Before Goranson Bain Ausley, Thomas L. Ausley
was a founding partner of its predecessor, Ausley, Algert, Robertson &
Flores, LLP. Tom has spent his career dedicated to practicing family law, and
his steadfast integrity in advising and guiding his clients has earned him the
highest level of respect from both judges and his peers. In 2013, he received
the Sam Emison Award from the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists for his
significant work in family law. Tom also received the Austin Bar Association’s
Distinguished Lawyer Award in 2008 and the Texas Bar Foundation’s Outstanding
50 Year Lawyer Award in 2019.
Tom possesses a wealth of skill and experience
from his numerous years practicing family law. He has excelled in cases
involving Collaborative Divorce, high-net-worth divorce, mediation, and pre-
and post-marital agreements. Today, his primary focus is on complex property
cases. His years of handling complex property cases have provided him with
extensive knowledge of the issues concerning closely held business interests
and larger estates. However, whether he’s helping clients with a Collaborative
Divorce or a complex property division, Tom always encourages those he
represents to show compassion, especially regarding the interests of any
children who may be involved.
Tom has shown himself to be a master litigator
many times over, but he knows that’s not the only approach. He is highly
skilled at developing creative solutions that help keep his clients out of
court. Tom is also an exceptional negotiator who uses his talents in mediation
to help settle disputes to obtain a favorable outcome. Whether through
collaborative law, trial, mediation, or settlement conferences, Tom’s
goal is always to help his clients reach the best resolution possible.
Tom has earned a reputation as one of the most
recognized and respected divorce attorneys in Austin, Texas.
His extensive and impressive list of accomplishments and professional
association memberships includes:
Texas Board of Legal Specialization
certification in family law
Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers
President of AAML Texas Chapter (2005-06)
Fellow of the International Academy of Family
Lawyers
Member of the American Bar Association Family
Law Section
Outside of his legal practice, Tom has also
taught courses on family law for the State Bar of Texas and authored several
articles. His accomplishments both in and out of the courtroom have made him a
highly requested panelist and speaker. Martindale-Hubbell gave him an “AV”
Preeminent® rating in their legal directory, and he was also the recipient of
the Austin Bar Association’s Larry York Mentor Award in 2016.
Honors & Awards
Professionalism Award, American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers, 2019
Outstanding 50 Year Lawyer Award, Texas Bar
Foundation, 2019
Selected to Austin Monthly’s Top Attorneys,
2022 – 2024
Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in
America© in the field of Family Law, Best Lawyers, 1987 – 2026
Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in
America© in the field of Family Law Mediation, Best Lawyers, 2023-2026
Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in
America© in the field of Family Law Collaborative Law, Best Lawyers, 2024 –
2026
Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in
America© in the field of Family Law Arbitration, Best Lawyers, 2026
Named to the 500 Leading Family Lawyers List,
LawDragon, 2024 – 2026
Larry York Mentor Award, Austin Bar
Association, 2016
Selected to the Texas Super Lawyers list,
Thomson Reuters, 2003 – 2025
Selected to the “Top 100: Texas Super
Lawyers”, Thomson Reuters, 2007
Selected to the “Top 50: Central/West Texas
Region Super Lawyers”, Thomson Reuters, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2013, and 2015- 2023
Recognized for Contributions to the
Advancement of Professionalism and Collegiality, American Academy of
Matrimonial Lawyers, 2015
Sam Emison Award, Texas Academy of Family
Law Specialists, 2013
Named the Best Lawyers© Family Law
“Lawyer of the Year” in Austin, Best Lawyers, 2009
Distinguished Lawyer Award, Austin Bar
Association, 2008
Outstanding Fundraiser Award, Association of
Fundraising Professionals, Austin Chapter, 2008
President and Chair’s Courage and Integrity
Award, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 2004
Good Guys and Gals Award, National Women’s
Political Caucus, Texas Chapter, 2004
“AV” Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Legal
Directory
Finalist, 1st annual “Ethics in Business
Awards”: Individual (Samaritan Counseling Center and St. Edwards University)
Articles
What is Needed to Prove Separate Property at Time of
Divorce December 17, 2018
Publications & Speeches
Author/Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced
Family Law Drafting Course, The Use of Paralegals in Family Law Cases, 1995
Author/Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced
Family Law Course, Valuation and Appraisals, 1997
Author, State Bar of Texas Advanced Family Law
Courses, Ethical Traps in Family Law Cases: Avoiding Land Mines, 1998
Author, State Bar of Texas Advance Family Law
Course, In the Trenches: Winning Techniques in Family Law Litigation, 1998
Author, State Bar of Texas Advanced Family Law
Course, Securing and Collecting What Your Client Got, 1999
Author/Speaker, Ultimate Trial Notebook for
Family Law, The Use of Paralegals in Family Law Cases, 2000
Author/Speaker, Advanced Family Law Course,
Professionalism in Family Law, 2004
Author/Speaker, Ultimate Trial Notebook,
Pretrial and Scheduling Orders, 2004
Author/Speaker, Collaborative Law Spring
Retreat, Leadership and Self-Renewal for Collaborative Professionals, 2005
Author/Speaker, University of Texas Family Law
on the Front Lines, Impaired Clients: Ethical Issues and Advocacy, 2005
Author/Speaker, Associate Judge’s Training,
The Hague Convention, 2005
Author/Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced
Family Law Course, Ethics & the Enhancement of the Attorney-Client
Relationship, 2005
Author/Speaker, Texas Advanced Paralegal
Seminar, Professionalism & Ethics for Paralegals, 2006
Author/Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced
Family Law Course, The Professional Practice: Yourself, Your Office, and Your
Relationships with Others, 2008
Author/Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced
Family Law Course, Getting to Closure and Managing Client Relations,
Collaborative Family Law Track, 2008
Author/Speaker, Marriage Dissolution Course
101, Temporary Orders: What You Can Get and How to Get It, 2010
Author/Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced
Family Law Course: The Professional Practice, 2013
Presentations
“Professionalism: Lessons Learned”,
presenter, Advanced Family Law, State Bar of Texas, 2019
Panelist, State Bar of Texas Family Law 101 –
The Top Ten Do’s and Don’ts – Lawyers View, 2017
Speaker, Advanced Family Law Course – How to
Live Long, be Prosperous and be a Professional, 2016
Panelist, State Bar of Texas New Frontiers in
Marital Property Law – Employee Benefits, How the World is Changing, 2016
Speaker, Marriage Dissolution Institute –
Masters of Family Law, 2016
Speaker, Marriage Dissolution Institute –
Taking the “High Road” Encourages Integrity, 2015
Speaker, Family Law 101 – Basic Litigation
Techniques: What Works and What Doesn’t, 2015
Author/Speaker, Advanced Family Law Course –
Do’s and Don’ts in Trial Preparation/Litigation, 2015
Speaker, Advanced Family Law Course –
Professionalism in Family Law, 2014
Speaker Panelist, Civil Litigation – Witness
Testimony: Nailing Your Direct and Cross-Examination, 2014
Speaker, Technology 360 Conference – Balancing
Your Life in This Technical World, 2014
Speaker, Various seminars for the Paralegal
Division of the State Bar of Texas, State Bar of Texas, Travis County Bar
Association, and Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas
Speaker, Advanced Family Law Course – Top Ten
Property Case You Need to Know, 2012
Speaker, International Conference on Couple
and Family Relations – Is it Child Abuse and Neglect or Social Policy Gone
Awry?, 2012
Panelist, State Bar of Texas Negotiation
Strategies for Lawyers and Negotiation Ethics, 2012
Speaker, Marriage Dissolution Course 101 –
Client Screening: It’s a Tough Job, But Somebody’s Got to Do It, 2011
Co-Course Director, Advanced Family Law
Course, 2011
Speaker/Panelist, State Bar of Texas Advanced
Family Law Course – Valuation: Approaches, Assets and Authority, 2010
Speaker, State Bar of Texas Family Law Boot
Camp – Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2010
Speaker, Austin Bar Association – Family Law
Practice in Difficult Economic Times, 2009
Panelist, State Bar of Texas Advanced Family
Law Course – Joinder of Third Parties: Entities and/or Individuals, 2009
Speaker, Collaborative Law Institute of Texas
Boot Camp – Ethics in Collaborative Law, 2009
Speaker, International Academy of Matrimonial
Lawyers Annual Meeting, USA and Canadian Chapters, The Path to Yearning for
Zion/FLDS, 2009
Speaker/Panelist, University of Texas School
of Law and Texas Family Law Foundation’s 10th Biennial Family Law Legislative
Update, 2009
Speaker/Panelist, State Bar of Texas Family
Law on the Front Lines – Representing the Difficult Client, 2007
Workshop Moderator, State Bar of Texas
Advanced Family Law Course, Advanced Collaborative Law, 2007
Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced Family
Law Course – The Not So Easy To Identify Executive Employment Benefits, 2007
Speaker, Paralegal Association of the Permian
Basin – Ethics, 2006
Speaker, Texas Academy of Family Law
Specialists’ Trial Institute – Litigation Alternative – Collaborative Law, 2006
Moderator of Judges’ Panel, State Bar of Texas
Marriage Dissolution Institute, 2006
Course Director, Family Law, State Bar of
Texas Annual Meeting, 2006
Course Director, Ultimate Trial Notebook, 2006
Speaker, 1st Annual Collaborative Law Seminar –
The Use of Collaborative Law in Your Practice, 2004
Speaker, University of Texas Family Law on the
Front Lines – Collaborative Law, 2004
Speaker, State Bar of Texas Advanced Family
Law Course – Characterization and Tracing, 2003
American Bar Foundation (2006). Life Fellow: State Bar of Texas; Texas Bar Foundation; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Foundation; Texas Family Law Foundation (Charter Member; Member, Board of Trustees, 2006-2009).
Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely
respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
