Michael Debnam

I am Michael Debnam, a founding partner at DebnamRust, P.C., and I practice divorce and family law exclusively, as I have for the entirety of my legal career. My focus in every case, and what I love about family law, is the opportunity to help people move on from their marriages in a peaceful and dignified way--in a manner that protects and preserves your reputation, privacy, financial integrity, relationship with your children, and relationship with your ex-partner to the extent you desire. I advocate for the collaborative approach to family law and always recommend that my clients choose that legal path and mindset.

I regularly try cases in the adversarial system, and I have worked in the Court system and tried cases all over Texas. I thrive as a trial attorney--but it is never the best path for you and your family if we can avoid it. Many of my clients are doctors, business owners, politicians, lawyers, and other successful community members. Regardless of what you do with your life, you have been successful before you come to see me. You have made the decisions to get to where you are now--your attorney's goal should be to keep as much of that decision-making authority in your control and your family's control as possible and keep it away from a Judge or the Court system. Your Judge does not know you, your family, or your background, and they may not share your values or approach to raising children--so why would you ever leave decisions regarding your family, your children, and your values in their hands? In the adversarial system, where most divorce cases you hear about are, that is what you are doing. Divorcing couples often let their disagreements and anger stop them from addressing their future together, which makes a Judge or jury address it for them. Intelligent and intentional couples are much more adept at solving divorce and child custody problems with the oversight and guidance of trained professionals in the collaborative space than Courts are.

There is a general conception of lawyers and the legal system that the best lawyers are the "most aggressive" or are "the sharks." Yes, some cases require this, and I am ready to litigate those cases aggressively when they require it. However, unlike other areas of litigation, family law and divorce are not about aggression; family law is not a zero-sum game. Overly aggressive attorneys worsen things in this setting; they create more problems, rather than working to solve existing ones. The strongest people and the strongest families use compassion and a forward-thinking approach to help their families move on from their failed marriage and move toward a productive co-parenting relationship if they have strength lies in acknowledging the pain of these suits without letting that pain and anger override and obfuscate what is best for your family. That is what I specialize in and what I help my clients with.

A considerable amount of my practice is dedicated to protecting the LGBTQ+ community. Working towards equal rights initially led me to start practicing family law. I am a two-time chair of the LGBT Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, a former board member of the Dallas LGBT Bar Association, and former pro-bono counsel of GALA North Texas, and DFW Trans Kids and Families. All of this said, a lot of my practice is working with heterosexual couples, and I desire it to be that way. Working with all types of families helps keep my perspective more objective and, in my opinion, really helps with keeping away gender bias, which has often plagued family law.

Outside of law, I am an avid cook and wine expert who loves to travel to test and try new food. I am also an artist; my paintings are primarily large portraits using word art and conceptualism. I love the outdoors and regularly go backpacking and kayaking. I like to read literature, politics, and fiction. During the week, when I am not working, I often attend events throughout Dallas to support nonprofits and other legal initiatives--and I am currently counsel for the Southern Black Policy & Advocacy Network. But my favorite pastime is cooking and drinking nice wine with my family.