Articles

Sally Holt Emerson

Shareholder

Underwood, Wilson, Berry, Stein and, Johnson, P.C.
500 S. Taylor, Suite 1200
Amarillo, TX 79101
(806) 379-0348
(806) 349-9473 fax
Sally.Emerson@uwlaw.com

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Ms. Emerson heads the Family Law Section of the Underwood Law Firm, having practiced exclusively in the area of Family Law since 1990. Besides Ms. Emerson, who has been board certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Certification since 1991, Underwood's Family Law Section has one other board certified attorney, Christopher K. Wrampelmeier, and a legal assistant who is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Certification in Family Law. This combination makes the Underwood Family Law Section the premier family law boutique in the Texas Panhandle providing exceptional legal services in family law. Ms. Emerson handles cases in all of the 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle, as well as in Lubbock, Plainview, and other more southern counties.

Practice Concentration and Experience

• Divorce
• Modification of court orders
• Enforcement of court orders
• Rights of conservators of children
• Child custody
• Child support
• Visitation
• Grandparent and other non parent rights
• Paternity
• Alimony
• Property division
• Premarital and post-marital agreements
• Protective orders
• Termination of parental rights
• Adoption by stepparents and other relatives
• Interstate issues

Activities and Affiliations

• Designated as a "Texas Super Lawyer" (survey of over 65,000 attorneys across Texas about the best lawyers they had personally observed in action), Texas Monthly, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
• Presented with "Leadership Award" by the Panhandle Family Law Association, May 2005
• Member, Amarillo Bar Association
• President, 2001-2002
• President-Elect, 2000-2001
• Vice President, 1999-2000
• Director, 1996-1998
• Founding Member, Panhandle Collaborative Law Professionals
• Founding Member, Panhandle Family Law Association
• President 2002-2003
• Vice President, 2001-2002
• Secretary, 2000-2001
• Chair, Texas Family Law Council, State Bar of Texas, 2007-2008
• Chair Elect, 2006-2007
• Vice Chair, 2005-2006
• Treasurer, 2004-2005
• Secretary, 2003-2004
• Chair, Budget Committee, 2003-2005
• Chair, Membership Committee, 2000-2003
• Chair, Scholarships & Awards Committee, 1993-2000
• Texas Board of Legal Specialization
• Director, 1994-2000
• Chair, 1996-1997
• Director, Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists
• President, 2001-2002
• President-Elect, 2000-2001
• Vice-President, 1999-2000
• Secretary, 1998-1999
• Treasurer, 1997-1998
• Fellow, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
• Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
• Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
• Member, ABA Standing Committee on Specialization, 1995-1998
• Life Member, Texas Family Law Foundation

Publications and Presentations

• Collaborative Law: A More Civilized Way to Resolve Family Law Disputes
• Co-author of Texas Family Law Practice and Procedure; a practice and formbook for family law practitioners published by LexisNexis/Matthew Bender
• "UCCJEA" presentation to 2008 Winter Regional Judicial Conference, Houston, February 2008
• "UCCJEA" presentation to 2008 Winter Regional Judicial Conference, San Antonio, January 2008
• Collaborative Law presentation to the Panhandle County and District Clerks Association, Amarillo TX, 16 November 2006
• "Where Do I File This Thing? Jurisdiction and Venue in SAPCR," presented at the 30th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 2006
• "Ethics and the Bounds of Advocacy," presented at the 29th Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, Austin, April 2006
• "Unusual Things Found in the Family Law Practice Manual," presented at the Advanced Family Law Drafting Course, State Bar of Texas, San Antonio, 8 December 2005
• Presentation to Achievement Through Commitment to Education classes, Palo Duro High School, Amarillo TX, 6 December 2005
• Presentation on UCCJEA and UIFSA, Advanced Family Law Course, State Bar of Texas, Dallas, 9 August 2005
• "Professionalism," presented at 28th Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, Galveston, 21-22 April 2005
• "Overcoming Presumptions in SAPCRs: JMC, SPO and Parental Presumptions," presented at the 29th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 2004
• "The Perfect Storm: Abusive, Angry and Crazy Clients and Their Interfering Relatives," presented at the 18th Annual TAFLS Trial Institute, New Orleans, January 2004
• "The UCCJEA: Where We Are Now," presented at the 17th Annual TAFLS Trial Institute, Cancun, Mexico, January 2003
• "Playing by the Rules," participated in ethics panel discussion at the New Frontiers in Marital Property Law Seminar, San Antonio, October 2002
• "Interstate Alphabet Soup," presented at the 28th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, Dallas, August 2002
• "Oh, No, Not the Writs," presented at the Workshop for Associate Judges and Title IV-D Masters, Dallas, August 2002
• "Ethics Jeopardy," co-presenter at the AAML/AICPA National Conference on Divorce, Las Vegas, May 2002
• "Protective/Restrictive Possession: Substance Abuse, Family Violence, and Other Perils," presented at the 25th Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, Austin, May 2002
• "Look Who's Talking Now: Hearsay and Its Exceptions, Including Child's State of Mind," presented at the 27th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 2001
• "Jurisdiction and Venue in Divorce Cases," presented at the 24th Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, Corpus Christi, May 2001
• "Rule 248 Motions: How to Use Them," presented at the 26th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 2000
• "Insurance Aspects Of Divorce," presented at the 23rd Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, Fort Worth, May 2000
• "Marital Agreements," presented at the 25th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, Dallas, August 1999
• "Violation of Temporary Orders Including Visitation, Support, Attorneys' Fees, Injunctions, etc.," presented at the 22nd Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, San Antonio, May 1999
• "Handling the Divorce Involving Attorneys Ad Litem, Guardians Ad Litem, Court Appointed Special Advocates," presented at the 21st Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, Austin, May 1998
• Co-author, "Unusual and Unresolved Property Issues," presented at the 24th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, 1998
• Participated as counsel for husband in presentation of Temporary Hearing Demonstration, 1997 Family Law Art and Advocacy Law Course, Houston, December 1997
• Co-author, "Retained Child Support" in Characterization of Unique Property (Trust Distributions, Punitive Damages, Retained Trust Income, Retained Child Support, Partnership Interests, and Partnership Assets, and participated in panel presentation for the New Frontiers in Marital Property Law, San Diego, October 1997
• Participated in presentation of demonstration of "Effective Trial of a Divorce Case in Three Hours" at the 23rd Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 1997
• "Procedural Aspects of a Jury Trial," co-authored paper and prepared and presented video demonstration with Mike McCurley of an actual voir dire, in conjunction with Dr. Robert Gordon and the Wilmington Institute of Trial Science at the 1997 Marriage Dissolution Institute, Dallas, May 1997
• "Preparation for and the Direct Examination Of the Non-Primary Parent in a Relocation Case," presented at the 11th Annual TAFLS Trial Institute, New Orleans, February 1997
• "Preparation for the Direct Examination of Mom (the Accuser) in a Sex Abuse Allegation Custody Case," presented at the 10th Annual TAFLS Trial Institute, New Orleans, February 1996
• "Sources of Evidence in the Family Law Case," presented at the 21st Annual Advanced Family Law Course, Dallas, August 1995
• "Cross Examination of Mother in Custody Cases," presented at the 9th Annual TAFLS Trial Institute, New Orleans, January 1995
• "Presumptions," presented at and published in the Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar, Austin, December 1994
• Co-author, "Characterization, Tracing, and Reimbursement in Family Law Litigation: An Overview, Checklist and Update of Advanced Issues," presented at the 20th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 1994; and updated in a joint presentation with Professor Tom Featherston at the 23rd Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 1997
• "Presumptions and Burdens of Proof," presented at the 16th Annual Marriage Dissolution Institute, Fort Worth, May 1993; and at the 19th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 1993; also updated and presented at the Southern Regional Judicial Conference, April 1997; repeat presentation of this paper, updated, at the Fort Worth Family Law Bar Association on 27 January 1998

Course Director:

• 7th and 8th Annual TAFLS Trial Institute Series, Reno, 1993 and 1994
• Annual TAFLS Trial Institute Series, New Orleans, 1998
• Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, August 2003

Workshop Coordinator:

• 19th Annual Advanced Family Law Course, San Antonio, 1993

Education

• J.D. Texas Tech University School of Law, 1979
• B.A. Texas Tech University, cum laude, 1976