Top Rated Family Law Attorney in Dallas, TX

Honors/Awards:

• For years of service to children and families in need, Mrs. Reiter was honored with the 2016 Family Compass Spirit of Compassion Award., Spirit of Compassion Winner, Family Compass, 2016
• Board Certified:  FAMILY LAW, Texas Board of Legal SpecializationAV Preeminent Rated, Martindale Hubbell: Mrs. Reiter has been AV rated by Martindale Hubbell in excess of twenty years.  Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ reflect a combination of achieving a Very High General Ethical Standards rating and a Legal Ability numerical rating. The General Ethical Standards rating denotes adherence to professional standards of conduct and ethics, reliability, diligence and other criteria relevant to the discharge of professional responsibilities.  The areas rated include:   Legal Knowledge  Analytical Capabilities Judgment Communication Ability Legal Experience  , Board Certified, Family Law Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1996
• Following fourteen years on Family Compass' Board of Directors, and fund raising in excess of $350,000 in that time, Mrs. Reiter was honored at their Legends and Lights Gala by serving as Honorary Chairperson of the event., Honorary Chair, Family Compass, Legends and Lights Gala, 2017

Special Licenses/Certifications:

• Board Certified, Child Welfare, Texas Board of Legal Specialization., 2020
• Board Certified, Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 1996
• Member, Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bar, 1998
• Member, District of Columbia Bar, 1998
• Member, New York Bar Association, 1999

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Member, Board of Directors, Texas Board of Legal Specialization (Two Three-Year Terms, last ending July, 2015), 2007
• Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation, 2018
• Member, Texas Family Law Exam Commission (served as Chairperson of Commission for two years), 1998
• Member, Board of Directors, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, 2010

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Mrs. Reiter served as a member of the Board of Directors of FAMILY COMPASS (formerly known as Child Abuse Prevention Center of Dallas, Texas "CAP CENTER") from approximately 2000 through September, 2015. Family Compass's mission is to break the generational cycle of child abuse., 2015
• Undertook cases through Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program., 2021
• Service Award Recipient, Family Compass.  After 15 years on the Board of Directors of Family Compass, which seeks to serve families in need and to give every child the right to live their childhood free of family violence, and raising in excess of $350,000 for the agency, Mrs. Reiter was honored for her service to the agency, 2016
• Member, Board of Directors, Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas, 1988-1992.  Helped launch the Professional Resource Organizers/Guardianship program for JFS created by Mark Werbner and Joni Cohan., 1992

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• What does "draft" mean to you? Can you avoid production pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act Request simply by marking it a "draft"? Justice Barrett explores these questions in her first opinion for SCOTUS., Author, “Does This Seem Fishy to You? Justice Barrett's First Opinion for the US Supreme Court” , TEXAS LAWYER, Child Protective Services Social Workers, In House Counsel, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 2021
• People seeking to age in place with dignity may need the assistance of lawyers.  This article explores ways that attorneys can help the elderly and disabled avoid exploitation, neglect and abuse., Co-Author with Daniel Pollack, The RIGHT Response to Elder Abuse, TEXAS LAWYER, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, Social Workers, 2021
• Attorneys need to know the various signs, symptoms and treatment modalities associated with trauma to properly represent their clients., Co-Author With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, Fraught with Fright: Legal Perspectives of Trauma, Texas Lawyer ALM, Family Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, Personal Injury Lawyers, Social Workers, 2020
• How does one counter hindsight bias? Assure that there is truly an independent investigation. Courts need to grant court-appointed counsel the resources to assure independent investigation takes place. Continuous training for agencies, mandated reporters, and others to ensure that investigations with an open mind., Co-Author with With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, “Hindsight Bias In the Context of Child Protection Services Cases” , TEXAS LAWYER, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, Social Workers, 2021
• Divorces can be unpredictable, messy and confounding for family law attorneys; moreover, some clients may also need a religious divorce. For such clients, in order to marry again within their house of worship, they may need to obtain a religious divorce document., Co-Author with With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, “Religious Divorce in the Context of Civil Law” , TEXAS LAWYER, Clergy, Lawyers, 2021
• Use of tape recordings as evidence in family law cases., Author, “But I Gotcha On Tape” , Dallas Bar Association Family Law Section Newsletter, Family Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 2019
• Almost 10 years ago, nine children who had been in the Texas foster care system filed a class action lawsuit alleging that the system failed to protect them from an unreasonable risk of harm. In 2015, U.S. District Court Judge Janis Jack took the state to task for operating a system where “rape, abuse, psychotropic medication and instability are the norm,” and children “almost uniformly leave state custody more damaged than when they entered.” Many of those children were placed in rural foster homes. What do do to correct this state of affairs following Microsoft Word - MD v Perry Opinion Final (childrensrights.org)., Co-Author with With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, Legal Issues Regarding Children in Rural Foster Care, Texas Lawyer, Family Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, Social Workers, 2020
• This article queries whether Texas, or any other state, might want to consider embracing, in statute, some of the 27 non-statutory mitigating circumstances articulated by the Florida trial court in Tina Lasonya Brown v. State of Florida & Tina Lasonya Brown v. Mark S. Inch, etc. – CourtListener.com. , Co-Author with With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, How Mitigating Are These Mitigating Circumstances?, Texas Lawyer, Defense Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 2020
• We previously asserted that trauma “refers to an overwhelming and intense experience that often involves significant loss or harm to a person’s physical, emotional, and/or or psychological safety. Without such rudimentary knowledge, police review board members are not able to see youth in their true, three-dimensional context., Co-Author with With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, Providing Youth Trauma Training for Police Review Boards, Texas Lawyer, City Government, Family Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, Police, 2020
• Judges have a responsibility to recuse themselves from any cases in which they cannot act impartially. Today, ironically, in the very name of justice, there are people who want Justitia’s blindfold not to be tightened, but to be loosened., Co-Author with With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, No Peeking Allowed, Texas Lawyer, Family Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 2020
• Discussion of what can lead to the need for reunification therapy., Co-Author with With Daniel Pollack, PROFESSOR, WURZWEILER SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, “Reunification Therapy: The Legal Angles", Texas Lawyer, Family Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 2020
• Stories about my mother, Lea Felts (z"l - of blessed memory), my paralegal for many years., Author, “My Yiddishe Mama: Paralegal Extraordinaire” , Jewess Magazine, Family Lawyers, General, Mental Health Professionals, 2018
• A discussion of how technology and some patients may be able to suck in the unwary mental health professional., Author/Presenter, "Can You Rely on Tape Recordings?", TCA GUIDELINES, TCA, Volume 43, Number 3, November 1994, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1994
• Lessons learned in thirty years of practice, with a primer augmented by my son's Primer teachers, Author, Reflections After 30 Years, Family Law Section Newsletter, Dallas Bar Association Family Law Newsletter, April, 2014, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 2014
• A compilation and analysis of pertinent law impacting on confidentiality and AIDS., Author/Presenter, "The Power of Privilege" The Mental Health Professional's Obligation to Juggle Confidentiality and Protection in the Era of AIDS", Monograph, TMHCA, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1993
• An all new look to help all lawyers -- from grasshoppers to seasoned litigators-- understand the impact of psychological testing and how the tesitmony of mental health professionals can impact custody litigation., Co Author with Mary Johanna McCurley, "Psychological Testing: An Update", Marriage Dissolution Course, Irving, Texas, Family Lawyers, 1989
• An analysis of the new family law pattern jury charge manual., Co Author with M. J. "Ike" Vanden Eykel, "Life after Pattern Jury Charge V", Marriage Dissolution Course, Irving, Texas, Family Lawyers, 1989
• Tips for trying a successful custody case., Co Author with M. J. "Ike" Vanden Eykel, "Conservatorship: Case Strategies", ADVANCED FAMILY LAW COURSE, Irving, Texas, Family Lawyers, 1989
• Tips for testifying in family law matters for mental health professionals., Author, "What to do When You Are Served With a Subpoena", Progress Notes, TMHCA, Volume 1, Fall, 1991, Mental Health Professionals, 1991
• Exploring the fine art of balancing the need for preserving confidentiality and maintaining sufficient records to satisfy insurance carrier requirements., Author/Presenter, "The Counselor as Journalist", Progress Notes, TMHCA, Volume 1, Winter, 1991, Mental Health Professionals, 1991
• Tips for testifying and better practice presentations for family litigation for mental health professionals., Author/Presenter, "And Where Did You Matriculate? How to Present Testimony on Your Credentials as an Expert", Progress Notes, TMHCA, Volume 2, Fall, 1992, Mental Health Professionals, 1992
• An exploration of the sometimes conflicting perspectives of mental health professionals and lawyers., Author/Presenter, "Legal Consultation: Know the Facts and the French", Progress Notes, TMHCA, Volume 9, Number 3, Spring, 1994, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1994
• Discussion of pertinent case law updates impacting on mental health professionals providing forensic work in family law cases., Author/Presenter, "Psychologist = '1' Disgruntled Dad = '0'", TCA Guidelines, TCA, Volume 42, Number 10, June/July 1994, 1994
• Discussion of pertinent precedents regarding forensic counselors in family litigation., Author/Presenter, "Is Texas Law Chomping, Stomping and Chewing Up Mental Health Professionals?", TCA GUIDELINES, TCA, Volume 43, Number 6, June 1994, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1994
• Discussion of updates to contempt cases, and how such holdings impact on the advice given by mental health professionals who may find themselves caught up in custody litigation., Author/Presenter, "But MOM, I Don't Have to Go, Do I?", TCA Guidelines, TCA, Volume 43, Number 5, January, 1995, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1995
• Dealing with bureaucracy in the context of family litigation, with focus on CPS and ICPC cases, special attention to impact of legislation pertaining to American Indians., Co Author with Brenda Garrett Green, et al, "Dealing with Governmental Entities, or, The D.A.'s on First, C.P.S. is on Second, and I.C.P.C. is on Third, 21st ADVANCED FAMILY LAW COURSE, Section KK, Dallas, Texas 1995, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1995
• Helping mental health professionals and lawyers align their differing perspectives to better aid the family law litigant., Author/Presenter, "The Law, A Hypothetical, and the Importance of Perspective as it Relates to the Practicalities of Daily Practice", TCA JOURNAL, TCA, Volume 23, Number 2, Fall, 1995, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1995
• Helping lawyers better serve in cases involving child abuse allegations., Author/Presenter, "Nuts and Bolts: Roles and Responsibilities of the Participants in a Child Abuse Case", 1995 Guardian Ad Litem Series: First Session, Taking an Active Role, Co-Sponsored by the 304th and 305th Judicial District Courts of Dallas County, Texas, Family Lawyers, 1995
• Practical advice for mental health professionals to help them adhere to pertinent Texas and Federal law impacting on their practice., Author/Presenter, "Avoiding the Pitfalls of Practice: Some Legal, Ethical and Practical Guidelines for the Prudent Mental Health Professional", TCA JOURNAL, TCA, Volume 23, Number 1, Spring, 1995, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1995
• A look at pertinent case law and statutes as they relate to mental health professionals and family law., Author/Presenter, "Have Patience: Your Patients May Have More Privacy Rights Than You", TCA JOURNAL, TCA, Volume 24, Number 1, Spring, 1996, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1996
• Judges are becoming gatekeepers as to pertinent, reliable evidence and testimony -- pointers to help mental health professionals couch their testimony in ways that will insure that the judge will not bar the gate to them or what they have to offer in family litigation., Author/Presenter, "Empowering Effective Testimony: How to Avoid the Exclusion of Your Testimony", TCA JOURNAL, TCA, Volume 25, Number 2, Fall, 1997, Lawyers, Mental Health Professionals, 1997
• An outline of the changes to applicable statutes governing those attorneys appointed to serve as amicus attorneys in family litigation., Author/Presenter, "Practicing Practically As An Amicus Attorney", Dallas Bar Headnotes, Volume 31, Number 3, March, 2007, 2007

Representative Clients:

• I represent men and women -- children -- parents -- grandparents -- LGBTQ -- in the context of family law cases, from small estates to multi-million dollar estates.  The right choice is REITER., 2021

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• MOTHERHOOD, 2006

Educational Background:

• SMU, Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Cum Laude, 1980
• SMU, Bachelor of Arts, English, Cum Laude , 1980