Your kids. Your money. Your next chapter.
Austin divorce attorney Chris Merritt provides Board Certified divorce and child custody representation, protecting Texas families since 1996.
“His knowledge and professionalism made my tough legal process very smooth.”
The worst part of divorce is the not knowing
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re exactly who this firm was built for:
You lie awake running the math : the house, the retirement accounts, what two households cost, and the numbers never come out right.
You’ve pictured becoming an every-other-weekend parent: missing school nights, practices, the ordinary days that matter most.
Everyone has advice: friends, forums, ChatGPT, horror stories. But nobody can tell you what a Texas judge will actually do with your case.
You don’t need more opinions. You need a plan.
I’m Chris Merritt. My own parents divorced when I was a child, so I know what’s really at stake here: it’s not the paperwork, it’s whether your kids come through this okay and whether you land on your feet.
I’ve practiced Texas family law exclusively since 1996 and earned Board Certification by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Family Law in 2001, the first year I was eligible. After nearly three decades in Travis, Williamson and Hays county courts, there’s very little I haven’t seen.
I’ve walked hundreds of Austin parents from that sleepless-night stage to a settled, workable next chapter. I can do the same for you, and it starts with one planning session.
Read Chris’s full storyHow an Austin divorce lawyer protects you and what’s yours
Family law is all we do. Every case starts the same way: with a plan built around the life you want on the other side.
Divorce
Contested or agreed, simple or complex: your divorce decides who keeps the house, how retirement accounts are divided, and what happens to a business you built. Texas divides community property in a “just and right” manner, which is not automatically 50/50, and separate property stays yours only if it’s properly traced. We build the financial picture early, value what needs valuing, and negotiate from strength, so the settlement you sign is one you can actually live with. Learn more about divorce representation.
Child Custody & Conservatorship
About half of our cases are custody matters with no divorce at all. Conservatorship, possession schedules, child support, and geographic restrictions all shape your children’s daily lives for years. Texas courts start from the presumption that both parents should be joint managing conservators; the parent who shows up prepared, with a documented parenting record, does well. We show you how to build that record starting the day you call.
Modifications & Enforcement
Life doesn’t stop when the decree is signed. Jobs change, people remarry, an ex threatens to move the kids out of the school district. When an existing order no longer fits, or the other side simply isn’t following it, we modify or enforce it. These matters are usually narrower and far less costly than the original case, and acting quickly often decides the outcome.
Mediation & Settlement
Most of our cases resolve without a trial, on purpose. Mediation is faster, costs a fraction of a courtroom fight, and most importantly protects the co-parenting relationship your children will live with for the rest of their childhood. We prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, because that preparation is exactly what makes the other side settle fairly.
What changes when Merritt Law is on your side
You sleep again
Because your Divorce & Custody Planning Session replaces the 3 a.m. spiral with a written roadmap: what happens, when, and what it should cost.
You stay their parent
Because your custody strategy is built on your parenting record and what Texas courts actually weigh, not on fear or guesswork.
Nothing gets left on the table
Because Board Certified property-division experience catches what others miss: valuations, retirement splits, terms that cost you years later.
What’s included when you hire the firm
3 simple steps to the other side of this
Step 1: Book your planning session
One private meeting with Chris. Bring every question and every fear.
Step 2: We work the plan
Filings, negotiation, mediation, court if needed: handled, with you informed at every step.
Step 3: Your next chapter
Your kids, your finances and your peace of mind, on solid footing.
Testimonials
Don’t take our word for it. Here’s what clients say about the other side:
“He will tell you the truth and not what you want to hear.” Mr. Merritt is exceptional, a true professional, extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend him. He helped me to protect the best interest of my children.
“Chris helped me navigate a very messy divorce.” I’m sure that without his competence, my divorce would have ended much worse. Thanks to his good work, I’m able to move on with my life.
“Brilliant in the courtroom.” Mr. Merritt is brilliant in the courtroom and works extremely hard for his clients. I saw this firsthand. Highly recommended.
How we compare
Divorce and custody in Austin’s courts
Where your case is filed matters. A divorce or custody case in Austin is heard in the Travis County District Courts, where family cases rotate through a central docket. That means the judge who hears your temporary orders may not be the one who tries your case. Williamson County (Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park) and Hays County (Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, Dripping Springs) each run their courts differently, with their own local rules, standing orders and scheduling rhythms.
After nearly 30 years in these same courtrooms, we know how each county handles temporary orders, mediation requirements and trial settings, and how cases like yours have actually resolved there. That local knowledge shapes strategy: what to ask for, when to push, and when a settlement offer is as good as it’s going to get.
If your family is in Austin or anywhere in Travis, Williamson or Hays county, your case will be decided close to home. Your lawyer’s experience should be too.
Frequently asked questions
Especially then. A planning session tells you where you stand on custody, property and timing so you can make the decision calmly instead of in a crisis. Everything discussed is confidential.
No. Who files first has almost no effect on custody. Texas courts favor joint conservatorship and weigh each parent’s record and stability. What matters is what you do starting today, and we’ll show you exactly what that looks like.
Most cases settle without a trial, and we pursue mediation and negotiated resolution first because it’s faster, cheaper and easier on your children. When court is necessary, Chris has been trying family law cases since 1996.
Texas has a 60-day minimum waiting period, and most cases take several months to a year depending on how contested they are. You’ll get a realistic timeline for your situation in the planning session, with no false promises.
It depends on how much you and your spouse can agree on. In your planning session we’ll discuss what your case is likely to cost based on our estimate of the time involved, and we’ll recommend cost-effective paths like mediation where they fit.
Walk in with questions. Leave with a plan.
Book your private Divorce & Custody Planning Session with Chris Merritt. You’ll leave knowing where you stand, what’s at risk, and your next three moves.
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