Melody Petitt
Serving Families Throughout McKinneyBio
Melody Petitt is a 20-year lawyer who focuses her entire practice on family law. What she enjoys most about being a lawyer is that it allows her to meet and help a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds with varied life experiences. She also enjoys fighting hard for her clients’ interests and solving their very real-world problems. Melody understands that a family law case is a time of high stress and anxiety. This is why she approaches her clients and their situations with the compassion and personal attention she would want in the same circumstances, building trust with her clients and always being honest with them. As a mother herself, Melody has a passion for helping families in their time of need with insight and integrity. Her goal is to provide clients with an accurate legal analysis of the facts and laws relevant to their situations so they can make informed decisions.
Of working with Melody, many clients have given her five-star positive reviews, including saying, “Melody jumped on my case and took the time to really understand my situation and what we were dealing with. She took the time to educate me on the law and how it applied in my situation, whether it was something I wanted to hear or not. The law is the law. She knew how to deal with the opposing party. Strategy was the key, and she was prepared for anything. She earned my trust and with that trust, she helped make this process tolerable. Most importantly, she was able to get my case wrapped up in a timely manner with a desirable outcome. An outcome that would not have been possible otherwise. I highly recommend Melody Petitt.”
Melody is a trial lawyer who has experience at every stage of litigation, from negotiating pretrial to handling lawsuits and on through the appeals process, when applicable. She successfully owned and operated her own firm in Beaumont, Texas for 14 years. In this position, she negotiated and tried many cases throughout the southeast region of Texas. Now she runs her own law firm again in McKinney, Texas. Prior to opening her own firm, Melody worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the Child Support Division of the Texas Attorney General’s office.
She graduated from Texas A&M University, Commerce with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government in 1998. Subsequently, she obtained her law degree from Baylor University School of Law in 2001. During law school, Melody was selected for inclusion in the Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society.
Melody has been recognized by her legal industry peers with a Distinguished Rating by Martindale-Hubbell in 2023, as well as by her clients with the Avvo Clients’ Choice Award in 2021. Melody is a member of the Dallas County Bar Association, Collin County Bar Association, Collin County Attorney Moms, Texas Bar College, and State Bar of Texas, Family Law Section.
She and her husband Wayne have three children. During her free time, Melody enjoys reading and fostering rescue dogs.
Bar Admissions
- Texas, 2002
- United States District Court for the Eastern Districts of Texas, 2002
Professional Associations
- Texas Bar College
- State Bar of Texas
- Family Law Section
- Collin County Attorney Moms
- Collin County Bar Association
- Dallas County Bar Association
- Jefferson County Bar Association, Former Member
Professional Awards
- Melody Petitt received the Avvo Client’s Choice Award by Avvo in 2021.
- Melody Petitt was named on the 2023 Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished Rating list by Martindale-Hubbell.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Anti-SLAPP, Collin County Bar Association Family Law Section, 2021
- What Family Lawyers Need to Know About Texas Anti-SLAPP Laws, Texas Family Law Insiders Podcast, 2021
- Wise Women Divorce Better Workshop, 2017
- Entrepreneurs Summit, Dallas Women Entrepreneurs, 2017
- Polishing Your Practice Skills: Preparing an Inventory & Appraisement, Jefferson County Bar Association, 2013
Awards
Education
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Baylor University School of Law Juris Doctorate, Harvey M. Richey Moot Court Society - Graduate SchoolWaco , TX 2001
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Texas A&M University - Commerce Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government, Kappa Delta Sorority - Undergraduate School1998
Hear From Our Happy Clients
At Petitt Family Law, your satisfaction is our priority! See for yourself what our clients have to say about working with us.
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Thank you so much for all of your help! You and your team have been great and a huge help in aiding me to navigate through those difficult times. I’m glad it is finally over and I’m happy I had such an amazing team in my corner!- Ben
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Excellent, professional and knowledgeable staff. Always ready to serve your family law requests.- Ross
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Responsive, efficient, so knowledgeable about the law and what you need to get through the process. Melody and Stacy are a dynamic pair that you can trust to have your best interests in mind always. Love them.- Kayti
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Melody Petitt handled my case quickly and thoroughly. I was so happy with her dedication to keeping my family and I safe and getting the proper legal measures in order. She was able to get my Protective Order filed and eventually won while keeping me informed and confident through the whole thing. I would highly recommend her to anyone.- Anonymous
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You don’t know what you don’t know. However, you do know when something is not working out. With that said, I went through a couple of attorneys before being represented by Melody Petitt and that made all the difference.
I will start off saying that the divorce process is like a game. And the law is the rule book, which is a constant that does not change. Where the game gets interesting are the players involved, petitioner, respondent and legal team. Every case is unique, yet some attorneys approach the process as if it’s all the same. However, in my case, we were dealing with a high conflict personality; and, it cannot be taken lightly. Unlike my prior attorneys, Melody jumped on my case and took the time to really understand my situation and what we were dealing with. She took the time to educate me on the law and how it applied in my situation, whether it was something I wanted to hear or not. The law is the law. She knew how to deal with the opposing party. Strategy was the key, and she was prepared for anything. She earned my trust and with that trust, she help make this process tolerable. Most importantly, she was able to get my case wrapped up in a timely manner with a desirable outcome. An outcome that would not have been possible otherwise. I highly recommend Melody Petitt.
- Dai -
When Melody took over my case, it was going nowhere, the previous attorney had done nothing for months but allow opposing counsel to stall, allowing my case to become dormant, luckily that attorney left the firm. When Melody took over she immediately began filing motions, requesting documents that previously had been denied. The outcome of my case was not all I’d hoped for, but Melody made sure I was able to maximize and make the best out of a bad situation. She was always honest, forthright, and meticulous in her handling of the case. She even pushed for the firm to credit my account for work that the previous attorney had not completed. If you want integrity, honesty, and hard work, definitely hire Melody Petitt as your counsel.- Tomas
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Melody handled my case with care & logic. She challenged me when I was leading with emotional rather than logic, and understood when she needed to pull back. She was an excellent partner through the whole process, and I have already recommended her to others.- Anonymous
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As a single father living in a different state, Melody was knowledgeable about Family Law regarding my specific circumstance. She was personable and well versed in jurisdictional law in Texas and interprets the law similarly to the Court. Melody was respectful of my want to minimize cost but did not cut corners either. Melody and her staff was was communicative throughout the process. You will not find a better attorney than Melody Petitt!- Darryl