Best Lawyers in America for Family Law: Arbitration and Mediation
Kris is board certified in the area of Family Law and Child Welfare by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Kris earned her law degree at St. Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio after completing her Bachelor of Business Administration at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She continued her education by earning a Master of Business Administration at St. Mary's University School of Business. Kris has four children and lives in Dallas with her husband. Kris is a credentialed...
Jane focuses her practice on family law issues, particularly complex divorce, paternity, custody, child support, and adoption matters, including both trial and appellate work. Jane is a Certified Parenting Act Mediator. She also works with the rehabilitation or liquidation of insurance companies. Jane has taught Pretrial Litigation Skills and Family Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law and has been a regular speaker at the Family Law Section’s annual seminar. Jane is AV rate...
A founding member of Pittsburgh family law firm Pollock Begg, Daniel H. Glasser has negotiated and tried family law cases involving complex issues such as business valuation, tax and equitable distribution for more than two decades. Skilled at preparing difficult cases in short time spans, Dan is known for being a workout specialist on tough cases. Dan is honored to have been voted the 2022 Pittsburgh "Lawyer of the Year" for family law in the Best Lawyers in American peer review process. Dan...
Kelly Ausley-Flores is a Partner at Goranson Bain Ausley in Austin, Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, with more than 25 years of experience. She has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America© for Family Law and Collaborative Law since 2012, and for Family Law Mediation since 2024. She has been named Austin “Lawyer of the Year” multiple times. Kelly is also included in LawDragon’s 500 Leading Family Lawyers (2024–2026) a...
J.J. Dahl is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. J.J. practices law in Clermont, Florida Best Lawyers has recognized J.J. Dahl since 2022. 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 J.J. Dahl is held by other lawyers.
About Banafsheh Banafsheh Lari is an associate attorney with Ciancio Ciancio Brown, P.C. and a member of the Family Law Team. Banafsheh earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Affairs with an emphasis on the Middle East from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2012. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2015. Banafsheh began her legal career as a law clerk in Adams County District Court primarily for the Honorable Jac...
Jason B. Castle has over two decades of unique experience in high conflict custody cases, many of which involve allegations of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. He is also well-versed in helping families with complicated assets including large businesses and complex estates. He began his law career working for the City of Phoenix Prosecutor’s Office, trying criminal cases before juries and judges. In 2005, Jason pivoted into family law and has since worked to resolve a wide variety ...
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 ...
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,...
Lisa R. Zonder is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Collaborative Law: Family Law, Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Lisa R. practices law in Calabasas, California Best Lawyers has recognized Lisa R. Zonder since 2019. 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 Lisa R. Zonder is held by other lawyers.
Martin F. Kane II is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Martin F. practices law in Boston, Massachusetts Best Lawyers has recognized Martin F. Kane II 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 Martin F. Kane II is held by other lawyers.
Barri Hilton Payne In 2011, Barri became a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law and a Certified Family Financial Mediator. She was born in High Point, North Carolina and grew up in Davidson County. She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she majored in Religious studies and Sociology. Barri is a 1999 graduate of University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill. After twelve years as a partner in a local law firm, Barri opened her own solo family law and m...
Brian has been a divorce attorney in Northern Virginia since 1985. He is also certified by the Virginia Supreme Court as a family law mediator. He is listed in "Best Lawyers in America", Washingtonian and Northern Virginia magazine's Top Divorce Lawyers and Virginia Business magazine's "Legal Elite," as both a lawyer and mediator. He is a Commissioner in Chancery as well as a Neutral Case Evaluator for Fairfax County Circuit Court. Brian served on the Virginia State Bar's Fifth District Disci...
John G. DiPiano is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Family Law and Family Law Arbitration. John G. practices law in Salem, Massachusetts Best Lawyers has recognized John G. DiPiano since 2023. 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 John G. DiPiano is held by other lawyers.
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.
