Les Shireman

Family law is a unique area of the law.  In the vast majority of lawsuits, the parties almost never have dealings with each other once the lawsuit is filed.  This is not the case in family law.  In cases involving children, the parties must also maintain a relationship for years after the lawsuit concludes.  These characteristics require family law attorneys to be more than just legal experts.  In no other area of the law does the Counselor at Law role of an attorney have such prominence. 

Les Shireman has helped families in distress for over 15 years, first as a mental health professional and now as a licensed attorney.  Les began working in the addiction counseling field in 1993, providing services to adults, adolescents, and family members dealing with addiction.  He obtained his Master's degree in Social Work in 1997 and specialized in providing services to individuals and families with co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders.  In 1999 Les began conducting substance abuse evaluations of parents involved in custody disputes in the family courts.  He quickly developed a high degree of expertise in this area and provided expert testimony in dozens of family law cases.  In 2002, Les began attending South Texas College of Law.  He graduated with honors in December 2005 and passed the February 2006 bar exam.

Les' practice philosophy is greatly influenced by his social work training.  Individuals in family law matters are always under enormous stress because the issues involved are so personal.  This stress is exacerbated by the complexities involved in any lawsuit.  To combat this, he does everything possible to explain the legal process to his clients so that they know where they stand.  He assists his clients with identifying goals in all areas of the suit child custody, child support, property division, etc. so that efforts can be narrowly focused.  Because goals can change over time, Les regularly revisits this to ensure the representation remains on the right track.  This approach minimizes wasted efforts, reduces legal fees, and provides the client with a level of confidence that reduces stress.  Once the goals are identified, Les involves the client in a risk-benefit analysis of all available strategies so that his client knows the reasons behind every action. 

Les is a committed advocate for his clients.  An attorney-client relationship is a unique partnership.  The client identifies what he or she wants; it is the attorney's job to help make that happen.  Les always remembers that, for each client, their particular case is the most important matter on earth, and he treats each case that way.  Whether in one-on-one negotiations with the opposing party's lawyer, in a mediation, or in a contested hearing before the court, he strongly argues for his client and works tirelessly to advance each case towards his client's identified goals