Family Law Attorney

Distro•Houston, TX

11d•$90 - $115•Remote

About The Position

Devenere Law Collective is seeking an experienced Contract Family Law 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. This role calls for strong courtroom advocacy, empathy, discretion, and practical judgment when handling sensitive financial, parental, and personal information. The attorney must maintain client trust while providing candid, strategic advice through emotionally difficult disputes. The position is primarily remote, but the attorney must live within practical traveling distance of Greater Houston and attend court, trial and client preparation, and office meetings when required. The firm operates collaboratively across practice areas and values teamwork, constructive review, authenticity, community involvement, innovation, professionalism, and client-centered service. This is an independent-contractor engagement with an initial commitment of approximately six to eight months and an expectation of approximately 160 approved billable hours each month. Estimated monthly compensation at that billable level is approximately $14,400–$18,400, negotiable; the posting also lists compensation of $90–$115 per hour. 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 law license in good standing in Texas.
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.
Ability to 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

At least five years of legal practice (preferred in the posting).
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, risk, and cost.
Manage deadlines, discovery, court dates, mediation requirements, and client commitments.
Analyze financial, parental, property, and procedural issues and provide realistic assessments of options and potential outcomes.
Identify urgent issues requiring temporary orders, emergency relief, or expedited action.
Draft and review petitions, answers, counterpetitions, motions, temporary orders, discovery, settlement documents, and final orders.
Prepare modification, enforcement, parentage, custody, support, conservatorship, and possession-related filings and documents.
Review financial records, inventories, appraisements, proposed property divisions, and supporting evidence; ensure filings comply with Texas procedural requirements and deadlines.
Represent clients in 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 argument.
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 pursue appropriate remedies.
Organize evidence for hearings, mediation, and trial, coordinating with paralegals and support staff.
Guide clients through divorce, custody, support, property, and post-judgment matters; explain strategy and procedural developments clearly and set realistic expectations.
Maintain professional boundaries, de-escalate difficult interactions, protect sensitive information, and communicate promptly about deadlines, orders, settlements, and case risks.
Collaborate with supervising attorneys, colleagues, paralegals, case managers, and administrative staff; participate in work-product review, incorporate feedback, and assist team members as needed.
Maintain accurate, contemporaneous billing records; enter descriptive client-chargeable activity; meet the monthly billable expectation; follow billing procedures; and correct or supplement entries as necessary.