Best Lawyers in America for Collaborative Law: Family Law
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State
Marina excels in dealing with international and complex family law matters. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) as well as the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and has been consistently named a Washingtonian Top Lawyer since 2015. Always emphasizing the importance of family, Marina is skilled at resolving complex custody and property division cases. Marina serves a wide range of clients, including accomplished career executives, stay-at-home spo...
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 ...
Peter L. Gladstone is a Principal of the law firm of Gladstone, Weissman, Hirschberg & Schneider, P.A. He is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law (1999) and a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2003), having practiced exclusively in this field since 1988. Mr. Gladstone is AV-Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America (2005-2025 editions), Florida Trend Legal Elite magazine, Florida Super Lawyers (“To...
Marc Fleisher is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law. Marc, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2015. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Marc is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kathleen Donelli is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Collaborative Law: Family Law. Kathleen, who practices law in White Plains, New York, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kathleen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jodi Colton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Jodi, who practices law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jodi is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Complex marital dissolutions and legal separations, parenting plans, relocation actions, high-conflict child custody and child support matters, third-party and non-parental custody actions, cohabitation/prenuptial and community property status agreements, and post-dissolution issues, including child support and parenting plan modifications.
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...
Paul Smollar has been practicing family law for more than forty years, and has become a leader in Collaborative Practice in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Recognized as the only trained mediator in the District of Columbia by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Mr. Smollar nevertheless is an accomplished litigator when matters do not settle. Mr. Smollar practices in both the District of Columbia and Virginia and is an active member of the Fairfax County Bar, the Virginia Trial Law...
Lindsay B. Haber is a highly accomplished family law attorney and founding partner of Haber Legal in Boca Raton, Florida. She represents clients across South Florida in complex and emotionally sensitive matters involving matrimonial and family law , equitable distribution , alimony , timesharing and parental responsibility , paternity , prenuptial and postnuptial agreements , and complex financial issues , while also providing clients with comprehensive estate planning and probate counsel. Ms...
Elizabeth K. Bransdorfer received her bachelor’s degree from the College of Liberal Arts and her law degree cum laude from the Law School, both at the University of Minnesota. Liz specializes in divorce and family law using mediation, and collaborative practice as well as traditional litigation and arbitration. She is admitted to practice in all Michigan state courts, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the United States District Co...
Kyle is a highly regarded family attorney who draws on deep experience and a competitive nature in seeking to prevail for his clients. A seasoned litigator, mediator, and collaborative lawyer, he handles the gamut of family law matters, with special expertise in complex custody and business cases. In addition, Kyle has cultivated a niche in working with Christians, who often struggle with reconciling divorce and their faith. Kyle began his legal career as a civil litigator but realized family...
Thoughtful Counsel for Complex Family Matters Hayley Blair understands that family law is rarely just about legal issues. Clients come to her facing significant financial decisions, concerns about their children, and uncertainty about the future. She helps them navigate those challenges with thoughtful guidance, practical judgment, and a strategy tailored to their long-term goals. Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, Hayley represents executives, business ...
Attorney Sarah DeKraay’s legal practice focuses on family law matters, which includes divorce, legal separation, pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, maintenance (alimony), custody, child support, placement, paternity, grandparents' rights, child removal cases, adoptions and guardianships. She also handles post-divorce matters regarding children, child support, relocation and out-of-state custody issues, maintenance modifications, and contempt of court issues. Sarah is trained and e...
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.