Practice Areas

Law Office of Marlene Dancer Adams
1846 Arlington
Houston, Texas 77008
Telephone (713) 529-2501
Facsimile (713) 426-3032
Email mda@marlene-dancer-adams.com

Formulating solutions that fit the immediate needs and ultimate goals of families in crisis

Family Law

• Divorce
• Custody & Visitation
• Child & Spousal Support
• Marital Property Division
• Modification of Support & Custody Orders
• Paternity
• Child Support Collection & Enforcement

A divorce or paternity action, whether original or a modification, may involve many issues, such as custody of minor children, child support and visitation. A divorce action may also involve spousal support and property matters. A divorce or paternity action may involve the need for immediate orders. Temporary orders, sought early in the process, can provide the ground rules to ensure the protection of the parties and property until final resolution of the case.

There are many stages to a family law case. During the pre-trial stage of the case, we engage in the discovery process. During discovery, information necessary to present the client's case at trial is gathered. This information is also used to evaluate settlement during the case.

Mediation is part of every divorce or modification process. During mediation the parties and their attorneys attempt to reach a settlement of the issues, with the assistance of a mediator trained in resolving family law disputes. Mediation can have many advantages over trial. It allows the parties more privacy in the resolution of legal problems. It also gives the parties an opportunity to structure an agreement that addresses the particular needs of the family involved. In court, a stranger resolves decisions on important family issues.

In the event that a final resolution is not reached at mediation or in negotiations, I have the experience, reputation and motivation to aggressively pursue the best resolution possible for my clients and their families.

I believe that many parents do not receive child support as ordered by the Court, at the time of their divorce, paternity, or modification action. Raising a child is an expensive undertaking, and I believe that the custodial parent should receive child support, on time and in the court ordered amounts, from the non-custodial parent. If a parent fails to pay child support as ordered, without justifiable excuse, the Court's enforcement jurisdiction can be invoked on behalf of the parent entitled to receive payment.

I represent parents who are not being properly paid, by filing a Motion for Enforcement action, in which all past due child support and interest is sought. The attorney fees for bringing such enforcement actions are sought from the non-paying parent, so that in many instances, the parent entitled to receive the child support pays only the court costs.

If you believe that you have not been paid the full amount of child support due to you on behalf of your child, I may be able to help you collect the past due support and interest.

If you believe that you are entitled to more child support than is currently ordered, I may be able to help you obtain an increase.

If you have questions or if you would like to schedule an initial consultation to discuss how we can serve you, please contact us. 

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