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Michele Locke: A Former Judge Who Ran Both a Domestic Violence Court and a CPS Court

Before returning to private practice, Michele Locke served as an Associate Family Court Judge overseeing both a Domestic Violence Court — handling protective order applications, divorce, custody, and enforcement matters arising from those orders — and a Child Protective Services Court addressing child abuse cases. That’s a specific, dual judicial background most family law attorneys don’t have: she has sat on the bench deciding the exact category of cases she now litigates.

Origin and Background

Michele Little Locke has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 2002 — 23 years — and has 22 years of experience specifically in family law. Before returning to private practice, she served as an Associate Family Court Judge, where she oversaw a Domestic Violence Court specializing in protective order applications, divorce, custody, and child support enforcement matters arising from those orders, and separately led the Child Protective Services Court addressing child abuse cases. She left the bench in 2016 to return to private family law litigation. She is now a partner at Coldwell Bowes, L.L.P., an Austin divorce and family law firm.

Practice Concentration

Locke’s practice covers highly contested family law matters, drawing directly on her judicial experience with protective orders, domestic violence-adjacent custody disputes, and CPS-related cases — a specific concentration in the most legally and emotionally complex end of family law rather than routine, uncontested matters. For a broader comparison of Austin family law practices, see our Family Law & Divorce directory.

Notable Work / Track Record

As is standard for family law practices, the firm does not publish a comprehensive verdict table, since Texas family court outcomes are individualized and case records are frequently restricted from public access. Awesome Attorneys is disclosing that gap rather than substituting marketing language for it. What is independently verifiable is a specific, documented judicial record: years presiding over a Domestic Violence Court and a CPS Court, a background that gives her direct insight into how judges in these specific courts evaluate evidence and make decisions — insight a purely advocacy-side practitioner doesn’t have.

Client Voice

Locke holds an aggregated 5.0-star rating across 38 reviews on Avvo and Lawyers.com combined, with a “10.0 Superb” Avvo score. One client, describing a custody matter, wrote: “Because being cross-examined by her is not a pretty picture for the one sitting on the witness stand. My children and I will forever be in her debt.” Another wrote: “Michele helped me tremendously when I hired her for a child custody case. She is incredibly knowledgeable about Texas family law and has confidence in herself which really put me at ease when dealing with something so sensitive. She is caring, yet firm.” A peer attorney who served as opposing counsel on a matter endorsed her directly: “I endorse this lawyer. Michele is engaging, knowledgable, and a great advocate.” Awesome Attorneys did not identify negative reviews for this attorney in the course of research; given the review platforms searched and the size of the sample, this should be read as a genuinely strong signal.

Beyond the Courtroom

Locke’s tenure overseeing a CPS Court specifically means she has direct, first-hand experience with how child abuse allegations are evaluated and adjudicated from the bench — a perspective she now brings to representing parents navigating custody disputes that intersect with CPS involvement or domestic violence allegations, an area where the stakes and procedural complexity are especially high.

Recognition for This Austin Family Law Attorney

Peer-reviewed and third-party credentials: Avvo’s “Client’s Choice” award for multiple consecutive years (2016–2018) and a Martindale-Hubbell “Distinguished” peer-review rating. Awesome Attorneys did not identify Texas Board of Legal Specialization board certification documented for this attorney and is noting that directly, since several other firms in this directory’s Family Law category hold that specific credential — though Locke’s judicial background is itself an unusually direct, substantive credential distinct from board certification.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Protective orders — a specific area of Locke’s judicial and litigation background — are governed by Texas Family Code Title 4, which allows a court to issue orders restricting contact and, in some cases, removing a person from a shared residence, based on a finding that family violence has occurred and is likely to occur again; violating a protective order is a separate criminal offense under Texas Penal Code § 25.07. CPS-related custody matters intersect Texas Family Code provisions on conservatorship with the specific procedural framework governing Department of Family and Protective Services investigations and court involvement, which operates on a different timeline and evidentiary framework than a standard custody dispute between parents. None of this is legal advice; a specific protective order or CPS-related custody matter should be evaluated immediately by a licensed Texas attorney given how time-sensitive these matters typically are.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Locke’s clearest, most specific differentiator is genuine judicial experience presiding over exactly the category of high-stakes, high-complexity cases — domestic violence, protective orders, and CPS-related custody — that most family law attorneys handle only from the advocate’s side, combined with a large, consistently strong review record (38 reviews, 5.0 average). The honest trade-off is that Awesome Attorneys did not find TBLS board certification documented for this attorney, a credential several other firms in this directory’s Family Law category hold; her judicial background is a different, though substantively significant, form of demonstrated expertise. For a family law matter involving domestic violence, protective orders, or CPS intersection — precisely the specialized territory her judicial background covers — Locke’s specific experience is a strong, differentiated basis for a shortlist.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Coldwell Bowes LLP’s official website (coldwellbowes.com), Michele Locke’s Avvo attorney profile and aggregated review page, and independent directory listings. Client quotes and the peer endorsement are reproduced from publicly posted, attributed reviews.

Publisher Disclosure and Independence Notice

Awesome Attorneys is an independent legal directory and editorial publication. This profile was not paid for, commissioned, or reviewed by Michele Locke or Coldwell Bowes LLP prior to publication. Awesome Attorneys may in the future offer sponsored placement products to attorneys and firms, including this one, but sponsorship has no bearing on the editorial content, inclusion, or findings of this profile.