Great job. Helped us with a time-sensitive matter by seeing us at 8 pm the same day we called. Another law firm had said they couldn't help us due to the timing issue, but Christine went out of her way to accommodate us. After our initial consultation she made sure we were able to reach her on her cell phone via text message, she talked to the other party's lawyer to get us a representation we wanted, and then she came to the hospital to go over papers with us. Knowledgeable about interstate adoption.
Christine helped my wife and I navigate the legal complexities of bringing a child into the world through a surrogate and adoption. She showed great empathy toward us as well as excellent knowledge of the legal steps and requirements.
Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, Christine demonstrated great instincts when it came to advising us where to go to court. In our area, the county in while you file can have a huge impact on the cost, the complexity, and even the eventual outcome as some judges look less favorably on our type of case.
We didn't want to take chances with our child, so Christine helped us understand where and how to navigate the legal process in a way that was most likely to lead to a great outcome. A beautiful baby girl is now completely ours, not only in our hearts, but also in the eyes of the government. Thank you Christine!
Uncontested or contested adoptions. Relative adoptions. Step-parent adoptions. Same sex second-parent adoption, even in less simpatico counties. Adoptions related to traditional surrogacy aftermath.
Great job. Helped us with a time-sensitive matter by seeing us at 8 pm the same day we called. Another law firm had said they couldn't help us due to the timing issue, but Christine went out of her way to accommodate us. After our initial consultation she made sure we were able to reach her on her cell phone via text message, she talked to the other party's lawyer to get us a representation we wanted, and then she came to the hospital to go over papers with us. Knowledgeable about interstate adoption.
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Posted by Michael | October 18, 2013
Thank you Christine!
Christine helped my wife and I navigate the legal complexities of bringing a child into the world through a surrogate and adoption. She showed great empathy toward us as well as excellent knowledge of the legal steps and requirements.
Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, Christine demonstrated great instincts when it came to advising us where to go to court. In our area, the county in while you file can have a huge impact on the cost, the complexity, and even the eventual outcome as some judges look less favorably on our type of case.
We didn't want to take chances with our child, so Christine helped us understand where and how to navigate the legal process in a way that was most likely to lead to a great outcome. A beautiful baby girl is now completely ours, not only in our hearts, but also in the eyes of the government. Thank you Christine!
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Posted by Gabe | July 22, 2011
An amazing person and attorney.
She immediately struck me as a patient and driven person. On my first consultation, she gave me more than the allotted time, making sure that I had more information about the law of my case even if I did not choose her. I honestly thought I would not find any representation that I would feel completely comfortable with. I figured that any attorney would just view me and my case as part of their business, as a monetary influx, not as a family trying to make it through a difficult case. Instead, I met Christine.
I am extremely happy to say that Christine is my attorney. She and her team truly care about every aspect of the case. I see this in all of the communication (massive amounts), in calming my fears, in allowing me to vent, in making sure that my family is doing ok. It has meant a lot to us, the amount of care that Christine and team have given.
In court she was amazing, she was calm and spoke with the kind of precision that most movies try to mimic, only Christine can pull it off without a script. I was thoroughly impressed that she did not try to bend facts, she was able to overwhelm the other side with succinct statements based on what was factually true. She did not use tricks or drama, Christine just uses pure ability. I greatly appreciated this.
These things are why CHA Law is amazing. I hope that she will continue to practice law as she does, with ethics, compassion and stellar capability.
I can especially recommend her to fathers trying to navigate the Texas system. Be completely open with her and she will fiercely go to work for you.
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Posted by Kathleen | April 8, 2010
Highly Recommended
Ms. Andresen is an outstanding attorney! We were so pleased with her guidance, and the attention and professionalism she provided in our case. And, we grade her assistant Melissa, with an A+. If you are looking for one of the best attorneys in Austin, please contact this attorney.
Posted by S. | November 24, 2009
friendly divorce - speedy and professional
My divorce was pretty low-maintenance - no serious battles over property or children - but it was painful, and Ms. Andresen was sympathetic while getting me to look past the emotional issues. seh was very professional. And, even though she didn't have to "get tough" with the opposing council, I could tell from our conversations that she has experience with this and I would trust her with more contentious divorces. I have already recommended one of my personal friends to her, and would do so again.
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Posted by Patricia | July 29, 2010
2 out of 3 ain't half bad
Pleasant experience overall. I retained Christine's services early in 2010 for a Name Change and Gender Marker Changes on my Driver's License. We met up, set an approximate date of completion, took some basic info, and I was sent out to collect supporting documents over the next few months. After gathering my documents, we decided to petition for Birth Certificate correction as well. From that point on it was pretty much a waiting game until the court date. Christine got us booked before a favorable judge and all petitions but the birth certificate correction were granted (thanks a bunch Littleton v Prange grrrr.). So, in the end, I got exactly what I was originally seeking and all for a very fair cost of retainer. I will recommend her to my peers for similar issues. The only bad parts I can say were some periods of non-contact which left me feeling somewhat hanging, but a quick email to the office would be replied to within a few days. Also, she seemed a bit flustered for our court date, but she did make an effort to try and convince the judge to approve all petitions and that was cool. She may have even taught the judge a new thing or two about the current state of transgender affairs at the federal level. Thank you Christine!
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Posted by Ana | June 24, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Please save your money and time
This review is for the Cha law group: I hired Will Shindler for a family law case. All I can say is I had a good case with good proofs, pictures, you name it. He was very submissive to the opposing party and disrespectful to me and my case. He would ask me to do everything the oppossing party was asking for and would not really fight for me. Also, In family matters you have to be professional with everyone involved, these are painful moments for both parties yet he was heard many times laughing it up with the opposing party's lawyer, so much so that the oppossing party plaintiff noticed it too. I felt like all my money went down the drain, not to mention the emotional pain left after a "professional" didn't want to fight for you.
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Posted by anonymous | November 26, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Unprofessional with poor communication
I met Christine back in 2015 and found her to be competent, pleasant, and enjoyable to meet with. I did not end up retaining her services at that time but circled back for a very low-conflict divorce this year. It is noteworthy that the most contentious part of my divorce, in fact, was my relationship with Christine and Christine’s office staff. Any attempt
to lodge a complaint was greeted with long denfensive emails (on my dime) about how the poor treatment I was receiving was actually not poor treatment and completely normal. Can you say gas lighting? So if you enjoy paying top
dollar to be treated like a burden and told that legal documents are sloppy because of rushed efforts (the draft sent to me did not even have the correct names on it!) and to have the opposing counsel’s interests represented over your own, this is the firm for you! A measure of a business is not how well they handle things when everything is going well. The measure is how complaints are handled when things are not going well. Christine did not handle my concerns professionally nor competently. To date, I do not believe she understands the issues I had and despite an overt request for “zealous” representation, I was not treated as a valued client. There are SO many law firms in town. Pick a different one. It’s just not worth it to risk going through what I went through. Period. I have retained a new lawyer now and already see and feel the complete difference that comes when you are treated as a valued client.
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Response from Christine AndresenDecember 21, 2018
To the reviewer: again, I apologize that you had such a negative experience. I am glad you were able to find another attorney who was a better fit. I wish you well. For everyone else, I ask that you keep in mind there are two sides to every story. Also please note the other reviews on this website and various other review websites from many former clients over the years who were far happier with my representation and the work of the CHA Law staff.
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Family Attorney | Feb 01
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I have worked with Christine as joint members of the Family Law Institute for several years. She is remarkably knowledgeable and helpful. She has proven to be a great resource when I have had questions about Texas laws governing family relationships. She is outgoing, talented and competent. And, at the same time she is responsible, responsive, and resourceful. She brings a creative, competent approach to addressing legal issues that I find lacking in many attorneys."
Family Attorney | Jun 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Christine is passionate and practices with conviction and high ethics. I would entrust my own case to her. based on what I know of her commitment to her clients and to quality work."
"Christine is a valuable source in the legal community for LGBT and family law. She cares deeply for her each of her clients, and every case receives the utmost attention it needs. You won't be disappointed."
Family Attorney | Jan 26
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Christine is the first attorney I turn to when I have a client that needs representation with family law issues. Among her many credentials, she is a member of the Inns of Court which is an impressive testament to her expertise and ethics. In short, she is simply one of the best and I recommend her without reservation."
Family Attorney | Dec 08
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Christine is a highly skilled family law attorney serving the Austin area. Christine specializes in gestational agreements and serves the needs of the LBGT community - a highly underserved population. Before you enter into any kind of gestational agreement - call Christine and find out your rights. Whether you are interested in adoption or surrogacy, let Christine help you protect your crucial rights before you sign on the dotted line."
Family Attorney | Aug 01
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I have known Christine for some time, worked with her on the CAFA Board of Directors, and seen her advocate for her clients in and out of the community. Christine is creative, caring, tenacious, and empathetic. I endorse Christine!"
Family Attorney | Apr 22
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Christine takes the time to understand the unique needs of her clients. She has a true passion for her areas of practice, which enables her to provide superb service."
Family Attorney | Jan 02
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"Christine is one of a handful of Texas lawyers with strong experience in gestational agreements. I appreciate that she's a strong advocate for her clients, while working cooperatively towards reaching an agreement."
Family Attorney | Sep 05
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I have found Christine to be a very insightful and resourceful lawyer. I often confer with her about novel or difficult family law issues and I always feel better informed afterwards. I haven't known her all that long yet, but she definitely strikes me as someone who is very rigorous in researching and preparing for all of her cases, no matter who the client is. She has also impressed me with her ability to command and control a small army of interns."
Family Attorney | Apr 24
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse this lawyer. Christine Henry Andresen is an extremely strong litigator. She zealously advocates for her clients. I have worked with Chistine on various matters and have always found her to be professional, knowledgeable and a great advocate."