Rick Robertson has a word for the wise: be careful how you use social media if legal struggles are looming. Why take his advice? Robertson was recently named as the lawyer other lawyers would hire for themselves if they needed a specialist in family law. The “Go-To Guide” was compiled by Texas Lawyer magazine and Robertson is the number one choice for his area of practice. Rating service Super Lawyers also highlighted Robertson’s skills in the courtroom and in the innovative use of technology and social media to win cases for his clients.

In one memorable case, Robertson was able to win visitation rights for his client when his client’s soon-to-be ex-wife splashed her private life all over her Facebook page. “Technology has changed family law and divorces,” Robertson says. He gives his clients a list of “do’s and don’ts,” warning people caught up in divorce, custody fights or other situations that they need to guard their privacy. “Without your knowledge, someone else may be able to monitor all your computer conduct,” he says. “You do not want to see your private life on an exhibit in the courtroom.”

His peers recognize his expertise in the use of electronic evidence and the role of social media in the divorce process. In 2007, he won the award for the best paper written for presentation to legal groups by the State Bar of Texas, for his effective paper on the use of electronic evidence. Local and national media turn to Robertson for expert opinions on international child custody law, crowded family courts in his home state of Texas, and even the Tiger Woods case. Robertson has written articles and made presentations on family law issues to local, state and national bar associations.

Robertson also speaks to church and civic groups on staying married and the many challenges that face those who decide to divorce. “The lesson is that people continue to be connected. My job is to minimize the conflict.

“We always offer clients the possibility of saving their marriages,” he says. “We don’t need to drum up business, and we would much rather see people get their lives in order. But if a divorce is inevitable, we are zealous advocates for them.”

Robertson was raised in Austin and attended the University of Texas (B.B.A., 1976) and the University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1978). A Fellow in the Texas Bar Foundation and the American Bar Foundation, he is a member of the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists and the College of the State Bar of Texas, a former Director of the Texas Young Lawyers Association and a member of the Collin County, Texas and American Bar Associations. He’s been listed in Best Lawyers for 15 consecutive years.

He and his wife live in McKinney, Texas. They have two grown children.