My experience with Walters Gilbreath and Jake Gilbreath was beyond extraordinarily disappointing and a total waste of time and money. They completely failed me and my children. Jake billed me more than $107,000 before I finally changed attorneys, and the results and level of representation I received did not come close to justifying half of those fees. Despite the stakes of my divorce and SAPCR proceedings, my deposition preparation consisted of a Zoom call lasting less than 40 minutes. I was not adequately prepared for significant areas of questioning that arose during the deposition. Jake also failed to adequately communicate how rapidly my legal fees were escalating. On May 8, 2026, I was informed for the first time that the firm claimed I owed an additional $48,177.34, after I had already paid $59,432.65. The lack of results was equally frustrating. Over approximately four months, Jake was not even able to successfully resolve the return of my personal possessions from my former spouse. I was paying an extraordinary amount of money while watching basic issues remain unresolved. Most concerning, I did not receive the strategic guidance, preparation, communication, and advocacy I expected from an attorney charging these rates. I hired Jake expecting an experienced family-law attorney who would protect my interests and provide clear direction during one of the most consequential legal matters of my life. That was not my experience. I eventually changed attorneys, but by then I had been billed more than $107,000 thousand dollars and was left not even making it to first base in the process. He couldn't even get my possesions back for me over a 3 month period. Completely useless. Based on my firsthand experience, I strongly recommend looking elsewhere before hiring Walters Gilbreath. Do not assume that an expensive attorney or firm's reputation guarantees effective representation. I wish I had. read more

While others may have had positive experiences, my experience was frustrating. This law firm is representing my ex-husband who had an existing child support order but did not make payments, requiring me to pursue enforcement through the court. On the day of the hearing, just before the judge entered, my ex paid the full amount owed online through the OAG system. By that point, I had already incurred approximately $3,000 in legal fees to enforce a clear court-ordered obligation. Given that my ex paid child support minutes before the judge walked into the court room, she asked what the purpose of the hearing was and my ex- husband's attorney said it was to discuss the legal fees associated with with the child support enforcement. If my ex would've paid child support, we wouldn't have needed this hearing and thus a discussion over legal fees wouldn't have been needed. It is disappointing that the matter was not resolved earlier by his attorney at this law firm as the hearing ultimately served NO purpose. From my perspective, the only party who appeared to benefit from this process was the law firm. read more

I didn't have one of the founders, I had Stefanie. She treated my divorce case like an afterthought, even bringing on another jr. lawyer to support my case because it would "cost me less." What ended up happening is that she charged me for both their time in every meeting because this was a trainee. She also did such a bad job on my divorce decree that my name and address were wrong. And the nail on the coffin...the account number was wrong for my ex's 401k account. Leading to thousands paying a new lawyer to discover and correct the issue with Fidelity. She also told me she defended women then dismissed the proof I had of abuse saying it wasn't enough. A week after I fired her, this happened to my daughter at the hands of my ex. She didn't even bring up abuse in mediation. I paid at least $30k for a huge setback in my life because the mediation did not end in my favor. Most of what I was owed was in stocks which didn't count since my ex quit his job. She put no effort in and misrepresented her ability tremendously. read more

Walters Gilbreath - Injuries at the hands of my ex this firm didn't prevent despite all my proof. - Divorce & Family Law Near Me - Austin, Texas

I reached out to Jake and his firm to help with a case that had already been badly damaged. At our first meeting he told me he was familiar with the ruling in my case already and expressed certain opinions about the case and the presiding judge that I'll exclude from this review for his benefit. Sadly, months after hiring him on as my attorney to handle a straight-forward asset division issue, I couldn't quite figure out why we were not getting anywhere with our discussions and why he was not fighting harder on my behalf. Unfortunately, I realized too late that he should have disclosed his personal and professional ties with opposing counsel, which creates a clear conflict of interest. His wife, who elevated rather quickly from paralegal to COO of his firm, sits on a board with opposing counsel and her husband. Imagine the despair of finding out that someone with an ethical responsibility to best represent their client shoved that aside to keep things running smooth for their own career and personal relationships. Participation in a charitable organization can be a good thing AS LONG AS it does not cause a lack of communication and misrepresentation on part of the attorney. I am truly disappointed in Jake's unprofessional behavior, dishonesty, and his continued denial to take responsibility for his actions. read more

Anyone who has experienced a contentious divorce and subsequent custody battle can tell you that it is a. Of great anguish especially for a tender heart. Walters gilbreath has been not only a great defender of myself and my children, but they have added an element of understanding and care that I had grown to believe was not possible in a lawyer client relationship. Mr Kurt Metscher who assists Jake gilbreath in representing me, has been most influential in this. Not only does he truly listen, and seem to truly aim for excellence, but he also takes Swift action with the things that are of great concern to me. His high degree of character and his desire for following the letter of the law, has greatly enhanced what is an otherwise almost unbearable experience. read more

I was very impressed with Brian and his staff. They were very thorough, open and informative throughout my case. Brain achieved results in my case. He stood his ground and articulated his stance intelligently. I feel like I have someone on my side to stand up for what is right for my family. read more

Jake Gilbreath and his experienced legal team helped me navigate my way to a fair divorce settlement that I was satisfied with. Walters Gilbreath is a firm you can trust to represent the best interests of your family, children and estate in both the short-term and long-term of your post-divorce life. Their approach is both pragmatic and practical and the leave virtually no stone un-turned in finding the best angle to settle your case quickly and fairly. read more

The service by Jake Gilbreath and his associates was appalling, at best. The firm fired the assistant that was helping us and didn't bother calling to tell us or even re-designate our case until we kept calling and finally got someone to take care of it. Mr. Gilbreath reassigned the case and did very little at all to review the evidence we had or address the issues we felt were problems. We paid thousands of dollars and sat through a preliminary trial where Mr. Gilbreath AND his newly appointed helper were either severely underprepared or severely inept. Afterward, we emailed Mr. Gilbreath our concerns and he never responded. The less senior attorney, Clay Davis, took over the case seemed at least more interested, but in the end, just over-whelmed by his case load and not able to manage our case effectively at all. We called for second opinions and were assured that the advice we'd paid for was incorrect and were even told by several contemporaries that Mr. Gilbreath was usually better than that as an attorney because the judgement he got was standard practice in family law. My advice - GO ELSEWHERE and spare yourself the nightmare of having your entire case mishandled. It is one thing to have to change counsel in the middle of your case and another thing entirely to have your case so poorly managed that you end up having to settle. Once they have your money, they can do what they want. You're stuck. Choose wisely. read more

I called for a family who was going through a divorce with custody issues. I called and spoke with Brian and Sherry during my consultation. They both displayed empathy towards the situation. I feel Confident that this will be the firm who will represent my family because they will work with us, but they will also work for what was in our best interest. I would highly recommend their services. read more

If you are looking for a family attorney firm in Texas, my experience has shown Walters Gilbreath is among the top & best you can find for your needs. I'd hope you don't need them; I'd hope your family has tried every option honestly to keep together, especially if children are involved. However if the relationship is beyond that point, I could only hope you resolve with least amount of conflict and preserve as much as possible for the life ahead. My divorce saw numerous firms throughout it's long, high-conflict nature, which was never my desire. The team at Walters Gilbreath help me find resolution in a difficult case, with great access to self-service resources to understand the process, compassion and respect towards the needs of me and my children, and the best legal guidance I've found observing a number of Austin's other top firms. While I wish I started with W-G for my case, I'm very glad in the end I finished with this firm with no complaints nor concerns in any of their work. read more

Johnathan Hassell with Walters Gilbreath firm, is really good at what he does. Our case was simple, but there were things I didn't even think of that he recommended for me. I got everything I was asking for and was fully satisfied! I would use him over and over for any family law needs from here on out. read more

With my case I was at a pure loss and didn't know who to trust who to believe nor who to spend my money on. First of all, the fact the staff (Sheree) called me back on weekend hours listened, educated me, and passionately informed me of the steps needed. I called to schedule my consultation, the information taken so effortlessly afforded the Attorney suitable information to advise me of my next steps. I will definitely be calling this firm back if needed after doing my part. I'm confident this firm is passionate about the law and doing what's right not all about collecting dollars and pushing paperwork. Thank you so much for making me feel confident in the justice system again. Sincerely, Now A Single Mother With Hope read more

Sydney Abdallah at Walters Gilbreath PLLC ​ was extremely helpful. She was thorough, responsive, and she helped relieve my worries by talking out my options. I'd highly recommend this firm! read more

Look elsewhere. This company is not what you want representing you in such private and personal affairs as divorce. Appears to be staffed by the UT law school frat house. My wife's lawyer outpaced them at every level. They are more concerned with their new office space than they are attending to your case. Impersonal, amateur, meter maids. Want matters handled with tact and grace, look elsewhere. Want to rest assured that they have you (and your kids) first and foremost on their mind, look elsewhere. Moving lawyers in the middle of a custody battle is a nightmare, so spare yourself the trouble, don't go here in the first place. read more

I don't write reviews for attorneys, but Jake is the best attorney I ever had, and I had a lot!!!! Jake is extremely skilled and gifted with preparing for, and executing ligation. He was with Piper and Turner during my civil case, and I hated to leave their firm, but I moved counties and did what I had to do. Jake was so compassionate, and fair. If I ever need a lawyer in Travis County to protect my rights, and my family, this is the man I would call. I'm extremely grateful for the work he did... One time Jake and Piper even made this unethical family attorney, Craig Lusk, pay me back the money he owed me. No attorney has the right to yell at their clients. It's wrong and abusive. That's when I retained Jake and Piper, and they stood up for me... I could tell you all the negatives about so many attorneys in Austin, but I don't want to. I think most unethical attorneys don't even have the awareness that they are playing with peoples lives. They are doing more harm than good. Jake was never unethical, he was simply fair. He knew the truth and he fought for it. I didn't feel like I was a paycheck to him. I felt human, I felt respected and cared for. My advice is to find an attorney that listens to you and guides you in the right direction. If you don't see much action behind their words, they aren't fighting for you. Find someone that will fight for you. That's why I found Jake... He fought for me, he listened to me and didn't take advantage of my family. Think about it, you need an attorney because you are in the most vulnerable time in your life...you're afraid, you feel like running, but you can't. If you have an unethical attorney they will take advantage of your weakness, and you'll be shelling out money like there is no tomorrow. Jake never did this to me! Hope my experience helps with your decision. read more

The website was very informative and easy to navigate. The staff was amazing and very knowledgeable.

The entire staff was very responsive and professional. Brian answered any questions that i had day or night and even met with me on the weekend. I highly recommend Walters Law firm to anyone in need of family law. read more

I had a unique custody case that was a bit of an uphill battle for what I wanted to accomplish. Catherine Fuller and Slav Talavera were incredible and got me AMAZING results and I was completely done within a few months. I thought this would drag out through the end of the year. They were extremely thorough and excellent with communication. I hope I won't need their services again, but will go back to them if I ever do and I highly recommend Walters Gilbreath. read more

I worked with Slav Talavera, out of their Austin office and all I can say is - WOW! Slav and the law office worked patiently with me on a case of enforcement that took 18 months when it should have only taken, max 4. Any questions I had they answered. Any problems that arose they handled. They put my mind at ease and managed to get my case successfully settled despite all the distractions and foolishness the other side threw at us. I owe a great deal to Slav and Walters-Gilbreath, and would recommend them to anyone going through divorce, settlement problems, enforcement issues, or custody problems or agreements. read more

Brian Walters is the best attorney I have ever hired. He is highly accessible, and his quickness to respond to my concerns helps set my mind at ease. Family law can often be very emotional for clients, but Brian patiently listens and advises. He always takes my concerns seriously and never makes me feel like I am over-reacting. The staff is helpful, friendly, and competent. Raya's (his legal assistant) thoroughness and knowledge of my case is impressive, as she actually discovered some potentially important evidence that had been overlooked by my past attorneys. I was hesitant to hire Brian because he is more expensive than my past attorneys. However, if I had hired Brian from the beginning, I believe I would have saved money over time, due to his competency and thoroughness. I would highly recommend this law firm. read more