Committed And Skilled Representation You Can Trust
Family-related legal issues are very personal and generally involve numerous issues and complex fact patterns. No two cases are exactly alike. Many new clients are not fully aware of the extent and impact that their legal decisions can have on their life going forward, and that’s where we come in.
Izzo & Associates, PLLC, takes a very personal approach to guide our clients toward the best solution available for them regarding their specific needs. With more than 50 years of combined experience in dealing with both legal and political family law issues in three different states, our team has seen it all. You can learn more about our team of family law attorneys here:
We will always provide you with an honest assessment of your case facts and let you decide how to proceed based on the options that we present to you. In effect, we take on each new client to work with us as part of our team to help them understand the facts involved and how they intersect with the Texas Family Code, case law decisions, and how local judges tend to rule on such fact patterns. We know that it is vitally important that our clients understand the various strategies which we will employ to arrive at their desired results.
How We Help Our Clients
There are two primary types of legal issues, contested and uncontested. Each of these types has different needs to properly resolve them in a swift and effective manner.
For uncontested matters, such as adoptions, drafting wills or premarital agreements, and where potential opposing parties appear to be in full agreement but need the blessing of the court, our strategy is simple. We gather the information needed to satisfy your goals, and then we move forward as quickly and inexpensively as possible to conclude your matter. John Izzo’s overarching philosophy is to arrive at the most favorable result for each client, as quickly as possible, for the lowest manageable expense, so that the client can be done with lawyers and the legal system and move on with their life.
For contested matters, if our team cannot privately negotiate or participate in a mediation to settle your case, we will fight hard to protect what is important to you. To this end, we utilize the following legal strategy:
- We listen to our clients’ concerns.
- We assess their specific case facts.
- We review all the options which are legally available for each case, as well as the probability of success related to each option.
- We develop a strategy, with each client’s consent and participation, regarding our sound advice to arrive at the most successful result possible.
No matter what kind of legal situation you find yourself facing, we can help you defend your best interests with our personalized and dedicated representation.
General Court Information You Should Know
Local County and District courts each have their pretrial procedures regarding hearings which we are mandated to follow. Some counties require a video judge’s conference with opposing sides present, whether that involves both attorneys or an attorney and a pro se litigant (meaning an individual representing themselves). Clients who counsel represents are not involved in such conferences. Judges’ conferences are generally very short and conducted via video format over a computer.
They are meant to determine what issues will be addressed at trial. In either case, nearly all Texas counties require pretrial documentation to be exchanged before final hearings, including financial information and proposed dispositions of all issues requested by the court. Some counties also require that said information be exchanged between both sides before temporary orders hearings. Local rules dictate such procedures.
Court hearings, whether they are temporary orders hearings or final hearings, are also currently being conducted in some counties via computer video conferencing rather than in person. In such cases, we must send all evidence that is to be admitted at trial to the court before the hearing. Also, all witnesses must be available via computer or mobile device with audio and video capabilities. We provide the link to each trial as soon as we receive it from the court. In certain circumstances, some judges will allow testimony by a client or witness via telephone, but we must request permission in advance.
We fully instruct our clients and witnesses on preparing for all hearings. Sometimes, we can provide computer access at our office if needed. In addition, if a live hearing is scheduled and a witness is out of state, in rare circumstances, we can request that said witness appear via video, but said request must be made well in advance, and the likelihood that it will be approved is slim.
Attorneys in Texas have the right to subpoena witnesses within 150 miles of where the witness resides or is served. Business records, instead of live testimony, must be subpoenaed well in advance of a hearing and filed with the court 14 days before trial and exchanged with the opposing side.
County And State COVID Procedures
We always inform our clients of the various COVID procedures required in different counties and even among different courts within the same county. Our office also complies with all Executive Orders from the Texas Governor’s Office and rulings handed down regarding special COVID directives from the Texas Supreme Court. Current specific directives follow:
Governor Abbott’s Executive orders and the Texas Supreme Court Covid Directives
We Are Here For You
If you are ready to meet with our team to help you earn the outcome you deserve in your legal needs, contact our offices in Austin and Round Rock today. Call us at 512-982-1161 or email us here to schedule your initial consultation today.