Best Lawyers in America for Collaborative Law: 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...

Diane Carlton is Special Counsel at Griffiths Law. She has over 40 years of experience dedicated to helping clients and their families move through the difficult process of divorce. She is a skilled trial lawyer as a result of her previous experience as a Colorado deputy public defender, municipal judge and her extensive trial experience in divorce cases. Diane is compassionate and works closely with clients to reach a constructive and productive resolution of their case. Diane focuses on ach...

Alexander H. Xanttopoulos is a principal attorney with Roop, Xanttopoulos, Babounakis. He joined the predecessor firm in Fall 2010, to focus primarily on family law. He works in cases involving divorce, child custody, support, visitation and equitable distribution. Prior to joining Roop Law, Alex worked for several years for Greenspun, Shapiro, Davis and Leary P.C. as an associate practicing in the areas of domestic relations, traffic, criminal defense and civil litigation. He also has experi...

Jennifer Stanton Hargrave, J.D., is the founder of Hargrave Family Law, a boutique family law firm based in Dallas, Texas. Her practice is focused exclusively on Family Law, with an emphasis on guiding individuals and families through divorce and related matters with clarity, care, and respect. As a Dallas divorce attorney, Jennifer works closely with clients to help them understand their options and make informed decisions during challenging life transitions. She has built a dedicated legal ...

Jennifer Davison is a family law attorney and partner at Tucker PLLC who provides guidance to clients and families in Washington, DC, and Maryland. She handles all types of family law, matters including, divorce , asset division , child support , custody , alimony, prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements . In her practice, Jennifer is particularly adept at helping clients identify and prioritize their goals. “I love receiving emails from clients six months or a year later sayin...

Emily Baker, a family law attorney and partner at Tucker Family Law, is based in Northern Virginia and mainly serves clients in Fairfax County, Arlington County, the City of Alexandria, Loudoun County, and Washington, D.C. With a focus on separation and divorce , including complex and high-net-worth family law matters , Emily believes in the importance of listening carefully to her clients as they develop their goals. “I value being able to really be there for someone during what’...

Mia Cahill is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Mia, who practices law in Princeton, New Jersey, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mia is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Margaret has over twenty-five years of experience concentrating on high-asset and complex divorce cases. Margaret’s clients include business owners, public figures, elected officials, executives of publicly traded companies, successful inventors, tech entrepreneurs, attorneys, doctors, dentists, retirees, those with generational wealth, and many others. Her cases regularly involve issues relating to the valuation and division of complex assets such as business interests, private equity,...

Jessica C. Roth is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Jessica C., who practices law in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jessica C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Nicole A. Forbes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Nicole A., who practices law in Concord, New Hampshire, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicole A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Douglas J. Sanderson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Real Estate Law. Douglas J., who practices law in Fairfax, Virginia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Douglas J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Moving Foward, With Integrity and Respect Kelly Caperton Fischer on doing what’s best for clients: I excel at finding creative and respectful solutions to family law matters, including property and child-related issues. Understanding that each family is unique and has different end goals, I use “collaborative law” as a critical foundation to help clients put settlement at the forefront, negotiate more openly and truly focus on what is best for their family. This results in t...

Sheraz Barkat is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law, Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Sheraz, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sheraz is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Kristen A. Algert is a Board-Certified family law Partner at Goranson Bain Ausley in Austin and one of the most peer-distinguished collaborative law practitioners in Texas. She has been included in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Family Law, Family Law Mediation, and Collaborative Law: Family Law continuously since 2007, representing nearly two decades of sustained peer recognition. Best Lawyers has named Kris “Lawyer of the Year” in Austin for Collaborative Law...

Taylor Toombs Imel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Collaborative Law: Family Law and Family Law. Taylor Toombs, who practices law in Houston, Texas, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Taylor Toombs is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...