Karen L. Marvel

Karen Marvel began her legal career in 1987. She and partner Steven Sinkin are experts on back child support collection, the application of interest and enforcement in Texas.

Known for her articles and lectures, Karen writes and speaks extensively about child support for continuing legal education statewide. In 2008, she was named a family law and appellate Super Lawyer by Texas Super Lawyers magazine.

Client Work

Ms. Marvel focuses her client work on collecting child support for parents who divorced in the 1960s and 1970s.

Both Ms. Marvel and Mr. Sinkin successfully represented clients at courts of appeals and the Texas Supreme Court in a landmark case that helped change the law on child support collection and the application of interest on child support. The law now allows collection of past-due child support, with interest, no matter when the parties divorced.

Professional History

  • Partner, Sinkin & Marvel, 2007-present
  • Associate and partner at Sinkin & Barretto, P.L.L.C., 1997-2007
  • Staff Attorney, Bexar County Domestic Relations Office, 1994-97
  • Solo Practice, Karen L. Marvel, Attorney at Law, 1989-94
  • Associate at Heard, Goggan, Blair & Williams, 1987-89

Bar & Court Admission

  • Texas, 1987
  • Board Certified, Family Law - Texas Board of Legal Specialization

Professional Memberships & Activities

Publications, Presentations & Recognitions

  • Dividing Assets with Fluctuating Values: Slicing the Pie on a SeeSaw Webcast, panelist, 2009, State Bar of Texas
  • Creative Ways to Collect & Defend Child Support Claims, 2009 Marriage Dissolution Institute
  • Money Matters (with Steven Sinkin & Ruth Lown), Extreme Family Law Makeover 2009, SA Bar Assoc. Family Law Section
  • Unique Child Support Remedies Webcast, paper author and panelist, 2009, State Bar of Texas
  • Dealing with Children with Special Needs (with Sally Holt Emerson), 2008 Marriage Dissolution Institute
  • Setting & Collecting Child Support (with Hon. Conrad Moren), 2007 State Bar of Texas annual meeting
  • Case Law Update, 2007 Extreme Divorce Practice Makeover V!
  • Collecting on Divorce Judgments, 2006 Extreme Family Law Practice Makeover IV!
  • Getting Blood from a Turnip, March 2005 Corpus Christi Bar Association Family Law Seminar
  • Getting the Child Support Paid (with Steven Sinkin), March 2005 Extreme Family Law Practice Makeover!
  • Enforcing Visitation & Support (with H.E. Mendez), 2004 Advanced Family Law Course
  • Dealing with the Attorney General (author and panelist), January 2003 San Antonio Family Lawyers Association
  • New Trends in Child Support Collection, July 2002 San Antonio Bar Association Family Law Section
  • Working Against (and with) the Office of the Attorney General and in the IV-D Court (author and panelist), July 2001 San Antonio Bar Association Family Law Section
  • Case Law Update, 1998 Texas Association of Domestic Relations Offices 14th annual meeting and seminar
  • Case Law Update, 1997 Texas Association of Domestic Relations Offices 13th annual meeting and seminar
  • Legislative Issues & Top Ten Child Support Mistakes, October 1995 Mexican American Bar Association
  • Course co-director (with Charles E. Hardy), Extreme Family Law Makeover! seminars sponsored by SA Bar Association Family Law Section – 2005, 2007-2008
  • Course director, seminars sponsored by San Antonio Bar Association Family Law Section:
  • 2004 Extreme Divorce Practice Makeover!
  • 2003 Techniques & Strategies for Trying Custody Cases on a Budget
  • Course director, 1997 Texas Association of Domestic Relations Offices 13th annual meeting and seminar
  • Contributing editor, O’Connor’s Family Law Handbook 2009 (child support enforcement), November 2008
  • Contributing editor, How to Do Your Own Divorce in Texas, Nolo Press-Occidental, 1993–2001
  • Essay featured in Women Attorneys Speak Out! by Judi Craig, Ph.D., MCC, (Thomson-West 2008)
  • State Bar Pro Bono Law Project speaker, September 2005 Eagle Pass; June 2007 Kerrville; September 2007 Big Spring

Honors & Recognitions

  • Texas Super Lawyer 2009
  • 2008 Family Law and Appellate Texas Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers magazine
  • Listed in San Antonio’s Best Lawyers — Family Law, Scene in SA magazine 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005
  • Martindale-Hubbell peer-review rated among select lawyers recognized for very high levels of professional standards of conduct, ethics, reliability and diligence
  • 2005 President’s Award of Excellence, San Antonio Bar Association Family Law Section

Significant Cases

  • In Re M.C.C., 142 S.W.3d 504 (Tex. 2006) [legislative amendments to statutes apply prospectively; interest rate on child support is rate in effect at time obligation accrued until 1/1/2002, thereafter 6% simple interest on all balances not reduced to money judgment]
  • In the Interest of S.C.S. 48 S.W.3d 831 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] 2001) pet. denied per curiam, sub. nom. Sprouse v. Sprouse, 92 S.W.3d 502 (Tex. 2002) (with Steven Sinkin) [time periods for securing child support judgments are jurisdictional – legislature may extend time for a remedy]
  • In the Interest of D.T., No. 12-05-00420-CV, 2007 WL 4465250 (Tex. App.– Tyler 2007, no pet.) [child support lien reaches community property retirement of new spouse when lien was perfected before divorce and new spouse does not raise evidence of his/her interest)
  • In the Interest of A.D., 73 S.W. 3d 244 (Tex. 2002) (co-author, amicus curiae brief) [time periods for securing writs of withholding in child support are jurisdictional; the order adjudicating the obligation is the judgment; legislature may extend time periods for trial courts to enforce their judgments]

Education

  • Texas Tech University School of Law, J.D., 1987
  • McMurry University, B.A. in English (Writing) and Psychology, 1984

Community Involvement

  • Autism Society of Greater San Antonio, board member, volunteer general counsel, 2005–present
  • GOLD (Giving Opportunities for Leadership Development) Youth Leadership Foundation, program chair 2003, board of directors 2003–present, general counsel to nonprofit corporation
  • First Presbyterian Church, San Antonio, Godly Play teacher 2005–present
  • Harmony Hills Elementary PTA board member 2007–present
  • Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership, West Texas Leadership Seminar, leadership training program for high school sophomores: senior staff, 1992–2002; corporate board 1994–2002; board president 1994–99