Brad M. LaMorgese
Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Brad M. LaMorgese is trusted and respected by his clients as a passionate advocate with the ability to analyze and balance competing interests in every matter he handles, from beginning to end.
He is one of the few appellate family lawyers in Texas. During his nearly two decades in practice, he has achieved success in dozens of cases in Texas appeals courts and the Texas Supreme Court, as well as the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He has handled appeals involving all areas of Family Law, including interstate and international custody, property division, award of property, habeas corpus, grandparent v. parent rights, bill of review, post-divorce disputes, alimony disputes, parentage issues and paternal rights.
Known for his integrity and excellence in complex litigation involving interpretations of law and cases regarding jurisdictional disputes, Brad has a long track record in complicated sophisticated cases, handling all types of family litigation matters including divorce; complex property division; high-net-worth cases; business valuation issues; division of estates; jurisdiction challenges; child custody disputes, both interstate and international; and marital agreement litigation. He also drafts marital agreements, including pre- and post-marital, and partition agreements.
Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Brad is admitted to practice as a member of the State Bar of Texas, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 1st, 5th, 6th and 11th Circuits, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Brad earned the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Award of Merit in 2005 based on his work before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a case involving the Hague Convention and the civil aspects of international child abduction. He has regularly earned recognition among the state’s leading Family Law attorneys on the Texas Super Lawyers list. He also has earned recognition on The Best Lawyers in America list, D Magazine’s The Best Lawyers in Dallas and Top Lawyers Under 40 listings.
LaMorgese is Deputy Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Irving, Texas. He was re-elected by the voters in District 6 in May 2015 and is serving his second term. He is chair to the Planning and Development Committee and the Boards and Committees Appointments. He serves on the Transportation and Natural Resources Committee and is the council liaison to Irving Flood Control District, Section 3 and the North Central Texas Council of Government.
Overview
- Southern Methodist University, J.D., cum laude, graduated 1996
- Trinity University, B.A., graduated 1993
- Texas, State Bar of Texas
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - Fellow, 2009 – Present
- Annette Stewart American Inn of Court - Member
- Dallas Bar Association - Family Law Section Board of Directors, 2007 – 2009
- Dallas Bar Association, Appellate Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- Dallas Bar Association, Family Law Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- State Bar Family Law Section - Amicus Curiae Committee, 2006 – Present
- State Bar of Texas, Appellate Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- State Bar of Texas, Family Law Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists - Member, 2001 – Present
- Texas Board of Legal Specialization - Family Law Legal Assistants Testing Commission, 2006-2012
- The College of the State Bar of Texas - Member
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
- Texas, State Bar of Texas
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - Fellow, 2009 – Present
- Annette Stewart American Inn of Court - Member
- Dallas Bar Association - Family Law Section Board of Directors, 2007 – 2009
- Dallas Bar Association, Appellate Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- Dallas Bar Association, Family Law Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- State Bar Family Law Section - Amicus Curiae Committee, 2006 – Present
- State Bar of Texas, Appellate Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- State Bar of Texas, Family Law Section - Member, 1996 – Present
- Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists - Member, 2001 – Present
- Texas Board of Legal Specialization - Family Law Legal Assistants Testing Commission, 2006-2012
- The College of the State Bar of Texas - Member
- Southern Methodist University, J.D., cum laude, graduated 1996
- Trinity University, B.A., graduated 1993
- United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas
- United States District Court for the Western District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
- Appellate Practice
- Family Law
- Appellate
- Best Lawyers in America, Family Law and Appellate Law, 2016-2026
Lawdragon 500 Leading Family Lawyers, 2024-2026
Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2014, 2016-2025
- Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Legal Division, 2004-2025
- Top 100 Lawyers in Texas, Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Legal Division, 2013–2025
Top 100 Lawyers in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Legal Division, 2013–2025
Irving City Council, Elected 2012
- Top Lawyers Under 40, D Magazine, 2002, 2004, 2006
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Award of Merit, 2005
- Texas Rising Stars, Thomson Reuters, Legal Division, 2004
- Deputy Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Irving, Texas
News & Media
Insights
Additional Information
- Blog Posts
Appealing a Divorce
- Is There a Deadline for Me to File an Appeal of a Judgment?
- Is it true that the judge has to tell me the basis of the ruling after trial?
- Should I file a motion for new trial if I receive a bad ruling from the trial judge?
- What is the process for an appeal in Texas and how long will it take?
- What does the standard of review mean on appeal in a family law case in Texas?
- What is the state court appellate process in Texas generally like?
- What is the Process to go to the Texas Supreme Court in an Appeal?
- I’ve gone to the Court of Appeals, now what relief may I get?
- The Rare Bird – A Federal Family Law Case (Constitutional Issues and International Parental Kidnapping)
- The Art & Science of Oral Argument
- Getting Into the Lawbooks – An Undiscussed Dimension of Appeals
10 Divorce Tips for Executives
- Certifications
- Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Published Works
- What Your Business Lawyer Wants You to Know Before the Settlement – Mediation, Advanced Family Law Drafting Dec. 2019 Sidebar Articles, D. Magazine 2019
- The Royal Wedding and the Role of Prenups, Texas Lawyer July 2018
- The Executive Divorce, D Magazine Nov. 2017
- What to do When the Judge Rules Against You, Dallas Bar Headnotes Oct. 2017
- The Most Important Substantive Law Developments of 2016 (quoted in) Texas Lawyer Jan. 2017
- Texas Uses an Additional Tool to Collect Child Support, Texas Lawyer Oct. 5, 2016
- Top Five Danger Areas in Family Law, Texas Lawyer Apr. 4, 2016
- Common Family Law Errors, North Dallas Bar Association 2016
- 2015 Year in Review, Texas Lawyer Dec. 14, 2015
- 2015 Family Code Changes, Rockwall County Bar Association 2015
- 16 Years of UCCJEA Interstate Custody Jurisdiction in Texas, Texas Lawyer Apr. 16 2015
- Marital Agreements, Annette Stewart Inns of Court, 2013
- Preservation of Error, 2013 Advanced Family Law Course
- Family Law Year in Review, Texas Lawyer, Dec. 17, 2012
- Appeals, 2012 Advanced Family Law Course
- Eight Common Myths, Texas Lawyer, Aug. 13, 2012
- Jurisdiction & Venue, Annette Stewart Inns of Court, 2012
- Jurisdiction & Venue, Advanced Family Law Drafting Course, 2011
- Characterization and Tracing, 37th Annual Advance Family Law Course 2011 (co-author)
- Visitation under the Texas Family Code for Children Under 3 and Other Young Children, 2010 Infant Mental Health Advocacy Conference, Texas Association for Infant Mental Health
- Property & Debt Division – Creative Alternatives, 35th Annual Advanced Family Law Course 2009 (co-author)
- Jurisdiction & Venue, 32nd Annual Marriage Dis. Inst. 2009
- Asset Management (10 Tips to Survive the Executive Divorce) Executive Legal Adviser, 2008
- Top 20 Cases from 2007-2008, Collin County Bench Bar 2008
- The Year of Child Support, Texas Lawyer 2007
- Legislative Developments in Family Law, Dallas Bar Association 2007
- Making Summary Judgment Relevant Again, 2007 Advanced Family Law Course (co-author) 2007
- Family Law Appellate Issues, Collin County Bench Bar 2007
- Citing Legal Information, Inst. for Paralegal Ed., March 2007
- Important Topics in Family Law, Tex. Ctr. Jud., 2007 Regional Conference (co-author of update)
- Employer Responsibilities Under the Texas Family Code, Executive Legal Adviser, Sept./Oct. 2006
- Relocation Disputes in the Family Courts, Dallas Bar Association Headnotes, 2006
- Court Cuts Back On Grandparents’ Rights, Texas Lawyer, 2006
- Common Evidentiary Issues in Family Law Cases, UH Family Law Practice Seminar 2005 (Dallas)
- Supreme Court Trends in Family Law, 2004 Tex. Acad. of Fam. Law Specialists Trial Inst.
- Pretrial and Trial Preservation of Error, 2004 Tex. Acad. of Fam. Law Specialists Trial Inst.
- Family Law Appellate Deadlines, 2003
- Changes to Pleadings and Orders After September 1, 2003: The Changes of the 78th Leg., 2003
- Studying For the Board Certification Exam, 2002 Advanced Family Law Course, State Bar of Texas
- Hot Topics in Family Law, Collin County Bench Bar IX, 2002
- Wiretapping, Accessing Electronic Communications, and Interception of E-mail, Lorman, 2001
- Overview of Child Custody Laws in Texas, Lorman Custody Symposium, 2000
- Grandparents’ Rights Re-Examined Lorman Custody Symposium, 2000
- Child Custody Legislative Issues 2000, Lorman Custody Symposium, 2000
- Mental Health Privilege and Confidentiality, Lorman Custody Symposium, 2000
- Termination of Parental Rights, Lorman Custody Symposium, 2000
- Child Support Enforcement, Southwestern Legal Foundation, 1999
- Forum Shopping Your Divorce, Texas Lawyer, 1998
- Division of Retirement Benefits in Texas, Texas Journal of Women and the Law, 1998
- Family Law Lessons of 1997, Texas Lawyer, 1997
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