Richard Kevin Spencer
800-639-7046 (Toll free)
Kevin Spencer graduated from Cistercian Preparatory School in 1985, and earned a B.A. in Business and a B.A. in Psychology from Austin College in 1989. Kevin then left Texas to study law at the University of South Dakota - School of Law and received his juris doctorate in 1992. Kevin began his law practice in August 1992 and received his license to practice law in Texas on May 7, 1993. On September 1, 2007, Kevin started his own law firm, after practicing with and becoming partner at an estate and trust litigation firm for more than 15 years.
Kevin has a thriving litigation and appeals practice primarily in the area of litigation and appeals focusing in all aspects of estate, trust, heirship, guardianship and fiduciary litigation and estate administration, including ancillary probate jurisdiction litigation, common-law spouse disputes, paternity-inheritance disputes, civil appeals and general civil litigation. Kevin has experience in all aspects of litigation and has, himself, tried cases before judges, before a jury to verdict and has argued to appellate courts. Kevin appears in court almost every week from proving up wills or guardianships to arguing more complex and contested matters in advancement of his clients' cases. Kevin enjoys the trial process and has tried numerous jury trials to verdict with success.
He has represented his clients in the mediation process and attempting to reach a settlement before resorting to trial to resolve disputes. Kevin is also certified as a mediator in Texas.
Kevin is a member of the Dallas Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas and a Lifetime Fellow of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation. He is also a former President of the Cistercian Alumni Association.
Kevin has volunteered to speak and has participated in legal clinics for Legal Services of North Texas and has handled numerous cases for the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program. Kevin was a member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers' Leadership Class of 2002, which was instrumental in organizing, in conjunction with the 7-11 Corporation, the Education is Freedom Luncheon with Bob Dole held on October 9, 2003; a charitable event. He has written papers and given speeches in the area of probate for several state bar sections and has assisted in writing brochures for indigent or pro se parties.
Kevin enjoys football and spending time with his family, particularly in tropical locales.
Areas of Practice
- Litigation
- Estate
- Trust
- Heirship
- Guardianship Litigation
- Estate Administration
- Ancillary Probate Jurisdiction Litigation
- Common-Law Spouse Disputes
- Paternity-Inheritance Disputes
- Civil Appeals
- General Civil Litigation
- Fiduciary Litigation
- Mediation
Litigation Percentage
- 95% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 1993
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1995
Education
- University of South Dakota School of Law, Vermillion, South Dakota
- J.D. - 1992
- Austin College
- B.A. - 1989
- Major: Business and Psychology
Published Works
- (Family vs.) Probate Regarding Children, Advanced Family Law Course – San Antonio, Texas, August 6-9, 2007
- Bill of Review and Error Correction in Probate, Probate Litigation Seminar – Fort Worth, Texas , September 17, 2004
- Divorce and Trust Litigation: Can you trust the Trust?, The TAFLS Trial Institute – New Orleans, Louisiana (Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists), January 15-17, 2004
- "Probate Issues Affecting Divorce Attorneys and their Clients", Family Law Forum Newsletter, Vol. 18
- Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, December, 2002
- Probate: Dead or Alive, We will be Splitting the Estate, and Other Cross-Over Issues, Advanced Family Law Course – Dallas, August 5-8, 2002
- Business in the Area of Probate, Basic Guardianships – Legal Services of North Texas, 1996
Classes/Seminars
- Speaker, (Family vs.) Probate Regarding Children, Advanced Family Law Course – San Antonio, Texas, August 6, 2007 - August 9, 2007
- Speaker, Bill of Review and Error Correction in Probate, Probate Litigation Seminar – Fort Worth, Texas, September 17, 2004
- Speaker, Divorce and Trust Litigation: Can you trust the Trust?, The TAFLS Trial Institute – New Orleans, Louisiana (Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists), January 15, 2004 - January 17, 2004
- Speaker, Probate: Dead or Alive, We will be Splitting the Estate, and Other Cross-Over Issues, Advanced Family Law Course – Dallas, August 5, 2002 - August 8, 2002
- Speaker, Self-Proving Evidence, How to Offer & Exclude Evidence Seminar – Houston, Texas, February 9, 2001
- Speaker, Various Other Presentations to Law Firms and Business in the Area of Probate, Basic Guardianships – Legal Services of North Texas, 1996
Honors and Awards
- Martindale-Hubbell - AV Rating
- Texas SuperLawyers, Estate and Trust Litigation, Thomson Reuters Legal, 2011 - 2012
- Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers - Estates and Trusts, 2011 - 2012
- Texas Rising Stars (Best Lawyers in Texas Under 40), Thomson Reuters Legal and Texas Monthly, 2004
- Texas Rising Stars (Best Lawyers in Texas Under 40), Thomson Reuters Legal and Texas Monthly, 2005
- Texas Rising Stars (Best Lawyers in Texas Under 40), Thomson Reuters Legal and Texas Monthly, 2007
- Best Lawyers in Dallas, Under 40 - D-Magazine May, 2006
- Life Fellow, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Texas State Bar
- College of the State Bar of Texas, Member, 2007
- Dallas Bar Association, Probate Section, Member
- Dallas Bar Association, Trial Skills Section, Member
- Dallas Bar Association, Family Law Section, Member
- Dallas Bar Association, Appellate Section, Member
- DAYL Leadership – Class of 2002
Pro Bono Activities
- Attorney, Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program
- President, Cistercian Preparatory School Alumni Association, 1998 - 2002
Languages
- English (Primary)