David Garver

judyrittslaw@yahoo.com

Since I have a technology background, it frequently surprises other attorneys that I chose family law over some form of corporate work.  Law is a second career for me. My first was as a systems analyst and chemical engineer, and I enjoyed most of it very much. However, after over 25 years of doing it, I found myself becoming more and more unhappy with doing work which didn’t seem to have much direct impact on real people who were living real lives.

After a long period of trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, I came to law for two main reasons. One is that sense of needing to feel like I’m contributing solutions to real problems. The second is that it is a profession I can continue to enjoy for years and years.  Law is a fascinating field because people are fascinating, and the law is one of the ways that people have developed for trying to get along with each other. Naturally, I think it’s one of the most important ways!

If someone comes to us for help, it’s because something is not right with their life. People do not go to lawyers, especially family lawyers, because their life is great and they want to help keep things the way they are. We consult with them when times are tough, and they’re under a lot of stress. My approach is always to try to bring a calm approach to getting all the right information so that I can help our clients determine what’s best for them, even if that’s not necessarily what they most want. Every client has individual hopes and fears, dreams and aspirations. My job as a lawyer is to understand what you want and what you need to have, while working to make sure that you understand what is and is not possible given the laws we all live under.

I got married in my 40’s and have not experienced the trauma of divorce. I also have not had the joy and frustration of raising my own children, although my wife has both a son and a granddaughter, so I get a lot of it by contact. This means I may not directly understand what you’re feeling. It also means that I can bring some objectivity to the situation because I won’t be reading any of my own experience into your pain. I’ll always try to focus on helping you to get to the best solution for the rest of your life, rather than what might be most satisfying at this very moment.

In my free time, of which I never feel I have enough, I enjoy science fiction, and I dabble in philosophy.

Education
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 1976
M.S. Computer Science, Texas A&M University, 1977
M.S. Finance, University of Houston – Clear Lake, 1996
J.D. South Texas College of Law, 2008

Employment

2010 - Present	The Law Office of Judy Ritts - Associate Attorney
2010	Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program - Sr. HGAC Attorney
2009 - 2010	The Law Office of David R. Garver - Solo Practitioner
2002 - 2006	Houston Municipal Employees Pension System - Developer
2001 - 2002	MBM Advisors, Inc. - Developer
1977 - 2001	The Dow Chemical Company - Systems Engineer, Lead Application Specialist