Board Certified Paralegal in Family Law

Kelly Dearborn is a Board-Certified Paralegal in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, one of a small number of paralegals in Texas to hold that credential. She works in the Coker, Robb & Cannon office in Fort Worth, where she has spent approximately a decade focused on family law litigation across Tarrant County, Parker County, and the broader North Texas region.

Board certification in family law isn't something most paralegals pursue. The process requires demonstrated achievement in the field, significant continuing education, and passage of a comprehensive examination covering the full breadth of Texas family law. For Kelly, it was the natural next step in a career she has built deliberately, starting with foundational cases in Parker County before moving into the more complex litigation environment of Tarrant County courts.

A Financial Background That Changes Cases

What sets Kelly apart from most paralegals is her Master of Science in Taxation from National Juris University. Tax law and family law overlap more often than people expect, and having someone on the legal team who understands that overlap can change the outcome of a case.

In one case, Kelly was reviewing discovery when she identified that the opposing party, the owner of a separate property corporation, had accumulated nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in retained earnings rather than taking distributions or bonuses. By keeping those funds in the business, he was effectively shielding them from the community estate. Kelly brought the issue to the attorney, and they presented it at final trial. The judge found the opposing party had acted fraudulently and awarded the client the entirety of the marital estate.

That kind of detail can be missed. Kelly finds it.

In complex property and high-net-worth cases, she works alongside valuation experts, CPAs, financial planners, and real estate appraisers to make sure clients and attorneys have everything they need. She has handled cases involving businesses with multiple entity structures, professional practices, deferred compensation packages, stock options, and real estate portfolios spanning dozens of parcels across Texas.

North Texas Courts Take Local Knowledge

After ten years of practice in North Texas, Kelly understands something that surprises many new clients: the courts here are not interchangeable. Within Tarrant County alone, different courts operate differently. Judges have their own preferences about how hearings run, what kinds of relief they will grant, and how they expect attorneys to present cases. Knowing those preferences before walking in the door allows the team to tailor their approach from the start.

Kelly has also built relationships with court coordinators and staff over the years, relationships grounded in professionalism and reliability. When the Coker, Robb & Cannon team asks for something, court staff know there is a good reason for it. That kind of standing gets results, particularly in situations where flexibility matters.

She also notes that larger counties like Tarrant County are still managing case backlogs that built up during the COVID-19 era, and that understanding how to navigate those timelines is part of serving clients well.

The Human Side of the Work

Family law cases are not just legal proceedings. They involve people's lives, their children, their finances, and their futures, often at one of the most stressful points they will ever experience. Kelly takes that seriously.

She is known for being a steady and responsive presence throughout a case. Clients can reach her, she knows their case in detail, and she can answer questions without putting them on hold to search for their file. She describes herself as a human repository for case information: attorneys rely on her for the details; clients rely on her for clarity and reassurance.

When clients call frustrated or upset, Kelly lets them be heard before moving forward. She believes that understanding what a client is feeling is part of giving good guidance, and that a legal team's job is to move the case forward and make sure clients feel supported while doing it.

Beyond family law, Kelly's experience includes fiduciary litigation, probate, and commercial litigation in both Texas state and federal court. That broader background helps her spot issues in family law cases that might not be immediately obvious, particularly when cases touch on estate matters, business disputes, or guardianship questions.

Education and Professional Involvement

Kelly earned her Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies and Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies, both cum laude, from National Paralegal College, and her Master of Science in Taxation from National Juris University. She received her board certification while at Coker, Robb & Cannon, where the firm actively supported her pursuit of the credential.

She is involved in the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division, the Texas Bar College, the Tarrant County Probate Bar Association, and the Parker County Bar Association. The firm also runs a continuing legal education program that includes monthly CLE lunches and quarterly reviews of notable family law cases on appeal, keeping the entire team current on changes in legislation and case law.

For Kelly, staying current isn't an obligation. It's how she makes sure her clients are getting the best the field has to offer.