Legal Question in Family Law in Texas

You don't state what county you are in so I don't know where to send you for a pro bono organization in the State of Texas.

I receive phone calls like yours on a daily basis. I'm going to vent so here goes...

Every family law attorney gets calls like yours on a daily basis "begging" that the attorney accept their emergency case for free. I have not accepted a private case in order 5 years & I still receive calls on a daily basis - so I know that people have exhausted every other attorney out there if they finally call me.

I quit practicing family law because I have accounts receivable of over $75,000. I cannot afford to practice family law anymore because former clients quit paying after I get them custody. They promise and then then quit. This is even after I discount their legal fees 50-75%. After practicing law over 20 years, I just give up. It's not worth the hassle any more. I'm not willing to give away my time and expertise for people that don't appreciate my level of knowledge and experience. I'm very good at what I do and most attorneys with my level of experience charge a deposit of at least $10,000 when a client walks in the door. I used to charge under $2,500 so that people could afford to hire me. Unfortunately, custody battles are time consuming and expensive. My rates were below I decided to just mediate these days and enjoy the rest of my career.

Also, most family law attorneys In Harris County, for example, do their pro bono cases through the local pro bono group such as Houston Volunteer Lawyers since their malpractice covers all pro bono cases. Plus, all filing fees are waived if its a HVL case.

You can look on the State Bar of Texas website for the local pro bono organization. The wait time will probably be months if you qualify. Some require you to come into their office for a personal interview.

Many attorneys offer a free consultation and payment plans. I recommend that you look at that avenue. Quite frankly, I doubt that a brand new attorney will take your case for free - most have student loans of over $125,000 and they cannot afford to accept pro bono clients.

I bet you pay for car repairs, dental work and plumbing repairs. Attorneys expect to be paid for their knowledge. If your toilet was overflowing you'd find the money. If your car would not start, you'd find the money. Now your family is in crisis, so you need to find the money.

Thanks for letting me vent.