The Estate Planning Lawyers, Probate Lawyers, and Staff at The Galligan Law Firm

Our History

In 1997, Mary Galligan and Tammy Manning formed the partnership, Galligan & Manning, and opened their offices at a charming Victorian style house built in 1914 located near downtown Houston. During Galligan & Manning’s more than 25 years of operation, the home-like office came to be known as Legacy House.

Our lawyers and staff loved how it felt to work there and the comfort it provided our clients. The meetings took place in an environment that more resembled a living room than an office. At Legacy House clients felt safe and able to express their deepest wishes for the legacy they wished to leave or the legacy of a loved one they wish to preserve.

After the pandemic hit, Galligan & Manning developed new ways to serve our clients. We have always been open to using new technology and so the jump to doing most things virtually was not challenging, but exciting. We experimented with video conferences instead of in person meetings and found that many of our clients actually felt more relaxed speaking from their homes. We appreciated the opportunity, caused by necessity, to do things in a more client-centered way.

During the pandemic, Legacy House was empty for the better part of a year. Because of our new way of doing things, we chose to say good-bye to Legacy House and moved our office to our current location at St. James Place near the Galleria. That allowed us to meet with our clients at our office or by video conference, at the client’s option.

We were relieved, but not surprised, that the values we held dear at Legacy House moved to our new office as easily as the furniture and we could carry on in the new office space our tradition of creating a safe and comforting environment where our clients can discuss matters that deeply affect them. Sometimes we tackle issues that our clients have thought about, but never expressed out loud, such as the fear that children may fight over an inheritance or how to care for difficult elderly parent. Often, our clients discover that there are solutions to problems they thought could never be resolved.

Tammy eventually shifted her practice from probate litigation to mediating probate and guardianship matters, helping families resolve issues without the expense and broken relationships that result from litigation. Tammy retired at the end of 2022 and now enjoys traveling and spending time at her home in Wimberley.

After Tammy’s retirement, a new entity, The Galligan Law Firm, was created with the same team ready to help you with your estate planning, elder law, and probate needs.

Here’s what you can expect from The Galligan Law Firm:

A warm greeting and helpful answers from our receptionist, Lynn Eggenberger, when you call;
Quick and thoughtful responses from Marisela Spaulding, our administrative assistant, who will facilitate getting the answers and information you need;
Guidance through the probate process from our experienced legal assistant, David Nichols;
An organized presentation and delivery of your estate planning documents from Cris Castillo;
Expertise and creative problem-solving from our attorneys, Michael Galligan and Kevin Horner, as they develop an estate plan tailored to your specific needs; or, if you have lost a family member or friend, compassion and understanding as they help you deal with issues that arise after a loved one passed away.

Our co-founder, Mary Galligan, has transitioned to an Of Counsel position with The Galligan Law Firm. Her primary focus is on developing client education projects as a way to increase the value of the services we provide to our clients. Her expertise and wealth of knowledge will continue to be one of our greatest resources.

We are proud of our past history and we are invigorated by the future. We look forward to representing you as The Galligan Law Firm.