Contract Family Law Attorney

Distro•Houston, TX

1d•Remote

About The Position

Devenere Law Collective is seeking an experienced contract attorney to manage Texas family-law matters from intake through resolution. The attorney will represent clients in divorce, custody, child support, property division, enforcement, modification, and related proceedings. The work includes client counseling, case strategy, pleadings, discovery, negotiation, mediation, hearings, and trial. The position calls for strong courtroom advocacy combined with empathy, discretion, and practical judgment when handling sensitive financial, parental, and personal information. The role is primarily remote. The attorney must live within practical traveling distance of Greater Houston and attend court in Harris, Fort Bend, and Brazoria Counties, as well as the Houston office for court-related preparation, client preparation, collaboration, or meetings when required. The firm has a collaborative, nonhierarchical culture and expects attorneys to work constructively with colleagues and support staff, accept feedback, and contribute to team needs. This is a 1099 independent-contractor engagement, initially expected to last approximately six to eight months. Compensation is $90–$115 per approved billable hour, with approximately 160 approved billable hours expected monthly and estimated monthly compensation of $14,400–$18,400 at that level. Compensation applies only to properly recorded and approved client-billable activity. No employee benefits are provided during the contract period. Conversion to full-time employment may be possible based on performance, client service, cultural alignment, and firm needs.

Requirements

Active Texas law license in good standing.
At least five years of legal practice preferred.
Strong family-law experience involving divorce, custody, child support, and related matters.
Meaningful hearing and trial experience.
Ability to independently manage family-law cases.
Experience drafting pleadings, motions, discovery, and final orders.
Strong negotiation and mediation skills.
Excellent written and oral advocacy.
Strong client counseling and expectation-management skills.
Ability to manage sensitive and high-conflict matters.
Capacity to produce approximately 160 approved billable hours per month.
Ability to commit to the engagement for at least six to eight months.
Ability to attend court in Harris, Fort Bend, and Brazoria Counties and attend the Houston office when needed.
Strong confidentiality, discretion, and professional judgment.
Willingness to collaborate with attorneys and support staff.
Openness to potential full-time employment after the contract period.

Nice To Haves

Experience with complex or high-conflict divorce and custody disputes.
Experience involving business interests, substantial assets, trusts, or complex property division.
Enforcement and modification experience.
Temporary-order and emergency-hearing experience.
Deposition and contested-trial experience.
Guardianship or probate exposure.
Experience serving high-profile clients or handling matters subject to strict confidentiality.
Experience working successfully in a remote or hybrid legal environment.

Responsibilities

Manage family-law matters from initial consultation through settlement, final hearing, or trial.
Develop case strategies based on client objectives, applicable law, evidence, risks, and costs.
Manage deadlines, discovery, court dates, mediation requirements, and client commitments.
Analyze financial, parental, property, and procedural issues; provide realistic assessments of legal options and potential outcomes.
Identify urgent matters requiring temporary orders, emergency relief, or expedited action.
Draft and review petitions, answers, counterpetitions, motions, temporary orders, discovery, settlement documents, final orders, and modification and enforcement filings.
Prepare parentage, custody, support, conservatorship, and possession-related documents, and review financial records, inventories, appraisements, proposed property divisions, and supporting evidence.
Ensure filings comply with Texas procedural requirements and court deadlines.
Represent clients at hearings, mediations, temporary-order proceedings, final trials, and other court appearances.
Prepare clients and witnesses for testimony; develop exhibits and evidentiary presentations; conduct direct and cross-examinations; and present oral arguments.
Negotiate effectively while protecting client interests and remain professional in contentious or emotionally charged proceedings.
Draft and respond to interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission, disclosure requests, and subpoenas.
Review financial, business, property, medical, educational, and parenting-related records; prepare for and conduct depositions; identify discovery deficiencies; and organize evidence for proceedings.
Guide clients through divorce, custody, support, property, and post-judgment matters, explaining strategy and procedural developments clearly and setting realistic expectations.
Maintain professional boundaries, de-escalate difficult interactions, protect sensitive information, and communicate promptly about deadlines, orders, settlement developments, and case risks.
Collaborate with supervising attorneys, colleagues, paralegals, case managers, and administrative staff; participate constructively in work-product review; incorporate feedback; and assist team members as needed.
Maintain accurate, contemporaneous billing records, enter descriptive client-chargeable activity, meet the expected monthly billable requirement, follow billing procedures, and correct or supplement entries when necessary.