Divorce, custody, and mediation. Bring us the situation as it actually is and we'll tell you where you stand — in plain language, without the posturing, and before you've spent anything.
Confidential, and there's no charge for the first conversation. Tell us as much or as little as you're comfortable with.
Most people who call us have never spoken to a lawyer before and are dreading it. It's a twenty-minute conversation, and it costs nothing.
You'll speak to someone at the firm, not an answering service reading a script. If the attorney is in court, you'll be told when to expect a call back — and you will get it.
You describe what's happening. We ask questions, and we listen to the answers. No charge, no pressure to retain anyone, and nothing you say leaves the room.
You leave knowing what the realistic outcomes are, roughly how long it takes, and what it costs — with a flat fee wherever the work allows one. Sometimes the honest answer is that you don't need us yet. We'll say so.
We don't do personal injury on Tuesdays. This is the whole practice, which is why we know the Harris County courts and the associate judges in them.
Contested and uncontested, with or without significant property. The goal is a settlement you can live with; the preparation assumes a trial, because that's what makes the settlement fair.
Conservatorship, possession schedules, and child support — argued around what your child's week actually looks like rather than what a standard order assumes.
Most Texas family cases settle at mediation, and the ones that go well are the ones that were prepared for properly. We do both — represent you in mediation, and serve as mediator where both sides want a neutral.
Also handling modifications, enforcement, paternity, adoption, and prenuptial agreements. If you're not sure which of these your situation is, that's a fine reason to call.
![[Attorney Name], managing attorney at Bayou Oaks Family Law](images/attorney.jpg)
Eighteen years of family law in Harris County and the counties around it — long enough to know which arguments actually move a judge and which ones just run up a bill.
Most of this work isn't dramatic. It's getting the temporary orders right so you can function while the case runs, working out what a possession schedule does to a Tuesday, and being honest when the deal on the table is better than anything a trial will produce. When a case does need to be tried, it gets tried properly — but nobody here will push you toward a courtroom to make the file more interesting.
First names only. In family law, that matters more than a full-name testimonial ever could.
★★★★★“I called expecting to be sold something. Instead I got twenty minutes of straight talk and a suggestion to wait two weeks before filing. That advice cost me nothing and saved a great deal.”
★★★★★“Custody case that had already been going badly for a year with another firm. Everything was explained to me before it happened, so I stopped being ambushed at every hearing.”
★★★★★“We mediated instead of going to trial and settled in a single day. Calm, prepared, and never once made a difficult conversation worse than it needed to be.”
Regularly in the Harris County family courts, and routinely in the surrounding counties where cases so often end up.
An uncontested divorce where both people agree on everything is a few thousand dollars and largely paperwork. A contested one with property and children in dispute is a different animal, and the honest range is wide, because most of the cost is driven by how much the other side fights.
We'll give you a realistic figure for your situation on the first call, quote a flat fee wherever the work allows it, and tell you plainly which choices in the case are the expensive ones.
Texas requires a sixty-day waiting period from the date of filing before a divorce can be finalised, so nothing moves faster than that. Uncontested cases often finish shortly after. Contested cases with children or contested property typically run six months to a year, sometimes longer if the court's docket is busy.
Usually not for a trial. The large majority of Texas family cases resolve at mediation, and courts generally require you to attempt it before setting a final hearing. You may still appear briefly for temporary orders or to have an agreement finalised, but the courtroom fight most people are picturing is the exception rather than the rule.
Note the date you were served and call today. There is a deadline for filing your answer, and missing it can result in a default judgment being entered without you. Don't sign anything, don't agree to anything on the phone, and don't move out of the house before speaking to someone — that decision can affect the case in ways that aren't obvious.
No. One lawyer cannot represent both sides of a divorce; the conflict of interest is absolute. What you can do is mediate, where a neutral third party helps you both reach an agreement and each of you keeps your own counsel for advice. It's cheaper than two firms in litigation, and it's often the right answer when the split is genuinely amicable.
Yes. Confidentiality attaches to a consultation whether or not you go on to hire the firm. If your safety is a concern, tell us at the start and we'll agree how and when it's safe to contact you before we discuss anything else.
You don't need to have decided anything. Most people call before they're sure — that's the right time.