The Family Law Section is deeply meaningful to me professionally, practically, and personally. When I first began practicing family law, the only thing I really knew about the Family Law Section was that it was a section of the bar and required a nominal extra fee that I had to pay each year when I renewed my bar membership. A few years later, I started attending Family Law Section CLE conferences, learning more about all that the Section does, and developing relationships with other Section members. I benefited greatly from all of these experiences. The more I learned about the Family Law Section and the more I benefited from those people and experiences, the more I wanted to be involved. In trying to summarize what the Family Law Section means to me, I would boil it down to two things: (1) family lawyers helping family lawyers become better family lawyers; and (2) family lawyers protecting and improving the practice of family law in Texas.
Family Lawyers Helping Family Lawyers Become Better Family Lawyers.
The Family Law Section is made up of and led by practicing family lawyers. The CLE seminars put on by the Family Law Section are composed of speakers who have agreed to dedicate a significant amount of their limited time to writing a paper on a particular topic and giving a presentation on that topic for the benefit of other family lawyers. The publications sold by the Family Law Section are numerous, are incredible resources, and are written and created by other family lawyers. This Section Report that you are reading right now is another great resource and is compiled, prepared, and published by family lawyers who volunteer their time to help other family lawyers. The Texas Family Law Practice Manual has a massive committee that consistently reviews all the forms, new cases, and statutes to update and revise the forms. These are just a few examples, but, notably, the family lawyers who dedicate their time to these efforts are volunteers—they do not get paid, and they do not receive a share of the proceeds from anything sold. These Section members contribute their time and expertise to create something that will benefit other family lawyers.
Family Lawyers Protecting and Improving the Practice of Family Law.
Practicing family law can be hard. The legal issues can be complex, but the practice also requires a level of practicality and common sense when the case law or statutes are broad and allow for significant court discretion. The responsibility is substantial. The client is usually enduring one of the most difficult times in their life, and you are responsible for guiding and advocating for them throughout the process. Throughout that process, we are frequently in the position of having to give legal advice that, while correct, is not what the client wants to hear. We have hard conversations. We have them with our clients. We have them with opposing counsel. Sometimes, we must have them with the court. Moreover, we continually experience vicarious trauma from our cases. In short, the practice of family law is hard.
Although the practice of family law is still hard, the Family Law Section has, in my experience, helped ease the burden. In a subtle but significant way, simply knowing that there are thousands of other family lawyers with similar experiences sometimes makes me feel a little better (e.g., I am not the only family lawyer who has received the third degree from a client simply because I gave sound legal advice that the client did not want to hear). Additionally, the Family Law Section constantly promotes professionalism and collegiality. When you deal with opposing counsel who is professional and collegial, it is better for the parties, the case, and the practice of family law generally. Dealing with unprofessional, unethical, and/or rude opposing counsel is an unnecessary hardship in an already difficult situation.
Moreover, I have had the opportunity to meet some of the best lawyers in our profession through the Family Law Section, and their professionalism, ethics, and collegiality make them better lawyers and more effective advocates for their clients. Finally, there are always going to be some bad apples in any group. I am always disappointed to hear about someone’s experience with a bad and/or unethical family lawyer because it reflects poorly on all of us. Through the Family Law Section, I am both proud to see how it promotes professionalism and collegiality in our profession and happy to be reminded frequently, through my interactions with other Section members, that many, if not most, of us work and behave in a manner consistent with those ideals and that the bad apples are relatively rare.
Kevin Segler is a shareholder at KoonsFuller, P.C., in Plano, where he represents clients in complex divorce, childcustody, marital-property, and other family law matters throughout Texas. He is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers. Mr. Segler currently serves as Secretary of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, following his service on the Family Law Council. He also played a key role in establishing the Section’s Leadership Class and continues to support the program as its Executive Liaison. A frequent CLE speaker and author, Mr. Segler received the Section’s Ken Fuller Pro Bono Award in 2026 and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers. He may be reached at Kevin@koonsfuller.com.