Custody fights in Travis County are decided by judges who see hundreds of these. Choose your lawyer that carefully.
In Texas, child custody is called 'conservatorship' — joint managing conservators (JMC) is the legal default. The fight is usually about which parent has the exclusive right to designate the primary residence, the geographic restriction, possession schedule, and decision-making rights on health and education.
These ten Austin child custody firms were selected based on published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Avvo), board certifications, bar association recognition, and client review patterns across Google, Avvo, and Justia. Firms that surfaced consistently across at least two independent sources made the list.
How we picked these 10: We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology → | How to compare firms →
Practice focus: Child custody, high-conflict modifications, complex divorce
James W. Evans is board certified, with 25+ years and 16 consecutive years as a Texas Super Lawyer.
One of the deepest board-certified benches in Austin. Strong fit for high-conflict modifications and SAPCRs where the judge's preferences and local procedure matter.
Practice focus: Child custody, divorce, conservatorship disputes
Founder Raul Sandoval Jr. is board certified in family law and concentrates his practice on custody cases.
Custody-first practice rather than divorce-with-custody-attached. Recognized by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys as a 10 Best for client satisfaction.
Practice focus: High-net-worth divorce, complex child custody, modifications
Austin family firm focused on high-end divorce and complex SAPCR matters.
Larger bench, multiple board-certified specialists, and litigation-ready posture for cases involving business valuations, geographic restriction fights, or interstate moves.
Practice focus: Child custody, divorce, modifications, enforcement
Joe Newberry is board certified in family law and has been a Texas Super Lawyer since 2014.
Solo-driven board-certified practice. Heavy responsiveness — clients regularly note same-day calls back.
Practice focus: Child custody, divorce, mediation, collaborative law
Every attorney is board certified — a distinction held by fewer than 1% of Texas lawyers.
Strong collaborative and mediation track. A better fit for cases where the parents want to settle than for slugfests heading straight to trial.
Practice focus: Child custody, collaborative divorce, mediation
Board-certified family law specialist with a collaborative-law focus.
Best fit if both parents are committed to staying out of court. The collaborative process avoids contested hearings but requires good-faith disclosure from both sides.
Practice focus: Child custody, divorce, modifications
Board-certified family law attorney; named to Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars (top 2.5%).
Twenty-plus years of trial work with custody at the center. Direct client communication and a small caseload by design.
Practice focus: Custody, divorce, high-net-worth and complex family matters
Board-certified family law specialist with a high-net-worth divorce practice.
Strong fit when there are business interests, executive compensation, or substantial separate property tangled into the custody fight.
Practice focus: Child custody, divorce, post-decree modifications
Multi-state family firm with an Austin office serving Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties.
Tech-forward intake, fixed-fee options on uncontested matters, and a structured paralegal team that keeps hourly bills lower than the boutique average.
Practice focus: Child custody, divorce, enforcement, name changes
Austin family law office with custody, divorce, and enforcement work.
Solo board-licensed practice with a focus on smaller-budget custody and enforcement actions. Fee transparency is a stated priority.
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Fit your situation, not just the practice area. A child custody firm that does mostly executive-level matters is a different fit from one that does mostly hourly-worker matters. Call the firm and ask: "What does a typical client look like for you? What does a typical case look like?" If the answer is your situation, you are in the right place.
Ask who actually handles the case. Many firms market on the senior partner and route the day-to-day work to a junior associate. That is not automatically bad — junior associates can be excellent — but you should know who you are working with. Ask: "Who will I be talking to day-to-day? How often does the senior partner sit in?"
Compare quotes side by side. If the case is contingency, the percentages are usually within a narrow band. If the case is hourly, the rate and the retainer can swing thousands of dollars. Most Austin firms on this list offer a free consultation. Use two of them.
Austin board-certified family law specialists generally charge $300-$500/hour, with a starting retainer of $5,000-$10,000 for a custody case and $10,000-$20,000+ for high-conflict modifications. Mediation runs $300-$800/hour for the mediator plus your own attorney time. Uncontested SAPCRs (where both parents agree on every term) can be wrapped up for $2,500-$4,500 flat at some firms.
A standard contested custody case in Travis County runs 8-14 months from petition to final order. Temporary orders hearings typically land 4-8 weeks after filing. Mediation is required in Travis County before final trial. If the case settles at mediation, the order can be entered within 60-90 days; if it goes to trial, add 4-7 months for the trial date.
Austin family cases are heard in the Travis County District Courts (associate judges handle temporary orders and most pretrial motions). Williamson County and Hays County have separate dockets with notably different judges, mediator panels, and timing.
The first hundred Google results for "child custody lawyer Austin" include thousands of firms. Most are competent. A handful are problems. The patterns to walk away from:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery or dismissal, leave.
The vanishing partner. You meet a senior name at intake, then never speak to them again. Ask in writing who handles your case from day to day.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable firms give you the retainer in writing, time to read it, and the option to take it home. High-pressure intake is almost always a volume mill.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to published verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar association recognition. "We have helped thousands of clients" is marketing. Specific cases, numbers, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. Every legitimate Austin lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what is covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them. If the firm cannot put that in writing, walk away.
We will connect you with vetted child custody attorneys in Austin. No fee to use this service.
Most Austin child custody firms on this list offer a free initial consultation. Use it. Bring a list of questions, write down the answers, and compare across two firms before you sign.
Texas calls it conservatorship, not custody. Joint managing conservatorship (both parents) is the legal default. The fight is usually about which JMC has the exclusive right to designate the primary residence, geographic restriction, and decision-making rights.
No. Texas Family Code Section 153.003 prohibits gender bias in custody decisions. Judges decide based on the child's best interest, including each parent's caregiving history, stability, and ability to support the relationship with the other parent.
The Standard Possession Order (SPO) is the legal default for parents living within 100 miles. For closer co-parents, an Expanded SPO or 50/50 schedule is increasingly common. Children 12+ can talk to the judge in chambers about preferences, though the judge is not bound by what they say.
Yes — if there has been a material and substantial change in circumstances and modification is in the child's best interest. Examples: a parent moving for work, remarriage, a child's needs changing, or a safety concern. Modifications cost roughly half what an initial case costs.
8-14 months for a contested case. Temporary orders within 4-8 weeks. Travis County requires mediation before final trial.
A geographic restriction (typically to Travis County and contiguous counties) is standard. To remove it, the moving parent has to prove the move is in the child's best interest — usually a hard fight if the other parent is engaged.
Not strictly. Many excellent Austin custody attorneys are not board certified. But fewer than 1% of Texas attorneys hold the certification, so it is a strong signal of depth in family law specifically — particularly for high-conflict or financially complex cases.
A lawyer appointed by the court to represent the child's best interest. The judge can order one in contested cases. Fees are typically split between the parents and can add $3,000-$10,000+ to the cost of the case.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many cases like mine have you taken to verdict in the last three years? The answer tells you what you need to know. — The LawFirmSquare team