Berkeley Divorce Lawyers

My approach to each family law case is specifically tailored to the needs of each client. Some cases require aggressive litigation, while other times, settlement is the best (and cheapest) choice for all involved. As your attorney, you can expect me to give you guidance based on the law, and to be transparent with you about your options. My role is to advise you, but not to make decisions for you. I enjoy partnering with my clients to get them their desired outcome. I am also very responsive to client communication. I pride myself on keeping you...

Before starting my family law practice, I worked for 5 years at a non-profit, where I successfully litigated in court on behalf of survivors of domestic violence and their children. I obtained Temporary and Permanent Restraining Orders, Child Visitation and Custody Orders, as well as Child Support. Since 2007, I have offered amicable, uncontested divorce and separation options for those who want to stay out of court, including high conflict and complex cases involving domestic violence, substance abuse and mental illness. I provide services as a Mediator (neutral third party), Collaborative Divorce attorney (using a team approach),...

Lulu was born in Taiwan and raised on California’s Central Coast. After finishing high school, she moved to Southern California to attend U.C. Riverside. She later relocated to the Bay Area for law school and has made it her home ever since. Driven by a lifelong passion for helping others, particularly those who are underrepresented, Lulu pursued a career in law. Since then, she has been a dedicated advocate for survivors of interpersonal violence and is also a certified domestic violence counselor. Lulu is committed to championing individuals and empowering them to overcome challenges. Family law involves some of the most...

Amanda J. List is an associate at the Wald Law Group. She specializes in divorces of all kinds with an emphasis on gay divorce. The Wald Law Group practice areas include: Divorce, Dissolution & Contested Parentage Actions for all families; Custody Disputes. Legal services provided at both the TRIAL and APPELLATE level. Assisted Reproduction; Adoptions of All Kinds; Family Contracts; Parenting Law including Surrogacy; Donor Contracts for Egg and/or Sperm Donations; Pre-Nupital Agreements; Co-Parenting Agreements; Domestic Partnership Agreements; Name Changes.

Jennifer Phillips is a Family Law Attorney with over 15 years of experience in family law, including the areas of divorce, property division, custody, child support and alimony. She knows the players in a family law action and the expectations of the court, which reduces stress throughout the legal process. When she first meets with clients, she takes the time to answer all of their questions, listen to their concerns and provide essential information about the process of divorce and family law proceedings.

Mr. Lederman is a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Family Law Section and served as Section President in 2008. He is also a past State Bar Family Law Section Legislation Chair and is the 2017 Family Law Section Chair. He frequently speaks and writes on family law issues.

DEBRA R. SCHOENBERG, ESQ., HAS A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED CAREER.
More than thirty years ago, she established her own firm, which has vast experience and expertise in the highly sensitive and complex practice of family law. Ms. Schoenberg has established a professional reputation for thoroughness, strategic thinking, keen attention to detail, loyalty, and dedication to client service.

Today Ms. Schoenberg handles cases that range from complex financial issues and extensive marital estates, to high-conflict custody matters. Adept at negotiating resolutions as well as aggressively pursuing litigated outcomes, she also handles straightforward family law cases, pre- and post-marital agreements, and marital settlements. Ms....

With a progressive law practice since 2007, Mr. Ali Shahrestani is a bi-coastal litigation attorney representing international and domestic clients in state and federal legal matters in CA, NY, and MA. He has been featured in print and TV news for his legal expertise, is a recipient of multiple awards and a graduate of top rated universities with honors, and has donated much effort and time to public education, legal journalism, and social justice activism. 1) Education Law - K-12, College, Graduate, Students, Teachers, Schools 2) Divorce & Child Custody - High Conflict, LGBTQ, Father's Rights 3) Business, Contracts, & Real Estate Law...

Ariel Sosna is a founding partner of Van Voorhis & Sosna LLP. She is certified as a specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Sosna has been exclusively practicing family law in California (San Francisco Bay Area) since 2007.

Ms. Sosna received her J.D., with a concentration in Family Law, from U.C. Hastings School of the Law and her B.A. in Psychology from U.C. Berkeley.

Before starting her own practice, Ms. Sosna was an associate at a well-known San Francisco law firm. She was co-chairperson of the Family Law Section of the San Francisco...

I am an accomplished Divorce, Family, and Arbitration & Mediation attorney. I compassionately represent clients throughout the Bay Area with a broad range of family law matters.

As a Certified Family Law Specialist, I provide the experience, knowledge and skill needed to advocate for the best possible outcomes. I am dedicated to exceptional counsel to meet your family's legal needs and goals.

Known for her expert representation of California’s senior executives and their spouses, Kiana protects her clients in high asset divorces and contested custody cases. In her twenty years of legal practice, Kiana has negotiated and litigated the full spectrum of disputes that occur in financially sophisticated divorces and contested custody cases. Kiana graduated Cornell Law School with a concentration in business law. Prior to finding her passion in family law, she was a business litigator at Reed Smith LLP one of the nation’s 20 largest global law firms. She has a B.A in psychology from UC Berkeley and has taken countless negotiation trainings at...

Sarah Arnott is an Attorney at Van Voorhis & Sosna LLP. Ms. Arnott was certified as a specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in 2015, and served as the chairperson of the family law section of the San Francisco Bar Association's Barristers Club in 2013.

A native of New York and North Carolina, Ms. Arnott moved to California to attend Santa Clara University School of Law, from which she received her J.D. Ms. Arnott has exclusively practiced family law since 2008. She is well-versed in all areas of family law, including dissolutions, custody,...

Paul W. Thorndal is a partner at Wald & Thorndal. He specializes in divorces of all kinds with an emphasis on gay divorce. Mr. Thorndal is a Certified Family Law Specialist (The State Bar of California Legal Specialization). Wald & Thorndal's practice areas include: Divorce, Dissolution & Contested Parentage Actions for all families; Custody Disputes; Mediation; Marvin Actions. Legal services provided at both the TRIAL and APPELLATE level. Assisted Reproduction; Adoptions of All Kinds; Family Contracts; Parenting Law including Surrogacy; Donor Contracts for Egg and/or Sperm Donations; Pre-Nupital Agreements; Co-Parenting Agreements; Domestic Partnership Agreements; Name Changes.

For over 14 years, Mr. Baello has litigated high stakes family law actions in three of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States - the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City. Through this diversity of experience, he has the expertise and adaptability to obtain favorable results through trial or settlement in varied situations and tribunals. Ernest is a Certified Family Law Specialist (“CFLS”) per the California Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a graduate of the renowned National Family Law Trial Institute. Mr. Baello provides comprehensive and strategic representation in complicated and high conflict cases. Prior to becoming...

Kristine is an experienced litigator with extensive training in mediation and alternative dispute resolution. Kristine returned to school in 2005 as a single parent following her own divorce, and her commitment to her clients is grounded in having personally experienced the stress and uncertainty that often goes hand in hand with even the most amicable of divorces.

Kristine strongly believes in the importance of reducing the level of conflict whenever possible, regardless of which process option is utilized. This is particularly true when there are children

Kristine can assist with premarital agreements, parentage actions, post-marital agreements, dissolution and legal separation, and with...

I am a founding partner at Lewellen Family Law Group P.C., where our practice is devoted entirely to family law. As a trial attorney and mediator, I handle cases that involve high conflict situations and complex legal challenges in family law litigation. I am recognized by the State Bar of California as a certified family law attorney. Throughout my career, I have advised clients ranging from straightforward divorces to those entangled in intricate financial and custody disputes. My deep-seated experience in complex family law litigation and premarital agreements equips me to guide my clients through difficult times to secure favorable results....

Attorney Stratte's passion is family law. She brings significant experience with trials, highly contested dissolutions with custody, division of high value assets, and alternative dispute resolution to assist her clients with compassionate resolution of these deeply personal legal issues. In addition, she has many recent wins at long cause trials in property division, domestic violence restraining orders, custody, contempt of court and fee awards, among other successes. Attorney Stratte received her Bachelor of the Arts from the University of California Berkeley in Women's Studies, located in Berkeley, California. Thereafter, she received her professional doctorate in law from Southwestern Law School located...

Christine M. Harney has extensive family law experience, including litigating the division of multi-million dollar estates, representing business owners or their spouses with complex forensic accounting and business valuation issues, and navigating a multitude of child-related issues involving mental health experts and attorneys for children. Christine formerly practiced family law as a partner in a Chicago, Illinois law firm before deciding to relocate with her family to California. Christine received numerous accolades during her practice in Illinois, including being selected as one of “40 under Forty” by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin in 2016; as Illinois Leading Lawyer “Emerging Lawyer”...

We are a small law office offering family law and divorce related services to the people of the San Francisco Bay Area. We provide individuals and families with the help they need to resolve family law issues surrounding dissolution of marriages or domestic partnerships (divorce), adoption and surrogacy, prenuptial agreements, child custody, spousal support (alimony), and offer counsel and legal services to couples contemplating marriage or domestic partnership. We pride ourselves in being able to offer resposive and personalized service at affordable rates. By eliminating the crippling overhead and high management salaries that are common among larger Bay Area law firms,...

Ashley is founder of Talbot Law Firm. As an attorney in the firm’s emerging business practice, Ashley counsels startups with incorporation, early stage financing, employment issues, intellectual property protection, technology licensing, commercial partnerships and various other corporate transactions. Ashley believes that understanding a company’s vision and priorities is important to devising strategies to solve legal problems so companies can focus on their goals. Ashley has nearly 3 years in-house experience representing entrepreneurs in a wide range of corporate, commercial and intellectual property matters. Ashley received a J.D. from University of San Francisco School of Law and a B.A. in...

Kate Reder is an associate attorney at Wald & Thorndal. She specializes in family formation, divorce, and dissolution for both traditional and non-traditional families. Firm practice areas include: Divorce, Dissolution & Contested Parentage Actions for all families; Custody Disputes; Mediation; Marvin Actions. Legal services provided at both the TRIAL and APPELLATE level. Assisted Reproduction; Adoptions of All Kinds; Family Contracts; Parenting Law including Surrogacy; Donor Contracts for Egg and/or Sperm Donations; Pre-Nupital Agreements; Co-Parenting Agreements; Domestic Partnership Agreements; Name Changes.

Shelley M. Kennedy is a family law attorney and private mediator with Lawhon Law & Mediation, P.C.

Shelley's mediation practice includes high-asset dissolution of marriage matters including division of property, preparation of complex financial models, calculations for various settlement options, as well as determination of support. In addition to Shelley’s experience in financially complex matters, her practice also includes mediation for couples with smaller estates.

Shelley serves as a Settlement Conference Master for the San Francisco Unified Family Law Courts and as a volunteer attorney for the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Pro Bono Family Law Project.

Shelley has participated in over 200...

Deborah H. Wald is the founder and managing partner at The Wald Law Group. A Certified Family Law Specialist*, her work has evolved over the past 27 years from a part-time home-based family formation law practice to a multi-disciplinary full service family law firm. Ms. Wald's goal is to ensure that all individuals, families and children coming to The Wald Law Group receive the highest quality legal protections available. (*Certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.) In addition to a strong general knowledge of family law, Ms. Wald has three specific areas of...

I have been exclusively practicing Family Law in California since 1993. I launched my own practice in 1996 and became a Certified Family Law Specialist since 2002. I an certified by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. I practice in the Bay Area and Central Valley in California