Laura Dale is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Her practice is concentrated in the area of family law involving high conflict divorce, high net worth property division, both domestic and foreign, property valuation, custody cases, international child abduction brought under The Hague Convention and complex multi-jurisdictional family law disputes. Ms. Dale is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a USA Delegate on the Board of Governors of the organization. She also serves as Co-Chair of the USA Chapter Hague Committee, and as Chair of Hague Subcommittee on the International Protection of Children. She is fluent in French and provides support services in Spanish.
Laura is a certified mediator, a certified collaborative law attorney, and a certified parenting coordinator under the Texas parenting coordinator statute. She received her J.D. from South Texas College of Law and is licensed by the Texas Supreme Court, and admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Texas Eastern District Court, the Texas Northern District Court, the Texas Southern District/Bankruptcy Court, the Texas Western Bankruptcy Court, and the Texas Western District Court.
Certified Legal Specialties
Family Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Mediation and Collaborative Law
Certified Parenting Coordinator
Certified Parenting Coordinator and Facilitator
Published Works
The Economic Impact of Replacing the Federal Income Tax with a Federal Consumption Tax: Leveling the International Playing Field, Currents International Law Journal, Spring, 2001
Don't be a Neanderthal: Case Management Software-The Time for Evolution is Now! 2002 So. Tex. Fam. L. Gen. Practice Ch. I
A Client for Life - How to Keep Those Referrals Coming, Houston Bar Association, March, 2004
Informal Marriage and Marriages in Other States, Marriage Dissolution Conference, April, 2004
Cultural Aspects of Divorce, South Texas College of Law Continuing Legal Education, February, 2007
Handling Special Property Division Issues, Half Moon CLE, January, 2007
Why Shouldn't I Handle a Family Law Case on My Own?, Winstead University, November, 2008
Examining the Examiner, Advanced Family Law, 2009
Dealing with Ethnic and Religious Issues in Suits Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship 2010 Parent-Child Relationships, University of Texas CLE
International Issues ? Travel, Advanced Family Law Drafting Course, 2010
Valuing Assets Outside the U.S.: Why Doesn’t Everyone Play by OUR Rules? AICPA/AAML National Conference on Divorce, May 10-11, 2012, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Financial Restitution under The Hague Convention: Obtaining Attorney Fees and Expenses in the United States; IAML, Quebec City, Canada, June 10-13, 2015.
HABITUAL RESIDENCE: A Comparative Analysis of Habitual Residence Standards under The Hague Convention; IAFL, Los Angeles, California, February 2016.
Calculating Imputed Income in Divorce Proceedings: Examining Earning Capacity, Income Sources, and Intent in Spousal and Child Support Determinations, Stafford Publications, June 15, 2016.
The Hague Abduction Convention - From the Basics to Hot Topics & Tips; American Bar Association; Quebec City, Canada, October 2016.
International Relocation of Children – Global Guide from Practical Law; Published by Thomson Reuters, 2016.
International Comparative Guide to Family Law, 1st Edition, Published by Global Legal Group, 2017.
Habitual Residence and Cross Border Comparison; International Family Law; International Academy of Family Law Attorneys, New York, April 29-29, 2017.
International Relocation of Children – A Global Guide from Practical Law; General Editor: Anna Worwood; Penningtons Manches LLP, Tompson Reuters 2016 (Texas pages 339-349).
Habitual Residence - A comparative analysis of habitual residence standards under the Hague Convention; International Academy of Family Lawyers; New York; 2017
Relocation and the UCCJEA – Common Issues and Practical Tips, American Bar Association, Nashville, Tennessee, 2018
Highlights: Family Law Year in Review 2019 – The Hague: Processes and Procedures; University of Houston School of Law, Houston, Texas, September 26 – September 27, 2019.
Representative Cases
NORTHFELL v. NORTHFELL, Tex: Court of Appeals, 1st Dist. 2022 Case No. 01-22-00082-CV.
Guaragno v. Guaragno; Case Number: 7:2009cv00187 (N.D. Tex. 2009)
Boehm v. Boehm; Case Number: 8:2010cv01986 (Florida Middle District 2010)
Livanos v. Livanos No. 01-09-00489-CV. (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2010)
Norinder v. Norinder, 657 F.3d 526 (7th Cir. 2011)
Larbie v. Larbie; Case Number: 5:2011cv00160 (W.D. Tex. 2011)
In re J.P.L., 359 S.W.3d 695 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2011)
Aduli v. Aduli, 368 S.W.3d 805 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2012)
Rovirosa v. Paetau, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 173304 (S.D. Tex. 2012)
Munoz v. Rodriguez, 923 F.Supp 2d 931 (W.D. Tex. 2013)
Salazar v. Maimon, 750 F.3d 514 (5th Cir. 2014)
Loftis v. Loftis, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 178084 (S.D. Tex. 2014)
Berezowsky v. Ojeda, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5337 (S.D. Tex. 2013), rev’d, 765 F.3d 456 (5th Cir. 2014), cert. denied
Michelle Berezowsky v. Pablo Ojeda, No. 15-20037 (5th Cir. 2016)
Cartes v. Phillips, No. 17-20154 (5th Cir. 2017)
Honors and Awards
Texas Super Lawyer 2013-2019
Best Lawyers 2019-2020
Past Employment Positions
Jenkins & Kamin, LLP, Partner, 2011 to 2011
Myres, Dale & Associates P.C., Founding Member and Partner, 2001 to 2010
Americans for Fair Taxation, Vice President & Director of Research, 1995 to 2000
Professional Associations and Memberships
State Bar of Texas, Family Law Section, Member
College of the State Bar of Texas, Member
International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL), Board of Governors, US Delegate, Member
Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists
Former Newsletter Editor
Houston Bar Association, Member
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Member
American Bar Association, Member
French-American Chamber of Commerce, Member
French Section of the Louisiana State Bar, Member
Burta Rhodes Raborn Family Law Inns of Court, Member
Family Lawyers of Texas, Member, Board of Directors
