As a fourth generation Texan and third generation Houstonian, Christine Riddle Butts is proud of
her heritage and proud of those before her who served their country and community. She is the great
granddaughter of East Texas cotton farmers, the granddaughter of a WWII Naval Veteran and a
WWII Marine who served in Iwo Jima, and the daughter of State Representative Debbie Riddle.As a young child, Christine knew that she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an attorney. It was during a dark and desperate time that she made this decision. Her mother was facing a serious health crisis and her father did not have the resources to manage two young children, a law practice, and his wife’s health crisis. It was during this time that Christine developed her desire to practice law so that she could help families suffering through difficult problems.
Christine grew up in Northwest Houston and graduated from Westfield High School in 1989. While in high school, she worked for her father, Mike Riddle, in his small estate planning and probate law firm. Fascinated by the practice of probate law, Christine often visited the probate courts and watched the proceedings. Christine decided then that she would become a probate lawyer and assist families making difficult transitions, like the death or incapacity of a loved one. Her mission to serve families in times of crisis in a thoughtful, compassionate, and deliberate way was born of her own personal experience and her exposure in the courts to the often traumatic life experiences of others.
After high school, Christine studied business administration at the University of Texas and graduated in 1993. Shortly after graduating, she married Donald R. Butts, II and entered law school at the University of Houston Law Center. While in law school, Christine was the publishing editor of the Houston Journal of International Law.
After graduating from the University of Houston Law Center in 1996, Christine joined her father’s law firm as an associate. In 2003, Christine became board certified in estate planning and probate. Since that time she has published articles and spoken at professional seminars on topics including estate planning, probate, and business planning. In addition, Christine and her father are frequent guests of the Christian Home Show on KHCB. She has been named a “Rising Star” in the 2008 and 2009 edition of Texas Monthly’s Super Lawyer magazine. In addition, she has consistently been named one of Houston’s “Top Lawyers for the People” and “Top Lawyers” by H Texas Magazine in the area of estate planning and probate.
In her twelve years in the practice of law, Christine has handled a wide variety of probate related cases. Most notably, Christine was the lead attorney on a multimillion dollar estate tax dispute with the IRS. In addition to estate and gift tax disputes, Christine has handled contested matters, including will contests, the removal of fiduciaries, and contested guardianships. Though she has handled contested cases, the bulk of her practice involves uncontested matters; and she has served as the attorney on at least two hundred independent and dependent administrations.
Christine and her husband, Donny, have four young children and they live in Spring. They attend Christ the Good Shepherd Church and Christine is an active member of the Junior League of Houston, serving as a seamstress for the League. She also volunteers as member of the Houston Bar Association’s Speaker’s Bureau and as a volunteer lawyer for Texas Lawyers Care. Her hobbies include sewing, cooking, figure skating, and road biking.