Matthew P. Horak

Matt Horak is a seasoned trial lawyer and Board Certified Criminal Trial Specialist with over two decades of courtroom experience in South Texas. He began his legal career at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where he quickly earned a reputation for preparation, toughness, and results. Known for trying cases early and often, Matt sometimes handled multiple trials in a single week—experience that sharpened his instincts and earned the respect of judges, prosecutors, and peers alike.

In recognition of his professional achievement and peer respect, Matt was named a 2025-2026 Super Lawyer®. Since leaving the DA’s Office in 2006, Matt has dedicated his practice to representing individuals in high-stakes family law litigation and serious criminal matters, approaching every case with a trial lawyer’s mindset. In family law, that means strategic advocacy in contested divorces, custody disputes, modifications, and enforcement actions, particularly when the outcome turns on credibility, evidence, and courtroom performance.

Matt routinely handles complex cases involving property division, parental rights, enforcement of court orders, and post-judgment litigation where preparation and courtroom command matter. Matt’s trial experience is not theoretical. He has tried more than 100 contested family and criminal cases, including jury and bench trials, and regularly applies those same litigation skills—case theory development, cross-examination, evidentiary strategy, and witness preparation—to matters headed toward the courtroom.

His background as a former prosecutor gives him a distinct advantage: he understands how cases are built, where they tend to break down, and how judges evaluate evidence and credibility under pressure. A lifelong student of trial advocacy, Matt believes that great lawyers never stop sharpening their skills. In 2015, he graduated from the prestigious Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming—an intensive, month-long program focused on elite trial skills, storytelling, and courtroom persuasion.

Matt earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center, where he excelled in trial advocacy and mock trial. During law school, Matt immersed himself in criminal trial work, assisting veteran trial attorney Terry Yates—experience that helped shape his courtroom-first approach to practicing law. If you are navigating a contested divorce, custody modification, enforcement action, or facing serious criminal charges in Harris County or surrounding counties, Matt Horak offers direct, strategic counsel grounded in real trial experience.

Past Employment Positions:

• Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Assistant District Attorney, 2003 – 2006
• Law Offices of Terry Yates, Assistant to Attorney Terry Yates, 2002 – 2003