Rebecca Lively Law

Fierce in the Courtroom. Compassionate Beyond It.

Rebecca Lively loves taking criminal cases to trial. Don’t get her wrong; that doesn’t mean she’s taken every strategy she developed over her 20-year career as a prosecutor, district attorney, and now a criminal defense lawyer that far. In fact, she’s secured the best possible outcome in hundreds of cases where her clients never had to stand before a judge and jury.

But if a trial is necessary, and she’s the only person standing between the client and jail, let’s just say she’s who you want on your side.

“Being able to take a case to trial and having success has its advantages because it gives you a bit of a reputation,” Lively said, joking that her kids often say trouble doesn’t exist when she’s around. “It’s not aggressiveness as in mean or overbearing, but I am going to know that case better than anyone else in that courtroom. I’ve researched every witness on the state’s list. I will know every piece of evidence before the state admits it. I am uber-prepared for everything, and the most prepared person often has the best chance.

At the end of the day, these are people facing 10 years to life in prison, and the responsibility and trust they put in me is so great that I don’t take it lightly. When I put a case on a trial docket, it says a lot about my belief in the case and my client.”

Meet Your Local Criminal Defense Attorney

“Innocent until proven guilty” is a phrase people throw around a lot. But once you’re arrested, you find out many of those same people assume the arrest means you’re already guilty. Denton County criminal defense attorney Rebecca Lively is known as one of the area’s top legal advocates, having established herself as a formidable courtroom force and a relentless defender of her clients.

A former Denton County prosecutor, she brings both prosecution and defense perspectives to every case. In doing so, Lively has tried hundreds of complex, high-end cases ranging from DWIs to those involving capital murder charges. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Southern Methodist University in 2002, then her Juris Doctor from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2007. After six years as an assistant district attorney and a brief stint as a litigator at a large firm in downtown Dallas, she opened her own practice in 2013. Judges and prosecutors she works with daily respect her, and former clients highly recommend her, praising her fierce determination to beat their charges and her knowledgeable, straightforward courtside manner.

She is a member of multiple legal bar associations, a published author, a former board member of a local education foundation, a 501(c)(3) foundation that raises money for her local school district, and a civic leadership commissioner.

You Are More Than a Case Number

Lively also jokes that her husband always introduces her as the lawyer you never want to hire, but if you do, she will be your best friend. That couldn’t be more true, as her passion for helping people has always extended beyond the courtroom. As a proud member of the Denton County Drug Treatment Court, she supports alternatives to incarceration and, in many cases, life sentences, for people struggling with significant drug addictions.

The goal, of course, is to prioritize recovery, accountability, and the possibility of a better future.

“Instead of prison, they get access to treatment, sober living, and coping skills they never had the chance to learn because they were constantly stuck in a cycle of jail and addiction,” she said. “They have to work incredibly hard, but I’ve defended people who had severe addiction issues and faced life in prison, and now they are five years sober, married, and have regained custody of their children.”

Don’t just take Lively’s word for it. Her online reviews include impassioned testimonies from clients whose lives were saved because one person believed in them and fought for the best possible outcome.

“Rebecca Lively went above and beyond all expectations,” one Google reviewer wrote. “I retained Rebecca Lively for my son. I was faced with numerous roadblocks before I worked with her regarding my son’s case. Given the potential results, she made quick work getting the best possible outcome where it seemed impossible. She took my case in a way that felt like family. I cannot express how grateful I am as a mother and what she was able to accomplish, offering my son a future when it seemed there was no hope. I highly recommend Rebecca Lively. In every aspect of dealing with all the members of this law firm, there was never a point where I felt like they weren’t taking care of my son’s case one hundred percent. I will forever be thankful for what they accomplished for my family.”

A Legal Shield with a Heart for People

Not every legal case is straightforward or easy. If yours can’t be resolved through negotiations, you can count on Rebecca Lively to aggressively defend you at trial. Her favorite part of being a lawyer is taking a complex criminal case to a jury and showing them the truth. And at the end of the day, that’s exactly who you want on your side.

When she isn’t working, Lively said she enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage boys. Together, they enjoy traveling and watching the high school marching band.