Denton Family Lawyers

Attorney Derek S. Ritchie – the founder and managing partner of The Law Office of Derek S. Ritchie, PLLC – is an accomplished lawyer focusing his practice on family law and criminal defense.
Derek obtained his law degree in London where he practiced criminal defense, handling a variety of sex crimes, gang-related crimes, and violent crimes. From there, Derek moved to the U.S. and earned his LLM from The University of Texas School of Law. He gained prosecution experience while working for the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office. After graduating with his LLM, Derek worked for a criminal defense firm in...

2025 Super Lawyers Rising Star 2024 Avvo Client Choice Award 2024 Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion - Silver If you would like to discuss a customized approach for your case, call me at (361) 579-2490 or email cole@eckhoffpllc.com. My consultation fee is 300. I represent clients seeking strategic representation for divorce, child custody, child support, modification, enforcement, CPS, adoptions and appeals in family law cases where the Court has abused its discretion or misapplied the law in Victoria, Texas and the surrounding area, including Edna, Ganado, La Ward, Port Lavaca, Seadrift, Point Comfort, Cuero, Yoakum (DeWitt portion only), Yorktown, Goliad, Refugio, and Woodsboro. Learn more at...

An experienced trial attorney, primarily focused on criminal defense, child custody, divorce, real estate and business matters. My client selection criteria are based on merits as opposed to finances. I believe that, in decades past, citizens had greater access to representation in the courts, but that, due to changes in the profession and the economy, access to justice has become a problem for many. I try to address that problem by keeping my practice small, focused, selective, and project-based instead of volume-based. It works very well. I have also learned that maintaining credibility inside and outside the courtroom is not...

Our teams start with a deep understanding of our clients’ business objectives. We share knowledge across practices and regions. We help our clients not only mitigate risk, but also discover opportunity. And each success begins with the same simple question…

How can we help you?

By pooling our energy, talents and resources, we are able to achieve the highest order of excellence in the practice and profession of the law. Through such practice we are able to give back to our communities, and in all things to govern ourselves as members of a free democratic society with responsibilities both to our profession...

John R. Gilbert joined his father, Ralph W. Gilbert’s practice in 1973, when they established the law firm of Gilbert & Gilbert. He has continued and built upon the tradition of client service and excellence in representation that has been a hallmark of the firm since its founding. Mr. Gilbert maintains a civil litigation and appellate practice focusing on commercial litigation, personal injury, and products liability. He has tried cases before state and federal courts on a range of challenging issues, and has handled a number of significant appeals. Mr. Gilbert’s practice includes serving as counsel for numerous...

Wilfried P. Schmitz is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and received this certification in 2000. He has practiced law for over 30 years after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Christian University and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law.

Mr. Schmitz is a fellow of the College of the State Bar of Texas and a member of the American Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists and Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.

He is licensed to practice law in all State...

As the founder of the Law Offices of David L. Thornton, Galveston County lawyer David L. Thornton offers legal counsel in family law and personal injury cases. Since 1976, he has been licensed to practice as an attorney. He is also a certified mediator who received meditation training at Harvard Law School. On four occasions, Mr. Thornton has been selected for inclusion in the list of Super Lawyers®. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas, American Association for Justice and Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists. For a free case evaluation, contact his firm today.

Originally from the Beaumont area, Malachi Daws is familiar with the heritage of Southeast Texas. He is dedicated to providing the people of this community with personalized legal care and advocacy.
Malachi has seen how the momentary actions of others can bring about consequences that forever change the lives of those injured and their families. Many times, these injuries leave behind more than physical scars, often causing mental anguish and emotional heartache. He is committed to helping his clients repair all aspects of their lives touched by personal tragedy.

Malachi has tried multiple cases resulting in multi-million dollar jury verdicts, including a...

Board Certified Family Lawyer, Texas Board of Legal Specialization and obtained certification in 1999, licensed since 1991. Office located in San Antonio, Texas. We represent Spanish speaking clients with bilingual staff. Certified mediator, speciality in Family Law with 20 years experience as Mediator Experienced trial lawyer Guardianship certified Prior to law school I became a Registered Nurse, and still maintain license. Active in legal, community and nonprofit organizations. President, Family Law Bar Association San Antonio, 2022 CCA, Dress for Success and Canines for Warriors volunteer Proud parent of two professional children - not attorneys Graduate, University of Texas School of Law

Brooke is a focused and devoted advocate, who works diligently for her clients. Brooke began her career in family law as a law clerk for the firm during her studies at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. Throughout law school, Brooke focused her study on family law matters, and excelled academically in her course work. She received accolades for her work. Upon graduation from South Texas College of Law Houston and being admitted into the State Bar of Texas, Brooke began her position as an associate for the Skillern Firm Divorce & Child Custody Lawyers. Brooke has worked alongside...

Nicholas Traylor is an experienced attorney in Houston, Texas who focuses his practice on helping individuals and families facing family law challenges. He regularly advises clients on cases involving divorce and separation, complex property disputes, and child custody. Nicholas joined Laura Dale & Associates, P.C. in 2018 after working for several family law firms in Houston. Nicholas spent the majority of his life living abroad in Asia and the Middle East. He returned to the United States after high school and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Baylor University. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he enrolled in...

At the Law Office of Kristin Kline, we understand that you are going through a traumatic time, and our goal is to help you efficiently resolve your legal concerns with as little emotional and financial turmoil as possible. Whether it’s the tumultuous breakup of the family unit or the death of a loved one, it is important to have a fair, honest, and affordable attorney on your side. Kristin has over 14 years of experience representing clients in all family law matters including divorce, child custody and visitation, child support, adoption, estate planning, and probate. Call today to...

Jamie Kerr graduated from Rice University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2000. He spent nine years in education, working mostly with high school and university students through the process of application for admission to undergraduate, graduate, business, and law schools. In 2009, Jamie returned to school himself and graduated three years later from the University of Texas School of Law with a Juris Doctor. During his tenure at UT, Jamie focused heavily on clinical education, the study of the dynamics of domestic violence, and criminal law. He spent a year helping victims of domestic violence with their civil cases...

Our practice is 100% devoted to family law matters including divorce, child custody, child support, grandparent rights, marital agreements, collaborative law, family law mediation, transgender issues, same sex marriages, and domestic partnerships. Because we limit our practice to family law, you can be assured that your case will get the attention and care you deserve. We can also offer you a better way to divorce using Collaborative Law, settling your case without utilizing the court system, or a relatively new program for high conflict cases called 'New Ways for Families.' Call us to request a free consultation...

Blake Watson is a graduate of South Texas College of Law and Baylor University. After graduating law school, Blake went on to work at a large firm in Houston, Texas that specialized in personal injury. While there he helped his clients receive far and lucrative settlements for cases involving auto and 18-wheeler accidents, wrongful death, slip and falls, and work related injuries. From Houston, Blake took his practice to Bastrop and Austin Counties where his practice included everything from real estate transactions to business litigation. When he is not practicing law, Blake is an avid outdoors-man who enjoys all types...

Jennifer represents clients in adoptions, premarital planning and estate planning.

Rudy Taylor is a past Assistant District Attorney and a Special Prosecutor. He has practiced only Criminal Law since 2006 and has over 30 Jury Trials to his credit. He is experienced in all areas of criminal law from Capital Murder/Death Penalty to Simple Assault, Meth to Marijuana, Sex Crimes, and everything in between. He has recently began representing the Director of Morale @StoolFrederic in the Chicago Cubs @cubs baseball organization in Trademark matters.

Louis Leichter practices administrative, health, and criminal law, focusing on the area of licensure and license defense. Mr. Leichter advises clients on disciplinary actions and misconduct allegations that may affect their professional licenses. Mr. Leichter also represents clients on related issues that are divergent from the receipt of a disciplinary order within a healthcare practice. Peer review and medical staff privileges, practitioner data bank disputes, network agreements, contract negotiations, and license renewal questionnaires are important to medical and other health care professionals who are involved in disciplinary action. Prior to starting a private practice, Mr. Leichter prosecuted criminal cases as an...

Emily chose family law to help protect clients’ well-being. She works with clients to find a personalized solution for their situation. Emily understands that divorce and other family law matters are not simply a transaction, but a significant life transition. She offers practical and sound advice to help guide clients through this time to a hopeful future.

Candice B. Deyerle is a founding partner of Deyerle Silva Smith, PLLC and is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Clients with particularly complex family law issues, including divorce with businesses involved, multi-million dollar estates, privacy or publicity concerns, contested custody matters, children or parties with disabilities and/or special needs, or difficult issues such as alcoholism, drug abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or personality disorders involved particularly benefit from Candice’s expertise. From the initial consultation, she will listen to and thoughtfully evaluate the facts of your case and work with you to...

The mission of Hiller Law is to deliver expert divorce and family law counsel in a tough, smart, and professional manner. Michael Hiller is known as a fierce courtroom lawyer, and his team provides each client with aggressive and innovative approaches to ensure the best possible outcomes.

Michael Hiller is a Texas Board Certified family lawyer who has extensive legal experience in handling all kinds of family law cases and is specifically trained to handle high conflict divorce cases for high net worth individuals. The Hiller Law Team takes pride in working diligently to present truthful and honest evidence in court...

Graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 1997 with a Bachelor in Social Work and soon thereafter, worked with the immigrant community as a social worker at a local middle school. In my work, I saw first-hand, the difficulties the undocumented confronted and decided to pursue law school to assist the immigrant community and have a greater impact on their everyday lives. Immediately upon enrollment in St. Mary's School of Law in 2000, I began assisting immigrants obtain legal status as a student attorney through the St. Mary's Immigration Clinic. I obtained my Juris Doctor...

I attended Michigan State University, obtaining my undergraduate degree in Political Philosophy in 1990. While there, I minored in Criminal Justice, which led to an internship and, ultimately, a career as an Intelligence Research Specialist for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). I worked at the DEA's headquarters in Washington, D.C., and regional field offices in San Francisco and Houston. I began attending the University of Houston Law Center in 1992 and received my Juris Doctorate in 1995. After law school, I practiced in the area of civil litigation, eventually specializing in oil and gas trucking and oilfield injury litigation.  After...

Mary Jones has been resolving family law matters, including complex financial issues, custody and visitation concerns, immediate and long reaching ramifications of settlement provisions for more than 25 years. Mary’s long-standing focus has been in all aspects of family law and collaborative divorce, including traditional and same-sex divorce, child support, spousal support, child custody, modifications, complex property division, maintenance, post-divorce disputes, paternity, adoptions, enforcement, pre- and post-marital agreements, and grandparent access.

I’m an Austin criminal defense lawyer that puts in all the effort required of an attorney striving to be recognized as one of the best criminal defense lawyers in Austin. I investigate evidence, hire experts when needed, and locate and interview witnesses on behalf of my clients. Some Austin defense lawyers choose to help the state by coaching a defendant into a plea-deal for the sake of convenience. Unless the circumstances of the case demands it, that’s not how business is done at the Law Office of Jackson F. Gorski. I prefer to fight for the accused. My law firm provides...

I grew up in Anson, Texas, not far from Abilene. I was raised on a ranch out in the country, and it helped shape my early life. I graduated Valedictorian of my high school in 1995, and went to Texas A&M University where I graduated in 1999 in the top 10% of my class with a B.B.A. in Accounting. After graduation with honors (Magna Cum Laude) from A&M, I went straight to law school at Texas Tech University School of Law on a full scholarship. I graduated with honors (Magna Cum Laude) from...

As a solo attorney, Kacie Biebas has spent the last several years focusing on family law in Bell and surrounding counties. She has helped hundreds of clients achieve favorable verdicts and stay well informed during their experience with the justice system.

Sarah Springer began her career in law in 1980 after earning her J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law. In her many years of practice, Sarah has worked as a litigator, mediator, and judge. She served as the state district judge in Mississippi where she covered family law and probate cases, as well as juvenile crime cases. After this, she moved to Katy, Texas and continued to dedicate to herself to clients as a skilled family law attorney – with her experience behind the bench serving as a valuable resource for her clients.

Sarah practices all aspects of...

Merrilee L. Harmon is a Family Law specialist, Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1985. Merrilee has lived most of her life in Waco. She graduated from Baylor University in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in elementary education with a minor in English. Merrilee also received certificates in teaching and in the fields of language and learning disabilities and mental disabilities. Merrilee graduated from Baylor Law School in 1978 with a Juris Doctor degree and concentration in Civil Trial Law. From 1978 to 1981, she practiced Criminal Law as...

After practicing for over 10 years in Houston, I was blessed to be able to return home and enjoy life as a small town attorney for the last 20 plus years. It is nice to have a practice to keep you on your toes and seeing new and different things every day. My practice in Family, Criminal, Consumer Collection Defense, Contract, and Personal Injury will definitely keep me on my toes. I also act as a Mediator and believe every case can be settled if it goes through Mediation. It is a way to allow parties...

A diverse skill set, the ability to empathize with client's issues, and a dedication to solving problems is the reason Jonathon Storment's clients speak so highly of his services. Jonathon is a tireless advocate for his clients and will fight to ensure that their legal issue is handled with the utmost competence and skill. Jonathon has been a decorated soldier in the U.S. Army, a federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Treasury Department, an award winning accountant, and a public school administrator. Whatever position he held, he was one of the best in his field. "Some would call it a...

Ken Bigham Jr. has been licensed to practice law since 1989. Since that time he has made it his mission to empower and defend those who find themselves up against the overwhelming odds of large corporations and organizations. With a focus on personal injury law and criminal defense, Ken has spent the last two decades providing experienced guidance and dedicated legal service.

Milissa C. Barrick is a 2001 graduate of the Regent University School of Law, in Virginia Beach. A member of the Texas Bar Association, she is also active in the family law section of the American Bar Association, as well as the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas. She also belongs to the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and is a contributing member of the Better Business Bureau. Milissa Barrick is licensed in the state of Texas, in the United States District Court Eastern District of Texas and the United States District Court of Northern District of Texas.

Practice Areas:
Family Law
Divorce
Collaborative Law
Child...

Nancy Whittemore is a full-service family law attorney with many years of experience in the area of divorce and family law. At Whittemore Law Firm, Nancy offers responsive, personal attention in a friendly atmosphere. She strives to provide compassionate advice tempered by reality.

Dealing with divorce and family law issues can be a stressful and uncertain time for clients. Nancy will listen attentively to your unique situation, help you understand your options, and together formulate a strategy to reach your desired outcome. Her goal is to assist you in achieving the best resolution for your case while minimizing stress, conflict, and...

Over 20 years of litigation and counseling experience. We make every reasonable attempt to resolve and settle disputes. If the opposition is unreasonable, we file a lawsuit and litigate as far as necessary. Sometimes a dispute is settled in litigation and other times we prepare for and conduct trials. We also do appeals if necessary in both the Civil and Criminal arenas.

Attorney Hal Agron began his career as a criminal prosecutor in the Montgomery County Attorneys Office responsible for defending Montgomery County and its elected officials in State and Federal court. After several years on the criminal side, Hal served as a civil litigator for the county until he left for the public sector in 1994 and began practicing law as in-house counsel for several national insurance carriers. Over the years, Hal Agron has tried and settled countless cases involving misdemeanors and felonies. Much of his success can be attributed to his skills in laying the groundwork and...

John Lemos, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, has built a distinguished career as a family law and criminal defense attorney in the Houston/Cypress area. After earning his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Baylor University and his law degree from Baylor University School of Law in Waco, Texas, John established his practice and roots in Cypress, where he lives with his family. With a deep commitment to his clients, John thrives on tackling the complex and emotionally charged issues inherent in family law and criminal defense cases. He takes pride in making a meaningful difference in the lives of those...

David believes that an effective family law practice is about putting clients first and maintaining relationships. David graduated from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 2011 summa cum laude, with a degree in History. Prior to practicing law, David taught high school public speaking, history, and debate for several years. While teaching, David earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law. As a former high school history teacher and debate coach, David believes the right arguments are just as important as remembering that every client’s needs are different, every client’s story is different, and every story needs an...

Prior to joining Hunt Law Firm, Mia graduated in the top five percent of her class, earning summa cum laude from South Texas College of Law after graduating with honors from Texas A&M University.

Mia is passionate about family law because of the client-focused assistance she can offer families during a time of need. She understands every case is different and focuses on working with her clients to achieve the best possible outcome together. As an attorney, Mia believes it is most important to effectively communicate and be prepared.

Previously, Mia worked as an attorney at a family law firm in Houston....