San Antonio CPS Lawyer Defending Families Across South Texas
Judge Mike Schneider (Ret.) defends parents, grandparents, foster parents, and caregivers across San Antonio, Bexar County, and surrounding South Texas communities facing a Child Protective Services investigation, removal, or court case.
Most families searching for a CPS attorney have never faced this agency before. Mike has stood on nearly every side. He spent seven years prosecuting CPS cases as an Assistant Harris County Attorney and twelve years as a State District Judge overseeing child welfare cases from the bench. He has since represented parents in medically complex, high-profile, and nationally covered CPS matters throughout Texas.
Who Mike Can Help in San Antonio & the Surrounding South Texas Area
Families and caregivers typically reach out to Mike if they are in one of these situations:
- Parents under CPS investigation, whether a caseworker has requested a home visit, an interview, or a medical exam of the child, or the case has already been filed in court
- Parents facing an emergency removal or a full adversary hearing
- Grandparents and other relatives working to keep a child with family instead of foster care
- Foster and adoptive parents named in a CPS finding
- Families in medically complex cases where a hospital, school, or other provider generated the CPS report
- Anyone whose job, professional license, foster or adoptive placement, or an ongoing custody matter is being affected by a CPS finding
- San Antonio-area family law attorneys who need Mike as an expert witness, consultant, or co-counsel on a CPS matter
If any of the above sound like your situation, reach out to Mike as soon as possible. Texas law requires DFPS to bring a removed child’s case before a judge within 14 days, and much of what happens in that window depends on choices families make before they ever speak with a lawyer. Mike also consults with attorneys throughout South Texas who are handling a CPS case without deep experience on the government side of the system.
How Mike Approaches San Antonio CPS Cases
He gets involved right away. The earlier Mike is retained, the more options a family has. His pre-litigation involvement carries an 80 to 90 percent success rate in resolving cases before they ever reach a courtroom.
He reviews the entire CPS file, not just what a caseworker has said out loud. Mike knows what DFPS must document and disclose, and where its own files tend to fall apart under scrutiny.
He prepares for the specific court hearing the case. Mike prepares every case as if it will go to trial, which changes how DFPS approaches settlement.
He communicates with CPS directly on a family’s behalf. Parents should not be negotiating alone with a caseworker or an agency attorney. Mike manages that communication so nothing gets said or signed that weakens the case.
What Happens When CPS Opens a Case in San Antonio
An investigation begins with a report to the Texas Abuse Hotline. A DFPS caseworker is assigned and must contact the family, often within days of the report.
The caseworker will want to interview you, your child, and often other members of your household. Anything said in that interview becomes part of the permanent CPS file. Parents do not have to face this conversation alone, and they should not.
If CPS believes a child is in immediate danger, removal can happen without a prior court order. Texas law then requires DFPS to bring the case before a judge within 14 days for a full adversary hearing. That hearing decides whether the child remains in state custody while the case moves forward.
If the case continues, it proceeds through status hearings, permanency hearings, and, if unresolved, trial. Texas Family Code section 263.401 generally requires a case to reach final trial or dismissal within one year of removal, with limited extensions available. Every hearing along the way is an opportunity to move a family toward reunification, or to correct the record when DFPS has overreached.
What You Should Do Immediately
Waiting to see how a CPS investigation unfolds is not a viable strategy. Every conversation with a caseworker, every document signed, and every day that passes without advice shapes the record CPS and the court will rely on later.
Do not sign anything from CPS without legal review first. Safety plans and service plans are legal documents with lasting consequences, not routine paperwork. Limit what you say in caseworker interviews until you have spoken with an attorney, since you are entitled to understand what is being asked and why before you answer. Write down everything, including names, dates, what was said, and what was requested, because CPS cases rely far more on documentation than memory. Do not agree to give up custody, even temporarily, without understanding the legal effect, since a step that sounds like short-term accommodation can become the basis for a longer removal.
Above all, contact an attorney with direct CPS experience before your first hearing, not after. Mike’s pre-litigation involvement resolves 80 to 90 percent of cases before they ever reach a courtroom, and that window closes quickly.
What Makes Mike More Than A
Child Welfare Lawyer?
With decades of diverse trial experience—from every side of the bench and bar—and a deep institutional knowledge of the many agencies with whom he has worked, Mike Schneider has protected mothers, fathers, foster and adoptive parents, grandparents, siblings and anyone accused in countless high-profile cases featured in national and global media.
He has extensive experience representing clients before numerous state agencies, including:
- Child Protective Services (CPS)
- Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)
- Texas Health and Human Services
- State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)
- Title IX Departments
When Mike is on your side, you get More Than a Lawyer.
- Former State District Court Judge
- Former Assistant Harris County Attorney
- Seasoned Trial Attorney with Years of Courtroom Advocacy on Behalf of Caregivers
- Expert Witness & Consultant
- Court-Appointed Amicus in Child Custody Cases
- CPS Administrative Insider
- Child Welfare Researcher & Policy Analyst
- CLE Trainer & Educator for Lawyers
Decades of Diverse Trial Experience
Mike has successfully tried hundreds of trials as a lawyer and state district judge, ranging from thorny child custody battles to felony criminal investigations and capital murder.
Early in his judicial tenure, the Houston Chronicle praised his “demonstrated competency” in handling high-profile cases and consistently endorsed him his entire judicial career, noting, “Schneider has devoted his career to protecting children‚ both as an assistant Harris County attorney and as general counsel of Houston’s renowned Children’s Assessment Center.”
History of High-Profile Success
Judge Schneider is known for his aggressive defense of the most consequential criminal and CPS investigations and in the courtroom at every stage—with clients across the United States. Mike has protected mothers, fathers, foster and adoptive parents, grandparents, siblings and anyone accused in countless high-profile cases featured in national media and across the globe.
Due to his deep understanding of the child welfare systems and agencies, he has an 80–90% success rate in preventing CPS lawsuits through his involvement in administrative and investigation cases.
Understands Every Side of the Bench & Bar
Mike joined the Harris County Attorney’s Office in 1999, serving as Chief of the 313th District Court and managed and tried thousands of child custody cases involving the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (CPS).
In 2001, he became Deputy Division Chief of the office’s Children’s Protective Division, and from 2004 until he took the bench in 2006, served as General Counsel to the world-renowned Children’s Assessment Center in Houston’s Rice Village.
He proudly served as Commissioner of the Supreme Court of Texas Children’s Commission and Chair of the State Bar of Texas Juvenile Law Section.
Deep Knowledge of Child Welfare Investigations and Administrative Hearings
The goal is to keep clients out of the courts. The moment CPS or law enforcement investigations begin, parental rights—and those of foster parents, grandparents and other caregivers—are in immediate jeopardy, and the risk of criminal prosecution is heightened. Mike’s experience navigating this complex maze of law enforcement and child welfare investigators, pediatric hospitals, social workers, and often the media is unmatched.
Most caregivers, including those accused of neglect, abuse, and crimes against children have no idea how to protect their rights in situations where they or a family member are being investigated or accused of wrongdoing. They don’t know who to talk to, what to share, or what to say when they are aggressively targeted by an entire system with which they are unfamiliar. How these events unfold will impact a caregiver’s legal rights—and freedom—for years to come.
Developed the Child Welfare Section of the State Bar of Texas
Trained & Educated Thousands of Lawyers
Mike has created and taught Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs that have trained thousands of lawyers on topics including CPS and child abuse, substance use, complex custody litigation, ethics, expert witnesses, human trafficking, record sealing, and many more at the following institutions:
- Advocacy University
- Healing Specialties Texas
- Houston Bar Association
- University of Houston Law Center Juvenile & Capital Advocacy Program
- Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, Sing Sing Correctional Facility
Conducted Years of Legal Research & Policy Analysis
In 2017, Mike was appointed Adjunct Research Scientist in the Psychology Department of Columbia University in the City of New York by Dr. Carl Hart and in 2022 to the Board of the Center for Science and the Law.
In 2019 Mike served the Texas Legislature as Policy Analyst on child welfare issues for State Representative Gene Wu.
Mike has a deep understanding of the policies that affect his clients the most.
Advocacy Founder & Leader
Mike has founded or served as a leading member of numerous advocacy courts, programs and organizations including:
- Commissioner, Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families (Children’s Commission), Austin (2015-21)
- Founder of first Juvenile Drug Court in Harris County
- Founder, Harris County Juvenile Human Trafficking Court, Creating Advocacy Resilience and Empowerment (“CARE” formerly “GIRLS” Court)
- Founder, Juvenile Sealing Program, with Houston Bar Association and University of Houston Law Center Juvenile and Capital Advocacy Program
- Founder, org, an Online Resource for Children in Texas Foster Care
- Council & Founding Member of Child Welfare Section, State Bar of Texas, Austin
- Board Member, The Way Home Adoption, Inc. (2019-24)
- Chair, Officer, Juvenile Law Section, State Bar of Texas, Austin
- Board of Directors, Center for Science and Law, Palo Alto, California
- Board Member, Criss Cole Children’s Foundation, Houston
- Member of Data Committee, Children’s Commission, Austin
Press & News
Over the years, Mike’s involvement in countless high-profile cases has earned him national and global recognition in news and media:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mike Schneider licensed to practice in San Antonio and the surrounding South Texas area?
Yes. Mike is licensed throughout Texas. He also works alongside local counsel when a family already has an attorney they trust.
How quickly do I need to act after CPS contacts me in San Antonio?
Immediately. If CPS removes a child, Texas law requires a full adversary hearing within 14 days. Even before removal, what a parent says and signs during the investigation stage often determines whether the case escalates to court.
Can a CPS finding affect my job or my ability to foster or adopt?
Yes. A “Reason to Believe” finding is entered on the Texas Central Registry and can affect employment in childcare, education, or healthcare, as well as future foster or adoptive eligibility. You can challenge these findings through an Administrative Review or a Due Process Hearing.
Does Mike Schneider Law handle cases outside San Antonio proper, such as Comal, Guadalupe, Hays, Medina, Wilson, Atascosa, or Kendall County?
Yes. As a Texas-licensed attorney, Mike represents families throughout South Texas, not only within San Antonio city limits.
What if I already have a family law attorney in San Antonio?
Other Practice Areas
Administrative Law
Navigating complex state and agency proceedings impacting families and children, including CPS investigations, licensing actions, and regulatory disputes.
Family Law
Custody, divorce, adoption, and parental rights representation for spouses, families, grandparents, foster parents, and caregivers fighting for the children in their care.
Criminal Law
Strategic defense in state and federal cases, including felony and juvenile matters impacting or triggered by child custody investigations and litigation.
Child Welfare & CPS Defense
We fight for clients at every stage of child custody battles, including CPS involvement—preventing cases from escalating to litigation or appeals whenever possible.
Civil Rights Law
Advocacy for caregivers, professionals, and individuals facing agency investigations or constitutional rights violations.
Your Advocate in and Beyond the Courtroom
When your family’s future is at stake, you need More Than a Lawyer—you need a Austin CPS lawyer who has been involved in every aspect of the child welfare system.
Judge Mike Schneider (Ret.) brings decades of courtroom, judicial, agency, and policy experience to defend your family with unmatched insight and compassion.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Every moment counts when facing CPS, criminal, or family law issues. It is essential that we build your defense strategy as soon as possible. Let’s schedule a confidential consultation.
Consultation Fee Policy: Consultations for criminal defense matters are free. Consultations for family law and CPS/child welfare matters are subject to a consultation fee, which can be applied to a retainer or flat fee if hired. Mike Schneider Law PLLC reserves the right to charge a consultation fee based on the nature of the matter. Submitting this form acknowledges this policy.