Foster, Michael R.

"Making sure your divorce is handled correctly is so important. We take pride in knowing our clients are prepared for their new lives."

Kristy Sims Piazza is an accomplished family law attorney with a growing reputation for intensity both in the courtroom and at settlement, especially when the welfare of children or other underdogs is concerned. Her compassion and thorough preparation have won her a place on the list of the Texas Rising Stars of family law (Thomson Reuters 2007-2010).

In one recent case, Ms. Piazza won custody of a small boy for his grandmother, who was determined to save the child from a life of neglect. In another case, she represented a disabled woman who's husband was having an affair and divorced her after 35 years of marriage.

He had spent all of the community estate and Ms. Piazza convinced the judge to order all assets to the wife and all debt to the husband in addition to money judgments and spousal maintenance for the maximum amount of money and time.

Ms. Piazza was recently elected Vice President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, where she works on programs benefitting women and children. She spearheaded a TYLA joint project with Texas Lawyers for Children to recruit and train lawyers to serve as an attorney or guardian ad litem to abused and neglected children in foster care.

Ms. Piazza was the recipient of the TYLA President's Award of Merit in 2009 and currently serves as vice chair of the On-Line Member Services, Family Law/Seniors Outreach/Children's Rights and Low Income Texans committees.

She played an integral part in the production and distribution of TYLA's video Healing the Wounds: Navigating the Legal System After Surviving Domestic Abuse to victims of domestic violence and agencies throughout the State. She also co-authored many of TYLA's publications including "What to Expect in Texas Family Law Courts" and the "Pro Se Divorce Handbook."

Aside from her work with TYLA, Ms. Piazza also serves as a director for the Collin County Bar Association and the Collin County Bench Bar Foundation.

She is a member of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL), the Collin County Young Lawyers (CCYLA), the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, and the College of the State Bar of Texas. She is a fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and the Dallas Young Lawyers Association.

While Ms. Piazza has the ability to aggressively litigate a case when needed, she is also trained in collaborative law and is an active member of the Collaborative Law Institute of Texas and the Collaborative Professionals of Dallas.

Ms. Piazza grew up in Cedar Hill, Texas. She earned her bachelor of science degree, Cum Laude, from the University of North Texas and her Juris Doctor from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in 2004. Ms. Piazza is also an alumni of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, Gamma Rho Chapter (Texas Tech University).

Representative Clients

• Represented an executive of a Fortune 500 company in a divorce proceeding that included complex stock options.
• Represented an executive of a Fortune 500 company in a collaborative proceeding that involved a same sex marriage with complex assets and child custody issues.
• Defended a high profile recording artist in a child support/paternity suit.
• Represented the wife of a physician in a divorce with both property and custody issues, and in which the valuation of a medical practice and several other medical entities were involved.
• Represented a physician in a divorce that involved the valuation of a medical practice and several other medical entites.
• Represented a physician in a divorce and was successful in getting him an equal possession schedule with his two small children.
• Represented numerous airline pilots in divorces that involved complex child possession issues as well as complex property issues with regards to airline retirement benefits, stock and flight schedules.
• Represented a US Air Force colonel in a multi-jurisdictional custody matter.

Represented a disabled woman who was abandoned by her husband and was able to win a much larger proportion of the assets than normal.

Represented a lawyer divorcing by collaborative law to maintain the privacy of the parties.

Represented the CEO of a small corporation with complex property issues and difficult child custody arrangements.