Best Lawyers in America for Collaborative Law: Family Law
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State
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...
Charla Davies, a partner at Goranson Bain Ausley’s San Antonio office, is recognized for her client-centered approach and dedication to guiding families through complex legal matters—including divorce, child custody, child support, and enforcement of court orders. She is known for her compassion, integrity, and commitment to constructive solutions. Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Charla empowers clients to reach resolutions that prioritize...
Maria Montoya Chavez is an attorney with Sutin, Thayer & Browne APC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2018 for her work in Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law, Family Law Arbitration, and Family Law Mediation. This recognition is based on peer review by attorneys practicing in the same geographic and practice areas. Maria Montoya Chavez has practiced law since 2000 and focuses exclusively on family law matters, including divorce, child custody...
Patrick C. O’Reilly focuses his practice on matrimonial litigation, handling all aspects of divorce and separation and representing clients in matters related to the modification or enforcement of existing matrimonial judgments and orders. For more than 25 years, Mr. O’Reilly has served as a panelist and speaker on matrimonial and family law topic for numerous seminars, workshops, and symposiums sponsored by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, New York State Office of Cou...
Kristi Anderson Wells is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Kristi Anderson, who practices law in Denver, Colorado, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kristi Anderson is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Tracey Goyette Cote is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Tracey Goyette, who practices law in Concord, New Hampshire, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tracey Goyette is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dana McKee is one of Maryland’s foremost family law attorneys and a partner of Brown, Goldstein & Levy. She chairs the firm’s family law practice and has extensive experience representing clients with high net worth who are experiencing complex family law cases, including divorce, custody, and related financial issues. Clients turn to Dana for her leading expertise across all aspects of family law that affect their lives, with an emphasis on: Divorce and separation agreements ...
David S. Bouschor, II is a 1991 graduate of the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Mr. Bouschor was a sole practitioner and a shareholder in a previous law firm until January 2000 when he opened The Law Office of David S. Bouschor, II, P.C. in Denton, Texas. For over twenty-eight years, Mr. Bouschor’s legal practice has consisted of Family Law, Guardianship and Probate. Since 1995 Mr. Bouschor has been Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specializa...
Christian M. Givens is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Christian M., who practices law in Tampa, Florida, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Christian M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Chandler Rice Winslow is a Board Certified family law attorney at Goranson Bain Ausley in Dallas. She has been admitted to the Texas Bar since 2009 and certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 2023. Chandler joined Goranson Bain Ausley as a Partner in 2021 after practicing family law with two prior Dallas firms. Chandler has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© for Family Law in 2026 and for Collaborative Law: Family Law in 2025 and 2026, select...
Laura Dale is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Her practice is concentrated in the area of family law involving high conflict divorce, high net worth property division, both domestic and foreign, property valuation, custody cases, international child abduction brought under The Hague Convention and complex multi-jurisdictional family law disputes. Ms. Dale is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a USA Delegate on the Board of Gov...
Known as a thoughtful, determined problem-solver, who is committed to finding positive, constructive approaches for resolving family legal issues, Amy L. Stewart practices exclusively in Mallor Grodner Plummer LLP’s family and matrimonial law division. She assists clients with a full range of family law matters, including separation and divorce, paternity, asset valuation, division and distribution, child custody, child support, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, cohabitation, and d...
A Nationally Recognized Leader in Family Law and Dispute Resolution Vicki L. Shemin brings more than 35 years of experience in family law to her role as Partner at Turco Legal’s Boston office. Widely regarded as one of Massachusetts’ most respected attorneys, mediators, collaborative law practitioners, and parenting coordinators, she has built a career at the intersection of law, mental health, and conflict resolution. Vicki is regularly recognized for her excellence in the field,...
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.