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Divorce Lawyers and
Family Attorneys
in Houston

HOUSTON DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW: CHILD CUSTODY, CPS, JUVENILE LAW, APPELLATE, PROBATE

Experienced, compassionate attorneys focused on protecting our clients’ rights and assets.

If you are looking for the best divorce and family law attorneys in Houston, Texas, you should look no further than Connolly Schneider Shireman. Our seasoned lawyers have decades of experience resolving difficult marital conflicts for the benefit of our clients and their families. Not only do we win cases, we provide compassionate counsel as well as a number of related legal services that help manage the financial and emotional upheaval that often accompanies divorce. These services include collaborative law, which offers divorcing couples an alternative to costly and contentious litigation, plus child custody services, CPS representation and appellate law. In addition, we have considerable experience in cases involving alcohol and drug abuse. So if divorce seems to be on the horizon, contact Connolly Schneider Shireman today for a private consult.

Practice Areas

Divorce

Our Houston divorce lawyers will guide families through the process and difficult situations involving child custody and juvenile law.

Collaborative Divorce

Our family law attorneys are devoted to pursuing our clients’ best interests through the appropriate means for their situation during the collaborative divorce process.

Addiction & Mental Health

Mental health and substance abuse are much more common within the family, CPS, and juvenile law systems than many people realize.

Child Custody Cases

our Houston family law attorneys are very sensitive to the impact of divorce on children, including child custody and child support.

Child Protective Services

We have extensive experience with child protection cases and frequently get referrals from other attorneys and mental health professionals in this area.

Adoption

At Connolly Schneider Shireman, our Houston adoption attorneys represent clients seeking to adopt children in a wide variety of circumstances.

Juvenile Delinquency

We may be able to help your child avoid becoming one of the many juvenile delinquency cases we see each year, by guiding parents and children through this process.

Probate and Wills

Our wills and probate lawyers help guide families through the difficult process of settling an estate in probate.

Appellate Law

When a trial judge makes the wrong decision, the party who is harmed can seek correction of this mistake through the appeals process.

Bill Connolly, Family Law Attorney in Houston, TX

William B. Connolly

Managing Partner

William B. Connolly (“Bill”) is from Houston, Texas and he has been a family, juvenile, protective services trial and appellate attorney for nearly 40 years.

Les Shireman, Family Law Attorney in Houston, TX

Les Shireman

Partner

Les Shireman is a licensed attorney who is Board Certified in Child Welfare Law and Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Michael Schneider, Jr.

Partner

Michael H. Schneider, Jr. is a trial lawyer, retired judge, and mediator who brings to the firm decades of diverse trial experience from both sides of the bench.

Houston Family Law Attorney FAQs

Child Custody in Houston: Divorce is hard on everyone involved, but particularly for children.

Custody and visitation are among the most difficult aspects of divorce. Often parents are tempted to use the children as bargaining chips, or simply have no viable tools with which to form workable co-parenting plans. In addition, other situations can put custody in play as well, such as death or absence of parents, health or financial issues, or other reasons parental ability is compromised. Issues like drug abuse or other dangerous behaviors often complicate matters. Although our system is designed to put the interests of children first, courts do not always fully understand the relationships and the possibilities when it comes to making decisions in the best interests of your children. That’s why it’s important to have a team of insightful, compassionate child custody lawyers in Houston to advocate for the best custody arrangements possible.

CPS Legal Services: If you face the possibility of having your child taken from you, you can’t afford to take chances.

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, also referred to as Child Protective Services or simply CPS, is tasked with investigating allegations of abuse or neglect, which can occur inside or outside of the context of divorce or other family disputes. The impact of CPS involvement can have a devastating effect on your children, whether you are guilty of abuse or not, and regardless of whether they actually remove children or place limits on parental rights. It is imperative that anyone dealing with CPS have access to expert legal help. Connolly Schneider Shireman have helped hundreds of families deal with the intricacies of CPS legal cases, and are committed to achieving the best result for the families and children involved.

Houston Juvenile Delinquency Cases: 2 million children go to juvenile detention every year. It doesn’t have to happen to your child.

The reasons and ways juveniles get into trouble with the law are unique to their age and maturity. As a consequence, the juvenile legal system is not the same as the system in which adults are tried, and the consequences of criminal prosecution of juveniles are dramatically different. Normal criminal attorneys may not have the expertise necessary to properly guide children through the legal system and effectively advocate for their rights. Connolly Schneider Shireman have deep experience, not only representing minor defendants, but also in understanding some of the issues and behaviors that impact juvenile delinquency (such as substance abuse or family violence). We can provide a higher level of legal counsel that can keep your child out of detention and help prevent poor decisions from following them as they mature into responsible adults.

Houston Appellate Attorneys: Not every verdict is final. You may have the right to appeal your case.

Judges, juries and lawyers are human, and sometimes they make mistakes. Our legal system provides a process to appeal verdicts in all types of cases. In family law, an incorrect verdict can negatively affect people for the rest of their lives, so it’s essential for families to have access to resources to review and appeal cases that may be unfairly adjudicated. The attorneys of Connolly Schneider Shireman are some of Houston’s best appellate lawyers, having tried many appellate cases and obtaining reversals and favorable outcomes time after time. If you have had a negative or questionable outcome in any form of litigation, we may be able to help you appeal it and get it overturned.

Houston Estate, Wills and Probate Lawyers: Helping you protect the value of your family’s estate.

When a family member dies, a number of issues can arise that can turn a difficult situation into a nightmare. Disposition of family assets can be a complex and contentious process, especially if the decedent died without a valid will in place, or if there is reason to contest the will, such as lack of testamentary capacity or suspicion of malfeasance. Even without such challenges, getting a will through probate so the estate can be settled can be overwhelming. The compassionate team of wills, probate and estate lawyers at Connolly Schneider Shireman offer legal services aimed at preventing such problems, as well as help in resolving them if they do arise.