Family · Dallas
Top Family Lawyers in Dallas
Family lawyers advise on relationships and children: custody and parenting time, child support, adoption, guardianship and domestic-violence protection. This list compares 25 family lawyers practising in Dallas on verified licences, years in this area, focus and sourced reputation.
- Updated 13 Oct 2026
- Ranking v1.0.0
- How we rank
- lawyers considered
- 25
- 14 verified licences
- 56%
- average years in practice
- 11
The ranking
Score out of 100- 1
Adaeze Ellison
VerifiedOf Counsel
Quill Law Group27 yrs in practice4.3(12)FamilyEmploymentSpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 2
Patrick Patel
VerifiedOf Counsel
Rowe Law Group26 yrs in practice4.7(20)EmploymentFamilySpeaks English, Mandarin
- 3
- 4
- 5
Theo K. Morgan
VerifiedManaging Partner
Rowe Law Group26 yrs in practice4.1(8)FamilyBusinessImmigrationSpeaks English, Hindi
- 6
- 7
- 8
Adaeze R. Zielinski
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
31 yrs in practice4.8(11)Child CustodyCriminal DefenseEmployment+2 moreSpeaks English, Arabic
- 9
James Holloway
Out of datePartner
Merritt & Quill LLP26 yrs in practiceBusinessFamilySpeaks English, Mandarin, Russian
- 10
- 11
Daniel Kearney
VerifiedSenior Associate
Quill Law Group20 yrs in practice3.0(2)BusinessEmploymentFamily+1 moreSpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 12
Diego Whitaker
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
Merritt & Quill LLP11 yrs in practice4.6(16)Personal InjuryBusinessDivorce+1 moreSpeaks English, Russian, Urdu
- 13
Olivia A. Duarte
VerifiedSenior Associate
Hale & Vance LLP4.5(1)Personal InjuryBusinessChild Custody+2 more - 14
Daniel K. Brennan
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Brook & Kensington LLP8 yrs in practiceDivorceBusinessCriminal Defense+1 moreSpeaks English, Arabic
- 15
Helena Cardenas
VerifiedAssociate
Calder & Vance LLP6 yrs in practice3.3(7)BusinessCriminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, Mandarin
- 16
Priya L. Rourke
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Hale & Vance LLP13 yrs in practice3.2(15)ImmigrationEstate PlanningFamily+1 more - 17
Adaeze A. Galloway
Out of datePrincipal Lawyer
Brook & Kensington LLP26 yrs in practice4.7(6)Estate PlanningBusinessFamilySpeaks English, Spanish
- 18
Daniel E. Haddad
PendingSenior Associate
Hale & Vance LLP21 yrs in practiceFamilySpeaks English, Arabic
- 19
- 20
Gabriel Cardenas
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Brook & Kensington LLP1 yrs in practice4.3(3)Estate PlanningBusinessFamily - 21
Hugo Yilmaz
UnverifiedPrincipal Lawyer
Merritt & Quill LLP15 yrs in practice5.0(3)Child CustodyBusinessDivorce+2 more - 22
Isaac Iyer
UnverifiedOf Counsel
Rowe Law Group14 yrs in practice3.6(8)Child CustodyFamilySpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 23
- 24
Mateo L. Okafor
PendingPrincipal Lawyer
Rowe Law Group10 yrs in practice3.3(25)DivorceChild CustodyFamily - 25
Laura Ellison
PendingPrincipal Lawyer
Hale & Holt LLP10 yrs in practice4.5(4)DivorceEstate PlanningFamilySpeaks English, Mandarin
How we rank
Each lawyer gets nine component scores from 0 to 100. The bar shows how many of the 100 available points each component contributed. Weights are fixed for every lawyer in this list and published in full; payment plays no part.
Expertise50%
- Credentials20%
- Relevant experience15%
- Specialization15%
Standing35%
- Verified reputation15%
- Professional recognition10%
- Relevant track record10%
Service & data15%
- Client experience5%
- Profile & data quality5%
- Data freshness5%
Dallas legal resources
- State Bar of Texas
Find-a-lawyer directory with licence status.
- Dallas Bar Association
Lawyer referral service.
Choosing a family lawyer
Family cases are often decided by local judges with wide discretion, so local courtroom experience matters. Ask whether the lawyer offers mediation or collaborative law, and how they keep children out of the conflict. Confirm who on the team will actually handle your file day to day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a family lawyer and a divorce lawyer?
Divorce is one part of family law. Family lawyers also handle custody between unmarried parents, adoption, guardianship and protection orders.
Can custody arrangements be changed later?
Usually yes, if circumstances change significantly. The court applies the best interests of the child when deciding whether to modify an order.