Areas of Practice

Child Custody and Visitation Attorneys Who Listens

Divorce can be very difficult on adults and children alike, and we understand that emotions may run high. Stress can also make it challenging for people to think clearly and make the best possible choices. We have guided many individuals through the divorce process and assisted them in making wise decisions during this potentially painful time. At our law firm, we work closely with our clients to understand what their goals and values are regarding property division, child support, child custody and visitation.

Whenever possible, we encourage and assist our clients in reaching appropriate agreements outside the courtroom. This is not only more cost-effective, but it also helps the parties stay on good terms. If a court case is necessary, we will be a strong advocate for you and your family.

In every divorce situation, our goal is to defend the best interests of you and your children and promote a strong and healthy future for both them and you.

Why You Should Act Quickly

During a contested divorce or other contentious family law situation, it is important to both establish and protect the evidence as soon as possible. The longer you wait to contact a qualified attorney, the more chances your ex will have to destroy information, such as Internet postings, that you might be able to use in your case.

It is also vital to act quickly to protect your financial interests. We can help you seek a restraining order to prevent your ex from disposing of your joint assets or to prevent him or her from creating more debt for which you may also be held liable. Because Texas is a community property state, we can also aid you in analyzing what can be considered private property and what will be considered community property.

Whether you want to file for divorce, have already been served papers or are facing another family law issue, you can talk to a Woodville divorce attorney who cares.

Easement & Boundary Dispute Attorneys

If you invest in real estate, it is important to make sure your investments are well protected. Not only is your money on the line in a real estate dispute, but your business success and personal credit may be as well. A skilled lawyer can help defend your future.

At the law office of Brad Elrod, Attorney at Law, we are real estate litigation attorneys who are not afraid to aggressively assert your rights in court. We have been successfully advocating for individuals and businesses in real estate cases throughout southeast Texas. We also help people with all their real estate transaction needs, including buying and selling homes or other property.

Fearlessly Defending Your Rights in Court

We handle lawsuits for a wide range of real estate issues and disputes, including construction defects, property division and easement issues. We also handle cases involving adverse possession (commonly called “squatter’s rights”). Other recent lawsuits have involved:

• Mineral rights
• Oil and gas rights
• Title disputes
• Boundary disputes
• Royalty litigation
• Eminent domain
• Pipeline disputes
• Land or road condemnation

No matter what kind of issue you are facing, you can rest assured that we will use all our knowledge, skill and strategy to fight for your legal rights and help protect your assets.

Skilled Real Estate Closing Attorneys

Real estate transactions can be extremely complex. Even fairly straightforward transactions, such as the purchase or sale of homes or land, usually require piles of paperwork and a significant amount of time and effort.

As experienced real estate attorneys, we help individuals and businesses throughout southeast Texas to smoothly navigate the legal process. Our law firm handles the preparation of documents for purchasing or selling real estate. We also help with owner-financed sales, land use agreements and foreclosures.

Although real estate transactions can be confusing, we will explain both the legal terms and paperwork in plain English, so you will know what to expect from the process.

Guarding Your Oil and Gas Mineral Rights

In Texas, gas and oil mineral rights to a piece of property are often owned by one entity while the surface rights are owned by another. In addition, mineral interests must be reserved or they may be sold along with the property. Because of the separation, legal disputes often arise around leasing rights, ownership, surface use, and mining or drilling abuses.

We have helped numerous clients protect their mineral rights. One way to do this is to create a real estate trust (RET), which helps protect property interests even after death. We also handle real estate litigation for oil or gas-leasing disputes.

A Knowledgeable Will and Trust Attorney

At some point in life, everyone needs an estate plan. Without a legal plan in place for the distribution of your property and assets, the guardianship of your children and the medical care you prefer, your legacy and your family’s future are up for grabs.

At the law office of Brad Elrod, Attorney at Law, in Woodville, Texas, we help people of all ages decide upon and prepare strong and effective wills, health care directives, living wills, powers of attorney and trusts. We also handle all facets of the probate process for both families of modest means and those with multi million-dollar estates. We regularly offer experienced legal counsel for complex estate planning questions such as:

• If I die, what will happen to my disabled or minor children?
• If I become incapacitated, who will control my finances?
• How do I ensure I am (or am not) kept on life support?
• Who will inherit my house, business, stocks and other assets?
• How can I ensure that my family business remains family-owned?
• Can I minimize estate taxes and probate costs?
• How do I make sure my heirs use my assets in the way I intended?

Protection From Medicare and Medicaid Liens

Depending on your financial situation, Medicare or Medicaid liens may be a threat to your financial security. If you are placed on long-term care or home health care, the government can obtain a lien for any bills that Medicare or Medicaid covers. Within the past few years, many people with unprotected liens have had their homesteads claimed by the government.

We can advise you on whether you need a trust or other form of asset protection. We will also explain how you may benefit from transferring your assets before you qualify for Medicare.

Whether you are a middle-income individual or part of a high net worth family, you can discuss your estate planning needs with a skilled lawyer.

Texas has often been ubiquitous with the oil and gas industry since the discovery of Spindletop over one hundred years ago outside of Beaumont. This ushered in a new era of industry throughout Texas, with families who became wealthy overnight with the discovery of oil and gas under their lands. Since this point, oil and gas has remained a strong part of the Texas economy and even more so in recent years with the development of the Eagle Ford Shale. However, along with the rise in oil field production has also come a rise in oil field accidents and injuries. If you or a loved one were injured in an oil field accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries.

Accidents

The oil and gas industry is an inherently dangerous line of work for its thousands of employees worldwide. Oil fields and oil and gas drilling equipment have the potential to malfunction or cause extreme accidents in certain circumstances. Additionally, when the oil and gas industry experiences a boom, companies are often in a hurry to hire any type of worker willing to stay away from their family for weeks on end. While training is required for any oil and gas job, some companies may cut corners in order to staff jobs as fast as they can. The quick turnaround in oil field jobs can quickly lead to dangerous conditions when inexperienced workers are handling dangerous machinery, which can quickly put dozens of lives at risk if incorrectly operated. Oil field workers additionally often work long shifts, often ranging from 12-20 hours, which can quickly result in exhaustion and the inability to remember standard safety procedures.

Accident Recovery

Oil field accidents can lead to many severe injuries due to oil well fires or explosions, many of which could take months to recover from. The oil and gas industry often employees a steady stream of contract workers in the oil fields; therefore, any debilitating accident could have dire physical and financial repercussions on the worker and his or her family.

The following injuries can result from oil field accidents:

• Burns
• Broken bones
• Concussions
• Paralysis
• Spinal injuries
• Traumatic brain injury
• Amputations

Many of these injuries will require expensive medical care and rehabilitative care, thereby requiring a worker to stay out of work for months on end, possibly never to work again. The victim’s employer is often the responsible party for any resulting injuries, even if a careless employee caused the oil field accident. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to assist in calculating the full amount of damages you are entitled to receive as a result of your injuries.