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Meet Carl Ritter: Your Fearless Family Law and Estate Planning Advocate
Carl Ritter is a senior attorney at Bryan Fagan, PLLC, representing clients in family law and estate planning matters. His focus areas include contested divorces, child custody disputes, guardianships, and contested wills.
Carl doesn’t shy away from cases involving parties with difficult pasts or those involving Child Protective Services (CPS). He is a fierce advocate for clients attempting to keep or regain custody of their children, and he also assists grandparents fighting for the rights to their grandchildren. He understands that the best interest of the child is always the most important factor in any case.
Carl’s legal representation also extends to estate planning and guardianship issues. He has substantial experience in contested probate cases that require litigation. In fact, litigation and the courtroom have always been Carl’s favorite aspects of being an attorney.
With over 35 years of experience, Carl has an extensive background that includes serving as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer in the United States Air Force. His deep understanding of military law and life makes him a strong advocate for military personnel and their families. Additionally, Carl spent 10 years as an attorney with the Office of the Attorney General in Texas.
Carl and his wife of 25 years recently relocated to Houston to be near their two children, who attend Texas A&M University and Houston Baptist University. Carl enjoys spending time with his family at the beach and in the mountains, golfing, swimming, relaxing in lazy rivers, trying new foods, and enjoying the great outdoors.
Practice Areas
- Divorce
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- Visitation Issues
- Paternity Actions
- Estate Planning
- Probate
- Guardianships
Bar Admissions
- Texas Bar, 1986
Education
- St. Mary’s University School of Law, J.D., 1986
- University of Notre Dame, B.A., 1983
Licenses
- Texas Real Estate Broker’s License
Representative Experience
- Successfully maintained paternal grandparents’ access to their grandchild, despite the biological father terminating his parental rights.
- Successfully handled a contested probate case involving property gifted to a neighbor. The family of the deceased contested the will, but the court upheld the original will in favor of the neighbor.
- Handled a high-stakes estate case involving an elderly couple. After the wife’s passing, a new will was signed the same day of her funeral, attempting to give all property to select children. Family members witnessed the couple entering a law office right after the funeral. The case involved a $20+ million estate. The court upheld the original will of the couple.
Featured Quote
“This area of law can be convoluted and complex, but you figure a way to make it work despite the odds against you.”
