Attorneys in Galveston

The State Bar of Texas's Find a Lawyer directory lists every attorney licensed in the state. You can filter it by board certification, languages and fee options, and each listing links to the lawyer's public disciplinary history. The bar also publishes recent disciplinary actions and an Ineligible Attorney List, which is worth a glance before a first meeting.

A lawyer may advertise as "Board Certified" only if certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization or an organization it accredits. Specialty areas include Personal Injury Trial Law, Family Law, Criminal Law and Civil Trial Law. Certification is a credential, not a promise about how a case will go.

Galveston lawyer solicitation rules

After a crash on the causeway or Seawall Boulevard, you may get letters. Texas law generally bars written personal injury and wrongful death solicitations before the 31st day after the accident, ethics rules generally forbid in-person and live-phone solicitation, and solicitation mail must be marked "ADVERTISEMENT". Barratry, such as paying someone to sign up clients, is a third-degree felony, and a contract that came from it can be voided with fees returned plus a $10,000 penalty.

The State Bar's 2025 survey put the median hourly rate for full-time private practitioners at $368 statewide. The survey's figure for the Houston metro was $377. Ask any attorney for the rate, the retainer and who bills time on your file. The Texas attorney guide covers fee types in more depth.

Galveston contingency fee agreements

Injury lawyers usually work on contingency. In Texas that agreement must be in writing and signed by you and the lawyer, and it must say how the fee is calculated, whether the percentage changes for settlement, trial or appeal, and which expenses come out and when. An ad offering contingency fees must say whether you could owe costs on top.

Low-cost legal help near Galveston

The Houston Lawyer Referral Service covers Galveston County along with Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Brazoria. The State Bar's own Lawyer Referral & Information Service, (800) 252-9690, arranges a consultation of up to 30 minutes for no more than $20. TexasLawHelp.org has free self-help guides and a legal aid directory.

• Personal injury. A suit generally must be filed within two years of the day the claim accrues; for wrongful death, two years from the date of death. Time while a claimant is under 18 generally isn't counted, though health care liability claims have their own rule.
• Claims against a city or county. Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, a governmental unit is entitled to notice within six months, and a city charter may set its own deadline. For Tort Claims Act claims against cities and the state, bodily injury or death damages are capped at $250,000 per person.
• Fault. A claimant found more than 50 percent responsible recovers nothing; otherwise damages drop by their own share.
• Divorce. Either spouse can meet the residency rule: six months in Texas and 90 days in the filing county. A court generally can't grant the divorce before the 60th day after filing, with exceptions for certain family violence cases.

A storm damage dispute on the island turns on paperwork: a flood policy doesn't pay for wind or hail, and TWIA coverage depends on a WPI-8 certificate. Bring the policy and any certificate to the first meeting. For a divorce on the mainland side of the county, see divorce lawyers in League City.

This explains how the rules work, not what to do in your case. Confirm the deadlines and options with a licensed Texas lawyer.

Grievances go to the State Bar on its current form, effective October 1, 2025, which you can file online. If a lawyer took your money or failed to refund an unearned fee, the Client Security Fund can repay clients, generally after a grievance finds that happened. For property questions behind a case, such as a valuation dispute, the Galveston hub lists the appraisal district and other county offices, and TDI's windstorm site shows a house's past WPI-8 certificates. Buying on the island raises its own questions, covered on the Galveston real estate page.