Best Lawyers in America for Family Law
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State
Donna T. Gibbs is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Donna T., who practices law in Oakland, California, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Donna T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Louis concentrates his practice in the area of family law. He has over 45 years of extensive experience in negotiating and litigating economically complex divorce cases. He has been broadly recognized by his peers as a preeminent member of the New Jersey family law bar. Mr. Louis represents clients in all aspects of divorce including asset distribution, child support and alimony, with the goal of achieving a negotiated result but, when required, a fair result after trial. His emphasis is ...
Sean P. Kelly has practiced exclusively in the area of family law and divorce for his entire career as a lawyer, which began in 1994. Having "grown up" in the field, Sean has extensive litigation experience and a significant knowledge and understanding of the law. One benefit of his years of litigation experience is that it affords a seasoned trial lawyer like Sean many more opportunities to achieve fair and equitable settlements for his clients. His substantial trial experience, coupled with...
Marcia Kuntz resumed her family law practice in 2012 at the firm of Kuder, Smollar, Friedman & Mihalik, PC after years as a legislative counsel and committee staffer on Capitol Hill and as an adviser, editor, and executive in the non-profit sector. In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Kuntz has taught Family Law as an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Law. In April 2022, she co-founded the firm of Smollar Kuntz Locey, PLLC. Ms. Kuntz started her legal career...
Chris Nickelson is Dual Board Certified in Family Law and in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and a partner at Goranson Bain Ausley in Fort Worth. With over 27 years practicing exclusively in family law, Chris is a past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section, currently serves as Director of District 7 on the State Bar of Texas Board, and chaired the Committee on Pattern Jury Charges, Family & Probate Volume, from 2020 to 2024. He is a member of t...
Francesca Blackard is a dedicated family law attorney and partner at McClure Law Group, where she has exclusively practiced family law since earning her Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 2012. Francesca’s journey to becoming a well-respected family law attorney began even before law school, where she spent five years working as a paralegal and law clerk at family law firms in Chicago, New York, and Dallas. Her unique career path has honed a skill set deeply rooted in family law, ...
Biography His broad-based legal experience includes presiding as a municipal court judge of the City of Houston, a state district judge of both a Civil and Family District Courts, and served as assistant attorney general for the State of Texas and briefing clerk for the Honorable Judge Ingraham, Federal District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. He has extensive experience in civil trials and appeals involving complex litigation and family law cases. His mediation experience includes ...
Joseph Maceri, Esq. is a partner at Sarno da Costa D'Aniello Maceri LLC and manages the firm’s Hackensack office. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a matrimonial attorney. He received his Juris Doctorate from Michigan State University, College of Law and received his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from William Paterson University of New Jersey. Mr. Maceri also studied comparative constitutional and international law abroad at the University of Toronto, in Tor...
Amy M. McKinlay is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Amy M., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Amy M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Stevan Black attended the public schools in Natchez, Mississippi (K-5) and Memphis, Tennessee (6-12), graduating from Overton High School in 1966. Black majored in chemistry at Mississippi State University and secured an American Chemical Society accredited Bachelor of Science degree in 1970. While at Mississippi State, Black was Chairman of the Judicial Council, a student Senator and a member of the President's Cabinet. He was an officer in his fraternity, Beta Tau chapter of Kappa Alpha Ord...
Coleen Kinsler knew during her third year of law school that she wanted to focus her career on Family Law and helping families navigate challenging transitions. She has practiced family law throughout her legal career and has been Board Certified in Family Law since 2020. Coleen is an attorney with Noelke Maples St. Leger Bryant LLP, serving individuals and families in Austin, Texas and surrounding communities. Coleen understands that family law matters are deeply personal and can have lastin...
David is a problem solver with deep experience across a range of family law matters. Whether it’s a divorce, custody dispute, or property division, he works with clients to identify achievable goals to work toward. Once that’s been accomplished, he lays out a plan to give them the best possible chance of making it happen. David understands people are coming to him for help with the most serious problems they’ve ever faced. He believes an essential part of his job is to make ...
Rachel Whitsitt is an Overland Park-based family law attorney. She assists clients in Kansas and Missouri with matters of divorce, paternity, child custody and support, spousal maintenance, guardianship, and grandparent rights. Rachel has ample experience with high-asset divorce cases and related issues—including complex property valuations and making and interpreting premarital agreements.
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.