Pro Se with Single Mom Attorney
Flat-fee legal help for parents handling their own family law case. Not free legal aid. Not a retainer. Real time with Gianni Avalos and her team, at a price that makes sense for the middle.
- In personHouston, TX 77023. Other cities to be announced.
- One flat priceYou know the cost and exactly what's included before you book. No hourly billing.
- With GianniEvery session includes the founder, along with her team.
I started this because of the parents I see in court every week. They are standing alone at the bench with a stack of forms, trying to protect their kids, and nobody ever showed them how any of it works. A lot of them did everything right and still lost ground on a technicality.
Here is the reality. A contested family case at a private firm starts with a retainer of several thousand dollars. Legal aid exists and it matters, but it is stretched thin, and most working parents either don't qualify or can't get in. The families in the middle are left with nothing. I built this for them.
This is not charity, and I won't pretend it is free. It is a flat fee for a defined piece of work, done with an attorney, so you can handle your own case well. That is what this is.
Every session includes me. You sit down across the table from me and my team, we go through your case, and my staff is right there to help with your documents. You leave with a plan and the words you need. You stay in charge of your case, and you are not doing it alone anymore.
Each month we also set aside two seats for families who cannot afford even this. If that is you, please apply. Money should not be the only thing standing between a parent and a fair shot.
Thank you for trusting us with something this important.
Gianni
Gianni Avalos, Founder and Managing Attorney
Access to justice for the middle.
Which one sounds like you?
Pick the situation closest to yours. We'll show you the right session, what it costs, and everything that's included.
Simple prices. No surprises.
- Where Do I Go From Here
- Get the Withholding Started Again
- Get Ready for Your Hearing
- Get the Records You Need
- Change Your Name
- Get Ready for Your Child Support Hearing
- Get Ready for Mediation
- They Never Answered. Finish Your Case.
- Already Agree? Put It in Writing
- Make Your Family Official
- You've Been Served with Discovery
- Make Them Take It Seriously
- I'm Still Stuck. Follow-Up Session
Where Do I Go From Here
Case review and next steps
For parents who have been handling their case on their own and aren't sure what to do next.
See what's includedWhat's included
- Review of the pleadings and orders already on file
- A plain-language explanation of where your case stands
- Your next steps and the deadlines to watch
- Time for your questions
Not included
- Drafting new documents
- Filing or appearing in court
Bring with you
- Everything filed in your case, any orders, and any notices you have received
I'm Still Stuck. Follow-Up Session
For returning Pro Se with Single Mom Attorney clients
For parents who have already had a session with Gianni and need another hour of direction as their case moves forward.
See what's includedWhat's included
- A review of what has happened in your case since your last session
- Answers to the questions that have come up
- Your next steps and the deadlines to watch
Not included
- Drafting new documents
- Filing or appearing in court
Bring with you
- Anything new that has been filed, received, or signed since we last met
Good to know: This session is only for clients who have already booked a Pro Se with Single Mom Attorney session. If this is your first time, start with Where Do I Go From Here.
Get the Withholding Started Again
Income withholding review and request for issuance to the employer
For parents whose child support used to come straight out of the other parent's paycheck and has stopped, usually because of a job change, and who know where the other parent works now.
See what's includedWhat's included
- Review of your child support order and the existing income withholding order
- The request for the clerk to issue the withholding to the other parent's current employer, prepared with Gianni
- What happens after the employer receives it, and how to confirm payments have started
- A look at whether any missed payments are adding up and what your options are for those
Not included
- Finding out where the other parent works
- Collecting past-due support or filing for enforcement
Bring with you
- Your child support order, any prior withholding order, the employer's name and address, and your payment history
Good to know: This only works if you know the employer. If you do not, start with Where Do I Go From Here and we will talk through your options. If the Attorney General's office handles your case, let us know, since they may already be working on the withholding.
Get Ready for Your Hearing
Hearing preparation
For anyone with a hearing coming up, such as temporary orders, enforcement, modification, or a protective order.
See what's includedWhat's included
- How to offer evidence and exhibits
- Courtroom procedure and what to expect
- Court decorum
- Requested relief: how to ask the judge for what you want
- Sample objections and when each one applies
Not included
- Attending the hearing with you
- Drafting motions or orders
Bring with you
- Your hearing notice, the pleadings, and the exhibits you plan to use
Booking deadline: Book at least 5 days before your hearing so you have time to put what you learn into practice.
Get the Records You Need
Sending discovery
For parents who need financial information from the other side and aren't sure how to ask for it.
See what's includedWhat's included
- Requests for production, interrogatories, and requests for admissions tailored to your case and ready for you to serve
- A focus on the financial documents and answers you need
- Sample objections for when you receive discovery
- The deadlines, and what to do if the other side doesn't respond
Not included
- Serving the requests for you
- Reviewing the responses you get back
- Motions to compel
Get Ready for Your Child Support Hearing
Child support hearing preparation, including counterpetition help
For parents with a child support hearing coming up, including cases with the Attorney General's office.
See what's includedWhat's included
- Help preparing your counterpetition
- A guideline child support calculation based on the information you provide
- What happens if you reach an agreement, and what happens if you don't
- Requested relief with sample language
- How the hearing will run
Not included
- Filing your counterpetition
- Attending the hearing with you
- Drafting the final order
Bring with you
- Your hearing notice and petition, recent pay stubs and tax returns, anything you know about the other parent's income, health insurance costs for the child, and any existing orders
Good to know: If the Office of the Attorney General is part of your case, the OAG attorney represents the State of Texas, not you or the other parent. Your counterpetition needs to be on file before the hearing, so book at least 10 days ahead.
Get Ready for Mediation
Mediation preparation and mediation memo help
For parents heading into mediation who want to feel clear and ready about what matters most to them.
See what's includedWhat's included
- Review of your pleadings
- Help drafting your mediation memo
- A guideline child support calculation if support is at issue
- Your priorities, your must-haves, and where you can compromise
- What signing a mediated settlement agreement means, and why it is very hard to undo
Not included
- Attending mediation with you
- Reviewing a settlement agreement during mediation
Bring with you
- Your pleadings, the mediator's instructions and memo deadline, and your financial information
Booking deadline: Book at least 7 days before your mediation. Most mediators want your memo a few days ahead, so earlier is better.
Change Your Name
Adult and child name changes
For adults changing their own name, and for parents changing their child's name, who want it done right the first time.
See what's includedWhat's included
- A session with Gianni to review your situation and what the court will need
- Your petition and proposed order, prepared on site with help from our staff
- What to expect at your hearing
- A checklist for updating your Social Security card, driver's license, and other records once the order is signed
Not included
- Court costs and fingerprinting fees
- Contested name changes where the other parent objects
- Appearing at the hearing
- Updating your records with agencies for you
Bring with you
- Any existing custody orders
Know before you book: Adults filing for a name change in Texas generally need to submit fingerprints, and the petition asks about criminal history. For a child's name change, the other parent generally needs to consent or receive notice, and an older child may need to consent in writing.
They Never Answered. Finish Your Case.
Default prove-up preparation
For parents who did everything right, had the other side served, and never got an answer.
See what's includedWhat's included
- Review of your service paperwork and file to confirm you are ready
- A final order or decree drafted to match what you asked for in your petition
- A testimony script for your prove-up hearing
- What to expect in court
Not included
- Fixing service problems or alternative service motions
- Appearing at the hearing
Booking deadline: Book at least 7 days before your prove-up hearing so your order is ready and reviewed in time.
Already Agree? Put It in Writing
Uncontested divorce, or agreed custody and child support modification, with children
For parents who have already done the hard work of agreeing, whether you are divorcing or updating an existing order, and need it put into a proper order that protects your children.
See what's includedWhat's included
- A session with Gianni to go through your agreed terms
- For a divorce: your petition and agreed final decree, including conservatorship, the possession schedule, child support, and medical and dental support
- For a modification: your petition to modify and an agreed order changing custody, possession, child support, or any combination
- A guideline child support calculation
- One round of revisions
- Instructions for finalizing your case
Not included
- Negotiating with your spouse or the other parent
- Any issue you don't agree on
- Property disputes
- Appearing in court
- Filing with the court (you file, using the step-by-step instructions we give you)
Before you book: You both need to agree on every term. For a divorce, one spouse must have lived in Texas for six months and in the filing county for 90 days, and Texas requires a 60-day waiting period from filing before a divorce can be finalized. For a modification, you will need a copy of your current order, and the change is filed in the court that issued it. Even when both parents agree, the judge still has to approve the change as being in your child's best interest. If the Attorney General's office is part of your child support case, let us know so we can account for that.
Make Your Family Official
Step-parent adoption with voluntary termination
For families ready to make it official, where the other biological parent is willing to sign so the step-parent who has been there can legally adopt.
See what's includedWhat's included
- A screening session to confirm your case fits this package
- Your petition for termination and adoption, the affidavit of voluntary relinquishment, the required consents, and a proposed decree
- A script for your final hearing
Not included
- Cases where the other parent won't sign or can't be found
- Appearing at the final hearing
- Court costs and third-party fees
Know before you book: Child support owed before the termination does not go away. The other biological parent is not our client and is free to talk with their own lawyer. The child generally needs to have lived with the step-parent for six months.
You've Been Served with Discovery
Responding to discovery
For parents who have been served with discovery by the other side's lawyer and feel overwhelmed by it.
See what's includedWhat's included
- Review of everything you were served
- A walkthrough of each request
- Drafted answers to interrogatories and requests for admissions
- On-site help from our staff organizing your documents for production
- Objections reviewed by Gianni where they apply
Not included
- Motions to compel or protective orders
- Motions to undo deemed admissions
- Signing or serving your responses for you
Don't wait: Answers are usually due 30 days after you are served, and requests for admissions you don't answer in time can be treated as admitted. Book at least 10 days before your response deadline.
Make Them Take It Seriously
Enforcement demand letter program
For parents whose co-parent is violating the order, who want it addressed by an attorney without paying for a full enforcement case.
See what's includedWhat's included
- A 2 hour session with Gianni to review your court order and the violations
- A demand letter drafted on attorney letterhead
- Service of the letter on your co-parent, or on their attorney if they are represented
- A free copy of our custody journal, The Receipts, so you can keep documenting violations
Not included
- Filing an enforcement action in court
- Appearing at any hearing
- Any guarantee that your co-parent responds
Bring with you
- Your court order and any records of the violations: messages, payment history, missed exchanges
Know before you book: This is not a lawsuit. Your co-parent is not legally required to respond. The letter puts them on notice, warns of legal action if they do not comply, and shows you are not standing alone anymore. If your co-parent is likely to ignore an attorney letter, a full enforcement action in court may be the better fit, and we can talk about that instead. Available to Texas residents who are not currently represented by an attorney in this matter. The $1,500 fee is non-refundable, including if the letter goes unanswered.
Funded by families who can, for families who can't.
Each month, two seats in this program are set aside for families who cannot afford the fee. These seats are for families who truly cannot afford the fee. If that is you, fill out the short application and tell us about your situation. We review applications on a rolling basis and will let you know either way.
No fee. Same session, same attorney.
Apply for a seatTakes about five minutes. We review applications on a rolling basis.
Start with a workshop.
- Topic
- Family Court for Pro Ses
What You've Been Googling at 2:00 A.M. - Date
- Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Where
- Our Houston office located in the East End. Full address sent with your confirmation.
- Price
- $150
Five simple steps.
- Book your sessionPick the service that fits and choose a time. Some services have a minimum booking window before your hearing or deadline, listed with each one.
- Complete a short intakeTell us about your case. We run a conflict check to confirm we have not represented or consulted with the other party.
- Send your documentsYour confirmation email includes an address where you can send your documents, and the full office address.
- Sign your agreementA short written agreement lists exactly what we will do for you. You stay in charge of your case.
- Meet with Gianni and her teamSit down together and work through your case. Her staff helps with documents and signings. You leave with a plan.
You don't have to do this alone.
Pick your session below and choose a time. If you're not sure which one fits, use Start Here or give us a call.
Questions? Call 832-850-3938 or email info@avalosfamilytrial.com.