Carla M. Calabrese

For more than 30 years, Carla M. Calabrese has successfully represented clients in every area of family law in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. With a business background and significant experience handling sophisticated financial divorce arrangements, Carla adeptly manages divorces and marital agreements for high-net worth clients facing complex property and business issues.

A pioneer in the field of Collaborative Divorce, Carla is one of only a handful of attorneys in Dallas to earn the Collaborative Divorce Master Credential. She leads a team that takes a strategic approach to divorce, protecting the full range of clients’ interests at all stages in the process. Whether using a cooperative method through Collaborative Divorce or a more competitive approach through litigation, Carla advocates zealously for her clients every step of the way. Carla co-hosts Dallas Divorce Talk ™️, a podcast about everything divorce-from the court system to collaboration to parenting to advice for surviving – or even avoiding divorce.

Carla’s reputation for excellence has earned her a spot on the Super Lawyers list consistently for more than 20 years, and put her in demand as a speaker and educator on all aspects of family law. D Magazine has repeatedly ranked her as one of the Best Lawyers in Dallas and the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas named her one of the Top 5 Exceptional Collaborative Practitioners in Texas.  

When she first started handling divorce cases, Carla decided she wanted to devote energy to bringing families together, as well as to protecting children during family transitions. She not only developed an in-depth understanding of the legal issues involved in adoption and assisted reproduction technologies but also founded two adoption agencies to help families with the practical side of adoption. As a member of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and an adoptive mom herself, Carla finds joy in helping with the formation and growth of families.