William Shelton

William B. Shelton

Member

1601 Elm Street, Suite 4600
Dallas, Texas 75201
T: (214) 954-4135
F: (214) 953-1332

Download V-Card
Download Bio (pdf)

Board Certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Will has exclusively focused his practice on the many facets and challenges in the area of family law. Will has participated in hundreds of highly contested hearings and trials, before both judges and juries and successfully defended attacks upon the separate property estates where separate property valued in the tens and even hundreds of millions was at risk. He has pursued numerous custody suits in which male clients have received custody of their children, including infants. Will has successfully litigated and settled virtually all imaginable family law issues including property divisions, disproportionate property divisions, tracing and confirmation of separate property, enforcement of premarital agreements, fraud on the community estate, alter ego / piercing the corporate veil, reimbursement, equitable contribution, custody and visitation disputes, child support modification and enforcement, family violence, and termination of parental rights.

Area of Practice
Recent News
Representative Experience
  • Litigated numerous complex property cases wherein alter-ego, piercing the corporate veil and various other economic tort findings were achieved.
  • Received summary judgments when other spouse has attempted to invade separate property estates and increase the size of the estate for division.
  • Successfully structured buy-outs of closely held entities.
  • Successfully maintained secrecy and confidentiality and minimized adverse news publicity for a number of professional athletes, entertainers and other public personalities.
  • Drafted, negotiated and subsequently enforced multiple premarital agreements for physicians, business owners and other wealthy individuals.
  • Served as mediator in numerous complex family law cases. Audited financial data and located undisclosed assets.
Professional Activities, Memberships & Affiliations
  • State Bar of Texas.
  • Supreme Court of Texas.
  • Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists.
  • Dallas Bar Association (Family Law Section).
  • American Bar Association (Family Law Section).
  • Smith County Bar Association (Family Law Section).
  • Texas Family Law Foundation.
Publications & Speeches
  • Fees And how to Determine Them, author, State Bar of Texas Program for Professional Development, 1993.
  • Dealing with Experts and Psychological Tests, Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, 1992.
  • Temporary Orders, Pretrial Matters and Other Matters Before Final Hearing, co-author, University of Houston Family Law Practice Seminar, 1992.
  • An Economic Approach to Valuation Strategy, State Bar of Texas Marriage Dissolution Institute, 1992.
  • Dealing with Experts and Psychological Tests, Texas Academy of Family law Specialists, 1992.
  • Developing a Marketing Plan, Marketing for Family Lawyers.
Education
  • 1987 - B.B.A., Southern Methodist University
  • 1991 - J.D., Southern Methodist University
  • 1994 - American Bar Association, Family Law Advocacy Institute
  • While attending law school, Will was a briefing clerk for the Court of Appeals.
Looper Reed and McGraw Attorneys