There Was a Missing Step:
Preparation.
“Why LWF Exist”
Educate
Information exists. Resources exists. Attorney’s exist. Courts exist. However, many women are still asking the same question:
“Where do I even start?”
Prepare
We provide a preparation layer between uncertainty and the next step, helping women organize information, identify questions, understand the stage of their case, and become better prepared for attorney consultations, mediation, hearings or self-representation.
Support
Women navigating Texas family-law matters may be representing themselves, preparing to hire an attorney, already represented, or simply trying to understand what comes next.
“Where do I even start?”
LWF helps bridge the space between having information and knowing what to do with it. Through court-readiness education , organizational tools, preparation resources, and community resources, we help women become supported and prepared for the next step ahead.
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We help women organize information, identify questions, understand where they are in the process, and prepare for the next step.
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Through resources such as the LWF PREP™ System , Resource Center, workshops, and organizational materials we turn overwhelming information into manageable steps.
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When legal advice or professional services are needed, LWF helps women identify appropriate attorneys, professionals, and community resources we do not replace them.
“We serve Texas women navigating family-law matters who need a clearer starting point and stronger preparation.”
Meet Terra
Founder & Board President
Terra M. Kurtz founded the Legally Women Foundation in 2026 after navigating her own family court battle as a Pro Se (self- represented) litigant.
Despite having no formal legal degree and facing low statistical chance of success, she courageously litigated significant portions of her own custody case and prevailed through the hardship of preparation. Her first hand experience with the challenges of not understanding where to start or what comes next that lead into confusion, and emotional strain of the Texas family court system fuels her commitment to confidently supporting women through education, clarity, preparation, community connections, and support. That experience revealed a gap she could not ignore: women may have access to legal information, attorneys, and community resources, yet still lack the practical preparation needed to make meaningful use of them. Terra created the LWF PREP™ System to help bridge that gap. Through education, organization, preparation tools, and clear next steps, the system helps women become better prepared for attorney consultations, mediation, hearings, community resources and self-representation. Today, Terra leads the Legally Women Foundation with a deeply personal understanding of the women it serves and a belief that preparation can change the way a women enters one of the most difficult chapters of her life.
“I fought alone so you don’t have to.”
Meet Trevor
Board Member & Director
Trevor L. Burgess is an attorney and founder of the Law Office of Trevor L. Burgess in San Antonio, Texas, where his practice includes general litigation, business disputes, homeowner and contractor disputes, family law, and criminal defense.
His broad legal experience brings valuable perspective to the Legally Women Foundation and a practical understanding of the complexities individuals can face when navigating the court system. As a Board Member and Director, Trevor helps guide LWF’s approach to education and supports the development of resources that reflect the realities of legal processes, preparation, and the challenges women may encounter along the way.
Trevor’s commitment to justice, clarity, and meaningful access to information closely aligns with LWF’s mission of helping Texans become better prepared for the next step in their Texas family-law matter.
“I started practicing law as a solo practitioner so that I could help people. I built a law firm so I could help more, and now I serve on the board of directors with the Legally Women Foundation to expand that commitment even further.”
— Trevor L. Burgess
Board Member & Director
Meet Melanie
Dr. Melanie Gabbert, Ph.D., M.A., LMHP, LPC - With over two decades of experience as a foster parent and an extensive clinical background, Dr. Melanie Gabbert brings deep expertise in trauma informed care, family dynamics, and therapeutic support. Through her work with biological parents, children, case managers, and therapists, she has witnessed how crisis can both wound and transform. As a therapist, she integrates psychology, human development, and principles of wholehearted living to help individuals build resilience and meaningful connection. Melanie's insight and compassion strengthen the foundation's commitment to serving women and children with dignity, hope, and healing.