Family Lawyer Leander, TX
If you are facing a legal matter that involves your family such as a divorce, a custody dispute, a child support question, or a property rights issue, then you’re dealing with something that will affect your daily life for years to come.
Our Leander, TX family lawyer at Gray Becker, P.C. has represented individuals and families across Central Texas for more than four decades. We handle the full range of family law cases, from quiet settlements to contested trials, and we bring the same preparation to every one of them.
If you’re dealing with a family law matter in Leander, speak with our office about your options.
Why Choose Gray Becker, P.C. for Family Law in Leander, TX?
A Firm Built on Serious Litigation
Richard E. Gray III and Douglas M. Becker established Gray Becker, P.C. in 1983. Richard had been overseeing all litigation for the Texas Attorney General’s office. Douglas briefed and argued four cases before the United States Supreme Court while in the same office. They left government practice to build a firm centered on personal advocacy, detailed preparation, and the belief that individual clients deserve the same quality of representation that governments get.
Richard has practiced in Texas since 1976. He earned his B.A. cum laude from Washington and Lee University and his J.D. magna cum laude from The University of Texas School of Law. He has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and all federal district courts in Texas. Best Lawyers in America has recognized him in Family Law every year since 2013. He earned his Super Lawyers designation continuously from 2003 through 2023.
Douglas graduated cum laude from Harvard and earned his J.D. from UT Law in 1975. He has argued well over a hundred cases to the Texas Supreme Court, state appellate courts, and the federal courts of appeals, trying hundreds of cases to courts and juries. Best Lawyers has listed him in Commercial Litigation from 2016 through 2025, and he received Super Lawyer nominations from 2005 through 2024.
Together they built the family law practice in Leander that Gray Becker operates today as a practice that handles child custody, child support, property division, marital agreements, modifications, and enforcement actions throughout Williamson County and Central Texas.
Credentials That Reflect Serious Work
Every attorney at Gray Becker with more than five years of experience has been ranked by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, or both. The firm has consistently been recognized by Best Lawyers, the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, and Martindale-Hubbell. These honors reflect peer review, professional accomplishment, and sustained performance over years of practice.
Millions Recovered Across Contested Matters
Gray Becker has helped clients in contested family law and business litigation proceedings. In family matters, that translates to favorable property divisions, appropriate support awards, and custody outcomes that protect the parent-child relationship. In commercial matters, the firm has handled breach of contract cases, business disputes, and partnership litigation. Both practice areas feed each other. The financial analysis skills needed in commercial litigation are exactly what complex family cases demand.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Love working with Gray Becker for both my personal and professional needs. Caroline Alonzo assisted with my divorce. She was compassionate, helpful, and guided me to protect myself during a difficult time in my life.” — Rachel Alton
Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.
Types of Family Law Cases We Handle in Leander
Our Leander family attorneys handle a broad range of matters. The common thread across all of them is preparation, clear communication, and a focus on the outcome that best protects our client.
- Divorce. Whether contested or agreed, a divorce in Leander requires careful attention to property division, support, and custody. We handle every phase of the process from initial filing through final decree.
- Child custody. Conservatorship disputes determine who makes decisions for the child and how parenting time is divided. We represent parents and other parties seeking custody and possession rights in Williamson County.
- Child support. Establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support orders requires accurate financial analysis and a solid understanding of the Texas Family Code guidelines.
- Modifications and enforcements. Circumstances change. When an existing court order no longer reflects reality, or when the other side is ignoring one, we pursue modifications or enforcement to set things right.
- Marital agreements. Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements can clarify property rights and financial expectations before a crisis arises. We draft and review these agreements with enforceability under Texas law as the priority.
- Property division. Texas is a community property state, but division is neither automatic nor equal. Characterizing assets, tracing separate property, and valuing complex holdings all require careful legal work and often financial testimony.
- Protective orders. When family violence is a factor, we help clients obtain emergency protective orders and temporary restraining orders to ensure immediate safety.
- Estate planning in family law contexts. Divorce and estate planning are connected. Wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations often need updating during or immediately after a divorce.
Texas Legal Requirements for Family Law
The Texas Family Code covers marriage, divorce, conservatorship, child support, protective orders, and more. It’s a large body of law, and the sections that apply to your case depend on the specific issues you’re facing.
For divorce, Section 6.301 sets out the residency threshold: one spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in the filing county for 90 days. Leander is in Williamson County, and family cases are heard in the county’s district courts and county courts at law.
Custody falls under Chapter 153. The best interest of the child governs every conservatorship determination. Texas presumes joint managing conservatorship, but that presumption can be rebutted if the evidence shows it would not serve the child.
Child support follows the guidelines in Chapter 154, which calculates the obligation as a percentage of the noncustodial parent’s net resources. The Texas Attorney General provides enforcement resources, but private counsel is often necessary when the other side has the means and motivation to fight the calculation.
Property division operates under a community property framework established in Chapter 3. Property acquired during the marriage is presumed community unless proven otherwise by clear and convincing evidence. Courts divide the community estate in a manner they deem “just and right” which is not always equal.
Important Aspects of a Family Law Case in Leander
What Conservatorship Actually Means
Texas does not use the word “custody” in its statutes. The Family Code uses “conservatorship” to describe a parent’s rights and duties. Joint managing conservatorship is the default, but it doesn’t mean equal time. One parent is typically designated as the conservator who determines the child’s primary residence. The other gets a possession schedule, usually the standard possession order.
In contested cases, the court applies the best interest analysis by looking at each parent’s history, involvement, stability, and any evidence of violence or substance abuse. A family attorney in Leander can help you understand what conservatorship actually means for your situation and what you can reasonably expect from the court.
How Property Division Really Works
People hear “community property” and assume a 50/50 split. That’s not what happens in most contested cases. Texas courts divide property in a way the judge considers “just and right,” which means the court looks at earning capacity, fault in the marriage, each spouse’s health, who has primary custody, and the nature of the assets themselves. A disproportionate award is common when one spouse wasted marital assets, committed adultery, or has significantly lower earning capacity. Our family law attorneys in Leander, TX argue these factors regularly and know what evidence the court needs to see.
Modifying Orders After the Decree
A final order does not lock your family situation in place permanently. Children grow up. Parents get new jobs, lose old ones, move, or face health problems. Under Chapter 156, a parent can petition to modify conservatorship, possession, or child support by showing a material and substantial change in circumstances. For support specifically, a modification is also available if the current order has been in effect for three years and differs from the guidelines by 20% or $100. We represent clients who need to modify existing arrangements and those defending against modification attempts.
When the Other Side Won’t Follow the Rules
Court orders are not optional. When a co-parent refuses to comply with custody provisions, stops paying support, or violates property division terms, we pursue enforcement. Contempt proceedings can result in jail time, fines, and an order to pay the other side’s legal fees. The state can also garnish wages, intercept tax refunds, and suspend licenses. If the other parent is ignoring the court’s orders, we take enforcement action through every available legal channel.
Mediation in Williamson County
Family courts here generally require mediation before a case goes to trial. Mediation gives both parties a chance to resolve their dispute outside the courtroom. Many cases do settle at this stage. But mediation only works when both sides arrive prepared, with realistic expectations and a clear understanding of the legal landscape. If it doesn’t produce a fair result, we’re ready to try the case.
Relocation Disputes
When a parent with primary custody wants to move, whether across Texas or to another state, the other parent has standing to object. These cases require a careful balancing of the relocating parent’s reasons against the impact on the child’s relationship with the non-relocating parent. Courts look closely at the motivation for the move and the proposed modified possession schedule.
Contact Gray Becker, P.C.
Family law matters require decisive action and steady counsel. Whether you are initiating a divorce, responding to a custody petition, or dealing with a co-parent who won’t follow the rules, our attorneys are ready to help.
Contact us to schedule a consultation. We will listen, explain your options clearly, and work with you to develop a strategy that protects your interests and your family. Gray Becker, P.C. serves clients throughout Leander, Williamson County, and Central Texas.