Best Lawyers in California, United States for Family Law: Arbitration and Mediation

Jacqueline A. Whisnant, born in Burbank, California in 1960, has been an Orange County resident since 1985. She and her husband, Bruce Whisnant, have two children. Ms. Whisnant graduated from California State University, Northridge (B.A., 1984) and Loyola Law School of Los Angeles (J.D., 1987). While in law school, she was a member of the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Honors Program and held the position of judicial extern for the Honorable Allan E. Broussard of the California Sta...

Joseph P. Crawford is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Joseph P., who practices law in San Mateo, California, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Joseph P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Vanessa Soto Nellis is a Certified Family Law Specialist as designated by the California Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Nellis typically represents high net worth clients in the west San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles; in all aspects of divorce, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, and family law mediation.

This firm is devoted exclusively to the practice of family law. Mr. Cruse and his three support staff handle complex family law cases and child custody disputes. Mr. Cruse is in his 43rd year of the practice of law. His clients are business professionals, business owners, military officers, those with professional practices and the financially independent. Mr. Cruse is a recognized expert in electronic discovery.

Brian G. Seastrom is President of Seastrom Tuttle Murphy Dockstader in Irvine, California, where he represents business owners, executives, and high-net-worth individuals in complex family law matters. A California Certified Family Law Specialist and Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers, he brings more than two decades of experience to cases involving multi-entity business structures, contested business valuations, real est...

Paula J. Swensen, who was born in Orange, New Jersey in 1955, has been an Orange County resident since 2000 after relocating to California from New England. Ms. Swensen lives in Trabuco Canyon and has three children. She is an avid sports fan, supporting any and all teams from the Boston area. Ms. Swensen graduated from the University of New Hampshire (B.S., Behavioral Science, highest honors, 1996) and Franklin Pierce Law Center (J.D., 1999; M.A., Intellectual Property). Between her second a...

Michael Bonetto is a San Francisco, California family law attorney with Moradi Neufer LLP . He has been practicing family law since his admission to the California Bar in 2007 and focuses his work exclusively on this area of law. Michael represents clients in a wide range of family law matters, including divorce , spousal and child support , complex property division , business valuation, separate property tracing, child custody and visitation , and the prosecution and defense of domestic vio...

Lisa R. Zonder is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Lisa R., who practices law in Calabasas, California, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Lisa R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Marnie Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Marnie, who practices law in San Diego, California, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marnie is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Leea K Summerville is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law, Family Law Arbitration and Family Law Mediation. Leea K, who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leea K is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

As a certified Family Law Specialist and the founding partner of Shebby Hirashima LLP, David Shebby brings more than three decades of trial experience to his Los Angeles Family Law practice. In addition to being a Certified Family Law Specialist, David is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Family Law Executive Committee, and an adjunct professor at Loyola Law School, where he teaches marital property. David recei...

In her representation of Silicon Valley’s high earners or their spouses, Jennifer Crum draws upon nearly 20 years of experience untangling complex assets acquired in the unique tech economy.Jennifer combines her mastery of high-asset marital dissolutions with compassion for the emotional and personal transition her clients are experiencing. She is among an elite group of California attorneys recognized as a Certified Family Law Specialist. Jennifer is highly experienced in divorces invo...

Natalia Lopez-Whitaker is a Partner at Nachlis Cohade Lopez-Whitaker LLP in San Francisco, California. She practices exclusively in Family Law and Family Law Mediation , representing individuals and families in a broad range of matters involving divorce , child custody , child support , parentage , premarital agreements, postmarital agreements, cohabitation agreements , and complex family law disputes. Natalia also works extensively in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation, Coll...

Michael A. Morris was born in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Michael was named Best Family Law Lawyer of the Year - Orange County in 2013 and 2018 by Best Lawyers in America. He has been listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America by Best Lawyers in America Orange County - Family Law since 2007 and by Super Lawyers each year since 2004. Michael is also listed in Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers (USA) - 2020. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (B.A.) and Western State Un...

Born in Great Neck, NY, Jordon moved west to southern California in 1981. He graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1994 and from the Whittier School of Law in 2000. Jordon is a Certified Specialist in Family Law, as per the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. During law school, Jordon was a member of the Moot Court Honors Board and also served as its Chief Justice in 2000. He was placed on the Dean's List for achievement in academics as well. Upon his graduation, Jordon rec...

Belinda Hanson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Belinda, who practices law in San Mateo, California, has been recognized since 2003. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Belinda is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.