Garland Family Lawyers

Tom Trahan is proficient in all facets of family law, from out-of-court settlements to courtroom litigation. His deep understanding of the litigation process enhances the chances of reaching negotiated or amicable resolutions, as opposing counsel and clients often realize that finding common ground can lead to beneficial outcomes.

ABOUT BEN
Dallas-based attorney Benjamin Palatiere is a courtroom veteran with over 10 years of experience helping individuals, families, and businesses in civil disputes.


Education

Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, 2008
Texas State University, magna cum laude, 2005


Licensed/Admitted

Benjamin is admitted to the Texas Bar and licensed to practice in all district and county courts at law throughout the state.


Groups / Clubs

Dallas Young Lawyers Association
Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Even before founding The Ramos Law Firm, Guillermo Ramos has been devoted to advancing his client’s causes. First as a real estate agent then Real Estate Broker, Mr. Ramos, represented his clients in real estate transactions across North Texas. In 2004, he formed G R Realtors & Associates LLC a Texas real estate brokerage. He has taught agents in Texas the art of the real estate deal ever since. Desiring more out of his career he attended Texas A&M University School of Law. He graduated in December 2009 and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas as a...

Jennifer is very driven; which helps her be a strong and effective advocate for her clients. She believes in treating people who are dealing with difficult situations as well as happy events such as adoptions and prenups with dignity, compassion, and respect while providing excellent representation and personal service. Born and raised in the North Dallas area; Jennifer graduated from Plano Sr. High in 1993. Four years later, she received her Bachelor of Science degrees in Criminal Justice, Business Law and English from UNT. Following college, she took two years off to begin her family before continuing her education and going...

After gaining 13 years’ experience as a collaborative law divorce attorney, litigator and mediator with extensive experience representing families in Plano, Richardson, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, and Dallas in Texas courts, Sharon Corsentino made the decision to dedicate her practice exclusively to mediation. Sharon recognizes the value of taking a non-adversarial approach to family law matters, including divorce, child custody, and child support, to help parties maintain long-term relationships and keep children’s best interests at heart.

Sharon helps couples settle their disputes privately in a dignified manner, without involving a judge who could impose decisions on them that do not meet their...

Attorney Michelle May O’Neil earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in 1989 from Baylor University Hankamer School of Business, her Juris Doctorate in 1991 from Baylor University School of Law, and her Mediation Certificate in 2003 from Texas Women’s University. Ms. O’Neil has been practicing law for over 30 years, and is the founding partner of the Dallas family law firm, O’Neil Wysocki. Through the use of genuine compassion for her client’s difficulties, and her determination to help them maintain their most favorable outcomes, Attorney O’Neil has the ability to assist individuals through complicated matters including divorce, child custody, and...

Ms. Wright is an experienced litigator and advocate. Her direct approach and prompt communication have earned her the trust of her clients and the respect of her peers. Though she is trained as a trial attorney, Ms. Wright attempts to keep her clients out of the courtroom if possible for their benefit, both financially and emotionally. If going to court is necessary, Ms. Wright is trained and ready to be your advocate. She will prepare you thoroughly for each next step.

She is a goal-oriented attorney, and firmly believes in client involvement and keeping clients informed. One of the first requests...

Dave Bunger grew up in North Texas and began a successful career in 1992 in mental health. During his career in public schools as a Licensed School Psychologist, Dave conducted extensive assessments of children with psychological and educational challenges. He assisted in the Admission Review and Dismissal (ARD) process for provision of special education services and advised Section 504 committees in the implementation of academic and behavioral accommodations. Dave also worked extensively on the development of educational programs to assist in monitoring the behavior of emotionally disturbed children. Dave spent countless hours providing knowledgeable,...

Sandy M. Liu concentrates her practice in the areas of family law and immigration law. With roots in Taiwan, China, and France, Ms. Liu's background and experience have given her a unique understanding of the goals and struggles of the immigrant family. Ms. Liu received her bachelor's degree in Molecular Cell Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas and her Juris Doctorate from St. Mary's University School of Law in 2003. A member of Phi Delta Phi, Ms. Liu became licensed by the State Bar of Texas in 2003 and began her legal career at Legal Aid of NorthWest...

LaQuisha Batson provides knowledgeable and sound counsel in all cases related to family law. Her services encompass legal matters involving divorce, prenuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, child custody, and post-divorce modification. As a compassionate lawyer, Ms. Batson zealously fights for the rights of her clients. She recognizes the delicate nature of family law matters and handle every case with the sensitivity it deserves. She is diligent and professional, committed to achieving her clients’ needs.

Katherine's fervor lies in leveraging her experience and talents to aid others, a trait instilled in her by her upbringing as the daughter of two dedicated public school teachers in the Dallas area. This early exposure to community service molded her aspiration to pursue a career in family law, shaping the very essence of her professional approach. In 2012, Katherine attained her juris doctorate with honors from the University of Oklahoma, College of Law. Throughout her tenure there, she excelled as the Symposium Editor of The Oklahoma Law Review, earning recognition with the Gene H. and Jo Ann Sharpe Award for...

Francesca Blackard is a partner at McClure Law Group, exclusively practicing family law since graduating from law school in 2012. Prior to law school, she worked for family law firms in Chicago, New York, and Dallas as both a paralegal and law clerk.

Francesca is of Mexican descent and is fluent in Spanish. Her travels have often taken her to Mexico, and she attended Instituto Alpes San Javier in Guadalajara, Jalisco to perfect her native tongue. Conversant in French, Francesca loves the study of languages and world cultures.

One of Francesca's finest qualities is how she relates to clients on a...

I am a Family Law Attorney with over 25 years of experience in the family law field. I am a bilingual speaker fluent in both English and Spanish.

Brandon Joseph is an Attorney at McClure Law Group. As a persuasive advocate, Brandon's intense work ethic and passion for the law makes him a real asset to the McClure legal team and their clients.

Brandon has proven himself a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom. During his first month at McClure Law Group, Brandon successfully persuaded a court to reconsider and overturn its ruling which granted an emergency protective order. Since that time, Brandon has successfully prosecuted and defended against multiple family violence protective orders. Additionally, Brandon has received numerous victories in suits to modify prior court orders,...

Augustus Corbett is building a reputation as one of the best DFW civil rights, personal injury, criminal defense, and family law lawyers in Texas. He represents people throughout the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, which includes Collin, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, and Wise Counties. Mr. Corbett also practices federal criminal defense in the United States District Court in the Northern District of Texas. He's the senior partner at Corbett & Corbett LLP where he practices with his daughter, Chloe Corbett.

Chosen by peers as one of the Top 100 lawyers in the entire Dallas/Fort Worth region according to SuperLawyers magazine.

Attorney Will Underwood is an attorney who prioritizes his clients’ needs in every case they bring to him. He is relentless like a bulldog and has even made cops cry on the stand before. However, he is compassionate with each of his clients and seeks to do everything he can in their service. At Underwood & Associates, everything is about the clients, not the firm. Attorney Underwood is always seeking to find an edge in his clients’ cases and aims to strategize innovative approaches to every situation his clients face. In fact, he is currently working on becoming a forensic...

AYBR Partner Marissa Balius focuses on family and collaborative law. She uses her experience in representing, negotiating, settling and litigating in matters of divorce, child custody, post-divorce modifications, paternity, child support, and pre-/post-nuptial agreements. Her goal is to help people get successfully through a difficult life transition while minimizing the emotional uncertainties and challenges of the case.

Michael Caolo Jr. was educated at the University of Notre Dame with a major in Political Science and a minor in Soviet Foreign Relations. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Letters Degree. Michael Caolo Jr. was on the Dean’s Academic List and was a member of the Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, the Texas Club and was active in student government. After being awarded an academic scholarship and attending the University of Notre Dame Law School for one year, he transferred to the University of Texas School of Law in Austin and received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence...

Taylor Mohr distinguishes herself by offering effective, affordable, and compassionate legal services. Her practice focuses on family law in Williamson and Travis counties. She is a member of the Williamson County Bar Association, Texas Bar Association, Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Baylor Law Alumni Association.

Taylor graduated from the Baylor Law School. She attended this prestigious university with a full-tuition scholarship. As a law student, she balanced her studies with a variety of extracurricular work, serving as Secretary and Executive Vice-President for the Student Bar Association and working as an editing assistant for professor Gerald Powell, director of...

Before joining McCathern as a partner in 2019, Scott J. Becker presided over the 219th State District Court in Collin County, Texas from 2010 through 2018. As a court of general jurisdiction, Judge Becker presided over a broad variety of matters including multi-million dollar civil litigation, family law matters including divorces and child custody disputes, and felony criminal matters including murder. Two of the cases over which Becker presided have been the subject of television episodes: CBS’s 48 Hours: Taken Away (aired September 2017) and Dateline NBC’s: Someone Was Waiting (aired December 2016).

Judge Becker is Board Certified in Family Law...

Paula Lock Smyth is a family law attorney who is dedicated to providing effective and efficient representation to clients in Dallas, Texas, and the surrounding communities. She genuinely cares about her clients and invests in each and every case she handles, taking the time to ensure that clients understand all of their options so that they can make informed decisions about what is right for their family.

Paul Grinke is Managing Partner of McCathern’s office at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Mr. Grinke has broad experience on a national level, litigating complex commercial and catastrophic event claims from both sides of the docket. He has successfully litigated commercial breach of contract, fiduciary duty, and employment covenant claims. In addition, Mr. Grinke prosecutes and defends claims involving personal injury, wrongful death, and disastrous property damage arising from construction defect, product defect, trucking, and liquor liability.

Mr. Grinke leads McCathern’s Construction Defect, Product Liability and related Fire Litigation practices. He has particular expertise in counseling institutional clients involved in tragic...

Erin R. Clegg joined McCathern in 2017 as part of the Family Law division and offices at the firm's Frisco, Texas office. Erin has extensive litigation experience in family law from working on cases involving divorce, custody, child support, modifications, enforcements, domestic violence, and cases involving Child Protective Services. She also has experience as a mediator for family law cases, helping parties reach creative and unique results that might not otherwise be available through the Court system.

Erin is a member of various organizations, including the Texas Young Lawyers Association (serving on the Board of Directors as a Director of District...

Michael R. Cramer’s practice includes extensive experience in business law, civil and commercial litigation, employment law, corporate law, construction law, real estate, civil defense and estate planning. Attorney Cramer has more than 21 years of practice. Michael developed a statewide practice focused on litigation. His cases range from breach of contract to construction delay claims against the State of Texas. He also works with Family Law and Divorce cases. His business litigation practice includes the representation of corporations of all sizes. Michael has considerable experience in assisting corporations to avoid litigation through consultancy and risk avoidance. He counsels business...

Jordan Watson discovered her passion for family law after interning for a family law District Court Judge the summer after her first year of law school. After law school, Jordan cut her teeth as an associate attorney for a top family law practitioner, trying cases on her own throughout North Texas. Now at Epstein Family Law, P.C. Jordan is a valuable member of a legal team that is 100% dedicated to their clients and securing a better future for them. Prior to working at Epstein Family Law, P.C., Jordan graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of...

Kris is board certified in the area of family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Kris earned her law degree at St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio after completing her Bachelor of Business Administration at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She continued her education by earning a Master of Business Administration at St. Mary's University School of Business. She is a credentialed mediator in Family Law and matters involving Child Protective Services. Kris is licensed to practice law in Texas, Georgia, Oklahoma and Missouri. Kris has four children and lives in Dallas with her husband...

Garza Law Firm, LLLP is a brother and sister team of aggressive trial lawyers. We focus our practice on Family Law. Family law includes matters such as divorce, child support, custody/visitation modification, paternity, and adoption. We charge a reasonable hourly rate or flat fee, depending on the complexity of the matter. We offer a military discount.

Marc P. Garza was born in San Antonio, Texas on September 26, 1978 and grew up in Dallas, Texas after his family relocated when he was just two years old. Marc graduated from Greenhill School in 1996 and received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas A&M University at College Station in 2000. Marc earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law in 2004 and received his law license that same year. Other than one year at the Texas Workforce Commission, Marc has spent his entire career in private practice. Marc focuses his efforts on representing...

Board Certified - Criminal Law - Family Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Principal office Dallas, Texas. By appointment only. Over the years as a family law attorney, I have represented clients in many family law cases, including those involving divorce, custody, child support, property / retirement division, grandparent rights, termination, and adoption. Over the years as a criminal law attorney, I have represented clients in many criminal law cases, including those involving misdemeanors, felonies, DUI, DWI, and theft. If you have a question regarding any of these areas, please call me at 972-980-8000...

Mary Kate Brown is a dedicated attorney committed to providing exceptional legal representation and advocating for her client's best interests. She earned her undergraduate degree from Concordia University in Austin, Texas. Her passion for the law led her to pursue her Juris Doctor from St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio, where she honed her legal analysis and advocacy skills. While at St. Mary’s she served as a Staff Writer and an Executive Board Member for the Law Review. During her studies, she gained valuable experience by interning at the Hays County District Attorney’s Office and the Third Court...

Stacy Henderson is an attorney that was born to practice law. She won her first trial in 4th grade at Woodway Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas. From that date, her desire was to zealously represent people and to make sure that their rights were protected. As a high school student in Carrollton, Texas she interned for the City Attorney's Office of Carrollton. Ms. Henderson attended Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Sign Language Interpreting. While at SFASU, Ms. Henderson used sign language to assist persons on the...