First Admitted: 1984, Texas

Professional Webpage: https://www.treyyateslaw.com/meet-sam-m-trey-yates-iii/

Bar / Professional Activity:

Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 2010
Member, Family Law Section, Houston Bar Association
Member, Probate, Trusts and Estate Section, Houston Bar Association
Member, Collaborative Law Section, Houston Bar Association
Former President, Burta Rhoads Raborn Family Law American Inn of Court
Texas Probate American Inn of Court Member
Fort Bend County Bar Association
American Bar Association
Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists
Former Chair and Member of the Board of Directors, Family Law Section, Houston Bar Association
American Inns of Court
Former President and Member of the Board of Directors, Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists
The American Association of Justice
Board of Directors, Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, Inc
The Collaborative Law Institute of Texas
Member, Collaborative Law Section, Houston Bar Association
Pro Bono College State Bar of Texas
College of the State Bar of Texas
United States District Court, Southern District of Texas
Life Fellow, Houston Bar Foundation
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
Committee on Pattern Jury Charges of the State Bar of Texas

Special Licenses / Certifications:

Board Certified Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2010
Certified Attorney - Mediator (Attorney-Mediator Institute), 1998
Certified Family Law Mediator, 1999
Child Protective Services Mediation Training for Children First
Houston Bar Association Peer Mediation in Schools Program Training
Children’s Friend in Court Amicus Training
Collaborative Family Law Attorney Training
Certified Attorney for Applicants for Guardianship proceeding pursuant to Texas Estate Code Sec.1054.201
Program on Negotiation - Harvard Law School
Admitted to Practice - United States District Court - Southern District of Texas
Member - Yarrell & Yates, LLC.
Owner - The Guide to Good Divorce℠, Inc. - since 2011

Pro bono / Community Service:

Houston Grand Opera Board of Trustees - Current
Unity Church of Christianity, Houston - President (2 terms), Board of Directors (6 terms)
Leaving a Legacy – Giving Beyond a Lifetime, Course Director - Current
Dalton DeHart Photographic Foundation Board of Directors - Current
Bering Omega Community Services - Board of Trustees (7 terms)
Long Term Care Ombudsman Program - Certified Volunteer Ombudsman - 2000 to Current; University of Texas Houston Center for the Aging
Raintree Place Property Homeowners Association - President, 2009, Board of Directors (2 terms)
Multicultural Education & Counseling through the Arts - Board of Directors - Three Terms, Gala Co-Chairman "Noche de Milagros"
AIDS Foundation Houston, Inc. - Advisory Board - Current; Vice President (2 terms), Board of Directors (5 terms), Gala Co-Chair 1997
Hermann Park Conservancy - Board of Directors (2 terms), Advisory Board
Hermann Park Conservancy - Luncheon Co-Chair "Picnic in the Park", 1998
The Assistance Fund - President and Chairman of the Board (2 terms), Vice President (1 term), Board of Directors (3 terms), Former Legal Counsel
Eagle Scout, 1969

Honors:

Excellence Award, American Inns of Court Mentorship
David A Gibson Award of Excellence, Gulf Coast Family Law Specialist, 2023
Board Certified Family Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization - 2010 Recertified - 2015; 2020
Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers since 2010
Martindale-Hubbell CV Peer Review Rated
Texas Super Lawyers - Family Law - 2015; 2016; 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022, Texas Super Lawyers
Best Lawyers Recognition - 2017; 2018; 2019; 2020; 2021; 2022, Best Lawyers

Educational Background:

Licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas, 1984
St. Mary’s School of Law, San Antonio, Texas, Juris Doctor, 1984
University of Houston, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1981
American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Los Angeles, California, 1979

Scholarly Lectures / Writings:

“Joining Forces: When Your SAPCR Suit Requires Guardianship and Probate Expertise 2022 - 48th Annual Advanced Family Law Course - State Bar of Texas – San Antonio, 2022
“Overcoming Family Law Presumptions” 2022 - Houston Bar Association Family Law Section, 2021
“Marital Property Law,” 2021 Family/Probate Bench Bar Conference – 2021 – Houston, 2021
“You Have an Addiction and You Want Me To Try Your Case,” INNOVATIONS: BREAKING BOUNDARIES IN CUSTODY LITIGATION – American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – Texas Chapter – Houston, 2020
"The ABCs of a Divorce Case," HVL Family Law Seminar -South Texas College of Law - Houston, 2018, 2019
“Same-Sex Marriage Issues,” Marriage Dissolution Institute, State Bar of Texas - Dallas, 2018
"Pidgeon v Turner: The Status of Same-Sex Marriage in the Lone Star State," Houston Bar Association Winter Seminar, 2018
“Temporary Orders,” HVL Family Law Seminar, Houston College of Law - Houston, 2016
“Real Property and Housewives of Harris County,” Houston Bar Association, 2016
“Same-Sex Marriage and Parentage Update,” Highlights for the Advanced Family Lawyer - Houston, 2015
"Sex and the Law: How Science & the Supreme Court Have Changed Your World," Houston Bar Association, 2015
“Dog Fights and Bones of Contention - Family Law and Pets in Texas,” South Texas College of Law - Houston, 2015
“Same-Sex Couples and Texas Family Law,” HVL Family Law Seminar, South Texas College of Law - Houston, 2015
“Marriage and Divorce After the Demise of Doma,” 29th Annual Wills and Probate Institute, State Bar of Texas - San Antonio, 2014
“Marriage, Divorce and Parentage After the Demise of Doma,” 40th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, State Bar of Texas - San Antonio, 2014
“Marriage and Parentage After the Demise of Doma,” The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, The American Academy of Assisted Reproduction Technology Attorneys, Annual Conference - New Orleans, 2014
“Marriage Equality and Divorce Equality After the Demise of Doma,” Houston Bar Association, 2014
“Legal Ethics Involved in Marketing Collaborative Divorce Services,” Houston Bar Association, 2014
“Equal Protection Under the Law and the Redefinition of Marriage,” Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists, 2013
“Marriage and Parentage After the Demise of Doma,” 28th Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law - Houston, 2013
“So What’s Happening With Same-Sex Marriage?” 27th Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law - Houston, 2013
“Real Estate Issues for Same-Sex Couples,” State Bar of Texas - Austin, 2013
“Issues for Divorcing Parents with Special Needs Children Under the Texas Family Code and Texas Probate Code,” Houston Bar Association, 2012
“Effectively Assessing Cases for ADR,” 26th Annual Family Law Conference South Texas College of Law - Houston, 2012
Getting the Benefit of the Bargain: Drafting Enforeable Language on Temporary Orders and Final Decrees - Houston Bar Association Family Law Institute - Houston, 2012
Support for a Disabled Adult or Minor Child and Related Issues - Inns of Court - Houston, 2012
Getting It In and Keeping it Out – A Practical Guide to Using Evidence in Family Law Cases, Houston Bar Association, 2011
“Who’s My Daddy? A Parentage Mystery,” HVLP Family Law Seminar - Houston, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009
Dance With The One Who Brung Ya – A Private Practitioner’s Dance With The Office of The Attorney General and IV-D Courts of Harris County, Texas, Houston Bar Association, 2011
The Business of Family Law, 25th Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2011
The Business of Family Law, 24th Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2010
Common Law and Same Sex Marriages, Adult Adoptions, Maternity Tests, and Other Unusual Topics, 23rd Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2009
Course Director, Ad Litem/Amicus Boot Camp 2009, South Texas College of Law, 2009
Deciding a Child’s Fate: Child Custody Evaluations, Ethics and Investigating Allegations of Sexual Abuse, Galveston, Direct and Cross Examination of a Custody Evaluator, Deciding a Child’s Fate: Child Custody Evaluations, Ethics and Investigating Allegations of Sexual Abuse, Galveston, 2008
Child Support Calculations: Guidelines and Above, Family Law Institute, Houston Bar Association, Houston, 2008
Direct and Cross Examination of a Custody Evaluator, Deciding a Child’s Fate: Child Custody Evaluations, Ethics and Investigating Allegations of Sexual Abuse, Galveston, 2008
Making Mediation Work for You, 22nd Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2008
Family Law and Fido: How to Split the Dog, Texas Dog Law Seminar, Houston, 2006, 2008
Parenting Plans, 21st Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2007
Paternity and Co-Respondent, HVLP Family Law Seminar, Houston, 2006, 2007
Course Director, Family Law Conference for General Practitioners and Legal Assistants, South Texas College of Law, 2004 - 2006
Voir Dire and Opening and Closing Statements, 21st Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2005
Legislative Changes and Updates, 20th Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2004
Law Office Management Tips, 19th Annual Family Law Conference, South Texas College of Law, Houston, 2003

Trey Yates

Trey Yates

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