This is what attorney Shannon Lynch says to all of her clients when they first walk into her office. It is unfortunately far too common for people embarking on a divorce to allow that control to fade away – giving it to counsel (who may not always have their best interest at heart), or to Courts (which have thousands of divorces to deal with and no vested interest in protecting the future of the split, but still family, unit).

Being amicable with your ex-spouse does not mean you are being a “pushover.” It truly shows that you are both mature enough to get over the fact that you just weren’t meant to be together. Moving on does not mean that you forget about things – it just means that you have to accept what happened and continue living.

Shannon fully realizes that each divorce matter, and the way to negotiate an ultimate settlement, differs vastly from case to case. Shannon has practiced family law since 1986 and has earned a reputation throughout the Texas legal community as one of a handful of attorneys to hire when you want to maintain a sense of control, a secure financial situation, a good relationship with your ex and friends and family members going forward, and above all, dignity. She does all possible to help her clients (and clients of others in her consulting practice) to resolve the issues rationally, respectfully, and peacefully.

Her clients include men and women, mothers and fathers, firefighters, police officers, teachers, stay-at-home parents, office workers, executives, business owners, professionals, etc. She handles small divorces and large complex financial estates in the same way – being mindful and respectful of each party’s financial situation and ability to pay.

She prefers to handle her cases in an amicable or collaborative manner, believing that a trip to the courthouse should be every person’s last line of defense… However, should that last line of defense be necessary, she will be ready to offer advice and fight for you if - but only if she believes your case has true merit and your chance of success is high. She will not take a case to the courthouse only to make money off of a client or if she feels a client has little or no chance of winning. In no case will she pursue overly litigious routes to finalization as she believes those routes are most often unethical and not in a client’s or the child’s best interests.

Shannon is the mother of two children, and has a wonderful working and amicable relationship with her ex-spouse and his wife. She knows first-hand that child related issues can be the cause of divorce cases turning even more complex. Shannon is certified in parent coordination and parent facilitation, and is thus very well equipped to help parents work out an appropriate parenting plan, which will likely include the division of rights and duties, possession and visitation issues, domicile restrictions, and child support issues. She will also help her clients negotiate additional issues such as college expenses and support for disabled adult children. She will work her hardest to make sure that each child's best interests are fully addressed.

Shannon is one of the few attorneys in the North Texas area who routinely handles termination and adoption matters. She has represented Buckner Children and Family Services since February of 2006 and, having worked in Russia, is very familiar with international adoptions and stateside confirmation of those adoptions. She has represented all in the adoption triangle – birthparents, adoptive parents, and children.

She is frequently appointed as an amicus attorney to represent the interests of the child, an attorney ad litem to represent the child, and a parenting coordinator and facilitator appointed to assist parents in reaching a workable, and amicable, parenting plan.

Shannon has been recognized for years by D Magazine and Texas Monthly as a ``Best Lawyer in Dallas`` and ``Best Lawyer in Texas`` in the areas of family law and alternative dispute resolution.