ONDA Family Law

• The firm has been handling family law matters for more than 30 years.
• Its practice is dedicated to family law, including divorce, child custody, child support, property division, adoption, enforcement, marital agreements, family violence matters and appeals.
• The firm regularly handles complex and high-stakes matrimonial and custody matters in trial courts and on appeal.

Board certification and qualifications

• Every partner at Orsinger, Nelson, Downing and Anderson is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
• At least one partner holds additional board certification in civil appellate law.
• Board certification requires substantial experience, continuing legal education and ongoing involvement in family law issues such as marriage, adoption, divorce, custody, support and property ownership.

Offices and reach

• ONDA Family Law has offices in Dallas, Frisco, Fort Worth and San Antonio, Texas.
• The firm's appellate attorneys handle appeals across the state of Texas, including cases that may go to the Texas Supreme Court.

Approach to client service

• The firm combines litigation, mediation and negotiation to address clients' needs.
• Attorneys work with clients to map out their objectives and develop a strategy aligned with those goals and with the client's budget.
• The focus is on achieving outcomes that protect clients' rights, finances and families while helping them move forward.

Prospective clients should contact the firm directly for up-to-date information about its attorneys, offices and the types of family law matters it is currently accepting.

• Adoption is the social, emotional and legal process in which children who will not be raised by one or both of their biological parents become full and permanent legal members of another family.
• The firm's attorneys help families navigate the legal requirements and personal challenges involved in adoption and work to make the process as smooth as possible.

How adoption works in Texas

• Every adoption is unique, but there are steps that generally occur in most cases, such as:
• An adoption evaluation or home study
• Background checks for the person or people seeking to adopt
• Filing the required paperwork and reports with the court
• A final hearing where the court decides whether to grant the adoption
• Adoption laws vary by state. ONDA Family Law focuses on the requirements of the Texas Family Code and Texas-specific adoption procedures.

Who can be adopted

Examples of situations in which a child in Texas may be eligible for adoption include:

• One parent's rights have been terminated.
• A parent whose rights have not been terminated is married to the person seeking to adopt (stepparent adoption).
• A child at least two years old has been in the care, possession and control of the person seeking to adopt for a required period, and the non-terminated parent consents to the adoption.

Types of adoption handled

ONDA Family Law assists with many adoption types, including:

• Private (independent) adoptions – where biological parents personally select the adoptive parents and custody is transferred directly between the parents rather than through an agency (subject to Texas law).
• Open adoptions – where biological parents participate in placement and may continue contact afterward.
• Relative (kinship) adoptions – adoption by an eligible family member such as a grandparent, aunt/uncle or sibling.
• Stepparent adoptions – the most common form handled by the firm, where a stepparent becomes the legal parent of a spouse's child.
• Foster child adoptions – adoption of a child in foster care whose biological parents' rights have been terminated by a court.
• International adoptions – where a child is adopted from another country and brought to Texas through permanent legal means.

Effects of adoption

• An adopted child becomes a legal heir of the adoptive family as if born into the family.
• Adoptive parents have the same legal rights and duties to the adopted child as to any biological children.
• In some limited circumstances, biological grandparents may maintain certain rights even after adoption, while adoptive grandparents also gain an heir.
• Adoption can have significant emotional effects on the child, adoptive parents, extended family and biological family members.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Below is a high-level summary of topics covered in the firm's adoption FAQs:

• What is adoption? – A legal process creating a permanent parent–child relationship with a family other than the birth parents.
• Requirements to become an adoptive parent – Typically includes a home study, background checks, references, training and working with appropriate agencies.
• How long adoption takes – Timelines vary and may range from several months to over a year depending on the type of adoption and case-specific factors.
• Eligibility of single or divorced individuals – Texas allows single and divorced individuals to adopt, subject to legal requirements.
• Costs of adoption – Costs vary significantly by type of adoption and the agencies involved; some public options may have lower costs, and tax credits may be available.
• Adopting from another state or country – Possible, but requires compliance with additional legal procedures.
• Support for adoptive parents – Resources may include counseling, support groups and educational materials.
• Birth parents' rights – Birth parents can make an adoption plan, choose an adoptive family and receive counseling and support.
• Role of Texas agencies – The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and the Texas Adoption Resource Exchange (TARE) help oversee or facilitate certain adoption matters.

Contact for adoption matters

To discuss an adoption case or schedule a consultation:

• Dallas office: (214) 273-2400
• Frisco office: (972) 963-5459
• San Antonio office: (210) 225-5567

Prospective clients should contact the firm directly to discuss their specific situation and how Texas adoption laws may apply.

ONDA Family Law represents clients in family law appeals and other appellate proceedings in Texas.

Role of appellate representation

• In many cases, a trial court decision is only the first step.
• Appellate work is a distinct discipline that requires experience with appellate rules, written advocacy and oral argument.
• ONDA's appellate attorneys handle family law appeals across Texas and can take appropriate cases up to the Texas Supreme Court.

Traditional appeals

• In a traditional appeal, a higher court reviews a lower court's decision to determine whether it was legally correct.
• Appeals may address issues such as property division, child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, enforcement orders and other family law rulings.
• There are strict deadlines for filing an appeal after a final judgment.

Mandamus proceedings

• A writ of mandamus is an extraordinary remedy used when waiting for a normal appeal may not be practical or adequate.
• It is not available in every case and is typically reserved for situations where a trial court has clearly abused its discretion or acted beyond its authority.
• The appellate court reviews the record to decide whether to grant or deny mandamus relief.

Habeas corpus in family law

• Habeas corpus proceedings can be available when a person has been found in contempt and is wrongfully jailed in connection with a family law order.
• The purpose is to determine whether the detention is lawful and whether the person should be released.

When to contact the firm about an appeal

• If someone believes a trial judge has made the wrong decision in a family law matter or has entered an order that is unlawful or beyond the court's authority, they should contact ONDA Family Law as soon as possible.
• Because appellate deadlines can be short, prompt legal advice is important.

Prospective clients should contact one of the firm's offices to discuss whether an appeal, mandamus or habeas corpus proceeding may be appropriate in their situation.

ONDA Family Law focuses exclusively on family law in Texas. The firm represents clients in a wide range of matters in trial courts and on appeal.

Core practice areas

• Divorce

Representation in all types of divorce cases, including:

• High-net-worth divorces
• Cases involving allegations of adultery or fault
• Alimony / spousal maintenance issues
• Collaborative divorce
• Same-sex divorce
• Compliance with standing orders and other court requirements

• Child custody and parenting matters
• Initial custody determinations
• Custody modifications
• Visitation and access
• Parental rights and paternity
• Child relocation
• Interstate custody
• International custody
• Grandparents' rights
• Child custody enforcement

• Child support
• Establishing child support
• Modifying existing child support orders
• Enforcing child support obligations

• Property division in divorce

Texas is a community property state. The firm assists clients with:

• Identifying and dividing community and separate property
• Asset division, including real estate and other significant property
• Dividing interests in closely held businesses
• Addressing factors courts may consider in deciding property division

• Enforcement of family law orders
• Enforcement of property division orders
• Enforcement of visitation provisions
• Enforcement of orders involving grandparents' rights and other family law obligations

• Family violence and protective orders

Representation in family violence cases, including advising on and seeking or defending against protective orders.

• Appellate work in family law cases
• Traditional appeals of family court decisions
• Original proceedings such as petitions for writ of mandamus (where available)
• Habeas corpus proceedings related to contempt and custody orders

• Marital agreements
• Prenuptial agreements
• Post-marital agreements
• Partition and exchange agreements
• Property division agreements incident to divorce
• Informal settlement agreements
• Enforcement and litigation of marital agreements

• Mediation and arbitration / alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
• Representation in mediation of family law disputes
• Representation in family law arbitration
• Advice on whether ADR options are appropriate in a specific matter

• Adoption and related matters
• Representation in a wide range of adoption matters (see separate adoption document for details).

Geographic scope

• The firm represents clients from offices in Dallas, Frisco, Fort Worth, and San Antonio.
• Appellate attorneys handle appeals throughout Texas, including matters that may reach the Texas Supreme Court.

Offices and phone numbers

• Dallas office

ONDA Family Law 5950 Sherry Ln., #800 Dallas, TX Phone: (214) 273-2400

• Frisco office

ONDA Family Law 2600 Network Blvd., #200 Frisco, TX Phone: (972) 963-5459

• San Antonio office

ONDA Family Law 425 Soledad, #550 San Antonio, TX Phone: (210) 225-5567

The firm also has an office in Fort Worth; contact the firm directly for current Fort Worth office details.

Scheduling a consultation

• The firm offers confidential family law consultations.
• To request a consultation, call one of the office numbers above or use the contact form on the website.

Website contact form terms

• Using the website contact form or sending an email does not create an attorney–client relationship with the firm or any of its lawyers.
• Information submitted through the form is not treated as confidential or privileged unless and until the firm and the prospective client reach an agreement for representation.
• Information submitted may be used adversely to the person submitting it and for the benefit of current or future clients of the firm if no engagement is formed.
• To begin exploring a potential engagement, prospective clients should submit the form and wait for the firm to respond about next steps.

Lists Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, San Antonio, Anderson, and Soledad as a location. Names Texas, Nelson, Onda, Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, San Antonio, and Anderson as a service area. Areas beyond these are not published.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.