Law Offices of Donald L. Williams
Attorney/Mediator and Counselor at Law
Firm Overview
Donald L. Williams, a former JAGC Officer, has practiced family and military law almost exclusively for 33 years. He is also certified as an Advanced Family Law Mediator.
Donald L. Williams, a former JAGC Officer, has practiced family and military law almost exclusively for 33 years. He is also certified as an Advanced Family Law Mediator.
Texas is one of the many states that has enacted "NO FAULT" divorce.
Texas
recognizes insupportability of a marriage as a reason for divorce. This
means
that if one of the spouses desires to obtain a divorce, the divorce may
be
granted even though the other party does not want it. Fault grounds
still may be
alleged under certain circumstances.
HOW LONG MUST I LIVE IN TEXAS BEFORE I CAN FILE FOR
DIVORCE?
There is a two-fold residency requirement in
Texas.
(1) You must be a legal resident or have lived continually in Texas
for six (6) months prior to filing for divorce.
(2) You must have lived
within the county where you file for divorce for three (3) months before you are
eligible to file in that county.
This also applies to military personnel who
are only in Texas for the purpose of military duties.
HOW LONG
AFTER I FILE FOR DIVORCE UNTIL THE DIVORCE IS FINAL?
There is a
mandatory sixty (60) day "cooling off" or âwaitingâ period between
the date of filing and the date when the divorce can become final. A decree of
divorce does not automatically result from filing a petition and then waiting
for sixty (60) days. The person asking for the divorce must appear in court with
an attorney, if one has been retained, to secure a final decree of divorce.
There is a thirty (30) day waiting period after the divorce before either party
may remarry in the State of Texas, unless they remarry each other.
WHAT IF MY SPOUSE IS NOT IN TEXAS, CAN I STILL GET A
DIVORCE?
Generally speaking, yes. Problems arise when the spouse
is in the military service and is not stationed in Texas. The Servicemembers
Civil Relief Act provides protection to military spouses who are unable to
appear and defend court actions because they are stationed distant from the
court which will decide the case. This protection is particularly effective if
the spouse is overseas; however, you should remember that this protection is not
automatic or permanent and many times will provide no barrier to the obtaining
of a divorce. Texas may not have jurisdiction over parties and property not in
the state.
Chase Bank Bldg.
El Paso
TX
79903
- 915-564-5559
- 866-295-6004
- 915-562-1224
Donald Williams
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended Bitburg American High
School, Bitburg, Germany, 1965-68
Graduated, W. H. Burges High
School, El Paso, Texas , 1969
National Honor Society
Sophomore, Junior Class
President
President, Stamp Out Stupidity
(SOS) (an anti-drug abuse organization)
1st place Europe-Oratorical
Contest
1st in District, Regional, and
2nd in State Speech Tournament (Texas)
Varsity Wrestling (Europe)
First African-American Student
Body President, William H. Burges High School, El Paso, Texas 1969
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Appointed to and attended the
United States Military Academy at West Point, 1969
Attended and Graduated from
the University of Texas at El Paso, BA, Political Science, El Paso, Texas, 1973
Attended and Graduated from
the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Austin, Texas. December, 1975
ACTIVITIES-COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES
Army ROTC, Distinguished
Military Student and Graduate
Student Senate, Black Student
Union
President, Vice President,
Dean of Pledges, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Kappa Chapter
Outstanding Alpha of the Year
(National) 71-72, 72-73
Who's Who Among Students in
American Colleges and Universities, 71-72, 72-73
First African-American
President, UTEP Student Government Association, 1972-1973
Top Ten Seniors, UTEP, 1973
Men and Women of Mines, UTEP,
1973
Featured in book Coattailess
Landslide by UTEP Professor, Dr. Joseph Ray (President Emeritus)
Recipient, Public
Administration Internship Scholarship
Served on various University
Faculty-Student Committees
LAW SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
President, Thurgood Marshall
Legal Society
Director, Project Info-Law
(Minority Recruitment)
Law School Representative to
the University Student Senate
Board Member, Law School
Student Association
Member, Admissions Committee
Who's Who Among Students at
American Colleges and Universities
Intern, Good Neighbor
Commission
Intern, Department of Defense
Legal Internship Program (JAGC)
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
Assistant County Attorney,
Travis County, Austin, Texas, 1975-76
U.S. Army JAGC, 1977-83
Regular Army Commission, 1980
Honorable Discharge, 1983
Officer-in-Charge of
Gelnhausen Legal Center, Germany 1978-1980
Senior Defense Counsel, Fort
Bliss, Texas, 1980-83
Instructor, University of
Maryland (European Division), Paralegal Program, 1979-80
Instructor, Legal Assistant
Division, El Paso Community College, 1986-1992
Associate Municipal Court Judge El Paso,
Texas, 1992-95
Criminal Law Magistrate, El
Paso County, Texas, 1995
Family Court Judge, El Paso County, Texas,
1995-99
Visiting Associate Family
Court Judge, 65th District Court, 2006-2008
Visiting Associate Family
Court Judge, 171st District Court, 2009-10
Advanced Family Law Mediator,
1994-Current
Solo-Practitioner, Law Offices
of Donald L. Williams, 1983, Current
PROFESSIONAL/BAR ACTIVITIES
Member State Bar of Texas,
American Bar Association, National Bar Association,
El Paso Bar Association,
Lawrence A. Nixon Bar Association, Mexican-American Bar Association
Board of Directors, El Paso
Bar Association
Member, Family Law Section,
State Bar of Texas
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Committee, State Bar of Texas & El Paso Bar Association
Member, College of the State
Bar of Texas
Life Member, Texas Bar
Foundation
Member, State Bar of Texas
Racial Diversity Committee
Chairman, Executive Committee,
Family Law Bar Association 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
State Bar Grievance
Professional Enhancement Program
Former Sub-Committee Chair, El
Paso Bar Fee Dispute Committee
Domestic Violence Prevention
Commission
YWCA, Advisory Council,
Helping Children Cope With Divorce and ROLLERCOASTERS
Candidate, 388th
Judicial District Court, 1999
Course Director, Family Law
101 Seminar, El Paso Family Law Bar Association, 1999
Co-Course Director, Resolving
Custody, Visitation & Access Disputes, 2000
Planning Committee, Presenter,
Family Law On the Border, 2001, 2004 and 2006
Panelist, Attorney Ad
Litem/Guardian Ad Litem Seminar, 2002, 2006
Presiding Officer, University
of Texas School of Law-CLE- Family Law and the Military, 2005
Moderator and Presenter, Pro
Bono Seminar, State Bar of Texas 2003
President, El Paso Family Law
Bar Association, 2003, 2004, 2005
Presenter, State Bar of Texas,
Texas Minority Attorney Program, 2006, 2008
Course Director, Family Law
and the Military, 2003 & 2007
Presenter, State Bar of Texas
Marriage Dissolution Institute Boot Camp 2007
Course Director, Family Law
201, Effective Practice Before the El Paso Family Courts, 2007
Panelist, Military Law Update,
State Bar of Texas Webcast, 2007
Originator of House Bill 930
that Amended Texas Family Code, §201.007, 2007
Presenter, 13th
Annual Civil Trial Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2009
Compiled, 171st
District Family Court Staff Orientation and Reference Manual, 2009
Presenter, El Paso Family Law
Bar Association, Child Support Seminar, 2009
Panelist, Family Law In the Military
Combat Zone, State Bar Webcast, 2009
State Bar of Texas Committee,
Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, 2009
State Bar of Texas Military
Law Section Veterans Court Review Committee, 2009
Chairman, Family Law
Subcommittee, State Bar of Texas, Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, 2010
Chairman, El Paso Bar
Associations El Paso Lawyers for Patriots Planning Committee, 2010
Presenter, 14th
Annual Civil Trial Seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2010
Presenter, El Paso Paralegal
Association CLE Luncheon, 2010
LEGAL ARTICLES, HANDBOOKS
AND PUBLICATIONS
Brotherly or Sisterly Love or
Sibling Rivalry-Resolving Relationship Issues through the Texas Lawyers Creed
Military Support Requirements-Establishing
and Calculating Military Child Support
An Alternative to Temporary
Custody Battles
Preparing Effectively for the
Temporary Orders Hearing
Is This the Client You Want?
Screening, Signing Up and Maintaining Quality Clients
Associate Judge Statute
Joint Complex Retirement/Child
Support Calculations
Top Ten Tips for Developing A
Successful Solo Practice
Interviewing, Counseling
Military Service and Family Members in Family Law Cases
Unique Family Law Issues in
the Military Community
Texas Divorce Information
Handbook
Child Support Handbook
Paternity Handbook
Modification Handbook
Clarification and Enforcement
of Military Retirement Handbook
Pro Se Divorce Litigation-Self
Representation in Family Court
Texas Family Law in the
Military Combat Zone
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Outstanding Young Men of
America, 1982
Recipient, UTEP Black Student
Image Award, 1983
Lawrence A. Nixon Judicial
Achievement Award, 1992
Black El Paso Democrats'
Outstanding Community Service Award, 1992
Outstanding Church and
Community Service Award, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, 1992
Grand Marshal, El Paso Black
History Month Parade, 1993
Who's Who Worldwide,
1992-1993, 1994-1995
National Directory of Who's
Who of Executives & Professionals, 1996-97
Continental Whos Who
Registry, Millennium Edition, 2001-2002
Featured in book, African-AmericanAchievers
Making History on the Border in El Paso, Texas
Honorary Member and Inductee,
University of Texas at El Paso Honors Council, 1998
University Of Texas at El Paso
Strategic Planning General Education Study Group
411 News Unity Award, 1996,
1997, 1998 and 1999
Committee to Establish the
R.E.L. Washington Elementary School, 2000
Committee to Establish the
Chester E. Jordan Elementary School, 2007
Celebrity Papeleros With a
Purpose, LULAC Project Amistad, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Outstanding Community Service
Award, Phillips Chapel CME Church, 2007
Outstanding Citizenship Award,
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, 1992
Outstanding Community Service
Award, Theta Delta Lambda Chapter, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, 2010
Established, The Donald L.
Williams Endowed Student Enhancement Fund, UTEP, 2006
Silver Life Member, National
NAACP, Since 2007
1st Recipient,
Presidents Award, El Paso Branch NAACP 2007
Inductee, El Paso County
Democratic Party Hall of Fame, 2007
Recipient, Community Service
Award, El Paso Branch NAACP, 2008
State Democratic Executive
Committee Majority Builder Award, 2008
State Democratic Executive
Committee Grassroots Award, 2010
El Paso Commission for Women
Community Service Recognition 2008, 2009
Visitors Chapel Community Excellence
Award, 2009
Recipient, State Senatorial
Resolution, Texas State Senate-Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, 2009
Recipient, State Resolution,
Texas House of Representatives-State Rep. Norma Chavez, 2009
Featured, El Paso Bar Journal,
October/November 2010 Edition
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Charter Member, St. Peter Missionary
Baptist Church
Former Chair, Board of
Trustees, St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church
President, St. Peter
Missionary Baptist Church of El Paso, Tx., Inc. 2008
Charter Member, Black El Paso
Democrats
Former President, Pebble Hills
Elementary PTA
United Way Allocations
Committee
Executive Committee, Family
Law Bar Association, 1995-99, 2002-2007, 2008, 2009
Past President, Theta Delta
Lambda Chapter, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Co-Chair, (YES) Youth
Enrichment Seminar, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990
Graduate, Leadership El Paso,
Class 10, 1987-1988, El Paso Chamber of
Commerce
Board of Directors, Leadership
El Paso Alumni Association
Board of Managers-Casa Blanca
Therapeutic Communities, Inc.
University of Texas El Paso Commission 2001, Leadership Committee
Board of Directors, UT El Paso
Alumni Association 1995-97
Board of Directors-Junior
Achievement of the Desert Southwest
Advisory Council, El Paso
Community College, Legal Assistant Program
Moderator, Delta Sigma
Theta/UTEP, African American Knowledge Bowl, 2009
Member, El Paso Black Chamber
of Commerce
Member, Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce
Vice Chair/Chair, UT El Paso,
Thelma White Network, 1997-2000, 2000-2003
Volunteer, Juvenile Drug
Court, 409th District Court
El Paso Community College
Diversity Program Ribbon Cutting, 2009
El Paso Community College
Diversity Council, Current
1st Vice President,
El Paso Branch NAACP, Current
Complete Count Committee, City
of El Paso, 2009-2010
Board of Directors, McCall
Neighborhood Center, 2010
College of Liberal Arts
Advisory Board, University of Texas at El Paso, 2010
Division of Student Affairs,
University of Texas at El Paso, Centennial Campaign Leadership Team, 2010
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
El Paso Grassroots for Obama
Organizing for America
Member, Black El Paso
Democrats, Camino Real Mexican American Democrats, Paso del Norte Tejano Democrats, Stonewall
Democrats, West Tejano Democrats, Westside Democrats
El Paso County Democratic
Party Hall of Fame Committee, 2007, 2009
Successfully Challenged the El
Paso Democratic Delegation Allocation before State Nominations Committee
(Austin), 2008
Delegate- Precinct, County and
State Democratic Conventions, 2008, 2010
Senatorial District 29
Delegate to National Democratic Convention, 2008
Senatorial District 29 State
Democratic Executive Committeeman, Present
El Paso County Democratic
Party UNITY 2006, 2008 and 2010
Chair, El Paso Branch NAACP,
Political Action Committee, 2005-2010
Chair, Black El Paso
Democrats, 2005-Present
COMMUNITY SPEAKING
ENGAGEMENTS
Speaker, Project Alpha, A Man
to Man Talk About Teen Pregnancy
Speaker, Paternity/Child
Support, Father/Son Conference, Americas High School,
Speaker, Texas State Legal
Secretaries Association
Speaker, El Paso Legal
Assistants Association
Speaker, 70th Ordnance Battalion.
Prayer Breakfast
Speaker, 11th ADA Brigade,
Offsite
Speaker, La Tuna Federal
Prison, Joint Task Force 6
Speaker, Martin Luther King
Celebration, Ft. Bliss, Texas
Speaker, El Paso Inter-Club
Council, Juneteenth Heritage Breakfast
Speaker, ADA 552, Domestic
Violence Prevention
Speaker, Federal Bureau of
Prisons, Biggs Field
Speaker, Texas Health
Information Management Association Workshops
Speaker, El Paso Interpreters
and Translators Association
Speaker, Junior League Court
Link
Speaker, Asociacion Lideres Mexicanos Americanos (ALMA)
Speaker, University of Texas
at El Paso, Student Government Association Induction
Speaker, University of Texas
at El Paso Honors Council Induction
Speaker, University of Texas
at El Paso 50 Year Desegregation Celebration
Speaker, University of Texas
at El Paso Multi-Cultural Graduation Celebration
Speaker, El Paso Intelligence
Center (EPIC), Veterans Day Presentation
Speaker, International
Boundary and Water Commission, United States Section
Speaker, Black History Month
and Career Day Programs at various middle and high schools
Speaker, Silhouettes Ladies
in Red Annual Brunch
Speaker, St. Peter Missionary
Baptist Church Fathers Day Program
Speaker, El Paso Central Labor
Union Labor Day Breakfast
Speaker, Mount Zion Baptist Church
Senior Center Program, 2010
Speaker, El Paso Branch NAACP
Jubilee Celebration, 2010
Speaker, Communications
Workers of American Regional Convention, 2010