Best Lawyers in Texas, United States for Collaborative Law: Family Law
Carla M. Calabrese is the founding and managing partner of Calabrese BudnerLLP , a Dallas-based boutique family law firm focused on complex divorce and custody matters. With more than 35 years of experience, she practices in FamilyLaw , Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law Mediation, and Family Law Arbitration. Carla is a pioneer of Emotionally Intelligent Divorce®, guiding clients through high-stakes family matters with clarity, strategy, and a focus on long-term outcomes. A Master ...
Constructive Solutions for Complex Family Law Matters Jonathan James on Your Family and Your Future: I represent business owners, professionals, and parents who want to resolve complex family law matters in the least destructive manner possible. While managing all aspects of family law, I offer particular strengths with cases involving complicated property and challenging real estate investments, contested custody disputes and modifications, and pre-marital and post-marital agreements. Whethe...
Kathryn J. Murphy is a Board Certified family law partner at Goranson Bain Ausley in Plano and one of the most highly credentialed family law attorneys in Texas. She has been named the Best Lawyers in America© Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Dallas three times — in 2015, 2017, and 2019 — a distinction awarded to only one lawyer per practice area in each community. Kathryn has also been recognized continuously in The Best Lawyers in America© in the field of...
With a long-standing background in collaborative law, mediation, and litigation, Dallas, Texas divorce attorney Carie Silvestri brings creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking to every matter she handles at Hargrave Family Law. She is known for listening carefully to client concerns while navigating complex family law issues with clarity and care. Carie focuses her practice exclusively on Family Law, including Collaborative Law: Family Law, allowing her to devote her full attention to each...
Mary E. Jones is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Mary E., who practices law in Austin, Texas, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mary E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Abby Ewing has built a family law practice representing people from all walks of life, from single mothers to CEOs and entrepreneurs during some of the most difficult times in their lives. She’s shown a unique ability to understand and relate to those she represents at the most fundamental level, both inside and outside of the courtroom. Ms. Ewing has experience in complex property division cases, as well as pre- and postmarital agreements and child support and custody matters, includin...
John M. Ransom II is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Trusts and Estates. John M., who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Chandler Rice Winslow is a Board Certified family law attorney at Goranson Bain Ausley in Dallas. She has been admitted to the Texas Bar since 2009 and certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2023. Chandler joined Goranson Bain Ausley as a Partner in 2021 after practicing family law with two prior Dallas firms. Chandler has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© for Family Law in 2026 and for Collaborative Law: Family Law in 2025 and 2026, select...
Jim Mueller is the owner and managing partner of Mueller Family Law Group , a Dallas, Texas family law firm. He is board certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and the author of the book Divorce in Texas: The Legal Process, Your Rights, and What to Expect . Jim is a Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only organization limit...
Practice Areas Family Law Commercial Litigation Construction Litigation Collaborative Law Practice Emphasis Jessica has a diverse trial practice that focuses on family law and business litigation. She has extensive experience in handling family law cases, including divorce, child custody, asset division, property and business valuation, paternity, financial support and many other issues that arise in a family law context. Jessica has tried many family cases as well as worked with her clients ...
Charles J. Quaid is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Charles J., who practices law in Dallas, Texas, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Charles J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Thomas L. Ausley is the founding partner of GoransonBain Ausley’s predecessor firm Ausley, Algert, Robertson & Flores, LLP. He has devoted his legal career to the practice of family law and has earned the respect of peers and judges alike for his unwavering integrity in guiding and advising clients. Tom was bestowed the prestigious Sam Emison Award by the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists in 2013 in recognition of his significant contributions to the practice of family law and...
Clients throughout the Greater Dallas area hire Robert Epstein when they need an experienced family law attorney with the strategic capabilities, creativity and intense drive to resolve challenging cases both in and out of the courtroom. He guides clients with diverse goals and financial circumstances through all types of family law matters, including divorce proceedings, child custody cases, prenuptial and post-marital agreements, collaborative divorces, modifications of visitation and paren...
Laura Dale is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Her practice is concentrated in the area of family law involving high conflict divorce, high net worth property division, both domestic and foreign, property valuation, custody cases, international child abduction brought under The Hague Convention and complex multi-jurisdictional family law disputes. Ms. Dale is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a USA Delegate on the Board of Gov...
Moving Foward, With Integrity and Respect Kelly Caperton Fischer on doing what’s best for clients: I excel at finding creative and respectful solutions to family law matters, including property and child-related issues. Understanding that each family is unique and has different end goals, I use “collaborative law” as a critical foundation to help clients put settlement at the forefront, negotiate more openly and truly focus on what is best for their family. This results in t...
Focusing on the future rather than the past results in better decisions, Lindley Bain believes, and counsels divorcing clients to strive for healthy, attainable goals. Lindley concentrates on financially complex divorces and high-conflict custody matters. Lindley is board certified in Family Law. She practices both collaborative and traditional litigation with both creativity and compassion to address both their financial and emotional divorce. She is the current Chair of the State Bar of Tex...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.