The May Firm

I always enjoy getting a note from a client after I’ve finished their case, indicating they were happy with what we accomplished for them.  Here’s one I received today from A.C.:

The May Firm goes above and beyond with their support and Team effort in such a tremendous time of upheaval in one’s life.  Michelle May O’Neil has a very strong grip on interpreting the law.  She advocates for her client to receive a just, fair outcome without stooping to a level of mud-slinging or degrading the other side.  Her presence in the courtroom is one of strength and skill.  She is given respect, justly deserved, the minute she enters the courtroom.

 Thanks, A.C.!  I enjoyed representing you — you are a sweet woman and a great parent.

Tags: Divorce, Clients, Lawyer Client Relationship by Michelle
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The Dallas Voice featured an article about one of my cases this week.  You can read about it here:  Lesbian Custody Fight Dallas Voice 050908 

Gay and lesbian partners can have more difficulty in parenting disputes, especially for the nonbiological parent.  Here, I represent a nonbiological mother who fights to have standard access to the daughter born during her relationship with her partner.  The safest way for my client, or those in her situation, to have protected herself was to adopt the child right after birth.  Nothing in Texas law prevents a child from having two parents of the same sex.  An adoption establishes legal parenthood for a person.  Short of adoption, a nonbiological parent’s best route is to seek a formal court-ordered relationship with the child as soon as the two partners break up.  This protects your rights, under the law, as a person with whom the child has lived.  The longer you wait, the more tenuous it will be to establish your rights with the child.

Tags: Clients, Children's Issues, Gay Issues, Lesbian Issues, Cohabitation Agreements by Michelle
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Dallas Family Lawyer Michelle May O’Neil recently spoke at the State Bar of Texas Marriage Dissolution seminar, held in Galveston, Texas on the topic “We Lost, Now What?”  The presentation, to approximately 250 Texas lawyers addresses presenting a family law case on appeal to the court of appeals.

 To see the article, click here: We Lost, Now What? CLE article 

Tags: Appellate Law, Divorce, Qualifications Of A Lawyer, CLE articles by Michelle
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The outcome of your divorce proceedings will change the course of your life forever; so invest the time and money to find the lawyer who will do the best job for you.  Here are some suggested questions to ask during your initial interview:

• Do you practice family law exclusively? What percentage of your practice is family law?
• What is your retainer? Is this fee refundale?  What is your hourly rate?
• What is your billing technique?
• Approximately how much will my divorce cost?  Your lawyer can only provide you a general idea of costs based on the information you provide and a guess about how amicable the process will be.  Even if you think your case is simple, but the other side makes it unnecessarily complicated, you can expect your costs to increase.
• What do you think the outcome will be?  Remember you are looking for an honest assessment, not necessarily what will make you happiest.
• If you spouse has retained an attorney, ask your prospective lawyer what she knows about this attorney. Have you worked with her before? Do you think she will work to settle?
• What percentage of your cases go to trial?  You actually want to choose a lawyer with a balance of settled cases versus trials.  Do not choose a lawyer that tries too many cases because that shows a lack of willingness to settle and will be more costly for you in the long run.
• How long will the process take?  Again, the best this can be is an approximation.
• What are my rights and obligations during this process?
• Will you actually handle my case or will someone else in your firm be responsible for my case?
• Should I consider mediation?
• What information will you need from me?
• What happens next?

Tags: General, Qualifications Of A Lawyer, Hiring a Lawyer, Lawyer Client Relationship by Michelle
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