Best Lawyers in California, United States for Family Law
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Tracey N. Lundquist is an experienced family law attorney who has handled complex and conventional family law matters. Ms. Lundquist is committed to her clients, whether it is through settlement negotiations or litigation in the courtroom. Ms. Lundquist prides herself on her ability to communicate well with diverse clients and their intricate matters, whether it is a support need, custody or visitation issue, domestic violence, division of the marital estate, enforcement of orders, or any oth...
William S. Cizmadia is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. William S., who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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...
Donna T. Gibbs is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Donna T., who practices law in Oakland, California, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Donna T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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...
Saul Gelbart is a Diplomate in the American College of Family Trial Lawyers, a Certified Family Law Specialist and a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, having served its Southern California Chapter in many official capacities including President. Mr. Gelbart is also a Fellow in the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a Founding Fellow in the Orange County Bar Association's Society of Fellows, and a member of the Orange County Bar Association. Among his distinctio...
Matthew S. Buttacavoli was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Matthew graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Irvine (B.A., 1995) and cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law (J.D., 1999), where he served as Executive Editor of the San Diego Law Review and received the General George W. Hickman, Jr. Award for excellence in Constitutional Law. Matthew was admitted to the California Bar in 1999, and was admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar in 2003. ...
Mr. Gazin graduated from San Jose State University with honors in 1971, earning a BA degree in Political Science. He attended the University of Santa Clara School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1974. Mr. Gazin was admitted to the California State Bar in 1974, when he commenced his practice in Orange County. In Mr. Gazin’s early years of practice, he handled a broad spectrum of cases ranging from criminal defense, personal injury, business litigation and family law. Comme...
Mary Martinelli, C.F.L.S.* leads the Family Law Practice Team at Murphy Austin. She is a State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization Certified Family Law Specialist with more than 35 years of experience representing clients statewide in complex family law matters. Mary’s practice focuses on dissolution of marriage, legal separation, child custody, prenuptial agreements, postnuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, domestic violence, writs, appeals, and corporate consulting...
Janani Rana is a Partner, a Certified Family Law Specialist and an experienced trial attorney. She handles complex family law issues and high net worth matters. She commits significant time to her ongoing family law education, and in addition to attending typical monthly/annual family law seminars, she is a three-time graduate of the Kolodny Family Law Trial Institute, a national program that provides advanced education and training for family law attorneys (she has completed the 7-day progra...
Judi Curtin was born in New York City, New York in 1951, and has been an Orange County resident since 1979, following her graduation from law school and admission to the California Bar Association in 1978. She is married and has three children (Jessica is a lawyer, Jordan is a clinical social worker, Jillian is a second-year student at NYU and has her black belt in Shaolin Kempo). Judi is a Certified Family Law Specialist, admitted to the US Supreme Court, and has been rated AV by Martindale ...
Lynn Soodik is a Shareholder at Lewitt Hackman who represents high net worth individuals in divorce and other family law matters. Ms. Soodik's expertise has garnered her several television appearances on CNN, Larry King , 20/20 , and Entertainment Tonight ; and she has been interviewed for major print publications, including the Los Angeles Times , People Magazine , BuzzFeed New s, and more.
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...
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.
Ms. Takesh Hallin has been practicing exclusively family law since being admitted to the bar in 1996. She was selected as a Southern California Rising Star for 2006 through 2009 by Los Angeles Magazine and a Super Lawyer for years 2010 through 2013, Super Lawyers edition, through peer nomination, and independent research and review process. Ms. Takesh Hallin has lectured on various family law related topics, including at Continuing Legal Education seminars, and has served as Mediator for the ...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.