⸺ On this page
1. Attorney profile
2. Our approach
3. Fees & what it costs
4. Client reviews
5. Frequently asked questions
Attorney profile
Jireh Davis, J.D., MBA
Attorney and Mediator · Founder, J. Davis Law & Mediation, PLLC
I started this firm because I kept meeting people who had put off estate planning for years — not because they did not care, but because every lawyer they had talked to made them feel small. They left those meetings with a quote and no real understanding of what they were buying.
That is not how this works. I explain what you need in language that makes sense, tell you what it will cost before we begin — including whether flat-fee pricing is right for your matter — and tell you honestly when you do not need to hire me at all. That last one happens more often than you would expect, and it is part of the job.
I am also a trained mediator. In a family disagreement over an estate, a business, or a guardianship, that training changes the first question from “what do we file” to “can this be solved at a table.” Often it can, and it costs a family far less when it is.
Practice areas
Estate planning · probate · estate and probate litigation, including guardianship · business law · real estate.
Where we practice
Houston and Harris County, plus Fort Bend, Montgomery, Tarrant, and Dallas Counties and the surrounding areas.
Board certification. Jireh Davis is not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Descriptions of practice areas on this website describe the kinds of matters the firm handles, not certification or special competence recognized by the Board.
Our approach
01
Talk it through
A 15-minute call. Tell us what is going on. We tell you plainly whether you need a lawyer, what it involves, and what it costs.
02
Build the plan
Scope and pricing agreed before we start. We draft in language you can actually read, then walk you through it until you can explain it back.
03
Finish it properly
Signed, witnessed, notarized, recorded, or filed — whatever the matter requires — and clear instructions for whoever will need them later.
What you can expect
- Plain English.If you cannot explain your own documents back to us, we have not finished.
- Pricing before work.No estimate that quietly grows. Ask whether flat-fee pricing fits your matter.
- Honest scoping.Including when the answer is that you do not need us, or that the amount in dispute does not justify the fight.
- A lawyer who answers.You will not be handed to someone you have never met.
- Mediation before litigationwherever a dispute can genuinely be resolved that way.
- Accessibility.Video meetings where the law allows, and accommodations on request — see our accessibility statement
Fees & what it costs
Most people asking what a lawyer costs in Texas are really asking two things: will I be able to afford this, and will the number change. Here is how we answer both.
You get the number before work begins
After the consult we tell you the scope and the price. If the matter is one where flat-fee pricing makes sense, we quote it. If it is not, we explain why and how it will be billed instead. Either way you decide with a real number in front of you.
Where flat fees fit — and where they don’t
| Matter type | Flat fee? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wills and core estate planning documents | Often a good fit | Defined scope, predictable work |
| Deeds and title transfers | Often a good fit | Discrete deliverable |
| Muniment of title, uncontested | Often a good fit | One hearing, known steps |
| Business formation and company agreements | Often a good fit | Defined at the outset |
| Trademark applications | Sometimes | Government fees are separate and per class |
| Full administrations | Depends | Turns on creditors, assets, and cooperation |
| Contested probate and estate litigation | Generally not | Neither side controls the timeline |
| Contested guardianship | Generally not | Same reason |
Costs that are not our fee
Court filing fees, citation and publication costs, certified copies, recording fees, notary and witness costs, appraisals, attorney ad litem fees in an heirship, bond premiums in a dependent administration, and government fees such as the Texas Secretary of State’s $300 LLC filing fee or USPTO trademark fees starting at $350 per class. We identify the ones that apply to you up front so the total is not a surprise.
The consult is fifteen minutes. No obligation and no pressure. If what you need is a fifteen-minute answer rather than a lawyer, that is a fine outcome and it happens regularly.
Client reviews
About these reviews. Client comments reflect the experience of those individuals and are not a guarantee of any result. They are used with permission and are not paid endorsements. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jireh Davis?
A Texas-licensed attorney and trained mediator, and the founder of J. Davis Law & Mediation, PLLC in Houston. She holds a J.D. and an MBA, and her practice covers estate planning, probate, estate and probate litigation, business law, and real estate for families and owners across Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Tarrant, and Dallas Counties.
Is the firm board certified?
No. Jireh Davis is not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and no lawyer at the firm is board certified in any area of practice. Descriptions of the firm’s practice areas describe the kinds of matters handled; they are not claims of certification or of special competence recognized by the Board.
What does it cost to work with you?
You will know before any work begins. Some matters are a good fit for flat-fee pricing and some are not — ask whether flat-fee pricing is right for yours. Planning work is frequently flat-fee; contested litigation generally is not, because neither party controls the timeline. Nothing on this website is a quote for a particular matter.
What happens in the first consultation?
It is fifteen minutes, with no obligation. It is long enough to understand your situation, tell you what it involves, and tell you what it would cost. Sometimes the answer is that you do not need a lawyer, and we say that too.
Can we meet by video?
Most of it, yes. Consults and planning meetings work well by video or phone. Texas requires wills to be signed in the physical presence of two witnesses, so the signing appointment happens in person — we make that one visit as easy as possible.
What does it mean that you're a mediator?
Mediation is formal training in helping parties resolve a dispute without a courtroom. Practically, it changes the first question in a contested matter from “what do we file” to “is there a resolution everyone could live with.” In family disputes over an estate, a business, or a guardianship, that question frequently saves years and a great deal of money.
Related pages
Practice Areas
All five areas, and how they overlap.
Texas Probate Guide
The full walkthrough, free to read.
Video Library
Short answers to the questions we get most.