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Frequently Asked Questions About Working With Law Thompson, P.C.

At Law Thompson, P.C., we strive to be accessible and responsive to our clients. We know family law matters are stressful and urgent, so we aim to put you at ease and address your concerns.

Check out our FAQ below and please reach out at 281-369-8665 to arrange a consultation where our attorney can answer your specific questions.

What is the location of your office?

What areas of law does your firm handle?

What does “board-certified as a specialist in Family Law” mean?

What are your hours of operation?

Are “walk-in” appointments allowed?

How do I schedule an appointment with a lawyer?

Can I schedule for an after-hours or weekend appointment?

How long does an initial consultation last?

Is there a fee for an initial consultation?

If I decide to retain your firm to represent me, will you waive the initial consultation fee?

I am out-of-town or cannot possibly come in for an office consultation. Can I schedule a telephone consultation with one of the lawyers?

What happens during the initial consultation?

What should I bring with me to the initial consultation?

Should I bring financial records, property instruments, copies of email conversations/telephone logs, photos or other “evidence” with me to the initial consultation?

Will I be able to cover all issues and have all of my questions answered during the initial consultation?

If I come in for an initial office consultation, will I be required or expected to hire your firm as my attorney? What if I am mainly just shopping around for an attorney?

What if I do decide that I want to hire your law firm to represent me? Will that process be covered during an initial office consultation?

How does your firm bill or calculate fees for legal services? Are payment plans available?

What forms of payment do you accept?

Will you accept payment from one of my family members or friends?

Can I bring a friend or family member with me to my office appointment?

Can I bring my minor children (or grandchildren) with me to my office appointment?

What if I am coming in to see the attorney on a child custody matter, and I think that it is very important for the minor child to talk to the attorney. Can this be arranged?

What if I need to reach your office on a weekend, holiday or after-hours?

What is the location of your office?

Our law office, Law Thompson, P.C., is located near the intersection of FM1960 and Walters Road.

What areas of law does your firm handle?

Law Thompson, P.C., is a full-service law firm, with special emphasis placed on family law cases, civil matters, and probate/estate planning. For instance, we typically represent clients in divorce cases involving children (including child custody and child support disputes), and paternity and adoptions. Attorney Travis Thompson handles family law cases, civil matters, as well as estate planning and probate matters. Travis Thompson is board-certified as a specialist in family law, and he is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the field of family law, but he also practices the additional areas described above.

What does “board-certified as a specialist in Family Law” mean?

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization (i.e., TBLS) is a subdivision of the State Bar of Texas — the organizing association for all Texas lawyers. The TBLS has recognized special certifications for expertise in certain areas of the law, including family law. A “board-certified family law” attorney means an attorney who has been certified by the TBLS as having a recognizably high degree of expertise and experience in that certified field of law. The certification process is based on a variety of criteria including experience and examination.

What are your hours of operation?

Our office is open Monday – Friday, from 8:45 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. We are closed on weekends and federal holidays.

Are “walk-in” appointments allowed?

We discourage “walk-in” appointments due primarily to the fact that the lawyers are frequently at the courthouse on cases — or are otherwise occupied with scheduled appointments at various times throughout the day — and cannot guarantee that they will personally be available when a person merely “walks in.” As such, an individually-scheduled office appointment is the appropriate way for scheduling time for an office consultation with attorney Travis Thompson.

How do I schedule an appointment with a lawyer?

You may contact our receptionist at anytime during customary business hours to schedule your appointment with attorney Travis Thompson.

Can I schedule for an after-hours or weekend appointment?

The latest-scheduled weekday appointment is a 5:00 p.m. appointment. We do not schedule after-hours appointments. We do not, typically, schedule weekend appointments.

How long does an initial consultation last?

The typical appointment for an initial legal consultation runs from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the nature and extent of the legal issues to be discussed.

Is there a fee for an initial consultation?

Yes, there is an initial consultation fee for consultations regarding family law, estate planning/probate or “other civil matters.” Keep in mind, you generally get what you pay for when it comes to the legal services market.  Persons who are referred to our office through certain referral services or legal protection plans may be subject to a different consultation fee arrangement, depending on the nature of the plan. The consultation fee for a family law, estate planning/probate or “other civil matter” is due and payable at the end of the consultation.

If I decide to retain your firm to represent me, will you waive the initial consultation fee?

Absolutely. In other words, the initial consultation fee is due and payable at the end of the consultation, in the event that the consultation is a “one-time-only” event. However, if you choose to retain our services at the end of the consultation, then the initial consultation fee will either be waived or will be credited toward future services.

I am out of town or cannot possibly come in for an office consultation. Can I schedule a telephone consultation with one of the lawyers?

Certainly. The process is the same for an office appointment. You will telephone our receptionist, and schedule a phone conference for a specific date and time, when the attorney will be available to take your telephone call. The fee for the telephone conference will need to be paid prior to or at the beginning of the scheduled phone conference. Our receptionist can assist you with these arrangements.

What happens during the initial consultation?

You will be meeting personally with attorney Travis Thompson during your initial consultation. You will be discussing the general legal matter that is of concern to you, and the lawyer will be offering his opinion, as well as furnishing you with general legal advice and recommendations to you regarding your legal matter. The initial consultation is designed to be both casual and conversational — as well as informative!

What should I bring with me to the initial consultation?

If you have been served with process (i.e., citation, subpoena, temporary restraining order, lawsuit petition, certified letter, etc.), then please bring such with you to your appointment. If there are any existing court orders pertaining to you that are presently in effect (such as temporary orders, divorce decrees, attorney general support orders, custody orders, etc.), then please also remember to bring such with you to the appointment. If you cannot locate your existing or former court orders by date/time of the appointment, then please advise us of such when you come in.

Should I bring financial records, property instruments, copies of email conversations/telephone logs, photos or other “evidence” with me to the initial consultation?

You do not need to bring any such evidence with you for an initial consultation. Separate arrangements can be made for you to produce such documentation or “evidence” at a later date and time, if necessary.

Will I be able to cover all issues and have all of my questions answered during the initial consultation?

A primary purpose of an initial consultation is to enable a prospective client to meet the lawyer for general legal advice, and to enable the attorney to assess the prospective client’s case and legal matter. While every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate all of your questions and ensure that you come away from the appointment better informed about your legal rights and obligations, we cannot possibly ensure that every question will be covered or that every problem will be solved during the initial consultation. Some legal matters are simply more time-consuming or complex than others. Nonetheless, we are confident that you will find the time spent in initial consultation to be time well-spent.

If I come in for an initial office consultation, will I be required or expected to hire your firm as my attorney? What if I am mainly just shopping around for an attorney?

There are no strings attached to an initial office consultation. If you decide that only consultation is adequate for your purposes or if you decide to interview other attorneys, then such choice on your part is certainly understandable and will be respected.

What if I do decide that I want to hire your law firm to represent me? Will that process be covered during an initial office consultation?

We frequently meet with potential clients who are in need of further legal services. You and the attorney will also be discussing the nature and extent of possible future or additional legal services during the consultation, including the estimated fees and costs for such services. If you decide to hire our firm to represent you, then such can be arranged at the conclusion of the consultation or at a later date, by mutual agreement.

Fees for further legal services are determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into account such factors as the nature and complexity of the legal matter, the estimated steps that will need to be undertaken to accomplish and conclude the legal matter, the likelihood of trial or other court appearances in connection with the legal matter, and any special time constraints or other unique factors associated with the case. Fees and fee payment arrangements will be discussed during the initial office consultation.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept personal checks for most services, and we also honor all of the major credit cards.

Will you accept payment from one of my family members or friends?

We will accept a payment on your behalf from a third party, subject to the third party’s written consent authorizing our firm to bill or charge them for the appointment or other legal service.

Can I bring a friend or family member with me to my office appointment?

You are certainly welcome to have a friend or family member accompany you to our office. If you are married, and if your own spouse would like to accompany you to the appointment, then he/she will be most welcome. However, in most instances, any other family members or friends will not be invited to join us during the actual consultation. This is for your own protection. The conversations that you and the attorney will be undertaking in consultation are considered privileged and confidential. This protective privilege may be lost by inviting third persons (such as friends and other family members) to sit in with the attorney and prospective client during a consultation. However, if a friend or other family member’s participation in the conference is determined to be vital or extraordinarily helpful, then arrangements can be made for their limited participation without jeopardizing your privacy.

Can I bring my minor children (or grandchildren) with me to my office appointment?

Our law practice deals with child custody and other children’s issues on a daily basis. However, a law office is not a fun or comfortable environment for children, and the matters typically discussed are not for children’s ears. As such, we strongly discourage you from bringing any minor children with you to our office for your appointment, as children are not invited to participate in or observe legal consultations involving the adults. If you must bring a child with you to the appointment — and if the child is under age 12 — then we request that you also bring another adult with you who can sit with and supervise the child in our reception area while you and the attorney are in conference. Minor children 12 years of age or older who are well behaved may be permitted to wait in our reception area during the attorney/client conference without requirement of adult supervision.

What if I am coming in to see the attorney on a child custody matter, and I think that it is very important for the minor child to talk to the attorney. Can this be arranged?

The attorneys do not customarily discuss legal matters with the minor children of the clients, nor should you bring a minor child to an initial appointment, with the expectation that the attorney will be inviting the child to participate in a child custody discussion. However, if you and the attorney subsequently determine that it would be important or helpful for the child to visit with the attorney, then arrangements for a future meeting between the attorney and the child might be considered, taking into account the child’s age and emotional development, the issues to be discussed, as well as additional factors deemed necessary to ensure the child’s comfort level during such possible meeting.

What if I need to reach your office on a weekend, holiday or after-hours?

Our office voice mail and email systems are activated 24/7. Every reasonable effort is undertaken to return your phone call or answer your email by the next business day.

For your convenience, Law Thompson, P.C., in Houston, Texas, is located near the intersection of FM1960 and Walters Road.