Family law matters are among the most personal and consequential legal challenges anyone can face. At Crenshaw, Dupree & Milam, our Lubbock law firm has the experience and compassion to guide you through every stage of the process — from divorce and child custody disputes to adoption and everything in between. We serve clients throughout West Texas with a commitment to protecting your rights, your assets, and your family’s future.
We handle all aspects of family law in Texas, including:
Family law cases are rarely simple. Whether you are navigating a high-conflict divorce, fighting for custody of your children, or seeking to enforce a court order, the decisions made during this process will have lasting consequences. Our attorneys understand the emotional and legal weight of what you are facing, and we approach every case with both the empathy and the tenacity it deserves.
Our family law team is led by Stacey S. Barber, who is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — a distinction held by only a small percentage of Texas attorneys. Ms. Barber brings extensive jury trial and bench trial experience to every case, and is also one of only a few attorneys in Lubbock certified in the Collaborative Law Process. Whether your case calls for aggressive courtroom advocacy or a collaborative approach outside of court, Ms. Barber and our team are prepared to pursue the outcome that is best for you and your family.
For families seeking an alternative to traditional litigation, the Collaborative Law Process offers a private, solution-oriented path forward. Working with a network of trained mental health and financial professionals, our team helps clients reach a settlement outside of the courtroom — reducing stress, preserving assets, and keeping sensitive matters confidential. This approach is particularly well-suited for families with children, where preserving a respectful co-parenting relationship after the divorce matters. To learn more, visit www.collablawtexas.com or www.collaborativedivorcetexas.com.
Divorce is one of the most significant legal events in a person’s life, and having the right attorney makes all the difference. Our Board Certified family law attorney Stacey S. Barber works diligently to protect your assets, your parental rights, and your financial future. In high-profile or high net-worth cases, we utilize Agreements Incident to Divorce to keep asset details out of public court records. Whether your case is resolved through collaboration or contested in court, we stand beside our clients at every step and advocate for them without reservation.
Life circumstances change — and sometimes that means existing court orders need to change too. If a custody arrangement, child support obligation, or visitation schedule has become unworkable due to a significant change in circumstances, our attorneys can help you seek a modification that better reflects your current situation and the best interests of your children.
When a party fails to comply with a divorce decree or court order, you have legal options. Our attorneys can file suit to compel compliance and pursue contempt remedies where appropriate. We understand the applicable deadlines — including the six-month window for possession and access enforcement after a child reaches adulthood, and the two-year window for property enforcement — and we act quickly to protect your rights.
Alimony and spousal support serve different legal functions in Texas and are subject to different requirements. Alimony is a voluntary contractual obligation, often used to equalize property division, while spousal support may be court-ordered when specific statutory criteria are met — such as a marriage of ten or more years, inability to find suitable employment, or disability. Our attorneys help clients on both sides of this issue secure the most favorable outcome possible.
Texas is a community property state, which means property acquired during the marriage is generally subject to division, while separate property — assets acquired before the marriage or received as gifts or inheritance — is not. Our team works with highly qualified financial experts to conduct thorough valuations of businesses, investments, retirement accounts, and all other assets in the marital estate, ensuring that every item is properly classified and your interests are fully protected.
When a business is part of the marital estate, the complexity of the divorce increases significantly. Valuing a business requires careful consideration of the entity type, income approach, restricted stocks, retained earnings, personal goodwill, buy/sell agreements, and other variables unique to each situation. Our attorneys have the experience and the professional network to handle these complex valuations and protect your business interests throughout the divorce process.
Whether you are preparing for marriage or seeking to protect assets acquired during your marriage, pre-marital and post-marital agreements are powerful legal tools. A pre-marital agreement can establish how property will be treated in the event of divorce or death. A post-marital agreement can retroactively designate community property as separate property, providing similar protections after the marriage has already begun. Our attorneys draft these agreements with precision and care to ensure they are enforceable and reflect your intentions.
Texas recognizes informal (common law) marriage when the parties agreed to be married, lived together as husband and wife, and represented themselves to others as married. Establishing or challenging a common law marriage involves distinct legal standards and evidentiary considerations. Our attorneys have the experience to handle these matters effectively.
High net-worth divorces require a higher level of legal sophistication and a team of qualified professionals. Our attorneys work with certified public accountants, forensic investigators, financial planners, and licensed mental health professionals to ensure that every asset is properly identified, classified, and valued. We take a thorough and strategic approach to protect your wealth and your future.
Following the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision, same-sex couples have the same marriage rights as all other couples under federal and Texas law. Our attorneys are experienced in guiding same-sex couples through divorce, custody, property division, spousal support, and all other family law matters with the same level of care and professionalism we bring to every case.
Protecting your share of the marital estate requires a methodical approach and experienced legal representation. Whether the assets at issue include a family business, professional practice, or inherited property, our attorneys work to ensure that every item is accurately characterized and that you receive a fair outcome. We bring both legal knowledge and practical negotiating skill to every property dispute.
Child custody decisions are guided by the best interest of the child standard under the Texas Family Code. Our attorneys have handled hundreds of custody cases — representing both mothers and fathers — across a wide range of circumstances, from initial divorces to post-decree modifications and enforcements. We understand the difference between joint managing conservatorship and sole managing conservatorship and will pursue the arrangement that best serves your children’s well-being and your parental rights.
Establishing or challenging paternity has significant legal implications for both parents and children. A father may establish paternity through presumption, acknowledgment, adjudication, or adoption. Challenging paternity involves strict deadlines and specific legal grounds including fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact. Our attorneys can guide you through this process with clarity and precision.
Child support in Texas is calculated based on the paying parent’s net monthly income and the number of children involved. The standard guidelines are: one child (20%), two children (25%), three children (30%), four children (35%), and five or more children (40%). Support generally continues until the child turns 18 or graduates high school, whichever occurs later, and may extend for the lifetime of a disabled child. Our attorneys work to ensure that the support order accurately reflects the financial circumstances of your case and the needs of your children.
Grandparents can play an irreplaceable role in a child’s life, and Texas law provides avenues for grandparents to seek custody or visitation under specific circumstances. To pursue grandparent visitation, the grandparent must demonstrate that denial of access would significantly impair the child’s physical health or emotional well-being — a high legal threshold. Our attorneys have the experience to help grandparents and other relatives understand their rights and pursue the access they deserve.
When a custodial parent seeks to relocate with a child, Texas courts carefully weigh the impact on the child’s relationship with both parents. Lifting a geographic restriction requires demonstrating both a material reason for the move and that relocation is in the child’s best interest. Our attorneys pursue relocation cases — whether seeking to move or opposing a move — with the determination and legal skill each situation demands.
Termination of parental rights, whether voluntary or involuntary, is among the most serious matters in family law. Voluntary termination requires a signed affidavit of relinquishment, and Texas courts will rarely approve termination without a qualified adult prepared to assume the parental role. Involuntary termination requires proof meeting a high legal threshold. Our attorneys handle these sensitive matters with professionalism and a thorough understanding of the applicable law.
Helping a family grow through adoption is one of the most rewarding parts of family law practice. Our attorneys represent both birth parents and adoptive parents, guiding each through the legal process with care and efficiency. We also assist with name changes for children during the adoption process and for adults whose names were not addressed during a prior divorce proceeding.
If you are facing a family law matter in West Texas, our attorneys are ready to help. Contact our Lubbock law firm today at 806-590-1780 or via email at attorney@cdmlaw.com to schedule a consultation.
