Practice AreasFamily Law

Family Law

Family matters are decided on details — income, timelines, property characterisation, and what a court can actually be shown. We work through those details carefully, and explain what each one means for you.

Request a Consultation

Family law in California is governed by statute, but very little of it is automatic. How property is characterised, how income is calculated, and how a parenting plan is structured all turn on evidence and argument. The difference between a workable outcome and a costly one is usually preparation.

We represent individuals through dissolution, legal separation, custody and support proceedings, and the agreements that come before and after them. Where a matter can be resolved by negotiation, we negotiate. Where it cannot, we prepare it properly for a judge.

What we handle

Dissolution of marriage and legal separation
Division of community and separate property
Spousal support, temporary and long-term
Child custody, visitation and parenting plans
Child support and add-on expenses
Premarital and postmarital agreements
Modification and enforcement of existing orders
Domestic violence restraining orders

Focus Areas

Where Family Law matters
are usually decided.

Family Law

High-Asset Divorce

Divorce involving businesses, real property, equity compensation, retirement accounts and cross-border assets.

Child Custody

Custody, visitation and parenting plans in California, including relocation and cross-border matters.

Spousal Support

Temporary and long-term spousal support in California: guideline calculations, the statutory factors, and modification.

Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements

Drafting and reviewing premarital and marital agreements under California law, including enforceability requirements.

How a Matter Proceeds

Conflicts first.
Then everything else.

Start a request

Conflicts first

Before anything is discussed, the firm checks the names you provide against its existing and former matters. Nothing is taken on, and no detail is invited, until that check is clear.

The consultation

A structured conversation about what has happened, what you want, and what the law actually allows. You leave it knowing the realistic range of outcomes rather than the best one.

Scope and engagement

What the firm will do, what it will cost and what is excluded, set out in writing before work begins. Nothing starts on a handshake.

The work

Documents and facts established first, then strategy. You are told when a position is weak, and told early enough to do something about it.

Common Questions

Questions we are
asked often.

How long does a divorce take in California?

California imposes a six-month waiting period from the date the responding party is served before a dissolution can be finalised. That is a minimum, not an estimate — the actual timeline depends on whether property, support and custody are contested.

Is California property always split fifty-fifty?

Community property is divided equally, but the harder question is what counts as community property in the first place. Assets acquired before marriage, by gift or by inheritance are generally separate, and commingled assets often require tracing.

Do we have to go to court?

Many matters resolve through negotiation or mediation and are submitted to the court as a written agreement. Litigation is one route to resolution, not the only one, and it is not always the fastest or least expensive.

Can a custody or support order be changed later?

Yes. Custody and support orders can be modified when there is a significant change in circumstances. What qualifies is a legal question, and the standard differs between custody and support.

Insights