when dealing with a child support case, understanding the OAG can help you get a faster, or better, outcome for your clients.
Today on the podcast, Daphne Trombley walks you through the OAG and child support cases.
Daphne served a 7-year tenure as the Managing Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division.
In this episode, she lends you her expertise so you can learn…
- How the OAG enforces child support
- Best practices for when your client has an open OAG case
- How to navigate an informal settlement process with the OAG
- Options for when the OAG doesn’t give your client the desired outcome
- And more
What challenges arise when a divorcing couple is buying or selling a home?
Today on the podcast, we discuss the intersection of family law and real estate.
My guest is Lance Taylor, a realtor with Keller Williams Realty in Plano, Texas. He teams up with attorneys to help divorcing clients navigate the real estate process.
Lance joins us to explore how attorneys and real estate agents can guide clients through this difficult life change, getting the best outcome for all parties.
Listen to learn:
- How attorneys and real estate agents can join forces
- How to settle disputes about the value of a house
- What Lance calls “the easy button of real estate”
- And more
We are pleased to welcome Robert Bailes to the show. Robert is the Founder and Managing Partner of Bailes & Co., P.C. He is a CPA with accreditations in financial forensics and business valuations. His 35 years of experience as a financial expert has primarily been in the area of family law, focused on tracing and valuations.
Robert is extremely knowledgeable of nuances in Texas case law when it comes to the often-painstaking tasks of valuing businesses and tracing assets in family case proceedings. Our conversation details what a family law attorney needs to know about business valuations and tracing, including:
- What attorneys should look for when seeking a business valuation or tracing expert
- The basic elements of business valuations
- Why some assets cannot be traced
- How to attack a valuation or tracing determination you disagree with
- And much more
Get all your business valuation and tracing questions answered today!
We’re excited to welcome Elisa Reiter of Underwood Perkins as our guest today on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Elisa’s practice focuses on family law matters, including divorces, custody, grandparent rights, LGBTQ issues, and elder law issues.
We’re sitting down with Elisa today to discuss how state courts across the country are redefining the laws pertaining to a psychological parent. Elisa says, “Hillary Clinton taught us from the old African Proverb that ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ and it does. Are there times that someone who is simply a psychological parent deserves to be recognized and deserves to have the status and court-ordered recognition when they step up and ask for it?”
Today on the show, we discuss current and past psychological parent cases, including Middleton v. Johnson, 369 S.C. 585. More of these cases are being heard, so listen in to learn:
- The paramount concern for courts in determining the rights of a psychological parent
- Tests used throughout the country for determining if someone has acted as a psychological parent
- Is the consent of one parent enough to determine that there is a psychological parent relationship
- What about other parental figures such as nannies, foster parents, and grandparents
- Special considerations for psychological parent relationships in the LQBTQ community
- The status of the psychological parent in Texas
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Dr. Honey Sheff to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast today.
Dr. Sheff is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 40 years of clinical experience and an expertise in family issues. She holds a Graduate Certificate Degree in Dispute Resolution. 95% of her practice is family law related, where she serves in the roles of a neutral Mental Health Professional and Child Specialist, provides counseling services, and acts as a parenting coordinator.
Dr. Sheff says, “Collaborative divorce is aimed at helping couples reach customized solutions to restructure their families as they move forward post-divorce.”
In this episode we are taking a deep dive into the mental health aspects of collaborative divorce, plus how family law attorneys can borrow the tools from collaborative divorce for traditional litigation to empower couples and help families move forward.
Listen to learn:
- What a successful collaborative client looks like from a mental health professional’s perspective
- How a mental health professional can be an asset in any divorce
- The role of the child specialist in family law cases
- How to use the number one tool in collaborative divorce for better outcomes in all your cases
- And more
We’re excited to talk to our guest JoAl Cannon Sheridan today. JoAl is a well-known and experienced trial lawyer in the area of family law. Board Certified in Family Law since 2008 by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, JoAl is a nationally recognized speaker to both lawyers and judges on complex family law topics, including third-party and grandparent cases, conservatorship, interstate and international jurisdictional issues, complex marital property law, and professionalism and ethics. JoAl practices law at Sheridan Family Law, PLLC in Austin, Texas.
JoAl is a frequent speaker on the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) which specifies which court should decide a custody case. Today, JoAl walks us through:
- What is the difference between the UIFSA and the UCCJEA
- When does the UCCJEA encourage a state to decline jurisdiction
- The 4 different scenarios in which a Texas court has jurisdiction and which is the most important
- What emergency jurisdiction looks like under the UCCJEA
- The 2 most common mistakes lawyers make with the UCCJEA
- And more
I’m excited to welcome my guest, Ryan Bauerle of Goranson Bain Ausley, PLLC to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast today.
Ryan is Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Family Law, and serves as Chair of the Family Law Committee and Liaison to the Section of Family Law of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and was elected as Director of District 4 by the Texas Young Lawyers Association. He serves in multiple capacities for State and Local Bar Associations.
Ryan is sitting down with us today to walk us through everything we need to know about temporary restraining orders. Listen to learn:
- What is the legal standard for obtaining a TRO and what criteria should you look for when making a decision to seek one
- What are the differences between a protection order and a TRO and what are the limits of a TRO
- Tips for preparing your client to testify, no matter which side of the TRO they are on
- 5 tools to present things effectively so that you can speed up your case
- And more
Plus, Ryan’s best advice for attorneys, including great ideas for giving a hand up and a hand out to people making their way up.
Today we are excited to welcome Lindsay Menz to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Lindsay is a Mortgage Loan Officer with Cross Country Mortgage. Cross Country Mortgage lends throughout the United States with most lending taking place remotely, providing mortgages for purchases, refinances, construction & renovation loans. As a single mother, Lindsay specializes in helping clients going through a divorce.
Lindsay is sitting down with us today to offer some insight and options for helping our clients who are facing mortgage issues complicated by their divorce. Listen as she shares:
- The single biggest complicating factor in acquiring a mortgage after a divorce
- The truth behind credit repair—how long it takes and does it work
- Breakthrough solutions for the stay-at-home mom who wants to keep the house. Lindsay offers her #1 tip
- The demystifying truth about the buyout
- The 3 most important things attorneys can do to help their clients with the refinance process
- And more
Today we’re talking with Lauren Duffer on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Lauren has extensive training and expertise in collaborative divorce, modifications, assisted reproduction, child custody, complex marital property division, pre- and post-marital agreements, and adoption matters. She has recently joined the Sisemore Law Firm.
Today, 80% of Lauren’s practice involves Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) cases. We invited her on the show to offer us an insider look at the different aspects involved in these types of cases.
Tune in to discover…
- Gestational Carrier vs. Traditional Surrogate: what's the difference? Lauren walks us through determining parental rights and the legal risk—plus which one is protected by Texas law
- What goes into a gestational surrogacy agreement, plus how the pandemic has changed the requirements
- The key elements of egg and sperm donations
- Embryos and family law divorce cases—what options are available and the role genetics play
- And much more
We’re excited to talk to our guest Jenny Womack of Jenny L. Womack, P.C. in Dallas, Texas. Since 1998, Jenny has helped create happy families by focusing her practice exclusively on adoption, surrogacy, gamete donation and family building.
Today, we’re sitting down with Jenny to delve deeper into the complex legal processes involved in adoption, surrogacy, and assisted reproduction, including:
- The different paths to adoption—what each one offers, what to watch out for, how to help your clients remain within the law and avoid the scams, and special considerations for the LGBTQ+ community
- Gestational surrogacy vs. traditional surrogacy, plus what goes into gestational agreements and the requirements for validation
- Key strategies for walking your clients through assisted reproduction, including a look at embryo donation, egg donation, and sperm donation
- And much more
Today on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, we are sitting down with attorney Rocky Pilgrim.
Rocky has been practicing law for over 18 years and owns Pilgrim Law Office, P.C., a family law firm with offices in Tomball and Richmond, Texas. With a focus on children, Rocky regularly serves as an amicus attorney in family law cases.
Rocky says that an amicus is most appropriate when you have a high conflict situation and the parents just cannot agree. One is saying black and the other is saying white, there are major communication issues, and the kids are stuck in the middle.
We’re sitting down with her today to discuss the role of an amicus attorney and when it’s appropriate to request one for your case, as well as:
- The key differences between an amicus and an ad litem
- The most important role of the amicus attorney
- Five things an amicus attorney must do, their primary goal, and how to avoid the “gotcha” at trial
- And much more
Today on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, we welcome guest Robin Watts. Robin is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Parenting Facilitator and Parenting Coordinator, and an expert in Reunification Therapy.
One thing that can most negatively affect children’s development is high conflict between their parents. Robin joins us on the show today to discuss how forensic counseling can be useful in these types of divorce and custody cases. Listen as she walks us through:
- Family systems therapy and reunification therapy—what’s the difference, what’s the process, and when is it effective
- What are the essential differences between destructive and constructive conflict and how each can create change
- Parent coordinators and parent facilitators, what do they do, and what’s the difference between them
- What are some indicators that these services are needed, and when should they begin
- And much more
Today we’re excited to welcome Richel “Rikky” Rivers to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast.
Rikky has been practicing law for 46 years because she loves her work. She is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, Civil Appellate Law and Family Law, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
An expert in family law jury trials, we invited her on the show today to share her knowledge and give us an in-depth look at everything you need to know to prepare yourself, your case, and your client for a jury.
Listen as she walks us through:
- A bench trial vs. a jury trial, and the 3 types of cases that are most ripe for a jury
- What attorneys should bifurcate, what about overlap, and when to file a motion in limine
- The most important thing to discuss with your client about going in front of a jury and how to prepare your client to be the best witness for themselves in front of the 12 people in the room deciding their case
- The 3 step process for voir dire, the two sentence structure she swears by, and what causes her to strike a juror
- And much, much more—if you have a jury trial in your future, this is an episode not to be missed
Today we are excited to welcome Maisha Colter to the show. Maisha is the Chief Executive Officer of the Non-Profit, AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse). AVDA’s mission is to end family violence by advocating for the safety and self-determination of victims, promoting accountability for abusers, and fostering a community response to abuse by providing family violence intervention and prevention in the Greater Houston Area.
Maisha says, “Oftentimes the client doesn’t necessarily identify themself as a victim of domestic violence, even if in fact they are.”
We’re sitting down with her today to learn about some signs, signals, and statistics of domestic violence. Listen as she walks us through:
- Key markers of domestic violence—the number one thing family law attorneys should look for—plus conversation starters to help you determine if your client is in danger
- What triggers escalate domestic violence—when is the most dangerous time for the victim and how children can be impacted long term
- The impact of COVID-19—how the pandemic changed domestic violence
- Advocating on behalf of your client—no matter which side they are on
- And much more
Today, we’re excited to welcome Lauren Powell to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Lauren is the founder and President of Powell Law Offices, P.C., a firm focused on family law, probate, and bankruptcy in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. She’s also an Adjunct Professor at The University of North Texas School of Law, is Nationally Board Certified in Consumer Bankruptcy Law, and is a sought-after panelist and speaker at national and local legal conferences.
Lauren says, “Bankruptcy and family law are different—family law has a lot of gray areas… bankruptcy does not. In bankruptcy, we live and die by the rules.” We sit down with her today to talk about how bankruptcy may impact your family law case.
Listen as she walks us through:
- Two (BIG) things family lawyers need to be aware of when bankruptcy and divorce collide
- How one spouse can file for bankruptcy without the other in a community property state. She’ll walk us through the requirements and the recourse for the other spouse
- The bankruptcy automatic stay and domestic relations exceptions: when, why, and how to get relief
- What to be aware of when dealing with bankruptcy and property division (knowing this will help you protect your client's interest)
- And much more
Today on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, our guest is Former State District Judge, Suzanne Wooten.
Judge Wooten has 27 years of experience in civil, family, and business law in the roles of trial attorney, mediator, arbitrator, and District Judge.
Her experience has given her a wide range of knowledge and techniques designed to help her resolve even the most difficult disputes. In the last nine years, through her company, North Texas Litigation Solutions, she has handled over 1600 mediations.
She’s joining us today to walk us through mediation dos and don’ts from a mediator’s standpoint, including:
- In-Person vs. Zoom—which is better and how attorneys can help with the mediation process using either format
- The biggest mistake she has seen clients make during mediation (and the one that shocked her)
- The 4-letter f word to avoid for a successful mediation
- And much more
We’re excited to welcome Ellen Williamson to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast today. Ellen has been practicing law for over 15 years. Located in Dallas, her firm, Ellen Williamson Law PC, focuses on legal matters relating to estate planning, probate, and guardianship. Outside of the office, she’s an Ironman triathlete and marathon runner.
We’ve invited her on the show today to walk us through what family lawyers need to know about estate planning, including:
- The 3 critical items included in an estate plan
- The magic wand of estate planning—this is like the difference between having regular dental cleanings and a root canal
- Wills vs Trusts, which is best financially (plus other available options)
- How divorce affects your will and what people need to know about guardianship for the minor children
- Yours, mine, and ours—creative ways for blended families to avoid conflict
- Plus much more
Today, we’re excited to welcome Larry Praeger of Lawrence J. Praeger PC, to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast.
Larry’s Dallas based practice focuses on family law, with a specialty in mediation, and professional licensing issues. For twenty-five years, he has been preparing and defending mental health professionals in family law matters and helping them prepare for the litigation process.
Larry sits down with me on today’s episode to talk about working with mental health professionals in your case. Listen as we discuss:
- Custody collaborations: the pros and cons of involving mental health professionals in your case and when the harm outweighs the probative value
- Amicus Attorney vs custody evaluator: which is right for your case
- How to protect the provider–client relationship and special considerations for children
- And much more
Today on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, our guest is Ruby Powers. The child of a Mexican immigrant, Ruby has both a passion for service and a cultural understanding of issues that are of concern for immigrants. Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, her firm, Powers Law Group, P.C., is an immigration law firm focused 100% on U.S. Immigration and Nationality Law.
Ruby sits down with us today to discuss the intersection between family law and immigration.
Listen as she walks us through:
- Is your client's immigration status dependent on their marriage? Here are the questions you need to ask to find out and what you need to keep in mind right now (knowing this will help you effectively serve your clients)
- The 3 key issues that can change your clients' petition status
- What about the children? How a child’s status is determined, and the special provisions for children under the age of 18
- Plus much more
Today we’re excited to welcome Esther Donald to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. A graduate of The University of Texas, Esther is a Partner at Goranson Bain Ausley Family Law. She has immersed herself in the collaborative law model and was recently distinguished as a Credentialed Collaborative Divorce Lawyer, one of a select few in the state.
Today she sits down with us to discuss the distinctions of gray divorce including:
- The biggest challenges of divorcing over 50
- How adult children can help (or hurt) the case and insights on creative ways to involve them
- The secret to winning emotionally and financially (for the entire family)
- And much more
We’re excited to welcome Audrey Blair as our guest today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. Audrey has been practicing family law in Texas since 2002. In 2014 she was burned out on family law litigation, so she took an epic road trip which led to her pivoting her practice to family law appeals and legal research and writing.
Audrey sits down with me today to talk about arbitration, what it is, when it’s useful, and some of the pros and cons of its use in family law cases.
Listen to learn:
- The truth behind the Texas Arbitration Act and the interesting provision for family law
- Why you need to treat arbitration like a trial
- How to select an arbitrator
- 3 options for when you don’t like the arbitrators’ decisions and the (extremely narrow) basis to correct or modify an award
- And much more
Today we welcome Natalie Koehler to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast.
Natalie has been practicing family law for 20 years and currently serves as the elected Bosque County Attorney.
After her own divorce, she transitioned her firm, Koehler Law Firm P.C. to mediation, finding it was a fit for her peacemaker personality. A sixth-generation rancher, Natalie is sitting down with us today to share her special insight into rural family law cases.
Our time together was packed with a lot of valuable insight. Listen as she walks us through:
- Key strategies for handling property issues in rural divorce – horses, cattle, equipment and ranch land
- Her two single biggest pieces of advice for a successful mediation
- Three steps family law attorneys can take to get plugged in to state bar activities (even if you are from a rural area or are just starting out)
- The one thing you should never compromise (this is critical, especially for young lawyers)
- Plus much more
Today we are excited to welcome attorney Kate Bihm to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Kate has been practicing law since 2007. Her firm, The Bihm Firm, PLLC, focuses their efforts on family law and criminal defense. Known for her ready smile, salty language, and love of bright colors, Kate loves providing her services to her clients involved in high conflict cases.
We’re sitting down with her today to discuss the intersection between family law and criminal law.
Listen as Kate walks us through:
- The most important thing for family law attorneys to know about assault family violence charges
- Top tips for representing the accuser
- The risks and rewards of having your accused client testify in court
- Controlling the narrative when CPS and law enforcement become involved
- The preferred type of protective order
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Kathleen Schofield to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Kathleen is a Licensed Professional Counselor with Clear View Counseling Group in Dallas. She specializes in working with high-conflict families and enjoys the challenge of stepping in and helping everyone to communicate differently.
Kathleen says, “I really genuinely think people don’t like to be in that mental and emotional state. They’re just not quite sure what to do.”
Today, we’re sitting down with Kathleen to discuss helping clients break out of the co-parenting conflict cycle and working with a mental health professional.
Listen as she walks us through:
- The two different areas where conflict originates from and how attorneys can prepare their clients for a positive outcome
- Detailed strategies to recognize when intervention from a mental health professional is appropriate
- The two questions to ask to return the focus back to the children and the secret to helping your client make the shift to a positive co-parent relationship
- The difference between parenting facilitation and parent coordination and how to decipher which types of services you are seeking
- And more...
Today on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, I am again joined by my partner, Brandi Crozier, to discuss how our team at The Draper Law Firm prepares clients to testify in hearings.
We like to tell our clients, “This is your opportunity to tell your story and to have the judge understand why he or she should rule how you want, but we have to get that point across in a hurry.”
Listen as we share:
- The questions to ask during your prep sessions that will keep your clients from flying blind, put them in the best possible light before the judge, and set them up for the best possible outcome
- The must use strategy to prepare your client for cross examination
- The secret word that will bring your client back to center and help them effectively share their story
- Selecting your arsenal of exhibits and the one key item you should present first to get the judge to rule in your favor
- And much more
Today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast, I sit down with my partner, Brandi Crozier, to discuss the processes for preparing for mediation.
Brandi and our team at The Draper Law Firm have a reputation for having clients well prepared for successful mediations. Today, we sit down to discuss our firm’s strategies for preparing clients for mediation to make the most out of the process.
Listen, as we walk through the steps we use to prepare, as well as:
- How a simple change in your preparation process can result in shorter mediation sessions
- The one cornerstone of preparing for mediation (every attorney should do this)
- Five things to give the mediator in advance and the most important piece of the preparation puzzle
- How mediation is like a rainbow, and how to help your client get to their pot of gold
- And much more
Today we are excited to welcome attorney Leigh de la Reza to the Texas Family Law Insiders' podcast. Leigh has been practicing family law for 16 years and is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
Leigh’s husband is an Assistant Chief in their local fire department, which led her to specialize in working with first responders. Through this work, she learned about the effects of vicarious trauma. She soon learned that family lawyers suffer high rates of vicarious trauma due to what their jobs entail.
Leigh says, “Vicarious trauma differs from stress. It is work related exposure to victims of trauma.” We’ve invited her on the show today to talk about the impact of secondary traumatic stress among family law attorneys, and she’ll walk us through:
- Symptoms to look for to know if you are suffering from trauma
- How to maintain boundaries and employ self-care therapies to keep yourself safe from behavioral trauma burnout
- Cognitive restructuring—what is it and how you can use it to create resilience for you and your client
- And much more
Today we’re excited to welcome Sandra Dodson Roland, Ph.D., ABPP, to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast.
Dr. Roland is Board Certified in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. She’s licensed in the State of Texas as a Psychologist and Licensed Specialist and has spent nearly 25 years working with children, adolescents and their families. She provides evaluations including
autism spectrum, cognitive, ADHD, and child custody and adoption evaluations.
Today we are sitting down with her to discuss educational evaluations and how they can be used in family law cases. Listen as she walks us through:
- When parents don’t agree on education for the children - what factors go into deciding what is best for the child
- What are the components of the educational evaluation
- There are more options than public or private schools. Why it’s important to consider ALL the education options (for each child)
- And much more
We’re excited to welcome Victoria T. Harvey, PhD, as our guest today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. Dr. Harvey is a licensed clinical psychologist and holds a Masters of Science in Criminal Justice. She provides child custody and psychological evaluations.
She says, “Psychological evaluations have a wealth of information that they can offer the court.” She’ll walk us through the psychologist's role in family law cases as well as:
- When should a psychologist become involved and how to ask the right questions to ensure you get the answers you need
- Three things that should be covered in a psychological evaluation
- Two major limitations to psychological evaluations
- Clarifying the diagnostic picture: the differences between psychiatric and psychological evaluations
- And much more
Today, we’re excited to welcome David Brunson, CFA®, CFP®, CDFA®, President of Lifeway Financial Corporation, to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. David has over three decades of experience in both the financial planning and investment management fields and holds several financial services designations. He’s also a frequent speaker on the collaborative divorce process.
David says, “Just about every dispute has to do with money to some extent.” He joins us today to talk about his role as a financial neutral in the collaborative divorce process. Listen as he shares:
- The value of bringing in a financial planner or financial neutral in a divorce or collaborative case
- How long typical collaborative cases take and how to work with the natural frequency in collaborative divorce
- The most critical point in the collaborative process, and how neutrals can help keep your clients from dropping out
- And much more
We’re excited to welcome Sam Thornal, CFP®, CDFA® , ChFC® , CRPC® as our guest today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. Sam is a graduate of Baylor University and is the CEO of Encircle Wealth Advisors, Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC.
Early in his career, Sam met many people who were bankrupt within 5 years of their divorce. Right then, he knew he wanted to help people reach past the emotions and make the right financial decisions to not just survive divorce but thrive. Now, he helps clients with their post divorce financial planning.
I can’t stress enough to attorneys how important it is to have a relationship with someone like Sam who can help your client make sound financial decisions.
Listen as he shares with us:
- Why it's so important to involve financial experts early in the divorce process
- A financial planning secret almost no one thinks about
- Why it’s important to have a financial plan in place before mediation
- Creative financial solutions for “keeping the house”
- And much more
Today we are excited to welcome attorney Karen Marvel to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Karen practices family law and has held many leadership positions during her career. In each year from 2017-2020 she was named one of the top 50 family law attorneys by S.A. Scene magazine.
Karen’s passion is collecting past due child support no matter how old the case.
She says, “One of the things Texas does really well is this huge array of remedies to help people collect support.”
Today we are talking to her about what family law attorneys need to know when collecting past due support, including:
- The process for securing child support judgements (how quickly you can get into court)
- Creative ways for collecting child support and some important things to remember when employing them
- Exactly how to use liens and levies (without court intervention)
- How to collect attorney’s fees
- And much more
To be successful in parental alienation litigation you need to work with an experienced psychologist, someone trained in forensic psychology, high conflict divorce, and who has a working knowledge of the law and the judicial system.
We are so happy to welcome just such an expert to the show this week. Susan Fletcher, PhD, is an author, licensed psychologist, and member of the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychology. She is going to help us better understand the role of a forensic psychologist in parental alienation cases and how we can better help our clients. Our conversation covers practical strategies, including:
- How to spot signs of parental alienation
- How to find a qualified psychologist for your case
- What to expect from a retained psychologist
- How to prove (or disprove) alienation allegations in court
- And much, much more
Dr. Fletcher also leaves us with some suggested resources for both attorneys and clients. Don’t miss this episode!
Today, we’re excited to welcome Cory Montfort of the Montfort Group to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Cory is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a board-approved Counselor Supervisor for the State of Texas. The Montfort Group provides couples counseling and individual therapy.
Today, we’re sitting down with Cory to discuss what family lawyers need to know about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and the issues she is seeing in her practice, including:
- The unspoken challenges and unexpected benefits of telehealth therapy
- Her tips for family lawyers to help co-parenting clients put the children first
- Her one piece of advice for helping your clients cope with the “new normal”
- And much more...
We’re very excited to welcome Kala Arevalo to the show today. Kala began working in family law in 2008 as a paralegal, then worked her way through college and law school, becoming a licensed attorney in the state of Texas in 2018.
Today she’s going to share with the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast listeners the two different facets of social media for attorneys – dealing with the social media components of family law cases and how to use social media to market your practice.
Listen as she walks us through:
- Social media slip ups—how to safeguard your clients
- Discovery—how to locate the social media dirt and get it admitted
- Which social media platforms are the most effective for building your practice (and your brand)
- And much more
Today, we’re excited to welcome Melinda Eitzen to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Melinda is a partner at Duffee + Eitzen.
The daughter of a retired Judge, Melinda is in her 27th year of practicing family law. She is a licensed mediator and has spent twenty years practicing collaborative law. She’s co-authored two books: “Divorce The Collaborative Way. Is It The Way For You?” and “Considering Divorce? Critical Things You Need to Know.”
Melinda says she was attracted to collaborative law because “it allows the participants, the husband and wife, to be their higher selves, their best selves...it’s creative and it’s forward looking.” Listen as Melinda gives us an inside look at the practice of collaborative law, including:
- What types of people make the best candidates for a collaborative divorce
- What to do when there is an imbalance of power between the parties in a case
- Who are ‘the neutrals’ in a collaborative case and what are their roles
- How to become a Credentialed Collaborative Professional
- And much more
Today we’re excited to welcome Chad Ruback to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast.
Before opening his own appellate law firm in 2005, Chad practiced appellate law at a medium-sized law firm and at a large law firm. Now he works on appeals of trial court judgments in every type of case imaginable. He attributes his success to the fact that he has limited his practice to handling appeals and trial court motions likely to be at issue on appeal.
Chad says, “Most appeals are won or lost in the trial court...things can be broken in the trial court that cannot be fixed on appeal.” Today we are talking to him about when to seek input from an appellate lawyer in your family law case, as well as:
- The one mistake family law attorneys make in preparing for an appeal
- The key to fixing findings of fact prior to an appeal
- Preserving the record: temporary hearings vs final judgements
- And much more
We welcome attorney Melody Petitt to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Ms. Petitt is a graduate of Baylor University School of Law and has been a family law attorney for over 20 years. She is a partner at Hargrave Family Law.
Today we sit down with Melody to talk about the Texas Citizens Participation Act which is often referred to as the “Anti-SLAPP law.” Additionally, we discuss:
- Anti-SLAPP lawsuits in a family law context
- The truth about Anti-SLAPP suits, social media, and the First Amendment
- Key strategies for defending an Anti-SLAPP claim
- Her one piece of advice for young family law attorneys
- And more
Today, we’re excited to welcome Brandi Crozier to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Brandi is an accomplished attorney and mediator with over 10 years of experience representing clients in all aspects of family law matters, and has mediated over 200 cases in her career. She joined The Draper Law Firm in 2017 and was named partner in January of 2020.
Brandi says, “I like to approach the discovery process in a ‘help me help you manner,’ making things both easier and less costly for the client.” We sit down with Brandi today to talk about working with clients through the initial disclosures and discovery process, as well as:
- One piece of advice to master the new discovery rules in the shortest time
- Setting realistic expectations with your client
- Detailed strategies to organizing the document gathering process
- The KISS principle to empower your client for a deposition
- And much more...
Today, we’re excited to welcome Shailey Gupta-Brietzke to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Shailey is a board certified family law attorney who has handled cases in all stages of litigation, including acting as a mediator and judge. Now back in private practice in her own firm, Shailey Gupta-Brietzke PLLC, she represents individuals and children in all aspects of divorces, custody cases, modifications of existing court orders, and enforcements of court orders.
Shailey says, “In working with domestic abuse survivors, the biggest decisions of their lives are not made in criminal court but in family court.” We sit down with her today to talk about domestic violence and protective orders, as well as:
- 3 red flags to look for to know if you are dealing with a domestic violence situation
- The biggest challenge of domestic violence court
- Her advice for preparing and prioritizing the protective order timeline
- Protecting the rights of victims and the rights of the accused
I’m excited about today’s episode of the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. On the show, I sit down with Steve Gordon for an interview about C.J.C., my landmark Texas Supreme Court case protecting the constitutional rights of fit parents.
I walk Steve through the journey of that case to the Texas Supreme Court, where they ruled 9-0 in favor of my client and in favor of protecting parental rights. The case has garnered national attention, and on this episode, I’ll break down the the Texas Supreme Court’s decision, as well as:
- The one most important takeaway that all family law judges and attorneys need to understand about C.J.C.
- The important distinction between the statutory parental presumption and the constitutional fit parent presumption
- The most important things to consider before settling custody cases involving non-parents
- What comes next after C.J.C.
- And more
On this episode of the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast I sit down with Brad LaMorgese of Orsinger, Nelson, Downing and Anderson, LLP. Brad is known for his experience and excellence in complex litigation involving interpretations of law and cases regarding jurisdictional disputes.
Brad is one of the few appellate family lawyers in Texas. During his nearly two decades in practice, he has achieved success in dozens of cases in Texas courts of appeals and the Texas Supreme Court, as well as the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. A high achiever, one thing he is most proud of is the Award of Merit from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children.
I worked with Brad on In re C.J.C. and I learned a lot from him about appellate law so I invited him on the show today to share his knowledge with us. We hope you enjoy this episode as we discuss:
- Appeal vs Mandamus in family law
- The hurdles to relief in an appeal or mandamus
- How to properly preserve error for appeal
- The key things he sees missing in appeals
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Aida Montanaro as our guest today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. From the beginning of her law career Aida was seeking ways to help victims of domestic violence. Prior to opening her own practice she worked as an assistant DA and supervisor at her local district attorney's office.
Now at her firm, Montanaro Law Firm, in Brownville, she works at the intersection between immigration, domestic violence, and family law. As she approaches a milestone year in her law career, she sits down with us to talk about domestic violence issues in family law, as well as:
- How to use the power and control wheel to help your client
- Establishing and proving a domestic violence custody case
- Cost-effective ways to bring expert witnesses into domestic violence cases
- And more
On this episode of the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, I talk to Vonda Bailey, the managing partner of the Law Office of Vonda Bailey, PLLC. Vonda successfully sat for the Texas Bar Exam prior to receiving her law degree from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
In the courtroom, Vonda is a force to be reckoned with, often referred to as a "pit bull in a skirt." She is running for Judge in the 255th Family District Court - Dallas County.
Today Vonda sits down to offer us some of her insider knowledge on all things child support, including:
- The 7 keys to proving a child support enforcement case
- 5 types of evidence to present in court
- The number 1 way to successfully defend a child support claim
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Noel Cookman as our guest today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. Noel is a Divorce-Lending Specialist and is the Founder & President of The Mortgage Institute.
Noel sits down with us to talk about his process for working with attorneys and their clients at the intersection of divorce and mortgage finance. He also offers CLE-Accredited courses for family law attorneys. He reveals so many of his secrets, you really need to listen as he tells us about:
- His secrets to helping a stay at home parent keep the house
- Excludable debt in mortgages
- Different calculations to determine the buyout amount of the house
- His advice for family lawyers
- And more
Today we welcome Sharon Corsentino to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Sharon is a Credentialed Distinguished Mediator by the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association.
Prior to making the decision to devote her practice to mediation, she built a very successful family law practice working as a litigator for over 13 years throughout North Texas.
Today we are going to talk to her about why mediation is often the best option your client has to craft a settlement aligned with their needs, how and when it works best, and:
- The key to a successful mediation for your client
- 3 tips for setting your client’s mediation expectations
- The 5 things needed to prepare for property distribution
- Her advice to young attorneys
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Tresi Weeks as our guest today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders”podcast. Tresi is an attorney and founder of The Weeks Law Firm, PLLC in Plano, Texas, where she assists clients with estate planning, special needs planning, and special needs trusts.
As an advocate for children with special needs, Ms. Weeks is passionate about helping families with loved ones with disabilities, so that the person with a disability can live their best life.
As a respected authority on special needs trusts, she often gives presentations on special needs planning for attorneys, advisors, CPAs, educators, and parents of children with special needs.
Today we are sitting down with Tresi to talk about the intersection between special needs cases and family law, as well as:
- Special needs cases and child support
- Rules for a special needs trust distribution
- Protecting the child financially for their lifetime
- And more
On this week’s “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast, we speak with Boe Bowen. Boe is the Managing Partner of the Bowen Law Firm, PLLC in Houston. He is licensed to practice in the State of Texas and is a Certified Mediator, Family Mediator, and Arbitrator that can offer his services in all Alternative Dispute Resolution Matters. Boe is also a member of the prestigious Texas Bar College.
A lifelong Texan and family man, Boe didn’t take the usual path to becoming an attorney; he’ll tell us a bit about his journey from being the first in his family to receive post-secondary education to graduating from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston.
Family law cases sometimes require court-appointed attorneys. There are multiple types of court-appointed attorneys, and Mr. Bowen has served in and worked with all capacities. We sit down with him to learn more about these appointments, including:
- What an Amicus Attorney does and who they represent
- The role of an Attorney ad Litem
- What types of cases might require a Guardian ad Litem
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Adriane Grace as our guest today on the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. Ms. Grace is the managing partner at the estate law firm of Loveland | Grace | Hurley, PLLC. in Frisco, Texas. There she primarily advises and represents clients in Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship, and Social Security matters. She considers herself a mental health and disability advocate. Today we are talking to Adriane about:
- Guardianship
- Conservatorship
- Guardianship rights for adult disabled children
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Hunter Lewis to the “Texas Family Law Insiders” podcast. Hunter is a Partner at Duffee + Eitzen, LLP, and is the Chair of the Family Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association.
Today we are talking to Hunter about the Discovery process including:
- The new discovery rules in Texas family law
- How and when to use different discovery tools
- Avoiding abusive discovery tactics
- And more
Today, we’re excited to welcome Kristal Thomson to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Kristal practices family law at Langley & Banack in San Antonio. She is Board Certified in Family Law and specializes in divorces with complex or high net worth estates and complicated custody issues. She received her JD from St. Mary's University School of Law.
Kristal is currently wrapping up her term as Chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Today we are talking to her about her year as Chair and all they were able to accomplish during an unprecedented time, as well as:
- The key benefits of membership in the Family Law Section
- CLEs provided by the Section
- The Family Law Section committees—what are they and what do they do?
- How to get involved in the Family Law Section
- And more
Today, on the Texas Family Law Insiders Podcast, we welcome Kurt Chacon. Kurt is a native Texan, a University of Texas School of Law graduate, a collaborative divorce attorney and divorce coach.
As both a child of divorce and a parent of divorce, Kurt has seen divorce in from every possible angle. This perspective is why his goal is always to mitigate the effects of divorce on children. We sit down with him today to learn more about the four points of entry for a divorce coach, as well as:
- The process of becoming a divorce coach
- A divorce coach's job
- The dynamics of the divorce coach and the attorney-client relationship
- And more
We’re excited to welcome Kathryn Hogan as our guest today on the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Kathryn is a staff and education attorney on the education team at Disability Rights Texas. She’s an advocate for students with disabilities to get appropriate educational services, including foster children in psychiatric facilities who’ve been denied education by school districts. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University School of Law, a certified Educational Diagnostician, a certified principal, and has taught in Texas public schools for 14 years.
The mission of Disability Rights Texas is to help people with disabilities understand and exercise their rights under the law, ensuring their full and equal participation in society. Kathryn helps parents of students with disabilities make sure they get an appropriate education in Texas public schools. Kathryn provides helpful information for family law attorneys for cases involving a disabled child, as well as:
- Communication best practices
- Section 504 and the education of children with disabilities
- The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act-IDEA
- ARD committees
- And more
On this episode of the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast, I speak with Jennifer Hargrave. Jennifer is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. In addition, she is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, the Dallas Bar Family Law Section and Collaborative Divorce Texas. U.S. News & World Report has included her in their ranking of Best Lawyers since 2012 (2012-2020), and Texas Super Lawyers has included her in their ranking for eight years running, naming her one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Texas (2014).
We chat with Jennifer about collaborative law as well as:
- The collaborative commitment process
- Goals and outcomes for the collaborative process
- Helping the client formulate their why
- Resolving parenting issues
- Crafting a final decree
- And more
We welcome Dr. John A. Zervopoulos, board-certified forensic psychologist and attorney to the Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Dr. Zervopoulos assists attorneys as a consulting expert in several ways; he helps them understand mental health issues in their cases, critique the work of mental health experts, develop deposition and trial examination questions and draft briefs. He earned his J.D. from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and his Ph.D. in Counseling-Clinical Psychology from the University of North Texas. Dr. Zervopoulos has conducted psychological evaluations, counseling, and mediation in more than 400 court-appointed forensic cases and has qualified as an expert witness in more than 100 cases. He’s also a published author.
Dr. Zervopoulos has developed a model for how family lawyers should interact with mental health experts and mental health issues. He talks about that model, as well as:
- Methods attorneys can use to determine if there really is a mental health issue that needs to be investigated
- Distinguishing between traits and disorders
- The importance of behaviors over diagnoses
- And more
This week, on the Texas Family Law Insiders Podcast, we are speaking with Mary Evelyn McNamara. She is a partner at Rivers McNamara, PLLC in Austin. From the beginning of her career, Mary Evelyn knew she wanted to represent people. In order to hone her craft in family law, she became Board Certified. She is a member of the Family Law Council for the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section.
Today we sit down with Mary Evelyn to discuss recovering attorney’s fees, as well as:
- Preparing to prove your case for attorney’s fees
- Presenting your bills without violating attorney-client privilege
- Best practices for identifying fees in interlocking cases
- Keys to recovering interim and appellate attorney’s fees
- And more
Today we welcome Julia Hatcher to the show. Julia has been practicing family law in Galveston, Texas, for over 22 years. She’s a Founder and the President of the Texas Association of Family Defense Attorneys, TAFDA, founded in 2020, which is a group of statewide attorneys whose mission is to preserve and advocate for family integrity which is guaranteed by the Texas and United States Constitutions.
We chat with Julia about:
- TAFDA’s mission
- Parental rights and the Constitution
- How TAFDA is equipping attorneys for success in parental termination and child protection cases
- How TAFDA is affecting changes in the law to benefit families
- And more
Today we welcome Christy Bradshaw Schmidt to the Texas Family Law Insiders Podcast.
Christy has been a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas since 1997. After six years of working as a Family Court Counselor in Dallas County Family Court Services, she went out on her own conducting private child custody evaluations and serving as an expert consultant for attorneys. Christy also works with attorneys and their clients to develop child-friendly parenting plans.
We chat with her about child custody evaluations and:
- Goals and outcomes in custody evaluations
- How attorneys can help their clients prepare for custody evaluations
- Money: balancing what you need with what you can afford
- Mistakes attorneys make during custody evaluations
- Challenging a custody evaluation
- And More
We’re excited to welcome Judge Marilea Lewis as our guest today on Texas Family Law Insiders podcast. Judge Lewis is currently a partner at the Dallas based family law firm Duffee and Eitzen. She is board certified in family law and spent almost 25 years on the bench and has been selected as one of the best lawyers in America by Woodward White since 2013. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from Baylor University. Outside of work, she’s actively involved in a wide variety of community organizations. And she’s even a certified yoga instructor.
On the show we chat with her about temporary orders hearings, as well as:
- Why temporary orders are the most significant part of many family law cases.
- How to determine where your most significant issues will be in your case.
- What your clients should and shouldn’t do when answering questions from opposing counsel.
- How to use your limited time on the stand wisely.
- Some of the common mistakes she sees lawyers making at temporary orders hearings and the three things every female attorney needs to do to get prepared for practice.
- And more
In the new Texas Family Law Insiders Podcast, host attorney, Holly Draper will take you behind the scenes to discover the latest news and trends in family law in the state of Texas.
In each episode, Holly will talk to an expert in family law. Guests will include family law attorneys, child custody evaluators, psychologists, mental health experts, financial experts, and others in the field.
Holly is excited to sit down for these engaging conversations about important topics in the field, and she is looking forward to sharing the stories with her listeners.
Whether you are a Texas family law attorney or another expert working in the field, you’ll not only learn about what these experts do, but you’ll learn how they do it, with helpful tips you can put to work in your own practice.
Enjoy!