At the Shapiro Law Firm we have centered our practice on the events that most directly affect the individual. Beginning with criminal law matters and growing through Family Law, Personal Injuries and Wrongful Death and Wills and Estate Planning, we offer a full complement of services that reflect out commitment to individual rights and, as needed, give our clients access to our trial skills. We offer counseling in legal problems including:
Criminal Law Practice Areas
- Bail and Bond Hearings
- Domestic Violence
- Drug and Narcotic Violations
- DUI and DWI
- Firearms and Weapons
- Theft & Burglary
- Violent Offenses
- White Collar Crime
Family Law & Domestic Relations
- Divorce
- Alimony, Spousal Support and Property Divisions
- Child Support
- Child Custody
- Domestic Violence
- Adoption
Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Wills & Probate Practice Criminal Law Practice Areas Criminal law problems often begin prior to any arrest being made with such things as unlawful stops and searches or a poorly defined basis for probable cause and the imposition of charges. We have experience examining eyewitness and complainant's testimony to determine whether charges never should have been filed, or whether your defense needs to concentrate on other areas. We apply those skills to all criminal areas, including:
- Bail and Bond Hearings
- Drug and Narcotic Violations
- DUI and DWI
- Firearms and Weapons
- Theft & Burglary
- Violent Offenses
- White Collar Crime
- Domestic Violence
- Bail and Bond Hearings ?The purpose of bail is to give assurance that the defendant in a criminal trial will appear. The amount of bail is not a part of punishment, as there as been no conviction. Our firm is familiar with the factors that are appropriate to determine bail. A good lawyer knows the financial limitations of his or her client and can fight for a bail that reasonably ensures presence at trial while avoiding the constraint on family members who may have insufficient resources for daily living expenses.
- Drug and Narcotic Offenses ?At the Shapiro Law Firm, we have experience handling a wide variety of drug and narcotic offenses, including conspiracy, cultivation, possession, trafficking, distribution, offenses related to the manufacture of illegal substances such as methamphetamine, and distribution of controlled substances without prescriptions.
- DUI - DWI Offenses ?People accused of drunk driving have an uphill battle beginning the moment they see the red lights in their rearview mirrors. Driving while intoxicated has become such a hot social issue that many accused of the crime feel they are committing still another by trying to defend themselves. Public perception aside, the charges truly are serious and can mean years of incredibly high insurance premiums, not to mention the fine, possible jail time, and the loss of employment where a driver's license is required. If you stand accused of DUI / DWI, you need an attorney that can fight for you and challenge the evidence where it is deficient. A good lawyer can help analyze your case from the beginning, starting the moment before the officer decided to pull you over.
- Firearms and Weapons ?Texas may give high regard to the right of an individual to own a gun, but that regard is not without limits. Some individuals are prohibited from owning guns due to previous criminal activities. Certain types of gun ownership, such as military-style weapons and silencers are illegal for anyone to possess. There are multitudes of other violations that can get you in trouble. You need an attorney that understands guns, the rights afforded you by the Constitution; and federal, as well as state gun laws.
- Theft and Burglary ?Taking property that does not belong to you, no matter how you do it, or how you try and justify it, is a crime. The severity of that crime varies depending on the amount of property involved and the manner in which you take it. These types of crimes range from obtaining property by false pretense, larceny, burglary, or embezzlement. They can include such crimes as grand theft auto, dealing in stolen property and passing worthless checks.
- Violent Offenses ?At the Shapiro Law Firm, we handle a wide variety of state charges involving violent crimes such as arson, assault, battery, burglary, car-jacking, homicide, kidnapping, manslaughter, murder, robbery and sex-based offenses. Many of these types of offenses are "three-strike" offenses, meaning that the third conviction for a violation can mean permanent loss of your freedom. When it comes to something that serious, you need the best representation you can get.
- White Collar Crimes ?White collar crimes got their name from the fact that they can be committed by persons that look honest, maybe hold decent jobs in the community, and don't dirty their hands to commit their crimes. While violent crimes have always been a prime target for law and order types, white collar crime in the wake of corporate scandals like Enron and WorldCom are growing in prosecution due to public outcry. Before you become a scapegoat and take the fall for all the people perceived as being the problem with corporate America,you should consult with a lawyer. You need an advocate who is not afraid to tackle the complex issues involved in prosecutions involving accounting or bank fraud, on-line and computer-based crimes, corporate fraud, insurance and health care fraud, money laundering and RICO violations.
If you find yourself facing one of these criminal violations, contact us to start your defense and learn what your rights are before you give any of them up.
FAMILY LAW ? DOMESTIC RELATIONS PRACTICE AREAS
Family law affects a person in their everyday life. It is extremely personal?it can affect where you will live, how often you get to see your children, what's left of your paycheck and many other daily activites. Families can be disrupted with domestic violence, divorce and arguments over adequate support. A good lawyer is one that can step into the middle of things and help impose order. You need an attorney who can help you sort out the things you have control over from those you don't and save you the time and worry over the latter. As a law firm, we at Shapiro Law Offices can help address the disorder in your life caused by disputes over
- Alimony, maintenance or spousal support
- Annulments
- Child custody, visitation and placement
- Child support
- Contempt and enforcement proceedings
- Divorce
- Domestic violence
- Marital property division
- Mediation
- Paternity
- Post-judgment modification
- Postnuptial agreements
- Premarital and prenuptial agreements
- Restraining orders
- Termination of parental rights
We actively encourage clients to participate in the collaborative law process since it offers our clients the chance to have a direct say in the handling of their divorce through the mediation process.
Divorce ?Divorce is the legal process by which a marriage is terminated. In a divorce proceeding, the parties' marriage is legally ended and the related issues, such as spousal and child support, child custody and visitation, and property and debt division, are resolved, either by the parties' voluntary agreement, through the assistance of a mediator, or after a court trial.
Alimony, Spousal Support & Property Divisions ?Every divorce must include at least a statement concerning the division of property that has been accumulated during the marriage. While the concept of alimony sounds outdated, the fact is that there are still many marriage relationships where one spouse provides for the support of the other. In those arrangements, it is only proper that the courts, if not the couple themselves, find some way to provide for a continuation of that financial relationship for some time after the dissolution of the marriage. Whether or not this is imposed depends on a number of factors including
- The length of the marriage
- The age of each spouse
- The health of each spouse
- The ability of each spouse to be self-supporting
- The income of the primary breadwinner
- The standard of living the parties enjoyed during the marriage
Whether or not one spouse receives maintenance payments from the other is not always as important as what happens to the property that has been accumulated during the course of the marriage. Many couples have started businesses together. Other couples have based the professional progress of one spouse on the other spouse's willingness to put their career on hold. These financial trade-offs all get sorted out over the course of a marriage; but when the marriage is over, one spouse finds themselves without pension benefits, without savings and without business assets from which they can earn money to provide for themselves. At the Shapiro Law Firm, we are familiar with the accounting concepts that come into play to ensure a fair and reasonable division of these assets.
Child Support ?Child support will generally be ordered in a marriage dissolution where there are minor children. This will be the case regardless of the financial ability of the custodial parent, unless some unusual circumstances are present which affect a non-custodial parent's ability to contribute to the children's support. This may include such things as permanent or temporary disability or inability to obtain steady employment. Child support is not meant to be a penalty against either parent for their conduct during the marriage. It is only an attempt at seeing to it that the income that would have been spent for support of the child had the couple not divorced still goes to support the child. Obviously, in special circumstances, the amounts can be modified to take into consideration restrictions on the non-custodial parent or the special needs of the children.
Child Custody, Visitation and Placement ?When parents divorce, it is no longer the accepted result that the custody of the children is granted to the mother. In general, courts grant custody based on what serves the "best interests of the child". Along with the physical custody of a child is the right and duty to care for a child on a day-to-day basis and to make major decisions about the child. Sometimes, the physical custody of a child will be granted to one parent but the legal custody, or the ability to make decisions for the child, will be shared by both. In still other situations, both parents may share both physical and legal custody of the children. In cases where one parent does not have physical custody of his or her children on a regular basis, the court will provide for scheduled visitation in an effort to ensure that a child maintains a healthy relationship with both his or her mother and father.
Domestic Violence ?The most common form of domestic violence occurs when one family member threatens another with physical injury or other violence in an effort to exert control over them. No one should be forced to suffer this type of abuse. This includes such other kinds of conduct as
- Malicious mischief
- Kidnapping
- Unlawful imprisonment
- Violation of a Restraining Order, No Contact Order, or Protection Order
- Stalking
If, on the other hand, you find yourself accused of domestic violence merely as a tool to obtain a better property settlement or in an effort to cut off your rights to visit your children, you need someone who will fight to protect your rights as a parent and have the court see the accusations for what they are.
Adoption And Termination Of Parental Rights ?As a result of the abundance of divorces and remarriages, there has been an increase in the number of actions brought by stepparents to adopt children from their present spouse's former marriages. In some cases, these proceedings are challenged; but in others, they are not. Whether or not your spouse's children from previous marriages are viewed as your children can determine whether or not they can participate in your work-sponsored benefit programs and whether or not they can legally inherit your property without a will.
If you find yourself needing an attorney to navigate through one of these family law situations, contact us to begin representation and learn what your rights are.
PERSONAL INJURY AND WRONGFUL DEATH
We represent individuals and families involved in personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Texas caused by the negligent, careless, or reckless conduct of others. We handle all types of serious and catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases involving:
- Amputations
- Back Injuries
- Brain Damage
- Burns
- Fractures, Breaks and Dislocations
- Neck Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Other Severe, Permanent, and Crippling Injuries
These types of injuries can result from a myriad of occurrences that happen in almost any kind of setting. Our firm has handled cases that have resulted from negligent conduct as a bicycle accident, construction site injuries, dog bites and animal attacks, alcohol-related crashes, motorcycle accidents, motor vehicle accidents and car crashes, nursing home negligence and elder abuse, premises liability - slip and falls, products liability, toxic torts, trucking litigation - semi-truck crashes.
For further information about personal injuries and wrongful death actions, please contact us at the Shapiro Law Firm today for a free initial consultation.
WILLS AND PROBATE PRACTICE AREAS
Few areas of the law are as avoided by the living as that of Estate Planning. It is almost as though people consider the making of their will to be a sure sign that they will die soon. While many of us do live to ripe old ages, accidental death continues to be a leading killer of the young. Whether you feel you are tempting fate or not, it is important for a person to establish the manner in which they want their assets distributed after death. In addition to helping you minimize estate taxes and limit the control the "wrong" people have over your assets, estate planning can serve to ensure those you feel would benefit from you generosity do, in fact, receive what feel they should.
Our firm will also help you with the processing of an estate for a loved one that has recently passed away. We can help alleviate the stress of wondering how to prepare the proper court documents and ensure that no one objects to your handling of the estate. Our firm has experience assisting survivors with
- Proving in court that a deceased person's will is valid
- Identifying the deceased person's property
- Inventorying the deceased person?s property
- Having the property appraised
- Paying debts and taxes
- Distributing the remaining property as a will directs, or, in the absence of a will, in accordance with Texas state law.
If you find yourself needing an attorney to help you plan for the transfer of assets at your death, or to help process the estate of a family member, contact us to begin planning or to learn what your rights are.
Handling cases in criminal law, divorce and
family law, personal injury and probate