California Family Lawyers

Attorney Steven Fernandez is a Certified Family Law Specialist with over 27 years of experience. Mr. Fernandez handles every family law case including divorce, child custody, and complex property division.

Peter M. Walzer is the founding partner of the Southern California law firm Walzer & Melcher LLP focused exclusively on family law. He is a past president of the Southern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a former chair of the executive committee of the State Bar Family Law Section. Mr. Walzer has been a Certified Family Law Specialist for 21 years and is a former president of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists. He on the Legal Education Committee of the American Bar Association Family Law Section. He is on the executive committee...

I believe that you, the client, first need to UNDERSTAND all your options. My first job is to educate you so you can make your own informed intelligent decisions. My law practice is based on this fundamental principle.

Ms. Seeley is a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Seeley’s practice focuses on dissolution cases involving high asset and complex financial issues such as the division of interests in closely-held businesses, real estate, and equity compensation, including stock options and RSU’s. Ms. Seeley also has extensive experience with high-conflict custody matters and relocation/ move-away cases. Ms. Seeley brings over 40 years of civil litigation experience to the firm and represents clients through all phases of family law litigation before private judges and in public...

Alphonse focuses on providing excellent client service and aggressive advocacy to clients in Family Law matters. Alphonse is a Certified Specialist in Family Law (CFLS) by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization.

Alphonse graduated with a B.A. in Rhetoric with Honors and English Literature from U.C. Berkeley, where he gave the Commencement Address for the Rhetoric Department. He also received the honor of Distinction in General Scholarship. He graduated with a J.D. from U.C. Hastings in San Francisco with a concentration in Civil Litigation and was awarded for the best student in Trial Advocacy II by the CACI Institute.

Alphonse...

Since 2004, Susan Hemb has developed a successful bankruptcy and family law practice based on her commitment to providing top-tier legal services to her clients. Whether her clients are facing financial crisis or the difficulties associated with family law matters in California, they can rest assured that she will protect their rights and interests. Whether you need diplomatic negotiation or aggressive trial advocacy, Ms. Hemb is a compassionate attorney who takes the time necessary to tailor her representation to meet the unique needs of each client.

As an Attorney I have handled many types of cases. I was a Deputy District Attorney prior to opening my own law office. Prior to law school I was a claims adjuster for AAA Insurance for over 12 years. I obtained my Real Estate Broker's license in 2008. I understand how to get things done and still treat others with respect.

Lani Baron, Attorney-Mediator, is the founder of Alternative Divorce Solutions. As a child, Lani witnessed her parents’ highly-litigated and contentious divorce and she knew that there needed to be a change in the system. This life experience inspired Lani to begin her career in alternative dispute resolution early on, and she started her career as a paralegal at a small family mediation firm in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Shortly thereafter, Lani moved to California to study at Pepperdine’s Straus Institute, where she focused on courses relating to dispute resolution and mediation. Her passion for helping others also prompted her desire to...

Yanna Sukhodrev is a partner at Morgan Tidalgo Sukhodrev & Azzolino LLP and a Certified Family Law Specialist. She focuses her practice exclusively on family law and has successfully handled a variety of matters, both before private judges and in the public courthouse, including high-earner child support issues, date of separation disputes, restraining orders, breach of fiduciary duty claims, reimbursement claims, valuation of stock options, valuation of businesses and complex challenges to the validity of pre-nuptial agreements and marital settlement agreements. She regularly handles challenging custody disputes, and has experience litigating international move away cases. She works closely with...

Gina Policastri is a Family Law Specialist as certified by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and partner at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri, where she has worked since graduating from Santa Clara University School of Law. Gina was one of the firm’s first associates and, during her 21-year tenure, has been instrumental in growing the firm into one of the largest family law firms in California. Gina obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University in 2000 and her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2003, where she earned a place...

David Patton is a Family Law Specialist as certified by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, limiting his practice to family law exclusively. He heads the firm's family law practice.

Mr. Patton has 22 years experience as a trial lawyer, spending his early years focusing on insurance defense and plaintiff's personal injury cases. After co-founding Lonich & Patton in 1994, Mr. Patton developed the firm's family law practice. Since then, he has become one of Silicon Valley's top family law attorneys. Mr. Patton is a certified family law specialist. Only attorneys certified by the State Bar of California...

Michael E. Lonich is the managing partner of Lonich & Patton and has nearly 30 years of experience representing a wide range of businesses and individuals. His practice concentrates on Estate Planning, Business Law and divorce mediation. Mike draws upon his expertise and the firm's resources to partner with individuals and families to develop comprehensive estate plans and successfully represent clients in trust administration and probate litigation. From the creation of a simple will to a complex trust, family limited liability partnership or business succession plan, maximizing financial benefits as well as ensuring the peace of mind that an estate...

Gretchen Z. Boger began her law career as a Deputy District Attorney in San Joaquin County from 2007 – 2010. During her tenure with the D.A.’s office, she prosecuted 17 jury trials.

Ms. Boger has been practicing family law exclusively since January 2010. Ms. Boger joined Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri in 2013. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. During her time at McGeorge, she received a concentration in trial advocacy.

Ms. Boger demonstrates great care and compassion in handling the complex emotional and legal issues which are unique to family law matters. Ms....

I have over 10 years of experience as an attorney in Sacramento, California. As of 2024, I practice California real estate, bankruptcy, and family law. Bankruptcy: I represent clients in Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. I've represented hundreds if not thousands of clients in consumer bankruptcy in the Eastern and Northern Districts of California. Family Law: I represent clients in family law litigation. As a member of a busy Sacramento family law firm, I represent clients in family law court hearings and trials concerning child custody, property division, child and spousal support, and other contested divorce matters. Real...

I am an Appellate Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and I spearhead my firm’s Appeals and Writs group. I have handled appeals and writs in anti-SLAPP, civil-rights, commercial-litigation, employment, ERISA, family-law, personal-injury, probate, real estate and trust cases. I have briefed and orally argued writs and appeals before all manner of appellate courts, from the California Court of Appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. I have also successfully settled multiple cases in appellate mediation. As judicial clerk for both state and federal appellate courts, I have reviewed and analyzed literally hundreds of...

My work history has been focused in the area of family law and judgment enforcement for family law cases.

Prior to becoming an attorney in 2004, I obtained my paralegal certificate in 1979, established American Process & Courier Service in 1991. I have a broad range of experience including family law, civil litigation, probate, bankruptcy and estate planning.

I now focus on assisting self-represented litigants with document preparation services in family law and uncontested probate matters as well as enforcement of judgments.

Dorit L. Goikhman is a licensed attorney, with years of experience representing clients in business, real estate, and family matters. Dorit graduated Brooklyn Law School in 2012, with a certificate in business law. During law school, she served as a debate coach for underserved NY youth, and won the CALI award for future excellence in accounting. After witnessing numerous clients spend fortunes and waste years of their lives in litigation, Dorit became interested in mediation and all that it has to offer. Dorit is committed in helping parties work together to obtain a mutually acceptable solution to their disputes at a...

Mitchell T. Ehrlich is a partner with Lonich and Patton and along with David Patton, he leads the Family Law practice. His practice focuses on all areas of Family Law including Dissolutions, Child Custody, Support Matters, Property and Business Division, Pre and Post-Nuptial Agreements, Paternity, Registered Domestic Partnerships, Guardianship and Adoptions. In 2009, he became a California Certified Family law Specialist. Mitchell has over 10 years of experience as a civil litigator and trial attorney. Mitchell began focusing his practice exclusively on Family Law matters shortly after Lonich & Patton's Family Law practice was developed. Prior to that, he amassed significant...

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...

ABBAS HADJIAN, https://abbashadjian.com/ is a nationally recognized California Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS). He is Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL). Mr. Hadjian is a bi-lingual (Farsi & English) expert in Mahr, Iranian Civil Law, Family Law and Procedure, and legal documents, who has testified in Federal and State Courts on these topics. In addition to providing expert testimony on Iranian family law and dowry / mahr, Mr. Hadjian’s law practice is limited to litigation of complicated Family Law issues, and private or Court assigned mediation. Mr. Hadjian...

Valerie Fenchel is the CEO and founder of Fenchel Family Law. Her legal services empower men and women to navigate marriage and divorce toward more vibrant futures. She advises clients, devises strategies, and works with therapists, actuaries, and forensic accountants to settle or litigate cases. As a witness to the damage caused by divorce over the course of her career as a family law attorney and educator, Valerie has gained extensive experience in helping families in crisis. Experience & Background Valerie is actively involved in the legal community. She is the lead attorney of Shalom Bayit’s Pro Bono Legal Panel, Secretary of...

Nikoo N. Berenji is a legal luminary at Berenji & Associates, possessing over a decade of experience in high-stakes legal cases, having represented major corporations and individual defendants in state and federal courts in Los Angeles. Her educational journey started at UCLA and culminated in a full scholarship to Berkeley Law School, consistently ranked among the nation's top law schools. Nikoo embarked on her legal career as a federal judicial extern for the Honorable Judge S. James Otero, followed by an associate attorney role at Latham & Watkins LLP, a globally recognized law firm. At Berenji & Associates, Nikoo passionately channels...

Dena A. Kleeman has practiced family law since her 1983 graduation from Stanford Law School, becoming a California Certified Family Law Specialist in 1994 and receiving specialized training as a divorce mediator in 1998. During the course of her career, Ms. Kleeman has handled complex divorce matters involving business valuation, divorce taxation, real property, and complex compensation, benefits, and intellectual property issues. Ms. Kleeman currently serves as a judge pro tempore for the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She is a member of the ABA, the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Beverly Hills Bar...

Kevin Chroman, Esq. graduated from Loyola Law School graduate (2000), wherein he won the state-wide mediation advocacy award. Presently, Kevin runs a Collaborative Mediation Clinic at Loyola Law School, where he is an adjunct professor. The program was given high honors by the City as the Best New Mediation Program in 2014. Individually, Kevin has been awarded the Eureka Award in recognition of his contributions to the collaborative and peace making community. Kevin is a UC Berkeley graduate with a Masters degree in English Literature from DePaul University. Kevin is a Family Law practitioner, whose practice focuses exclusively on Collaborative...

We handle many US immigration cases on behalf of clients throughout the United States and from around the world.

Our mission is to provide you with individual attention and professional service at every step on the path toward achieving your immigration goals. U.S. immigration law is extremely complex and the assistance of a professional guiding you throughout the process is absolutely essential! Whether you choose to retain our firm to assist you with your immigration needs, we highly recommend that you speak with an immigration attorney.

Zitser Family Law Group is a highly respected and well-known firm in the family law arena. Diana, the founder, is a Certified Family Law Specialist with over 20 years of experience. She has successfully represented clients with matters ranging from high-net-worth divorces to later-in-life divorces, legal separations, pre-postnuptial agreements, determination of spousal support, paternity actions, move-away cases and domestic partnerships. Prior to practicing law, Diana earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance and was a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, handling complex multimillion-dollar realty valuation projects. Diana credits her unique finance and real estate background with helping...

Julie S. Levy and Zachary A. Carroll have practiced law since 2008 in solo practices. In 2009, they began sharing an office and collaborating on certain cases. This duo has turned their collaboration into Levy Carroll Law and as strong litigators, they provide a strong and determined focus for fair outcomes in their client's cases. Choose Levy Carroll Law for their strong, honest, caring representation for bankruptcy, divorce, custody, guardianship, or personal injury. Look no further as you have found a team that has your best interests at heart

Aggressive Representation. Don't settle for less!

Divorce, child custody, visitation, family law, alimony, and child support lawyer in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. Our family law offices are in Santa Rosa, Ukiah, and Petaluma. Check out client testimonials on our website www.winecountryfamilylaw.com

Angeles “Susi” Carrion grew up in the local area before serving in the U.S. Army. After completing her military service, Ms. Carrion became a Court Clerk in the North Las Vegas Municipal Court. Later, she became a State Certified Spanish Court Interpreter in Nevada, where she interpreted both criminal and civil cases. Ms. Carrion has also interpreted for various law enforcement agencies. Ms. Carrion is the only private attorney in Colusa County that is able to communicate directly with her Spanish speaking clients without the use of an interpreter.

Ms. Carrion attended Cal-Northern School of Law in Chico, California where she...

Mary Ellen Waller is a director, shareholder, and general counsel of Feinberg & Waller, APC. Ms. Waller is not available for individual client retention, her focus is on the management of Feinberg & Waller, a law firm practicing exclusively in divorce and family law with offices located in Calabasas and Beverly Hills, California. Ms. Waller has helped lead the firm to become one of Southern California's premier family law firms, serving clients in all aspects of family law, including highly complex family law litigation. Clients receive increased value and benefit from her role, they are not charged for the expertise...

Michael R. Young is a skilled divorce attorney from San Bernardino, CA.

Edward Castro is a seasoned family law practitioner with an unwavering commitment to the field throughout his career. In 2021, he joined Holstrom, Block & Parke as a Partner, overseeing the San Diego County office. Initially focusing on domestic violence prevention, he collaborated with SDVLP and later directed FLAP, a courthouse-based family law clinic. At the YWCA Legal Advocacy Program, he served for six years as a senior staff attorney, handling diverse family law matters, emphasizing cases involving domestic violence. In 2010, Mr. Castro joined BLSAPC, where he became a partner in 2014. Specializing in high net-worth cases, he addressed complex...

Wendy L. C. Fountain, a seasoned attorney with a 25-year legal career, is a distinguished Certified Family Law Specialist recognized by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Known for her collaborative approach, Wendy assists clients in defining objectives and passionately pursues their realization, even in the face of challenges. Beginning her academic journey in 1993 at California State University Fullerton, Wendy earned her Juris Doctor from Western State University College of Law in 1997. Early in her career, she served as a Deputy District Attorney at the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Transitioning to private practice in 2001,...

Meet Brittany Van Veen, a dedicated Family Law practitioner with a focus on dissolution, parentage, domestic violence, contempt, post-Judgment litigation, guardianships, and pre/post-nuptial agreements. Specializing in high-asset, complex, and high-conflict cases, Brittany passionately advocates for her clients. Her top priority is working closely with clients, guiding them through personal and challenging legal issues. Clients appreciate her feistiness and responsiveness, emphasizing her unwavering client focus. Brittany confronts senior attorneys without hesitation and prioritizes being available for her clients when they need to talk. Cum laude graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Brittany holds a Juris Doctorate and a Bachelor of Arts in...

Philip G. Seastrom is a certified family law specialist at Seastrom Tuttle & Murphy.

Colleen Dillon Robinson has been licensed to practice law since 2009. Collen attended college at the University of Madison, Wisconsin. She graduated from California Western School of Law in 2009. Thereafter, she spent the first nine years of her legal career practicing in San Diego County before jointing Family Law Matters in 2018. Colleen is empathetic and a go-getter. She loves working at Family Law Matters because everyone is so positive and it allows her to help people through the most difficult times of their lives.

Colleen grew up as the third youngest of four children. Even so, her...

Albert Friske has practiced law since earning his J.D. degree from California Western School of Law in 1995.

Family Law Specialist Richard E. Bawden has been practicing law for over 30 years. He has had many personal accomplishments within the legal field, among which has been to serve as the San Bernardino County Bar Association President. Mr. Bawden's personal attention to clients, his knowledge of the law and trial expertise, along with his personal integrity, have all combined to make his practice well-known in the Inland Empire. He and Robert A. Kochis are dedicated to providing quality family and divorce law consultation services in the Redlands and Inland Empire area.

EDUCATION

Law School: University of Oregon, J.D., 1971
College:...

Dayn Holstrom, leading a distinguished family law firm in Orange County, Riverside, and San Bernardino, boasts a team of highly skilled attorneys committed to guiding clients with expertise and determination. His academic prowess at Western State University College of Law includes receiving the American Jurisprudence Award 17 times, serving as Editor in Chief of the Law Review, and graduating as Valedictorian with summa cum laude honors. Admitted to the bar in 1990, Dayn founded the Law Office of Dayn Holstrom, evolving into the renowned Holstrom, Block & Parke firm in 2008. Widely respected in Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino...