Best Lawyers in California, United States for Family Law
Cities
Christine De Santis is a Partner at HFM and is certified as a legal specialist in family law by the State Bar of California. Ms. De Santis specializes in handling dissolution of marriage and paternity cases, child custody and visitation, child support and spousal support, and division of assets and debts, and mediations. She also handles step-parent adoptions and child support cases through the San Diego County Department of Child Support Services. Ms. De Santis has been named a San Diego Sup...
Jason M. Schwartz is a Partner at Stegmeier, Gelbart, Schwartz & Benavente, LLP, and exclusively practices family law. Jason has been with the firm since he was admitted to the State Bar of California in summer 2001. Jason earned his Juris Doctor Degree from Western State University College of Law in December 2000, and his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of North Texas, where he majored in political science with a double minor in criminal justice and journalism. Jason has b...
John Benedict Phillips—known as Ben Phillips for all his life—received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Davis, and his Juris Doctor degree from Chapman University School of Law. Mr. Phillips is a Certified Family Law Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, and rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale Hubbell—the highest rating attainable for legal ability and professional ethics. Mr. Phillips practices exclusively fam...
Louise Sackley is a Family Law attorney with Van Voorhis & Sosna LLP in San Francisco, California. She represents clients in a wide range of family law matters , including divorce , legal separation , child custody , parenting plans, child and spousal support , parentage actions, and premarital and postmarital agreements . Louise began her legal career in the United Kingdom, first serving as a court clerk and later working as a paralegal in the capital markets and structured finance group...
Nicole Whyte has been identified by the well-recognized Daily Journal as one of California’s top 100 women attorneys. Ms. Whyte is a Certified Family Law Specialist and a Fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). She is also a member of the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Ms. Whyte is a founding principal of Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara, LLP. Admitted to the South African Supreme Court in 1990, the California State Bar in ...
Robert E. Blevans received his Juris Doctor in 1977, and was admitted to the practice of law in California that year. He has been a Certified Specialist in Family Law for over 35 years, having been certified by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization in 1983. After practicing law for 18 years in Los Angeles, Robert moved to the heart of the wine country, Napa, California. Robert is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is a past President of the Northern C...
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...
Jonathan T. Little is an attorney with Minyard Morris, a family law firm in Newport Beach, California. Board-certified as a specialist in family law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, Mr. Little has more than 17 years of legal experience, and he provides outstanding representation, advice and support to clients throughout Orange County who are going through a divorce or other family law issues. With both litigation and transactional experience in the first decade of...
Gary S. Gorczyca was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1951, and has been an Orange County resident since 1960. He and his wife, Patti, have two sons. Mr. Gorczyca graduated from the University of California, Irvine (B.A., 1973) and Loyola University School of Law (J.D., 1976). He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1976 and has practiced law in Orange County ever since. Mr. Gorczyca is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating available for legal ability an...
Steven K. Yoda is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. Steven K. practices law in Woodland Hills, California Best Lawyers has recognized Steven K. Yoda since 2021. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Steven K. Yoda is held by other lawyers.
Andrew Botros is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. Andrew practices law in San Diego, California Best Lawyers has recognized Andrew Botros since 2027. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Andrew Botros is held by other lawyers. Andrew J. Botros is one of the few attorneys in California certified as both a Fam...
Robert A. Benavente was raised in Orange County and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in La Palma. Mr. Benavente received his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Whittier Law School in 2000, where he was a member of Law Review, a Dean's List honoree, and the recipient of several merit scholarships. He is a Certified Family Law Specialist, which is a level of achievement reserved for those attorneys who have the requisite level of trial experience and have passed a special examinatio...
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.
