Dallas Family Law Attorney, Dallas Divorce Lawyer
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Robert E. Holmes Jr., Cynthia Diggs, Robert N. Eames, TIffany L. Haertling, Roger J. Allen, Pamela A. Cherry, Debra S. Herndon, Paula A. Bennett, Chris J. Harding, Nathan Prihoda, Tesha Robaszkiewicz, Jennifer E. Wright, Michael B. Shaw

Holmes, Diggs & Eames, PLLC

Holmes, Diggs & Eames P.L.L.C. is an experienced, full-service family law and divorce firm handling cases throughout the State of Texas with offices in Dallas, Denton and Houston. Our Dallas Divorce Lawyers can assist you with every aspect of any family law matter or divorce case. This includes drafting premarital and postmarital agreements, guiding you through a divorce or custody case in a manner that best protects you and your children and, if needed, modifying and enforcing past decrees and orders. The experienced Divorce Lawyers at our Firm can assist you in cases of "mistaken paternity". The attorneys at Holmes, Diggs & Eames will help you work through collaborative divorce, if you so desire. To find out how our Dallas Divorce Attorneys at Holmes Diggs & Eames can help you, please call or email us.

In recognition of its excellence and experience, Holmes, Diggs & Eames PLLC has been included in the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers every year since 1996.

 

 

  

Hot Topics

Fraudulent Marriage – Annulled!

Montenegro v. Avila

Ever hear of a marriage based on lies and deceit?  I think everyone has, but never have I seen it laid out as clearly as is done in the opinion below:

Montenegro v. Avila

In this case, a man and woman met on an internet dating site.  The man initially claimed to be an engineer in Florida while the woman honestly stated she lived in El Paso.  The man finally, after they began to talk about meeting, told her that he could not visit her in Texas because he was in Bogota, Colombia, and could not get a visa.  The couple met in Mexico, where the man proposed.  He was turned down, but did get $200 to make his way back home. Later that same year, the woman traveled to Colombia, was proposed to, and accepted.

Man, now Husband, gets Wife to apply for a visa for him.  He gets to the United States, get Wife to open bank accounts in both of their names, and begins withdrawing funds.  He never works, but instead begins the residency process.  On and on it goes...

Then Husband finds out about the Violence Against Women Act and how it can be twisted to circumvent the typical visa/residence restrictions.  The same day he learns about this he turns himself into a domestic violence center and reported he was being abused physically, verbally, mentally, and sexually.  He eventually leaves with the money he's taken and other ill-gotten goods.

Wife filed for annulment, he filed for divorced.  Guess who won?  Wife - the marriage was annulled on the grounds of fraud.  Very interesting.  I'm not an immigration attorney, but I'll bet that if that marriage visa was based on fraud, as could be concluded by the annulment being granted, he would probably have to leave the country, hence his need to appeal and our ability to read a very interesting appellate

How to Pursue Contractual Alimony and the Remedies Available

Before reading this post, make sure you know if the payments are contractual alimony or spousal maintenance.  My prior post on the topic should help. If a spouse (now ex-spouse) fails to pay contractual alimony, your remedies are the same as if they had breached any other contract.  You look for the damages you suffer, [...]

What Effect Does Use of Pornography have in Child Custody Cases?

Very little to none.  This answer might surprise you, but at least one Texas case is directly on point.  That reasoning is that if the child does not see it and is not exposed to it, the child is not affected by it, and that argument supports even to what may amount to distasteful or [...]

Relocation in Texas (also known as Geographic Restrictions or lack thereof)

How does a Court determine if a geographic restriction for the child’s primary residence should be put in place, and if so, the area of that geographic restriction?  OVERVIEW In Texas, the Court’s power to determine geographic restrictions comes from Texas Family Code sections 153.134(b)(1)(A) and (B).  The first section allows the Court to establish [...]

Court-Ordered Spousal Maintenance v. Contractual Alimony: Overview

The issue of whether spousal payments are court-ordered spousal maintenance or contractual alimony has come up again and again. Because this issue has a lot to it, I will outline some topics I hope to address and why the parties should care.  This post will just serve as an outline. The Topics: What is court-ordered [...]

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Dallas
Campbell Centre I, North Tower
8350 N. Central Expressway
Suite 1100
Dallas, Texas 75206
Phone: 214.520.8100
Facsimile: 214.520.6565

Denton
1517 Centre Place Drive
Suite 300
Denton, Texas 76205
Phone: 940.484.8200
Metro: 940.320.5511
Facsimile: 940.484.8250

Houston
5300 Memorial Drive
Suite 900
Houston, Texas 77007
Phone: 713.802.1777
Facsimile: 713.802.1779
HoustonDivorceOffice.com


Home     The Firm     Our Attorneys     Areas of Practice     Resources     Publications     Hot Topics     Contact Us

Cynthia Diggs is board certified in civil trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a member of the family law sections of the Houston Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas, and is admitted to practice in state courts in Texas, as well as the U.S. District Courts in the Southern, Northern, and Eastern Districts of Texas, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. Cynthia was appointed to the Pattern Jury Charge Committee of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

She earned her juris doctorate from the University of Texas, where she was an Associate Editor of the Texas Law Review and a member of the Order of the Barristers. She represented the University of Texas School of Law as a member of its National Moot Court Team and National Mock Trial Team. Cynthia is a founding member and Advisory Board Member to the Houston Urban Debate League.

Full Bio

Robert N. Eames, board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, holds undergraduate and juris doctorate degrees from Texas Tech, where he was a member of the first law school class in 1970. Bob, a long-time resident of Denton, has been active in local bar associations, including his prior service as president of the Denton County Bar Association. He has an avid interest in aviation and served as a long time member of the Airport Advisory Board for the City of Denton. Bob has been named in the Best Lawyers in America every year since 2003, and continues to be selected each year as one of Texas' Super Lawyers by Texas Monthly Magazine. In 1996 Bob completed the Attorneys-Mediators Institute, becoming qualified to conduct mediations.

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Tiffany L. Haertling, is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, the Board of Trustees and the Leadership Board of Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church. Tiffany is a member of the Denton Rotary, the United Way Campaign and was a participant in Leadership Denton. Tiffany is the past Precinct Chair of the Denton County Republican Party, which honored her with the Chairman’’s Award.

Tiffany graduated from Arizona State University, then attended law school at Southern Methodist University, earning her juris doctorate in 1993. Tiffany is active in numerous charitable and political organizations in Denton. Tiffany was named a 2006 and 2007 Rising Star among attorneys by Texas Monthly Magazine.

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Pamela A. Cherry is a graduate of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, where she received her juris doctorate. She completed her undergraduate studies at The University of Texas at Austin earning a Bachelor of Arts in Government. Pam is admitted to practice law in Texas state courts and the United States District Courts in the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. Pam is a certified ad litem and mediator. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Dallas Bar Association, and the Rockwall County Bar Association.

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Debra S. Herndon is a graduate of Tulane University School of Law, where she received a juris doctorate. Debra was admitted to practice in Texas in 2000. Debra also has a Master of Social Work degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, which gives her special insight in family dynamics. It was this education and training that first developed her interest in family law. She earned her undergraduate degree at Queens College of New York. She is a member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and a member of the Family Law Section of the Houston Bar Association. She is also a member of the Greater Houston Heights Bar Association and the Association of Women Attorneys.

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Robert E. Holmes Jr., founded the firm Holmes, Diggs & Eames, P.L.L.C. in 1995. He has been Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization for more than 25 years, and has been a Fellow in the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 1991 and a Fellow in the the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, since 2007.

Robert appeared on the Phil Donahue Show in 1984 after helping a birth mother recover the child she had relinquished to prospective adoptive parents. This case received both local and national attention. Since then, he has authored many articles on family law matters and has made numerous personal appearances on television and radio to discuss family law issues.

Robert received his bachelor of arts, cum laude, from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1978, and his juris doctorate from Southern Methodist University in 1981. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is admitted to practice in the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas. In addition, he is a Certified Financial Planner. Robert has been continually honored each year as one of Texas’ Super Lawyers and Texas' Top Attorneys by Texas Monthly Magazine. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Texas' Best Lawyers. Robert has been selected by his peers for inclusion in every edition of the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers since 1996.

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Chris J. Harding joined the firm after graduating cum laude from Southern Methodist University - Dedman School of Law. During his time at SMU, Chris competed on a mock trial team that won first pace in the region and second place in the nation. Chris is a native Texan who grew up in the Houston area. After he completed his undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin, he finally made his home here in North Texas.Chris has worked on a variety of family law cases, including tracing of assets, property division, international and interstate child custody issues, and maintains the Hot Topics by writing short essays on current issues in Texas family law.

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Tesha Robaszkiewicz graduated from the University of Houston Law Center, where she earned her juris doctorate. She represented her school at the National Mock Trial Competition, where her team took second place in the country. She also won many other advocacy honors, including victories in the Hippard Open Mock Trial Competition and the Tom Newhouse Mediation Competition. Tesha was selected to the Order of the Barristers, a national honorary organization whose purpose is the encouragement of oral advocacy and brief writing skills through effective law school oral advocacy programs. She also served as the Chief Articles Editor of the Journal of Consumer and Commercial Law and is a member of the Garland Walker Inns of Court. Tesha is a member of the State Bar of Texas and admitted to practice law in Texas state courts.

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Jennifer E. Wright is a graduate of St Mary's School of Law, where she received her juris doctorate. During law school, Jennifer participated in the civil law clinic as a student attorney and served on the board of the Texas Young Lawyer's Association as the Law Student Liaison. She was also the Chair of the State Bar of Texas Law Student Division. Jennifer's passion to practice law began in grade school and she pursued that passion throughout college by working as a family law clerk during each summer. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and Marketing from Baylor University. Jennifer is also a member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Jennifer is an active member in the community and participates in a number of organizations, including Junior League of Dallas. Jennifer also serves on the Promise House Board of Directors. She was recently named the recipient of the 'Good Works Under 40' Award from The Dallas Foundation.

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Michael Shaw is a graduate of Tulane University Law School, where he earned his juris doctorate. At Tulane he served on the Moot Court Board, chaired the school's appellate moot court competition, and competed at both the regional and national levels on Tulane's mediation and negotiation teams. Michael completed his undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University, after which he obtained his securities licenses and worked for several years in the banking and securities industries for a large financial services company.

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