Current Employment Position(s)

Partner, since 1992

Year Joined Organization: 1992

Lawyer Overview

Keith Nelson is a widely published author and frequent lecturer on a variety of topics including the psychological aspects in divorce and custody matters, jurisdiction, custody, visitation, common-law marriage and attorney ad litem arrangements. He works with such organizations as the State Bar of Texas, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and American College of Forensic Psychologists.

Areas of Practice

• Divorce
• Child Custody Modification
• Support

West Practice Categories

Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Divorce

Bar Admissions

• Texas, 1983
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1983
• U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1984

Certification/Specialties

• Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1988

Professional Associations and Memberships

• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1993 - Present (Member)
• Annette Stewart American Inn of Court, 2003 - 2005 (Barrister)
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1998 - 2001 (Member of Special Concerns of Children Committee)
• Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists (Member)
• American Bar Association, Family Law Section (Member)
• State Bar of Texas, Family Law Section (Member)
• Irving Bar Association, 1991 - 1992 (President)
• Dallas Bar Association, Family Law Section (Member)
• Family Law Section, Dallas Bar Association, 1992 - 2005 (Board of Directors)
• Texas Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Child Support and Visitation Guidelines (Member)
• Children's Hope Chest, 1999 - 2002 (Board of Directors)
• College of the State Bar of Texas (Member)
• National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) (Member)
• Lawyers Against Domestic Violence (Past) (Consultant)

Honors and Awards

• Texas Super Lawyers, Law & Politics Media, 2003 - 2008
• Best Lawyers in America, Family Law, 2006 - 2009
• Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

Classes and Seminars

• Co-Author on Daubert / Experts, Ultimate Trial Notebook: Family Law, 2006
• Co-Author of Parenting Plans-Who, What, When, Where & Why, Advanced Family Law Course, State Bar of Texas, 2006
• Speaker with Honorable Debra Lehrman: "Giving the Children a Voice in Court", SMU Law School, Dallas, Texas, October 12, 2005
• Speaker and Co-Author on "How to handle a Custody Case on an Unlimited Budget", State Bar of Texas 31st Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, Texas, August 10, 2005
• Speaker on "Forensic Psychiatry: Pitfalls and Practices", UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, February 15, 2005
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Rubbish and Rembrandt: The Art of Evaluating a Custody Case", State Bar of Texas 30th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, Texas, August 11, 2004
• Speaker on "Forensic Psychiatry: Pitfalls and Practices", UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, April 6, 2004
• Speaker on "Child Custody Evaluation and Pitfalls, Including Daubert and Relocation Issues", American College of Forensic Psychology, 20th Annual Symposium in Forensic Psychology, San Francisco, California, April 1-4, 2004
• Expert Testimony, Final Hearing concerning common law marriage, State of Florida, Division of Administrative Hearings, Office of the Judge of Compensation Claims, District GNS, December 10, 2003
• Course Director, Texas Bar Continuing Legal Education Advanced Family Law Drafting and Advocacy, "Art and Form", Austin, Texas, December 4-5, 2003
• Speaker and Co-Author on "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: A Complex Review of Psychological Testing in Custody Evaluations", State Bar of Texas 29th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, Texas, August 19, 2003
• Speaker on "Attorney Perspectives on Family Law - Custody and Divorce", Forensic Psychiatry Presentation, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, March 25, 2003
• Speaker on "Attorney Perspectives on Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry", Presentation to Forensic & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residents, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, January 29, 2002
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Use and Abuse of Mental Health Professionals after Daubert", 28th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 2002
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Reliability and Validity of Psychological Testing for Custody Determination", 26th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, Texas, August 21-24, 2000
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Psychological Testing in Child Abuse Custody Cases: Risks and Precautions", 16th Annual Symposium in Forensic Psychology, Newport Beach, California, April 6-9, 2000
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Promoting Infant Mental Health in the Family Court", The Texas Association for Infant Mental Health, Dallas, Texas, January 7-8, 2000
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Creative Decision Making in Custody Arrangements; Psychological Theories; Their Admissibility After Daubert; And Alternatives to Trial", American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Meeting, Chicago, November 12, 1998
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Creative Decision Making in Custody Arrangements", American College of Forensic Psychology, 14th Annual Symposium in Forensic Psychology, San Francisco, California, May 2, 1998
• Speaker, and Co-Author on "Common Law Marriage and the Putative Spouse", Marriage Dissolution Seminar, 1997
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Favoring Unrestricted Relocation", 11th Annual Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, January 29-31, 1997
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Using Depositions as a Discovery Tool", Advanced Family Law Course For Legal Assistants, February 1995
• Panelist on "Cross Examination of Mental Health Experts", Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, January 1995
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Preparation of a Trial (and ADR) Notebook", The Ultimate Trial Notebook - Family Law, State Bar of Texas, December 1994
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Effective Presentation of the Typical Property Case", 4th Annual Advanced Family For the General Practioner And Legal Assistant, 1994
• Speaker and Co-Author on "New Developments in Family Law", South Texas Judicial Conference, 1994
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Affirmative Pleadings", 3rd Annual Advanced Family Law Drafting Course, 1993
• Panelist on two workshops during the 1993 Advanced Family Law Course, "Mental Health Experts Understanding: 16PF, Projective Drawings, Sentence Completion, Bricklin" & "Mental Health Experts Jury Profiles"
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Pre- and Post-Nuptial Agreements", Marriage Dissolution Seminar, 1993
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Valuation of Small Businesses in Marriage Dissolution", American Association of Appraisers, 1993
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Jurisdiction", National Business Institute, Inc., July 1992
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Visitation - How to Deal With Children Under 3 and Over 15", Marriage Dissolution Course, 1992
• Speaker and Co-Author on "Attorney/Ad Litem Fees", Texas Center for the Judiciary West Texas Conference, April 1990
• Co-Author of "Strategies in Custody Cases", State Bar of Texas Marriage Dissolution Course, 1990

Past Employment Positions

• Koons, Fuller, McCurley & Vanden Eykel, Dallas, Texas, 1988 - 1992

Education

• Baylor University School of Law, Waco, Texas, May, 1983
  J.D., Doctor of Jurisprudence
• Baylor University, Waco, Texas, December, 1979
  B.A.
  Major: Economics

Published Works

• "Dauberts/Experts, Ultimate Trial Notebook", Family Law, 2006
• "Parenting Plans-Who, What, When, Where & Why", Advanced Family Law Course, State Bar of Texas, 2006
• "How to Handle a Custody Case on an Unlimited Budget", State Bar of Texas 31st Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 2005
• "Rubbish and Rembrandt: The Art of Evaluating a Custody Case", State Bar of Texas 30th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 2004
• "Child Custody Evaluation and Pitfalls, Including Daubert and Relocation Issues", American College of Forensic Psychology, 20th Annual Symposium in Forensic Psychology, 2004
• "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: A Complex Review of Psychological Testing in Custody Evaluations", (Co-Author), State Bar of Texas 29th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 2003
• "Attorney Perspectives on Family Law - Custody and Divorce", (Co-Author), UT Southwestern Medical Center, Forensic Psychiatry Presentation, 2003
• "Attorney Perspectives on Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry", (Co-Author), UT Southwestern Medical Center, Presentation to Forensic & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residents, 2002
• "Use and Abuse of Mental Health Professionals after Daubert", (Co-Author), 28th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 2002
• "Reliability and Validity of Psychological Testing for Custody Determination", (Co-Author), 26th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 2000
• "Psychological Testing in Child Abuse Custody Cases: Risks and Precautions", (Co-Author), 16th Annual Symposium in Forensic Psychology, 2000
• "Promoting Infant Mental Health in the Family Court", (Co-Author), The Texas Association for Infant Mental Health, 2000
• "Creative Decision Making in Custody Arrangements; Psychological Theories; Their Admissibility After Daubert; And Alternatives to Trial", (Co-Author), American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Meeting, 1998
• "Creative Decision Making in Custody Arrangements", (Co-Author), American College of Forensic Psychology, 14th Annual Symposium in Forensic Psychology, 1998
• "Favoring Unrestricted Relocation", (Co-Author), 11th Annual Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, 1997
• "Common Law Marriage and the Putative Spouse", (Co-Author), Marriage Dissolution Seminar, 1997

Address

5950 Sherry Lane
8th Floor
Dallas, TX 75225

Phones

(214) 273-2400

Faxes

(214) 273-2470

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.momnd.com