Online Legal Services

Sometimes, getting in your car and driving to an attorney office is a hassle. Today, we live a fast pace life and just don't have enough time, therefore, we need as much convenience as possible. Online legal service is the new way to save your time. Just suppose you want a uncontested divorce. Instead of going into the attorney's office, the attorney could email you the information sheet that you could fill out in the privacy of your home and when you email it back, he could start on you paper work without you coming into the office.  Tell me what you are trying to do and let's see if it can be done online.  If you would rather come to the office, that's fine too.

Online Documents

Are you in need of a common legal document, like a contract to sell your car, a will, or an employment agreement, or need some information regarding your legal problem or issue? Online documents are your answer, simply tell the lawyer the document that you need and and we will do the rest and you will have your document in no time. All documents are prepared by an Texas attorney. Why would you want to purchase documents online from us. You dont have to prepare the document, we do. We take your information and prepare it the way that Texas laws requires it to be prepared.

Bankruptcy

Welcome to the Law Offices of Anthony A. Shepherd. We help individuals file for bankruptcy protection under the United States Bankruptcy Code. We strive to provide a high degree of service and personal care to each of our clients. All of our client's cases are personally handled by me and not a paralegal or an assistant. This ensures your case get the highest quality of care and attention. Our philosophy is simple: provide competent and high quality bankruptcy services at a reasonable fee. We always provide free initial consultations and we'll take the time to sit down with you, answer your questions, evaluate your situation and give you your options.
Bankruptcy is a very powerful debt relief device. Some of the relief it provides:

• Eliminates all or most of your debts
• Gives you a Fresh Start
• Stops wage and paycheck garnishment
• Stops repossession of personal property such as your car
• Can be used to postpone and stop a scheduled foreclosure on your home
• Stops all debt collections calls and harassments
• Stops all debt collection activity

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy is also referred to as a “liquidation” bankruptcy or a “straight” bankruptcy. Most forms of unsecured debt will be discharged in a Chapter 7. This means you will not have to pay any of these debts back. Common types of unsecured debts include credit cards, medical bills, deficiency balances on repo'd cars, payday loans and personal lines of credit.
Filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy immediately stops all garnishments and all lawsuits. Once you have filed nobody will be able to garnish your wages or file or continue a lawsuit against you. Creditors will not be able to continue to collect any debts from you. This includes sending collection letters or calling you on the phone.
Most of your property is usually exempt in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, meaning you will not have to give up the property. You can keep your house, your car, your retirement savings and all of your personal belongs while filing Chapter 7. However, there are some exceptions for some clients.

You must qualify to be able to file Chapter 7. For instance, you cannot receive a Chapter 7 Discharge if you received another Chapter 7 Discharge in the previous 8 years. You must also pass what is called the “Means Test.” The Means Test limits who can file Chapter 7 to a certain income threshold. Generally, your household income must be below the median household income in Texas. Even if it’s not, there is still another way to pass the Means Test, but I must do a detailed calculation of your income and expense to find out.

Even if you don’t qualify for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (but most do!) we do have other bankruptcy options for you. If you received a Chapter 7 Discharge in the previous 8 years or make too much money for a Chapter 7 then Chapter 13 Bankruptcy may provide you the relief you deserve.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is commonly thought of as a reorganization plan for debtors with regular income. It involves a Proposed Plan to repay some of your outstanding debt over a period of 3 to 5 years. If you complete the plan, any debts not paid by plan payments would be forgiven similar to a Chapter 7 Discharge. The amount of your plan payments will depend on your individual circumstances.

For most, the reasons to file a Chapter 13 rather then a Chapter 7 include you want to save your House from Foreclosure or your Car from Repossession. Other reasons include you might have some nonexempt property you do not want to surrender , or you already received a Chapter 7 Discharge in the previous 8 years, or you make too much money to qualify for a Chapter 7. One of the greatest powers of a Chapter 13 is it stops a foreclosure sale of your family’s home immediately upon filing. The Chapter 13 will allow you time to catch up on the missed mortgage payments and keep your house. Similarly, you can save your car from repossession even if you have missed several payments.
One of the greatest advantages of a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is that it stops interest from continuing to accumulate on unsecured debt such as credit card debt. Often individuals have significant credit card debt. With interest rates varying from 20-30% there may be no way to pay off all the credit card debt. A Chapter 13 immediately stops the interest and finance charges and you get the chance to eliminate the principle balance.

After completing a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy you will be 100% debt free!

If you need help with filing a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in Houston, please call me at 713-777-2525. I am ready to help you get back on your feet and take back control of your life.

General Civil Litigation

The Law Office of Anthony A. Shepherd represents clients in a variety of civil areas, both in and out of the court room. Whatever your legal issue or need is, our office will aggressively represent your case to ensure that you obtain the best results and remedies available under the law. While taking your case to trial is sometimes the only way to obtain the desired result, often skilled negotiation and facilitated dialogue can mediate disputes between the parties, saving the client time and money. Whether you are an individual or business who has been harmed, or you are seeking guidance on legal compliance and litigation avoidance, our office will advocate your position to seek the best possible outcome.

We represent clients in courts in some of the following areas:

• Consumer Protection
• Debt Collection Practices
• Small Business Contract
• Small Business Disputes and Litigation
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Will Contests and Probate Litigation

Family Law

Our office assists clients in all aspects of family law including:

• Divorce
• Child Custody and Visitation Schedules
• Alimony
• Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
• Modification of Child Support
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Mediation

Divorce

Also known as Dissolution of Marriage, every divorce proceeding is unique. We handle both amicable, or contested.

• Alimony
• Division of property
• Complex business evaluation
• Evaluation of assets
• Debt management

Child Custody

The breakup of a marriage is more traumatic for the children than for the parents. Thus, parents should exercise great care to minimize the emotional toll on children when a separation takes place.

When parents separate, decisions regarding the custody and support of the child must be made. If the parents are not able to resolve these issues, the decision will be left to the court. When deciding issues regarding child custody, the courts' overriding concern will be the best interests of the child, and judges will consider a number of factors including the preference of the child, the mental and physical health of the parents, and the relationships between the child, the parents and siblings.

We understand the impact that divorce and parental separation has on children and work hard to negotiate effective custody arrangements in the best interest of your children. We help families establish custody agreements that recognize and respond to all family relationships. We handle custody matters involving parent’s rights, visitation agreements, and temporary custody and visitation. A shared parenting agreement is often the best solution to a custody dispute. The alternative is an adversarial divorce litigation over custody which all too often results in emotional trauma for all parties and in particular, the children.

Probate Law

When a loved one passes away, his or her estate generally goes through a court-managed process called probate or estate administration where the assets and real property of the deceased are managed and distributed. The length of time needed to complete the probate of an estate depends on the size and complexity of the estate and the local rules and schedule of the probate court.

Every probated estate is unique, but most involve the following steps:

• Filing of a petition with the proper probate court.
• Notice to heirs under the Will or to statutory heirs (if no Will exists).
• Petition to appoint Executor (in the case of a Will) or Administrator for the estate.
• Inventory and appraisal of estate assets by Executor/Administrator.
• Payment of estate debt to rightful creditors.
• Sale of estate assets.
• Payment of estate taxes, if applicable.
• Final distribution of assets to heirs.
• Submission of a final accounting to the court by the Executor or Administrator.

Estate Planning

While nobody wants to think about death or disability, establishing an estate plan is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones. Proper estate planning not only puts you in charge of your finances, it can also spare your loved ones the expense, delay and frustration associated with managing your affairs in the event that you pass away or become disabled. We do the following regarding your estate planning:

• Prepare wills
• Prepare power of attorneys
• Transfer properties as needed

Criminal Defense Law

Attorney Shepherd can serve as your criminal defense lawyer in the Houston area When you’re facing a first time DUI, or other misdemeanor or felony criminal defense matter Attorney Shepherd will present every defense, every strategy — every piece of evidence in your favor to fight your case.

The Law Office of Anthony A. Shepherd handle the following types of criminal defense matters throughout the Houston area:

• Drunk Driving and DUI Defense
• Domestic Violence
• Drug Possession
• Possession for Sales of Narcotics
• Juvenile Crimes
• Assault and Battery
• Domestic Violence
• Fraud
• Robbery
• Burglary
• Theft
• Probation or Parole Matters
• Solicitation
• Prostitution
• Reckless Driving
• Driving on a Suspended License

Please contact the Law Offices of Anthony A. Shepherd if you have any questions or concerns about your criminal defense matter - drug possession, DUI, drunk driving, juvenile defense, etc.

Union Representation

The labor law that is done by this office is the representation of labor organizations including unions and employee associations. The Law Office of Anthony A. Shepherd is committed to labor organizations’ and employees’ rights. This representation is a full service representation including negotiation, administration, and enforcement of collective bargaining agreements. Also, this office has experience in grievance hearings, organizing and election matters, duty of fair representation issues, and numerous other concerns which arise from labor and employee organizations.

The firm also has a general practice and represents individual employees in numerous legal matters.