Karen Bryson

About Karen Bryson

Clients who want to resolve family law matters thoughtfully and strategically turn to Karen Bryson. A family law attorney with Goranson Bain Ausley, Karen helps clients navigate divorce, child custody, premarital agreements, and other family law matters with a focus on practical solutions tailored to their circumstances. She has been recognized early in her career by Best Lawyers, D Magazine, and Super Lawyers.

Karen believes the best family law solutions are shaped around the people who will live with them. She takes time to understand what matters most to each client, explains the available paths forward, and develops a strategy around the client’s goals rather than assuming every case should follow the same course. Whenever possible, she helps clients reach creative, workable agreements that give them greater control over decisions affecting their children, property, and future.

Karen also brings experience to matters involving contested custody, family violence, and high-conflict dynamics. Her work includes securing protective orders, developing parenting plans, and resolving disputes over conservatorship and possession. A psychology graduate whose early career included legal aid and victims’ services, Karen brings an understanding of family dynamics to these sensitive matters.

Trained in Collaborative Divorce and mediation, Karen helps clients understand the different ways their matter can be resolved—from negotiation and mediation to Collaborative Divorce and litigation. She seeks constructive resolution when it serves the client’s goals and prepares thoroughly for court when a case needs to be decided there.

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What Sets Her Apart

• Solutions Tailored to the Client. Karen begins with what matters most to each client and develops a strategy around their circumstances, priorities, and goals for what comes next. 
• Constructive, Strategic Approach. Trained in Collaborative Divorce and mediation, Karen helps clients consider negotiation and other constructive processes while preparing for court when litigation is necessary.
• Experience in Difficult Family Dynamics. Karen’s background serving crime victims and vulnerable families informs her work in contested custody, family violence, and high-conflict matters.
• Psychology Background. A cum laude psychology graduate of Howard University, Karen brings an understanding of family dynamics to the sensitive decisions clients face.
• Clear Guidance and Client Control. Karen helps clients understand their options so they can make informed decisions and retain meaningful control over outcomes wherever possible.
• Serving Families in Dallas and North Texas. Karen practices from Goranson Bain Ausley’s Dallas office, representing families across the region.

Practice Focus

Karen brings the same client-first, conflict-aware approach to each of the matters she takes on:

• Divorce. Across negotiated, contested, and collaborative divorce, Karen helps clients understand their options, set realistic expectations, and pursue solutions suited to their circumstances and goals.
• Child Custody and Parenting Schedules. Informed by her psychology training, Karen helps parents develop parenting arrangements that support children’s stability and work for the realities of family life.
• Premarital Agreements. Karen helps clients approach premarital agreements thoughtfully, working through financial and family considerations to create agreements tailored to their circumstances and future plans. 
• Family Partner Violence and Divorce. Drawing on her background representing crime victims, Karen helps clients address safety concerns, secure protective orders, and develop appropriate parenting arrangements.
• Modification and Enforcement. Karen represents parents who need to revisit an existing order as circumstances change or enforce one when its terms are not being followed.

Recognition and Credentials

Karen has been named to The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch (2024 and 2025), D Magazine’s Dallas Best Lawyers Under 40 (2025), and included in Super Lawyers Rising Stars by Thomson Reuters (2025).

She is an active member of the Dallas legal community, including the Dallas Bar Association’s Family Law Section, the Texas Young Lawyers Association, Collaborative Divorce Texas, and the Dallas Women Lawyers Association.

Beyond the Practice

Karen’s interest in family law took root in college, where she worked with vulnerable children — an experience that drew her toward a career improving the outlook for families and children facing serious legal challenges. She mentors aspiring law students and stays active outside the office, playing tennis and making time for swimming, hiking, travel, and art.