Brett Christiansen

For your Family Law, Probate and Business Legal Needs call Brett at (214) 838-3501.

Representative Experience

Successful representation of clients in divorce, complex property division and post-divorce modifications
Drafting and negotiation of premarital and post-marital agreements
Representation of clients in child custody disputes and enforcements of existing orders relating to custody and possession
Representing clients in probate of wills and intestate estates
Design and implementation of complex estate plans for all sizes of estates
Acting as attorney ad litem in heirship determination and guardianship proceedings
Conceptualization, implementation, and management of comprehensive legal strategy contributing to company growth from a $300K single-location organization to $100M international value-added reseller offering systems integration and professional consulting services
Formulating and directing risk management and contracting structure, including establishing protocols and drafting all necessary forms of agreement; responsibility for annual review/renewal of insurance portfolio, including Directors and Officers, Errors and Omissions, and Property policies
Successful resolution of multimillion-dollar international and domestic litigation claims, including breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, trademark/trade dress infringement, false advertising, restrictive covenants enforcement, wrongful termination/discrimination, and contract, fraud, RICO, and commercial disputes
Draft and negotiate talent and performance agreements for radio production company
Oversight of merger resulting in a combined surviving entity with annual projected revenues at more than $100,000,000
Has received advanced training in collaborative divorce, and has guided couples through the collaborative divorce process
Serving as corporate counsel to recording studios and labels and television production companies
Management of more than 21 acquisitions for a single client

Probate

Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests

Family Law

Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law

Divorce

Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce

Estate Planning

Guardianship & Conservatorship, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills

Business Law

Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes

• Free Consultation
• Credit Cards Accepted

Texas

Since 1999

Partner

Christiansen Davis LLC

Current

Texas Wesleyan University

Doctor of Jurisprudence/Juris Doctor (J.D.)

1999

Finalist 2006 Best Corporate Counsel Award

Dallas Business Journal

2006

Finalist in 2006 Best Corporate Counsel Award, General Counsel - Small Business

Texas State Bar  # 24006439

Member

1999 - Current

Dallas LGBT Bar Association

President

2017 - 2018

State Bar of Texas Collaborative Law Section

Vice Chair

2016 - 2018

We got marriage rights. Now let’s get marriage right.

Brett Christiansen's Blog

July 2, 2015

Legal Essentials for Entrepreneurs, Starting A Business, Certificate Course, Dallas, TX

March 8, 2016

SOuthern Methodist University, School of Entreprenuership

A detailed discussion of business entity formation and business contracting with a focus on newly formed business ventures.

Certified Public Accountant

Texas State Board of Public Accountancy

Q. My partner and I have separated after 15 yrs and I need to know my rights and options as far as dividing our asset

14 December 2017

A: The answer to this question really depends on the legal status of your relationship with your partner of 15 years. You use the term "partner". Were you married? Did you have any other type of status on your relationship? That will dictate how the property can be handled. That status will also dictate the characterization of the property which can also affect how the asset is to be divided. You may meet the requirements of an Informal Marriage in TEXAS which are found in Texas Family Code Section 2.401. There are three elements of an informal ("Common Law") marriage in Texas and you must have all three parts(at the same time) in order to have an informal marriage in Texas. You and your partner must have (1) AGREED to be married (2) LIVED TOGETHER in TEXAS as a married couple AND (3) REPRESENTED TO OTHERS that you were married. If you can prove an informal marriage, that puts potentially a lot of other assets into play for division. But, If the house was a COMMUNITY PROPERTY asset (i.e. acquired AFTER marriage) the Court could divide the asset for you and in the event that one could not afford to buy the other out of their interest, they would likely order the house sold, mortgage paid and remaining proceeds split just and right. But, you can never tell exactly what a court will do. If your interest in the house is a separate property (generally meaning exiting before the marriage) or an individual, personal interest (i.e. no marriage here) you could bring a partition suit for the house and generally in those cases the Court will have the house sold and profits split. This can be complicated and absent an agreement, you should likely seek counsel to assist you in navigating a path.