This is an update, three years after the finalization of my divorce and my subsequent bankruptcy…read moredue to Ms. Bustos's disastrous handling of my case. I don't want this to happen to anyone else. (Ms. Bustos dropped my case at the last minute, after burning her way through my line of credit entirely). As a result of my bankruptcy (for over $70,000, $50,000 of which had gone into Bustos's pockets), I have had to forfeit 50/50 custody of my now 10-year-old son, and now I'm forced out of the state entirely. She will not protect you. She will not do the work you pay her for. And I am not the only person she has done this to either. Note that non-profit lenders won't work with her anymore because she has a record of this immoral and unjust behavior. She had to hire her own attorney to fight the grievance that I filed with the State Bar of Texas for professional misconduct against her that took a year to resolve. Write to me if you would like more information, if you need help planning to fight back, or even if you just need to talk about it: hitchens.michaela@gmail.com. I have heard four others who were also her former clients. Divorce is hard enough with the best of attorneys. Bustos will make you wish you'd never been born, but you will recover with time.

Since Thomas is no longer at this firm, I will update this review. I will also update again pending…read morethe closure of my case. Lisa and her team have been working hard and have done a good job, even when dealing with difficult opposing counsel. I appreciate her team responding so quickly and getting right to the point with the matter at hand.

great guy very helpful he gave me some information on a issue that was coming up for me that was…read moreout of state. Highly recommend

Mat truly showed up for me! I found him at the last minute during an incredibly stressful child…read moresupport modification, and from our first conversation, he was honest, upfront, and compassionate. He never made promises just to get me to hire him, but he made sure I knew he would advocate for me--and he did! He was always responsive, followed through, and took every concern seriously. Most importantly, he consistently kept my daughter's best interests at the forefront. My only regret is not hiring him sooner. Mat is who you want on your side! Thank you, Mat, for everything! My advise HIRE HIM before the other party finds him!!!!

After 2-1/2 years of getting nowhere with two previous divorce lawyers in Austin, my ex and I came…read moreto a settlement agreement on our own, but could not get help with either of our attorneys to get it finalized. My attorney, at the time, even cancelled my trial date without telling me and stopped working on my case altogether because I had worked out a settlement agreement on my own with my ex. Meanwhile, I was given the name of Micah Royer at Coldwell Bowes by one of his former clients, so I called him one evening and left a message for a consultation. Within minutes, I got a call back from him. He asked me what was wrong, and after explaining the trouble I was having getting my attorney to be sure the Settlement Agreement protected my interests and get it filed with the Court, Micah said, "Your attorney works for YOU; he should do what YOU want." That was all I needed to hear to know that Micah was the attorney for me. I hired Micah the next day, and after all I had spent on my previous two attorneys who had gotten me nowhere, Micah said he would work with me to keep his fees down. Within 3 months, Micah had revised my settlement agreement to get me what I needed, set mediation with an excellent mediator, and got the Settlement Agreement signed and filed with the Court. After waiting for almost 3 years, I was FINALLY divorced. Micah even worked with me afterwards to get the money my ex owed me to be sure it was safely in my bank account. Micah is the most honest attorney in Austin. He does not waste your time and money prolonging your case. So, if you need someone who cares about his clients, will advocate for you, and won't waste your time and money, I recommend you give Micah a call. You will not be disappointed.

I'll begin by saying that this review does not do justice in relaying how exceptional Micah Royer…read moreis. He is the gold standard of family law attorneys in Austin. In searching for the best law firm and counsel to represent me during my highly contested and incredibly challenging divorce, I extensively researched and consulted with numerous attorneys. Through referrals and reviews, it became very clear that Coldwell Bowes is one of the top family law firms in the Austin area and for good reason. It was through reading raving reviews about Micah that I felt he was the man for the job and I could not have made a better choice in selecting him to represent me. Bottom line: Micah changed the trajectory of my life and also my son's life and I will forever feel indebted to him. Micah is a highly skilled legal expert and an exceptional strategist. His advocacy and dedication to his clients in order to achieve the best possible outcome for them is unparalleled. His extensive experience within family law and his understanding of how the system works shines through as he carefully and meticulously works through your case. Micah has the special gift and talent of not only being a brilliant legal mind in and out of the courtroom but truly embodies sincere empathy and compassion for his clients during the most challenging times of their lives. He is the person you want advocating for you and in your corner whether your case is contested or uncontested and is worth his weight in gold. Additionally, Micah along with Coldwell Bowes have an incredible reputation and are highly respected within the legal community with other law firms and within the court system. My divorce was as challenging as they come with many unexpected twists and turns and we ultimately ended up going to trial. It was a highly emotional process for me but Micah remained laser focused on the big picture and the outcome I desired (and kept me focused as well not to mention handling my anal retentive persona with ease). As other reviewers mentioned, Micah treats his clients as though they are family and upholds the highest standards in communicating throughout the case. In the end, Micah secured the very best possible outcome for me and I know with conviction that this would not have been the case if I had stayed with my previous attorney. _______________________________________________________________________ Review for Katherine Obando (she and Micah Royer both represented me): I'll begin by saying that this review does not do justice in relaying how exceptional Katherine Obando is. In selecting Coldwell Bowes to represent me in my highly contentious divorce, I was gifted the opportunity to work with Katherine throughout my entire case. Her five star reviews don't lie - she is hands down simply phenomenal in every way. Katherine is smart as a whip and is an exceptionally skilled legal expert. Her advocacy and dedication to her clients in order to achieve the best possible outcome for them is unparalleled. She has a very strong understanding of family law and how to navigate the most difficult of cases, including ones that end up in court and at trial. It was a highly emotional process for me but Katherine remained laser focused on the big picture while also offering compassion and understanding. She upholds the absolute highest standards when it comes to advocating for her clients and in communicating throughout the entire case. She handled my anal retentive persona with total grace and ease and is meticulous in everything she does. Katherine was an integral part of securing the very best possible outcome for me and I am forever grateful and indebted to her for her efforts and unwavering support and guidance during this most difficult time in my life. Bottom line: you want Katherine representing you and in your corner - she's worth every penny and more! ***I would be remiss if I didn't mention how incredible Paralegal, Kimberly Edgington is as well. While paralegals and support staff rarely receive the credit and praise they deserve, having Kim a part of the team was amazing and I'm so grateful for all of her efforts, diligence and communication throughout my case. **Charlie Bowes also represented me for a single Temporary Orders Hearing and was phenomenal like the rest. You cannot go wrong with anyone at Coldwell Bowes - they are all top shelf!

Four years ago, entering into my sixth decade of life, I was confident in my bullet proof financial…read moreretirement plan. However, a year later I took the advice from someone I wholeheartedly loved and trusted to invest in a real estate opportunity. Three years later, I have witnessed a slow and steady loss of funds to an investment I was guaranteed would produce not only my investment dollars back but 10% interest. Now there is no guarantee, which left me paralyzed with fear. Being new to Austin I felt stuck in this situation so I shared my dilemma with a new friend. He, a Family-Law Attorney, interrupted me to say without hesitation, "You need David Gottfried! He's not only an excellent Real Estate Attorney, but he's a brilliant Trail Attorney, too." I thanked him for his recommendation but still wasn't sure this was a matter I could trust to anyone at this point. I felt stuck with no hope. My friend encouraged me to stay on the phone with him while he called David to join us on a 3-way conference call immediately. Not even knowing where to start my friend introduced me to David then I sat in silence listening to the two men discuss my potential case. This matter was way too big and emotional for me to even give input. Within a few days David earned my trust. He was patient with my questions, he never talked down to me, and often said things to rebuild my confidence and self-worth. David, truly cares and protects his clients from heading deeper into the abyss. He is reliable, able, and strong. Plus, he's a mover and a shaker who thinks out of the box, and often laughs at my crummy jokes. David actually makes a stressful time almost feel like it's a fun thing to do. He's an amazing man who can balance brilliance with bedside manner. David Gottfried and his team are the very best Austin has to offer.

Meghan Alexander is a calm, professional, and responsive attorney. I've always had great…read moreexperiences working with Meghan. I strongly recommend Meghan and the Gottfried Alexander law firm.

How do you find the words to describe the worth of your quality of life? The worth of your…read morechildren's future and best interest? The worth of less conflict and stress? The worth of your safety, sleep, time, and financial means? Divorce and custody matters can be life altering. One choice can greatly change the course and outcome. Making the right choices are difficult when you are scared, vunerable, or facing the complex issues that are common during a family law matters. However, the single MOST IMPORTANT choice you will make in a family law matter is who you choose to represent you. Last year I cringed, with my stomach in knots, at the thought of hiring another lawyer. After four years of suffering through constant litigation, I said enough. I began researching, and was on a mission to find the best law firm for our family, particularly for our children. We needed someone that understood high conflict. We needed someone who cared about what really is in the best interest of the children. We needed someone that understood our past legal experiences, and our need to feel we could trust again. Today, we couldn't be more happy and relieved with the choice we made. I could say all the things that help you feel warm and fuzzy. I could say all the things Evans Family Law greatly possesses and surpasses- Professionalism, efficiency, tactfulness, communication, strategy, and attention to detail. Or, I could just say what is most important. We hired the best person to represent our family, and most importantly our children. I absolutely believe our custody matter was treated as if it were our lawyers own. Evans Family Law settled our ongoing high conflict case, carried us through the adoption process and ensured our children will have a future that aligns with their best interest. A future that includes an actively involved, nuturing, and supportive father. Most importantly, they enabled us to gain our joy and quality of life again. We will recommend Evans Family Law over and over again. I will never find adequate words to describe how grateful we are. Our heartfelt thanks goes to Jimmy, Jenni, Katherine and the entire firm at Evans Family Law Group.

I am still trying to get my $33,000 trial retainer from this office for a trial that never happened…read moreand no further work was done. After many years of working together, Jimmy Evans acknowledged owing and promised to work it off or return my trial retainer. He has done neither, instead delaying and making excuses, including talking about friendship. I don't gift friends $33,000. I want my money back.

I cannot say enough about Becca Kennedy and Jordan Thomas. When this case started, I was facing an…read moreextremely contentious divorce with my relationship with my daughters and much of what I had worked for at stake. As a father going into family court, I was genuinely worried about what the next couple of years would look like and, most importantly, what my relationship with my daughters would look like when it was over. Becca and Jordan were there through all of it. They were honest with me even when the answer wasn't what I wanted to hear, knew when something was worth fighting over, and were incredibly responsive. There were even weekends when I would send something expecting an answer on Monday and hear back that same day. I don't like saying anyone "wins" a family law case because there really aren't winners when a family is being divided. But the results speak for themselves. I came out of the case with 50/50 custody of my daughters, while my house, vehicles, bank accounts, and separate property remained protected. If I could go back to the beginning of this case and read a review from another father who had been through something similar, this is what I would have wanted to know: Becca and Jordan will be honest with you, they will prepare, they will answer your questions, and when something needs to be fought for, they will fight for you. I'm extremely grateful I had them in my corner, and I would recommend them without hesitation.

Attorney Becca Kennedy and her paralegal, Jordan Thomas, have helped me navigate a difficult…read moredivorce with competence, experience and thoughtfulness throughout what can be an overwhelming and complicated process. I especially appreciate Becca's insight and judgment. She takes the time to explain issues, clearly, anticipate questions and concerns, and helps me understand not just what is happening, but why. Becca and Jordan are responsive and considerate and I have always felt that my questions and concerns are taken seriously. I also appreciate how respectful they are of the costs involved in litigation. They are mindful of billing and use their time efficiently, which is particularly important in a divorce case where legal expenses can add up quickly. They have treated me with kindness and respect while remaining professional, practical and focused. Their experience, attention to detail, organization, and steady guidance have given me a great deal of confidence during a very difficult time. I would highly recommend both Becca and Jordan to anyone looking for knowledgeable, capable, and conscientious representation in a family law matter.

We reached out to this firm for advice regards to an assault incident we had a few days ago. I was…read moreso surprised that they reached out on a Sunday, due to the incident being urgent. The lawyer Mr. Bennett, was so sweet and very informative. He provided tons of good points and made me feel at ease since I was the victim. He really cared when we spoke and very super polite. Usually, most law firms don't respond until Monday or even a few days later. I would highly, highly, recommend this firm. I know there's tons out there but they don't even compete with this one. Call or email them and make that appointment. You won't be disappointed.

I cannot recommend Alan Bennett enough. Recommended through the USCCA network. Simply fantastic! My…read morefuture go-to for counsel.

I would highly recommend Cliff Swayze for any family law representation…read more Cliff has gone above and beyond as my attorney to make sure I understand at each step of the way, my options and expectations. He takes the time to get to know his clients. He has, from day 1, made sure to keep what is in my best interest at the forefront. He is very knowledgeable, experienced and has a great rapport with other attorneys and judge.

I highly recommended Cliff Swayze for any family or criminal law representation. In all of his…read moredealings, Cliff is always prompt and thorough in all of his responses. His education and experience are evident! There is never a question that he is unable to answer thoroughly. Cliff is always professional and caring, going above and beyond what is asked of him, and spending time and attention to detail with each client. When it comes to fees, charges are substantially reasonable compared to others and with consideration for how hard he works for his clients. I would not recommend anyone except Cliff. 5 Stars all the way.