Lakeside Divorce Lawyers

Scott H. Finkbeiner is a co-founder of Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP and is an expert in Family Law as he is California State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist. Scott is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Scott has dual degrees in accounting and finance from the University of Arizona. Scott serves as a volunteer for the Superior Court as a judge pro tem, Family Law settlement judge and mediator. Scott specializes in all aspects of complex family law cases from mediations to trials. Scott has litigated all issues involved in divorce and paternity cases...

Puja A. Sachdev is a family law attorney who graduated cum laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, California with her Juris Doctorate and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno in Marketing and Management. She completed her Masters of Science in Business Administration in Financial & Tax Planning at San Diego State University and received the certificate for Personal Financial Planning. Ms. Sachdev is the only family law attorney in the greater San Diego area with the designation of Certified Divorce Financial Analyst™. Prior to her career in law...

Hannah J. Engholm received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, as a University of California Regent’s Scholar. Hannah simultaneously earned her Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law and her Master in Social Work degree from San Diego State University. She served as Senior Editor for the California Western International Law Journal. Hannah is involved in several volunteer opportunities, including San Diego’s Voices of Children where she has been a Court Appointed Advocate since 2010. Ms. Engholm has experience with all family law issues.

Stephanie Mendez attended law school in Orange County, CA, and passed the California State Bar on the first attempt. She first became interested in Family Law while interning at The Legal Clinic, in Fullerton, CA. After graduating law school, Stephanie began working at a local law firm in San Diego, CA, where she handled all aspects of family law, including child custody and visitation, child support, paternity actions, divorce actions, domestic violence issues, and spousal support. She is well versed in the complexities of family law, and the emotions that are involved. Her goal is to guide the client and...

Julia Schneider received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kansas, with a double major in Spanish and Latin American Studies. After graduation, Ms. Schneider moved to Barranquilla, Columbia where she taught fifth grade science and language arts at a bilingual school. After teaching in Columbia, Ms. Schneider entered California Western School of Law as a Trustee’s Scholar. Ms. Schneider joined Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP in January, 2014 as a certified legal intern through California Western School of Law’s clinical internship program. She later became a law clerk, and now is an associate attorney in the firm. She...

Our tagline, "When you want your case done right the first time," evolved as a result of continued client feedback expressing frustrations with past dealings with the process. Divorce is a difficult process. We are mindful of the emotional aspect as well as the costs involved with each case. Andrew P. Johnson, APC makes every effort to apply the right resources to each task so that we can keep costs at a minimum while still accomplishing your goals.

I am a licensed California Attorney and Certified Family Law Specialist with an office located in Vista directly across from...

William Fitch, otherwise known as "Bill" is a senior attorney at Family Law Matters. Having a civil trial background for nearly two decades before joining the firm, Bill brings a unique knowledge of the law with him. He has tried hundreds, if not thousands, of cases over the years; and has conducted many jury trials. He also has extensive experience in discovery and law and motion issues. Bill's easy-going nature makes him easy to talk to, but do not underestimate his trial skills. Bill would always rather settle a case than try one one, because he recognizes the benefits to...

“Integrity Matters”
As a young woman, Gina experienced the pain and uncertainty of a protracted custody battle over her first child. It was this experience that caused her to become a lawyer. Her daughter is now happily married and attending medical school. Gina married her second husband in 1992. They have a teenaged son together, who still lives at home.

Gina was licensed to practice law in the state of California in 1997. Since then, she has amassed vast legal knowledge and courtroom experience. Her practice has always been limited exclusively to family law. Over the years, she has learned to listen....

Attorney Heather Cullen is a Certified Family Law Specialist and practices exclusively Family Law. Attorney Cullen is a native Southern Californian who graduated Cum Laude with a dual bachelor's degree in Philosophy & Law and Society from the University of California, Riverside. Attorney Cullen then earned her Juris Doctor Degree from The University of California at Davis School of Law. Attorney Cullen is currently an active member of the State Bar of California. She is licensed to practice law in the State of California and the U.S. District Court Central District of California. Attorney Cullen is also an active member of the...

Attorney Kevin A. Polis is a member of the State Bar of California, the San Diego Family Law Bar Association, North County Bar Association, and is Certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Kevin Polis has dedicated his career exclusively to the practice of divorce & family law. Because of this, he is certified by the State Bar of California as a Divorce & Family Law Specialist, a title that few attorneys in our area have, and one that shows a commitment to the practice of the law and delivering...

Michele B. Brown is an attorney licensed in the State of California and the United States District Court for the Southern District. She is a Certified Specialist in Family Law and the head of the Procopio Family Law Group. Ms. Brown has been practicing family law for approximately 25 years. She handles complex family law matters, including dissolution of marriage actions with business valuations, income analysis and financial litigation, custody, move-away and psychological evaluations, as well as pre-marital agreements, post-marital agreements, post judgment matters and enforcement actions. Ms. Brown cares deeply about the law and her clients....

Stephen V. Smith is a dedicated and skilled Divorce and Family Law attorney. He exclusively represents men and women going through difficult divorces and complex family issues. When possible, Stephen uses a non-adversarial approach, involving mediation and settlement. Because emotions run high in this area of the law, Stephen is also prepared to proceed to court to resolve cases. In addition to over 18 years advocating for clients, Stephen has personal experience with divorce. More than 20 years ago, before becoming an attorney, he represented himself in his own divorce and contentious custody battle. During this difficult time Stephen realized what...

Kristie Lee Bergamo has presided as a temporary judge in both Orange and Los Angeles Counties. She also has an extensive history serving as minor's counsel, and has taught classes to help other attorneys become certified as minor's counsel. Kristie joined Family Law Matters in August of 2018. She attended Willamette University Law School in Salem, Oregon, and was licensed to practice law in 2002. Since then, she has focused on the practice of family law. Prior to joining Family Law Matters, Kristie was a sole practitioner and earned a reputation as a fierce advocate of her clients. Kristie has...

Certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in Family Law, Ms. Bickford practices exclusively in the area of family law helping clients with divorce and separation in San Diego. Ms. Bickford is a graduate of California Western School of Law where she received honorable recognition for outstanding achievement in the areas of community property, taxation and civil procedure, as well as a West Publishing Award in recognition of her overall outstanding scholastic accomplishment. Ms. Bickford received her Bachelor of Science from Miami University, with a dual major in Systems Analysis and Mathematics. San Diego divorce attorney Nancy...

Mr. Bourne is a former San Diego criminal prosecutor who prosecuted various criminal offenses and also worked in the domestic violence unit (Family Justice Center) of the San Diego City Attorney's Office. After working for the San Diego City Attorney's office, Mr. Bourne joined a civil litigation firm where he gained extensive experience in various matters including corporate and partnership law and marital dissolution. This experience includes pre-trial discovery, valuation of community and corporate assets, and various legal motion and pleading work.

Mr. Bourne also devotes substantial time as conflict counsel. He represents indigent defendants who cannot afford an attorney...

Born in Bakersfield, California and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Blado is a graduate of California Western School of Law. While at California Western, Mr. Blado studied Family Law and Community Property. During his third year of law school, Matthew was selected to serve as the judicial extern for the Honorable Nancy C. Oesterle.

While attending California Western, Mr. Blado was a founding member of the California Western School of Law Community Law Project which provided free legal assistance to poor and indigent members of the community. It was during this period that Mr. Blado was first exposed to the...

Scottie Leming is one of our senior attorneys. She graduated from Western State University College of Law and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1995. Scottie is an extremely experienced family law attorney and represented victims of domestic violence for twelve years before joining our firm.

Since 1995, Scottie has helped thousands of clients with great success. She understands the legal issues and uncertainties surrounding divorce, child custody and support are personal issues. She knows how to provide emotional support and clearly communicate with her clients. Scottie is well known and greatly respected within our legal community. She is...

Meet Melissa Wheeler Hoff, a distinguished Newport Beach divorce attorney driven by a fascination with family law's intricate blend of psychological, emotional, and financial complexities. Specializing in high-asset divorce and high-conflict custody disputes, Melissa guides clients through every phase of marital dissolution, from mediation to post-judgment matters like enforcement and modifications. Her unique strength lies in connecting with clients, easing the discomfort of divorce litigation with mindfulness and empathy. Melissa firmly believes in dissolving marriages without destroying families, a philosophy encapsulated in her words: "You can dissolve your marriage without destroying your family if you are willing to take the high...

Andy Cook is here to help you! With a great courtroom presence (he used to be a professional announcer) and strong writing skills, Andy is able to get your message across to the many family law judges in San Diego County.

Andy Cook handles family law matters exclusively. He has one associate attorney and has run his own practice in the Bankers Hill area of San Diego, located about a mile from the main San Diego Family Law Court, for over 23 years. Andy has been Certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar...