Meet Barrett Thomas
Attorney and Mediator
The Journey to CFLS
Barrett Thomas didn't start his career planning to become a family mediator. His path to founding Christian Family Law Solutions is a story of experience, awakening, and ultimately, a faith-driven calling to do better for families.
Today, Barrett combines his legal expertise with faith-based compassion to help Central Texas families avoid the trauma and expense of litigation.
At a Glance
Barrett's Career Journey
Police Officer
Barrett began his professional life in law enforcement, earning both a Master's Peace Officer and Instructor's Certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. This experience gave him investigative skills and a front-row seat to how family conflict impacts communities.
Prosecutor: First Assistant District Attorney
After law school at Texas Tech University, Barrett became a prosecutor, eventually rising to First Assistant District Attorney. He specialized in prosecuting cases involving crimes against women and children.
The turning point: Barrett noticed many victims had significant civil legal needs—custody disputes, protective orders, divorces—but no one was helping them navigate those issues.
Private Practice: Building Lighthouse Legal Services
Determined to help families on the civil side of the law, Barrett left prosecution and co-founded Lighthouse Legal Services, PLLC. The firm grew rapidly—expanding to six offices across Texas with over 20 employees and representing thousands of family law clients.
Barrett was successful by traditional measures: SuperLawyer® for multiple years, "Best in Waco" for six consecutive years, Outstanding Young Alumnus from Hardin-Simmons University, and the G.O.L.D. award from Texas Tech Law School.
Litigation's Hidden Cost
But success came with a cost that kept Barrett up at night.
Year after year, he watched as well-meaning parents spent $30,000, $50,000, even $100,000 fighting in court. He saw children caught in the crossfire—forced to testify, subjected to evaluations, watching their parents battle in front of strangers.
He saw relationships destroyed beyond repair, not because people were bad, but because the adversarial litigation process made cooperation nearly impossible. Even when his clients "won," they often lost financially and emotionally. And the children? They always lost.
A Faith-Driven Decision
Barrett felt called to make a radical change.
He made the decision to leave litigation behind entirely—to stop being part of a system that, despite his best intentions, often caused more harm than healing. Instead of arguing family cases in courtrooms, he would create a space where families could work together.
Barrett founded Christian Family Law Solutions to provide exactly what the biblical passage in 1 Corinthians 6 described: wise counsel among believers to resolve disputes peacefully. But he also opened the doors to all families, recognizing that everyone—regardless of faith—deserves a peaceful path forward.
Mediator, Attorney & Counseling Student
Barrett is now a certified mediator and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. This unique combination—legal expertise, mediation certification, and therapeutic training—allows him to provide a truly holistic approach to family dispute resolution.
Since founding CFLS, Barrett has helped families across Central Texas avoid tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees while building healthy co-parenting foundations that benefit children for years to come.
Why Barrett's Personal Experience Matters
Barrett doesn't just understand family law from a lawyer's perspective—he understands it as a divorced co-parent.
Barrett is a proud father of twin boys from his first marriage. He successfully co-parented with his ex-wife, whom he now considers a friend. He has spent the last 17 years raising his two daughters with his wife, Charla, who is also an attorney.
This isn't theoretical for Barrett. He's lived it. He knows what it's like to navigate custody schedules, make joint decisions about children's wellbeing, and put aside personal hurt for the sake of the kids. He knows the temptation to fight, and he knows the peace that comes from choosing cooperation instead.
When Barrett sits down with families in mediation, he brings not only 15+ years of legal expertise, but also the hard-won wisdom of someone who has walked the same difficult path.