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Cristi Trusler: One of Only 43 Texas Attorneys Double Board Certified in Family Law and Child Welfare Law

Family Law board certification is a specific, defined credential. Child Welfare Law is a separate one. Holding both simultaneously is rare enough that Trusler’s own materials cite a specific number: only 43 attorneys in Texas hold this exact double certification. That’s a narrow, verifiable claim rather than a vague superlative, and it reflects genuine depth in cases where family law intersects with child protection concerns.

Origin and Background

Cristi Trusler earned her J.D. from Georgetown University in 1996 and her B.G.S. from Texas Tech University in 1993. She began her career in banking and intellectual property law at Jenkens & Gilchrist in Dallas and Silver Freedman & Taff in Washington, D.C., before practicing at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr in Austin. She founded Trusler Legal, PLLC in June 2001 and has practiced family law for more than 24 years since. She is double board certified in Family Law and Child Welfare Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — a combination held by only 43 Texas attorneys — and holds a Masters-level certification in Collaborative Divorce from Collaborative Divorce Texas, as a member of that organization’s inaugural certified class. She co-founded Collaborative Divorce Austin. She is licensed to practice in Texas, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

Practice Concentration

The firm practices family law with two structural tracks: collaborative law (settlement-first, out-of-court resolution) and traditional litigation for cases that require it. Trusler’s substantial experience includes divorce, custody, high-conflict family law (including parental alienation dynamics), intimate partner violence-related matters, business divorces, and complex-asset estates. 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.

Client Voice

Trusler’s review record is genuinely mixed, and Awesome Attorneys is presenting that directly rather than selecting only favorable sources. Positive reviews are substantial and specific: one client wrote, “I HIGHLY recommend Cristi Trusler for family law, particularly custody cases,” describing months of dedicated work from Trusler and her paralegal to convey case facts in court; another described a smooth, cost-effective collaborative divorce after 30 years of marriage, calling it “a better divorce experience.” However, Awesome Attorneys also located two specific, detailed negative reviews on the firm’s Birdeye profile that warrant direct disclosure rather than omission. One client, describing a 2019–2021 case, wrote that Trusler “went on several vacations” during the matter, that the client “worked with her paralegal more than I spoke with her,” and that Trusler recommended hiring a private investigator despite the client’s limited funds. A second client wrote that they spent $7,500 on a custody matter with “no positive outcome,” that the case never reached court, and that they achieved better results after switching to a different attorney. Awesome Attorneys did not identify a pattern suggesting billing dishonesty or ethical misconduct in these reviews — they describe dissatisfaction with accessibility and case outcomes rather than allegations of overbilling or deception — and is treating this as a disclosable negative rather than a disqualifying pattern, consistent with two otherwise-positive review platforms (Super Lawyers-adjacent sources and Avvo) and a larger 25-review Birdeye base that skews positive overall.

Beyond the Courtroom

Trusler is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists and the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and has taken on organizational leadership roles specifically advancing the practice and public understanding of collaborative law in Texas. She is a published author of practical guides on the divorce process.

Recognition for This Austin Family Law Attorney

Peer-reviewed and third-party credentials: double board certification in Family Law and Child Welfare Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization — a combination held by only 43 Texas attorneys; Masters-level Collaborative Divorce certification as an inaugural class member; and recognition as a Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly Magazine. Austin Monthly’s Top Attorneys recognition is a separate, additional distinction Awesome Attorneys notes apart from the TBLS certifications above.

Texas Legal Backdrop

Child Welfare Law — one half of Trusler’s double certification — governs cases involving Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement, abuse or neglect allegations, and termination of parental rights, an area with entirely separate procedural rules and much shorter statutory deadlines than standard family law under Texas Family Code Title 5. Collaborative law, the firm’s primary structural approach, is formally recognized under Texas Family Code Chapter 15, which requires both parties and their attorneys to sign a collaborative law participation agreement committing to resolve the matter without court intervention, with specific consequences (including the attorneys’ disqualification from continuing to represent their clients) if the case later proceeds to litigation. None of this is legal advice; a specific child welfare or collaborative divorce matter should be evaluated by a licensed Texas attorney based on the actual facts involved.

Awesome Attorneys Assessment

Trusler’s clearest, most specific differentiator is a genuinely rare double board certification — held by only 43 Texas attorneys — combined with more than two decades of both collaborative and litigation experience and specific depth in cases where family law and child welfare concerns intersect. The honest trade-off, disclosed directly above rather than omitted, is a mixed review record: alongside substantial positive testimonials, two specific negative reviews describe accessibility concerns and dissatisfaction with case outcomes relative to fees paid. Awesome Attorneys did not find these reviews to allege ethical or billing misconduct, but a prospective client — particularly one with a contested, high-stakes custody matter — should weigh this disclosed friction directly and ask specifically about attorney availability and case staffing before retaining. For a family specifically seeking collaborative, settlement-first resolution or a case involving child welfare complexity — Trusler’s specific dual specialization — her credentials remain a strong basis for consideration, alongside the direct disclosure above.

Methodology and Sourcing

This profile was researched from Trusler Legal PLLC’s official website (betterdivorceaustin.com) and Collaborative Divorce Austin’s site, Cristi Trusler’s Super Lawyers, TAFLS, Avvo, and FindLaw attorney profiles, and the firm’s Birdeye review page. Negative reviews are reproduced from publicly posted, attributed reviews and are disclosed directly rather than omitted.

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 Cristi Trusler or Trusler Legal, PLLC 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.