Paralegals

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  Shelley Boman

  Shelley Boman has been a paralegal for partner John Van Ness since 2014. She has been a paralegal for 23 years and has a background in criminal, probate and family law. Shelley has experience assisting attorneys with client communications, drafting, discovery, mediation, hearing and trial preparation.

  Shelley is married to Steven Boman, former Marine and attorney. They live in Houston, have two adult children and two rescue dogs. Their son is a paratrooper serving in the 82^ND Airborne, United States Army and is currently deployed overseas – HOOAH! Their daughter is currently a student at the University of Houston – GO COOGS!
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  TJ Mitchell

  TJ Mitchell has worked for partner John Van Ness since 2016. She has been a paralegal since 1985 working in family law and real estate law. She has extensive courtroom experience. She assists attorneys in client interviews, drafting, research, discovery, mediation, hearing, and trial preparation.

  She joined the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division in 1991, is a member of the Houston Paralegal Association and guest lecturer for the Rice University Paralegal Program. She is a former licensed title examiner and former planning and zoning commissioner. She received the Governor’s Excellence Award for her work on Tropical Storm Alison.

  TJ resides with her husband in Deer Park, Texas. She is an avid cyclist and Houston Astros fan.
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  Betsy Gonzalez

  Betsy Gonzalez joined Lilly & Van Ness, L.L.P. in June 2021. Betsy has been working in family law for over nineteen years. Additionally, Betsy has thirteen years of legal experience in the areas of real estate, criminal, immigration, bankruptcy, and simple estate planning. Such exposure to such vast subject matters has helped Betsy tremendously, as family law touches so many other areas of the law.

  Betsy uses her considerable multitasking skills and customer service experience to help families in transition by providing detailed support to the attorneys and her clients. From complex litigation cases to simple uncontested divorces, she is involved from beginning to end. Betsy assists clients by providing regular contact and meaningful updates, managing the discovery process, drafting pleadings and correspondence, and is integral in preparing for mediations, depositions, hearings, and trials. Betsy enjoys working closely with people and gets the most joy from the feeling of helping clients through a challenging time in their lives.

  As a native of Mexico, Betsy is fluent in Spanish. Betsy has been married for 20 years. Her husband is in the Oil and Gas industry and is an industrial firefighter. Together, Betsy and her husband have a son who just graduated High School and is now starting college.
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  Payton Walker

  Payton Walker has worked for Lilly & Van Ness since 2018. Payton received her Paralegal Studies Certificate from The University of Houston – Clear Lake in 2018. As a paralegal for the firm, Payton assists the attorneys in a variety of ways. She communicates with clients, prepares for trials, performs legal research, and attends mediations and depositions. She assists clients from the start of the case, through the case’s conclusion. Payton has a passion for helping clients feel as comfortable as is possible during the difficult process of family law litigation.

  Payton moved to Houston from Iowa nine years ago. Go Hawks! She lives in Pearland with her fiancé, their six-year-old son, their dog, and their leopard gecko. During her free time, Payton enjoys boating on the lake, reading, and working out.