Experienced Attorney Tenacious Trial Attorney Divorce and Child Custody Attorney
Kathleen Collins
Some of our cases
July 2016: Successfully set aside a 416 Million Dollar Judgment for divorce. See Houston Chronicle, October 25, 2016 article, "wife in $400 million divorce sanctioned by Galveston Court".
A hush-hush half-billion-dollar divorce goes public
$400 million award overturned amid claims of deceit
Half-billion-dollar divorce blows up in Galveston
After a $416 million judgment is overturned, the couple is legally married again
The Judgment was entered in 2014. The Wife sued her Husband for divorce initially in Montgomery County the couple settled in mediation and signed a mediated settlement agreement. The husband is part of a wealthy family from the Kingdom of Bahrain. The wife then sued her husband and IACL (company partly owned by the husband's family) for divorce in Harris County, the parties had a full trial. The trial court issued judgment against the husband for over 3 Million dollars. The Harris County Trial Court denied any judgment against IACL a foreign corporation located and doing business in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The wife unhappy with the denial of judgment against IACL sued her husband for divorce in Galveston County and sued IACL under the theory the corporation was the "alter ego" of her husband. The Galveston County Court entered judgment against the husband and IACL jointly and severally in the amount of $416 Million dollars. The wife waited almost 1 1/2 years, then, she filed for turnover relief and requested a Receiver be appointed to collect the 416 Million Dollar Judgment. We filed a Writ of Mandamus and a Bill of Review to set aside the 2014 judgment, won the first appeal (mandamus). Our next step was to seek sanctions for the wife's conduct by forum shopping her divorce until she received the $416,000,000.00 judgment by default. The Trial Court awarded our clients sanctions. The Wife appealed the case to the First Court of Appeals, lost. Then appealed to the Supreme Court of Texas, no go there as well. The court of Appeals mandate finally issued in January of 2021.
July 2015 Jury Trial. Modification of Custody Post-Divorce. The client, a school teacher faced and defeated her executive ex husband in a one week jury trial. The jury awarded her primary custody of her child and $135,000 in attorney fees.
2015 - Hearing to determine temporary orders in a divorce case. My client awarded sole managing conservatorship (custody) of the children and spousal support/alimony.
January 2015 2 week Jury trial - Won - The picture to the right is right was taken after the jury verdict. Pictured is Kathleen Collins and Kurt Gonzalez, associate attorney with the office a few hours after the jury returned the verdict. Divorce case, involved international custody and property between the United States and Iran. Confirmation of separate property from Iranian Marriage Contract. Alleged, proved and won judgments for assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress jury awarded actual and exemplary damages. Client alleged: her husband assaulted her during the marriage, he filed false allegations of child abuse during the pendency of the divorce and Protective Services, wasted community funds and committed fraud in the management of the couples rental properties.
1. Divorce grounds - cruelty
2. Sole Managing Conservatorship
3. Fraud - $30,000.00
4. Assault - $10,000.00
5. Intentional Infliction of Emotion Distress - $20,000.00
6. Punitive/Exemplary Damages - $20,000.00
7. Attorney Fees - $55,000.00
2014 - Trial - won - Represented mother in a modification case, she sought a change in the periods of visitation between the father and their daughter. The father moved to a new city requiring a minimum hour drive for the child each way. Court awarded mother attorney fees in addition to her requested changes in the father's periods of possession.
2013 - Hearing on temporary orders - Won - represented father of a one year old baby girl. The parents were not married, the court granted the father sole managing conservatorship of the baby girl.
November 2009 Custody trial between grandparents and a non-parent. Parties settled after one day of testimony. Represented non-parent/sole managing conservator.
October 2009 – October 2009
Divorce - jury award of attorney fees $16,000.00
May, 2009. Custody Trial Won. Represented the father of the children. Father filed a modification lawsuit seeking to gain primary custody of two young children. Significant issue in the case: which parent would better support the child's relationship with the other parent. This was a lengthy trial with complex legal issues.
Trial: Won. Divorce with contested custody of 2-year-old child. Represented husband/father;
Trial: Won. Divorce case, the contested issues were property division, the gross value of the estate was 500,000.00.
Trial: Won. Modification of Divorce Decree seeking custody of 3 children, represented father. Father won custody.
Jury Trial: Won. Modification of Divorce Decree defending right to home school children. modification of conservatorship from Joint Managing Conservatorship to Sole Managing Conservatorship.
2004 Writ of Mandamus: Won. Modification of Divorce Decree defending against increase in child support and fighting for transfer of case. Successful Writ of Mandamus to the Court of Appeals against Court in San Antonio;
Trial: Won. Divorce case, alleged fault grounds in the break-up of the marriage. Estimated gross value of the estates, 300,000.00.
Trial: Won. Divorce case and Immigration case: Contested issues were fault grounds in the break-up of the marriage and a request for disproportionate division of the marital estates. Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed by Congress in 1994, the spouses and children of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPR) may self-petition to obtain lawful permanent residency. This case there were only general allegations of a bad marital relationship which may be enough in the Divorce Court but will not necessarily succeed in the Immigration Court where you have to prove extreme mental cruelty. Proof of domination, isolation and signs depression is what is necessary to win the petition. Every case of this nature is fact driven, this result may not be the same in another case. Estimated gross value of estates, 308,000.00.
Grandparents successful gained Sole Managing Conservatorship of their grandchild after the murder of their son.
Trial: Won. Divorce case with contested custody of the children and contested property division. Approximate gross value of estate, $150,000.00.
Trial, wife retained custody of children, property division reflected husband's suggested division. Divorce case, the contested issues were the custody of two children and property division. The gross value of the estate, 1,500,000.00
International child custody case. Case settled after winning several hearings on contempt of court against mother. International child custody case, represented father in his attempt to locate his son.
Case settled in mediation after many hearings. Divorce case, contested issues were property division and discovery and recovery of property. The gross martial estate was approximately 2,500,000.00. This case involved tracing assets through several international banks and international companies.
Modification of custody of child. Case was settled during trial. The mother of the child had alleged the father and Stepmother were emotionally abusing the child;
Divorce case, contested issues were property division and custody of minor children. Won custody at hearing on Temporary Orders, the case later settled to client's satisfaction.
Divorce case and contested property division issues including reimbursement claims, tracing separate assets of the wife resulted in successful settlement of case on day of trial.
Termination of Parental Rights of father. Successful termination case of parental rights of father who had emotionally and physically abused mother.
Modification of Custody filed by father; Won temporary custody at hearing, case later settled in conformity with temporary orders.
Divorce case, contested issues were property division and confirmation of separate property. Approximate value of estates $100,000.00.
Divorce case, contested issues were custody and property division. The case settled at mediation.
Modification of custody of children, father (client) sought to be appointed the Sole Managing Conservator of minor children. Father won requested relief at hearing on temporary custody. The case later settled in conformity to temporary orders.
2002 - Appeal Won.
IN RE CASSEB
119 S. W. 3d 841 (2003) The 285th Judicial District Court of Bexar County, Texas issued a final divorce decree on September 10, 1996. On April 17, 2003, Brenda Jones Casseb ("Brenda") filed a motion to modify, requesting removal of the geographical domicile restriction and an increase in child support. On May 7, 2003, George filed a motion to transfer venue to Galveston County, asserting that Brenda and the children moved to Tennessee in 1998, and George moved to Galveston County in 1996. Brenda responded that she was seeking modification of child support under chapter 156, not chapter 159; therefore, the venue transfer provision in section 155.301 was not applicable. In the alternative, Brenda contended that even if the court transferred the support issue to Galveston County, the domicile and attorneys' fees issues must be severed and retained in Bexar County. The trial court denied the motion to transfer. Because the trial court abused its discretion in denying the motion to transfer as to the child support portion of the proceeding, we conditionally grant the writ of mandamus and direct the trial court to transfer the child support portion of the proceeding to Galveston County. The writ will only issue if the trial court fails to order the transfer within ten days from the date of our opinion and order.
Trial: Won. Immigration Court. The federal government sought to remove (deport) family that had lived and worked LEGALLY in the United States for the previous 13 years. The family relied upon an erroneous order from the District office of the USCIS allowing them to travel to their country of origin for a short visit. The family through our office filed an Application for Relief from Removal, (Cancellation of Removal). This form of discretionary relief is available to qualifying lawful permanent residents and qualifying non-permanent residents. For lawful permanent residents, cancellation of removal may be granted if the individual: Has been continuously present for at least 10 years. Only a few thousand of these cases can be granted by the immigration Court each year. We aggressively prepared our case, provided the Immigration Court two expert witnesses in trial, Court granted our requested relief and adjusted the status of all members of the family;
Grandparents get temporary custody of Lohstroh children
GALVESTON -- The grandparents of two brothers, including a 10-year-old boy accused of killing his father, were granted temporary custody of the boys Wednesday. The older boy is in a Harris county juvenile detention after allegedly shooting Dr. Rick Lohstroh on Aug. 27 as the two sat in Lohstroh’s vehicle. Lohstroh had gone to his ex-wife’s west Harris County home to pick up the boys for a week’s visitation at his Friendswood home.
Khou.com, September 9, 2004
Legal battles surround boy's trial in father's death
Trial of boy in his father's death adds to legal battles in the caseTwo years after the child, now 12, allegedly shot dad, wrongful-death, custody suits go on
https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/katy-news/article/Legal-battles-surround-boy-s-trial-in-father-s-1869079.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=share-by-email&utm_medium=email
Girlfriend, Colleagues Defend Slain Doctor Couple Arrested Several Times On Family Violence Charges
A doctor who police say was shot to death by his 10-year-old son had a troubled relationship with his wife. The man told police at one point that she had threatened to kill him by injecting him with insulin, records show.
Click2Houston, August 31, 2004
Slain Doctor Told Police Wife Threatened To Kill Him
Couple Arrested Several Times On Family Violence Charges
A doctor who police say was shot to death by his 10-year-old son had a troubled relationship with his wife. The man told police at one point that she had threatened to kill him by injecting him with insulin, records show.
Click2Houston, September 1, 2004
Turmoil surrounded boy accused in dad's death. The latest fight concerns what is best for the child By Peggy O'Hare and Kevin Moran
Deborah Geisler and Dr. Rick Lohstroh had a $350,000 suburban home, successful careers in the medical field and two healthy children. But beneath that veneer of domestic perfection was tumult, turmoil and rage, all of which had escalated to soap-opera-like proportions long before their 10-year-old son was accused of shooting Lohstroh numerous times with Geisler's gun Aug. 27. The slaying followed several years of bitter divorce proceedings and child custody battles.
Houston Chronicle, chron.com - September 10, 2004
Friends Blame Brainwashing For Doctor's Death
Boy, Mother Located; Grandparents Take Custody Of Boy
Friends of a doctor police said was killed by his 10-year-old son two weeks ago told Local 2 his death was the result of a difficult divorce.
Click2Houston, September 10, 2004
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