Best Lawyers Near You in Santa Ana, California for Family Law
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...
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...
William S. Cizmadia is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Family Law. William S. practices law in Irvine, California Best Lawyers has recognized William S. Cizmadia 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 William S. Cizmadia is held by other lawyers.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Born and raised as the only Chinese-American on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin where his family still calls home, Alex had brief stints throughout the Caribbean and South America where he attended schools taught only in French, Spanish, and Papiamento. Alex eventually migrated to the United States and earned his undergraduate degree from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and his Juris Doctorate in Virginia from George Mason University School of Law, a Tier...
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...
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...
Nicole Schmidt is a partner and Certified Family Law Specialist at Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara. Nicole Schmidt focuses on divorce and family law matters in Newport Beach and San Diego. Ms. Schmidt has experience in a plethora of issues arising in the general area of family law, including prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, child custody and visitation, spousal support, child support, divorce, and complex asset and debt division. She specializes in cases involving non-traditiona...
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...
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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.
