Best Family Law Attorneys in Houston
Best Family Lawyer in Houston
Matt Tyson
Family Lawyer
A sixth-generation Texan, Matt Tyson earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Texas and his law degree back home at Texas Tech School of Law. Less than a week after being licensed he was in the courtroom arguing for clients. Since then, he has established himself as a determined lawyer who fiercely advocates for his clients.
Houstonia Magazine recognizes Matt Tyson as one of Houston’s top attorneys and the National Trial Lawyers Association places him in the “Top 40 Under 40”. Super Lawyers has given him the distinction of Rising Star for the past four years.
Family Law cases are an inherently emotional time for everyone involved. Such a unique approach to client relationships is only one of many reasons for his outstanding success to date. Matt is a tenacious trial lawyer, a practical negotiator, and a compassionate family law attorney. It comes as no surprise that his unfailing dedication to clients and unparalleled work ethic have yielded exceptional results in difficult situations.
Andrew Bayley
Family Lawyer
Andrew Bayley is the lead attorney for The Bayley Law Firm. Since 2010 Andrew has helped countless individuals, families, and businesses with their legal needs in divorce & family law, real estate law, business litigation, and small business support. He has appeared and argued cases in front of nearly every sitting District Court Judge in Harris County and surrounding counties, and has argued cases to both the First and Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Andrew grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He grew up working for his father who owned a small business selling furniture and appliances.
Andrew’s father taught him that the only way a small business could compete with the big box stores was to go the extra mile for their customers. As a lawyer Andrew has applied that lesson to the practice of law. Andrew makes it his mission to make sure that anyone who becomes a client of the Bayley Law Firm stays a client of the Bayley Law Firm for life.
Bryan Fagan
Family Lawyer
From a young age, Bryan Fagan was captivated by the legal world. Inspired by the film adaptation of John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief,” he pursued his dream of becoming a lawyer. Today, Bryan represents families across Texas in challenging, emotional divorces and other family law matters.
Born and raised in Atascocita, a small town Northeast of Houston; Bryan comes from a family of four siblings, which includes two adopted brothers. His father worked as an engineer, while his mother dedicated her career to teaching. As the first and only lawyer in his family, Bryan embarked on his legal journey at the South Texas College of Law. During law school, Bryan gained invaluable experience working at a boutique family law litigation firm. It was here where he discovered his passion for family law, a field that would soon come to define his career.
Family has always been at the heart of Bryan’s life. He chose to complete his undergraduate degree online to care for his grandmother with Alzheimer’s. Later, he opted for South Texas College of Law’s night study program; allowing him to provide daytime care for his grandmother until another family member could take over. Shortly after law school, Bryan married his wife and they have since welcomed three wonderful children: James, 6 years-old; Arron age 4 and their youngest, 4-month-old Emily. The early days of their marriage were not without their share of hardship; Bryan’s father passed away unexpectedly at the age of 70. This profoundly difficult experience shaped Bryan into a stronger person, lawyer, husband and father.
Daryl F. Longworth
Family Lawyer
Our law firm is based on the belief that our client’s needs are paramount. Our entire team is committed to meeting those needs. As a result, a high percentage of our practice is from referrals.
We would welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and represent you. If you need a divorce lawyer to help with your divorce, a child custody attorney to help with your child custody issues, or a child support lawyer to help you navigate through your support issues in Richmond, Rosenberg, Sugar Land, Katy, Cypress, or Houston, the Longworth Law Firm is ready to assist you.
We also practice in the Fort Bend County Family Courts and Harris County Family Courts.
Daryl F. Longworth was born and raised in New York. He moved to Texas in 1983 to pursue a Bachelor of the Arts in Humanities from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. After earning his BA, Daryl joined the Houston Police Department in 1989, rising to the rank of Lieutenant by 2002. While working full-time for the Houston Police Department, he earned a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Houston Baptist University in 2004.
Cindi
Family Lawyer
Over 30 years experience In the legal field.
Associates in Liberal Arts Paralegal Certificate and Certified Mediator, Certified Family Law Mediator and Certified Arbitrator, US Army 4 years, given award by US Inspector General for perfect maintenance of files. Dean’s List Award Recipient at Genesee Community College.
RIP Cindi. She lost her battle with cancer but her spirit still lives on. Cindi was a great person and an awesome paralegal. We miss her.
Skills
US Army Qualified as “Sharp Shooter”.
Hobbies
Music, History and Football
Goals
Happiness in life and love.
Favorites Quote
The greatest gift in life is friendship and I have received it. Ten percent of life is what happens to you, 90 percent of life is how you react to it
Karleana L. Farias
Family Lawyer
Attorney Karleana L. Farias is a native of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Karleana is a graduate from the Colegio Puertorriqueno de Ninas, a prestigious all girl school in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At the age of eighteen, she left the island of Puerto Rico to attend her undergraduate studies at the American University in Washington, D.C. Karleana obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science in 2006. During her time in Washington, D.C., Karleana worked at Mirbagheri & Smith, an immigration law firm, primarily focused with providing legal services to individuals from the Middle East. While there, Karleana worked in a wide variety of petitions and applications which included citizenship applications, asylum petitions, visa applications, applications for travel documents, while also handling many of the firm’s communications with its Spanish speaking clients. During her undergraduate studies, Karleana attended a program at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, completing comparative studies, and traveling through most of the southern areas of the African continent. Karleana organized the Latino Youth Conference, which features seminars for Latino youth in the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas focusing on strategies to encourage participation in civil processes, college education initiatives as well as providing information on financing a college education.
Upon her graduation from American University, Karleana was selected for the Honors Paralegal Program at the United States Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division, Natural Resources Section in Washington, D.C. As a paralegal specialist for the Justice Department, Karleana participated in multiple litigations, which included matters in the Federal Claims Courts, and District Courts throughout the county. In addition to providing litigation support, Karleana was involved with the Hispanic Heritage Committee in charge of organizing the National Hispanic Heritage Month activities hosted by the Attorney General of the United States.
Cheryl Alsandor
Family Lawyer
As a highly knowledgeable and competent Family Law Attorney, Cheryl Alsandor is passionate about solving people’s problems in a structured manner. A fierce advocate of family interests, and protector of their rights, she is committed to offering the best representation, honest assessments, and reasonable expectations of results. Her goal is to help improve their lives through easy access to justice. Nothing is more gratifying than the look on a client’s face after a successful representation.
With an education background in law and economics, Cheryl approaches legal challenges from a broader perspective. As a counselor, she provides you with the information, resources, and guidance you need. She is an eager team player who enjoys working with diverse skill sets towards a common goal, offering sound leadership to the team.
Cheryl’s competency lies in her resilience and determination to meet her client’s expectations. She is reputable for her professionalism, integrity, honesty, and confidentiality. Cheryl is honored to be part of your success story. Contact her for expert guidance on your most complex legal problems.
She values work-life balance and enjoys sleeping, playing with her dog, and traveling in her free time. She enjoys traveling, visiting the beach and taking cruises.
Renee Kennedy
Family Lawyer
Renee has dedicated her career to helping people in need. Whether its a personal injury case, divorce, contested child custody case, or criminal case, people have come to Renee for nearly 20 years with the knowledge that she would provide them with active, reliable, dedicated, and results-oriented legal assistance.
Ms. Kennedy’s clients benefit from her legal expertise as well as her extensive practical business experience. She has worked in a variety of industries, and has even owned and operated multiple businesses throughout her career – e.g., real estate rental properties and has even produced an independent film.
Education
- University of Houston College of Law, J.D. – 1999
- University of Redlands – B.S. – Business & Management – 1994
Hobbies & Interests
Renee loves films and media. Horror and sci-fi are her favorite genres. She also loves to travel and lived in Japan twice!
How many types of Family Law are there?
Family law encompasses several types, each focusing on different aspects of family relationships and legal issues. While there aren’t strict categories universally recognized as “types” of family law, the practice is typically divided into key areas based on the specific legal issues they address. Here’s an overview of the primary types of family law:
1. Marriage and Domestic Partnership Law
- Marriage: Laws concerning the requirements for getting married, rights and duties of spouses, and legal recognition of the marriage.
- Domestic Partnerships and Civil Unions: Legal recognition of relationships outside of traditional marriage, providing similar rights and benefits.
2. Divorce and Separation Law
- Divorce: Legal processes for dissolving a marriage, including no-fault and fault-based divorce.
- Legal Separation: Agreements for living apart without divorcing, often involving division of assets, child custody, and spousal support.
- Annulment: Legal procedure declaring a marriage null and void, as if it never legally existed.
3. Child Custody and Visitation Law
- Physical and Legal Custody: Deciding where a child lives (physical custody) and who makes important decisions (legal custody).
- Visitation Rights: Establishing visitation schedules for the non-custodial parent or other family members like grandparents.
4. Child Support Law
- Financial Support: Determining the financial obligations of non-custodial parents to ensure children’s needs are met.
5. Adoption and Surrogacy Law
- Adoption: Legal procedures for becoming the legal parent of a child, covering both domestic and international adoptions.
- Surrogacy: Legal agreements between intended parents and surrogates, addressing parental rights and responsibilities.
6. Paternity Law
- Establishing Paternity: Legal processes to determine the biological father of a child, affecting custody, visitation, and child support.
- Disputing Paternity: Cases involving challenges to presumed paternity or requests for DNA testing.
7. Domestic Violence and Protection Orders Law
- Restraining Orders: Legal measures to protect victims of domestic abuse from their abusers.
- Emergency Protection Orders: Temporary measures offering immediate protection before a court hearing.
8. Property Division Law
- Division of Assets and Debts: Equitably dividing marital property and liabilities during divorce or separation.
- Community Property vs. Equitable Distribution: State-specific approaches to dividing assets.
9. Spousal Support (Alimony) Law
- Temporary and Permanent Support: Determining financial support one spouse pays to the other after separation or divorce.
- Modification and Termination: Laws concerning changes to or ending alimony payments.
10. Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreement Law
- Prenuptial Agreements: Contracts signed before marriage outlining asset division and financial arrangements if the marriage ends.
- Postnuptial Agreements: Similar contracts signed after marriage, covering property, debt, and spousal support.
11. Guardianship Law
- Legal Guardianship: Appointing a guardian for minors or incapacitated adults when parents or legal guardians are unable to fulfill their roles.
12. Elder Law (Family Law for Aging Adults)
- Conservatorship and Power of Attorney: Legal arrangements for managing the affairs of elderly or incapacitated family members.
- Elder Abuse Protection: Legal protections and support systems for senior citizens.
13. Parental Rights and Responsibilities Law
- Parental Relocation: Laws governing when a parent can move with a child, often involving custody modifications.
- Parental Rights Termination: Processes for involuntarily terminating parental rights in cases of neglect or abuse.
Summary
Family law can be categorized into several specific types, each addressing different legal aspects of family life. Whether dealing with marriage, divorce, child custody, or adoption, these areas work together to provide a legal framework for resolving family-related disputes and ensuring the welfare of family members.