Mike Schneider represents families throughout Houston and Texas at every stage of adoption, from a first petition to a finalized adoption being contested years later. Mike spent twelve years on the bench signing the orders that make an adoption final, and seven years before that as an Assistant Harris County Attorney handling the CPS cases that often lead a family to adoption in the first place.
Whether a family is just beginning an adoption or facing something unexpected after finalization, Mike brings judicial, prosecutorial, and child welfare insight to the case.
Who Mike Can Help
Mike represents families across the full range of Texas adoption matters, including:
- Stepparent adoption, where a spouse adopts a partner’s child
- Private and agency adoption, including domestic infant adoptions through a licensed agency
- Relative and kinship adoption, where a grandparent or other family member adopts a child already in their care
- Foster-to-adopt and CPS or DFPS adoption, finalizing an adoption after a child welfare case
- Adult adoption, formalizing a parent-child relationship with a person eighteen or older
- Recognition of out-of-state or international adoption orders under Texas law
Mike also works with Texas family law attorneys who need a consultant or co-counsel on a complicated adoption matter.
How Mike Approaches These Cases
- He identifies the right statutory path.
Before anything is filed, Mike determines which adoption path applies. Stepparent, agency, relative, and CPS-based adoptions each carry different prerequisites under the Texas Family Code, and choosing the wrong path early can cause problems later.
- He confirms every legal requirement.
Mike makes sure every requirement is met before finalization. That includes terminating any existing parent-child relationship, securing all required consents, and completing the adoption evaluation, commonly called a home study.
- He navigates adoptions that involve CPS.
Foster-to-adopt and relative adoptions out of the CPS system add another layer of agency requirements, caseworker involvement, and court oversight. Mike spent years on both sides of these cases, first as a Harris County CPS prosecutor and then as the judge presiding over them, so he knows how to keep the process moving.
- He anticipates challenges before they arise.
Contested consents, absent parents, and objections from relatives can stall or derail an adoption. Mike identifies these risks early and addresses them before they become obstacles at the finalization hearing.
- He builds an adoption that lasts.
Every filing is prepared with long-term durability in mind, so the finished adoption holds up well past the finalization hearing.
What Makes Mike More Than An Adoption Attorney
With decades of trial experience on every side of the bench and bar, and deep institutional knowledge of the agencies involved in child welfare and adoption cases, Mike Schneider has protected mothers, fathers, foster and adoptive parents, and grandparents.
Judge Mike Schneider (Ret.) has evaluated adoption petitions from the bench, worked the CPS cases that frequently precede a foster-to-adopt or relative adoption, and represented families defending a finalized adoption’s validity. His appointment as a child welfare researcher at Columbia University and his years advising the Texas Legislature on child welfare policy give him a systemic understanding of how adoption and termination law function in practice.
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
What Happens During an Adoption Case in Texas
Every Texas adoption requires the existing parent-child relationship with any other parent to be legally addressed before it can proceed, under Texas Family Code Chapter 161 and Section 162.001. In a stepparent adoption, this usually means the other biological parent consents or has already had their rights terminated. In a private, agency, or relative adoption, it typically follows an earlier termination proceeding, sometimes tied to a CPS case.
An adoption evaluation, also called a home study, is required. Once all prerequisites are met, the petitioner generally must attend the finalization hearing, and the court signs an adoption order that creates the parent-child relationship going forward.
Timelines vary by adoption type. A stepparent adoption with full cooperation can move in months, while a foster-to-adopt case depends on the underlying CPS case reaching the right point, and a relative adoption can take longer when consents are contested.
Press & News
Over the years, Mike’s involvement in countless high-profile cases has earned him national and global recognition in news and media:
What Happens When an Adoption Is Challenged After Finalization
Texas law strongly favors the finality of adoption, but a contested adoption can still surface years after the paperwork is signed. Cases of contested adoptions are where Mike’s background as a former judge and former CPS prosecutor matters most.
Two statutes govern most challenges to adoption validity. Section 162.012 bars any attack on an adoption order’s validity more than six months after signing, whether through a direct attack on adoption in the same proceeding, or a collateral attack on adoption through a separate lawsuit. Section 161.211 applies the same six-month limit to the termination order behind the adoption, and once that window closes, a challenge to an unrevoked relinquishment affidavit is limited to fraud, duress, or coercion in how it was signed.
Most challenges come from a biological parent claiming the relinquishment was coerced, a relative never properly notified of an earlier proceeding, or a CPS finding later called into question.
If someone is challenging your finalized adoption, waiting to see how serious the threat is can cost you the statutory protections built to protect your family. Follow these steps:
- Do not respond to the challenge without legal advice first. What you say can affect whether a court treats the matter as valid or already time-barred.
- Locate your original adoption and termination orders. The date they were signed determines which deadline applies.
- Contact an adoption attorney with judicial and CPS experience before your first hearing or deadline. Mike can help defend your adoption.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an adoption typically take in Texas?
A stepparent adoption with full cooperation can move in months, while a foster-to-adopt or contested relative adoption often takes longer.
Can a biological parent get a finalized adoption reversed?
Rarely. After the six-month window closes, a challenge is generally limited to fraud, duress, or coercion in how the relinquishment was signed.
Do foster parents need a different kind of attorney than families pursuing a private adoption?
Often, yes. A foster-to-adopt case carries a CPS history that can later become the basis for a challenge.
How long can an adoption be challenged in Texas?
Under Section 162.012, an adoption order generally cannot be attacked more than six months after it was signed, with a related limit on the termination order under Section 161.211.
Is Mike Schneider licensed to handle adoptions outside of Houston?
Yes. Mike is licensed throughout Texas and represents families statewide, working alongside local counsel where helpful.
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 someone 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.