Best Lawyers Near You in Irvine, California for Family Law
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...
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...
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...
Emily N. Erickson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Emily N., who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Emily N. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
George Peniche is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. George, who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which George is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Samantha Weissman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Samantha, who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Samantha is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Eric Sather is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Eric, who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Eric is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Amanda Beall is a highly regarded California family law attorney with a proven track record representing high-net-worth individuals and complex estates since 2017. She specializes in sophisticated family law and litigation matters, including divorce, spousal and child support, custody and visitation disputes, paternity, and domestic violence cases. As a Partner at Garelick Family Law, PC, Amanda combines strategic legal advocacy with compassionate client support, guiding clients through some ...
Brandon Kelsey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Brandon, who practices law in Irvine, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brandon is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
In 2023, Mark E. Minyard received the Orange County Bar Association's Franklin G. West Award, the OCBA's highest honor, presented to outstanding attorneys and judges whose lifetime achievements have advanced justice and the law. In 2023, Mark was selected by the Daily Journal as the only Orange County lawyer listed as a Top 20 Family Law attorney in the State of California. In 2024, Mark E. Minyard was appointed to the Orange County Collaborative Courts Foundation. The foundation provides sup...
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...
Lonnie K. Seide was born in Huntington, New York. He was recognized as the Best Family Law Lawyer - Orange County 2020 by Best Lawyers in America. Lonnie graduated from Northeastern University (B.S., with honors) and St. John's University School of Law (J.D.). He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar, the New York Bar, the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, the U.S. Supreme Court and the California Ba...
Jan C. Morimoto-Gee received her undergraduate education from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was a UCLA Merit Scholar, UC Regents Scholar, and UCLA Alumni Scholar. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English, magna cum laude, along with the honors of Phi Beta Kappa and College Honors. Jan graduated from the School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall). Jan limits her practice to Orange County Family Law matters.
Helen Cayton received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (summa cum laude), and her Juris Doctor from Chapman University, Fowler School of Law. While at Chapman, Helen was on the executive board of the Federalist Society, on the Nexus Law Journal, and was a staff writer for the campus newspaper, The Courier. Helen is currently on the Chapman Law Alumni Advisory Board. Before joining Minyard Morris, Helen practiced civil litigation primarily in the mortgage...
Michelle Ralph received her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Irvine, majoring in Social Ecology, with a minor in Psychology. She then earned her Juris Doctor degree from Western State College of Law, graduating summa cum laude and Valedictorian of her graduating class. While at Western State College of Law, Michelle clerked for Justice Edward Wallin at the Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three. Before joining Minyard Morris, Michelle practiced civil litigatio...
Sheila Stiles is a partner in the Newport Beach office of Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara LLP. Ms. Stiles joined the firm in 2009 and limits her practice to family law matters. Ms. Stiles is certified as a Family Law Specialist by the California Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California. She has extensive experience in handling all aspects of family law matters, including divorce, complex custody and visitation matters, complex business valuation and income determina...
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.