Attorneys in Waco

Before a first meeting with a Waco lawyer, look the name up in the State Bar of Texas 'Find a Lawyer' directory, which covers every attorney licensed in Texas and filters by board certification, languages and fee options. The same lookup shows a lawyer's public disciplinary history, and the Bar publishes recent discipline and an Ineligible Attorney List. Check both before you sign anything.

"Board Certified" is a protected phrase. A Texas lawyer can use it only if certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization or an organization it accredits, in areas such as Personal Injury Trial Law, Family Law, Criminal Law and Civil Trial Law. If a Waco lawyer advertises it, the directory filter will confirm it.

Solicitation rules after an accident

Texas law generally bars lawyers from sending written personal injury or wrongful death solicitations about an accident before the 31st day after it. In-person or live-phone solicitation is generally forbidden, and paying someone to solicit clients is barratry, a third-degree felony. A contract that came from barratry can be voided, with fees returned and a $10,000 penalty.

• Personal injury. A Texas suit generally must be filed within two years after the claim accrues. Wrongful death also has two years, running from the date of death. Time while an injured person is under 18 generally doesn't count, though health care claims follow their own rule.
• Claims against a government. The Tort Claims Act gives a governmental unit notice within six months of the incident, and city charter notice periods are ratified, so the City of Waco's deadline may differ. For claims under the Act, damages against the state or a city are capped at $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury or death.
• Medical claims. A health care liability claim needs written notice at least 60 days before suit, and generally must be filed within two years of the treatment or breach, with an absolute 10-year limit. In those claims, noneconomic damages against physicians and providers are capped at $250,000 per claimant.
• Shared fault. A claimant found more than 50 percent responsible recovers nothing; otherwise damages are reduced by their share.

Filing for divorce in McLennan County

To file in Texas, either spouse must have lived in the state for six months and in the filing county for the preceding 90 days, so a recent arrival to Waco may need to wait before filing in McLennan County. A court generally can't grant the divorce until the 60th day after filing. Texas allows no-fault divorce when the marriage has become insupportable. Ask the lawyer which McLennan County court will hear the case. This is general information; confirm how it applies to you with a licensed Texas lawyer.

The State Bar reported a median hourly rate of $368 for full-time private practitioners in Texas in 2025. Central Texas respondents to the same survey reported a median of $338. If a lawyer offers a contingent fee, the Texas contract must be in writing, signed by both of you, and state how the fee is calculated, any different percentages for settlement, trial or appeal, and which expenses come out and when.

For a first consultation, the State Bar's Lawyer Referral and Information Service at (800) 252-9690 refers callers to a lawyer who gives up to 30 minutes for no more than $20. McLennan isn't one of the counties it sends to a local service. TexasLawHelp.org has free self-help guides, forms and a legal aid directory, useful for learning the terms before a paid meeting.

If the question is a property tax protest, a Waco real estate agent can pull comparable sales. The Texas attorneys guide explains the State Bar checks in full, attorneys in Killeen give you another set of options, and the Waco hub covers city basics.