Carmel Valley Family Lawyers

Gina Azzolino is a Partner at MTSA and a Certified Family Law Specialist with the State Bar of California. She has practiced family law exclusively since 2005.

Ms. Azzolino has significant experience in all areas of family law, including child custody and visitation, child support (including high-earner disputes), spousal support, domestic violence and restraining orders, date of separation disputes, breach of fiduciary duty claims, set-aside of premarital agreements, property division, reimbursement claims, business valuations and other complex financial issues. Ms. Azzolino works closely and regularly with forensic accountants on complicated financial issues as well as with mental health professionals...

Stephen W. Penn is a Certified Family Law Specialist who has been in private practice since 1991. He received a Bachelor of Science from California State University, Los Angeles and his law degree from Glendale College of Law. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University, Master of Science in Taxation from Golden Gate University and Master of Arts from John F. Kennedy University in Counseling Psychology.

Prior to commencing his legal career, Mr. Penn served as Vice Chancellor of the West Valley-Mission Community College District and Director of Finance and Chief Business Officer of California State University...

Michelle Tidalgo, a founding partner of Morgan Tidalgo Sukhodrev & Azzolino LLP and a Certified Family Law Specialist, is an experienced trial lawyer who practices family law exclusively, focusing on diverse financial issues including business valuation, property division and child and spousal support. Ms. Tidalgo also represents clients in difficult custody disputes. Before the founding of Morgan Duffy-Smith & Tidalgo LLP in 2008, she spent part of her career practicing civil litigation and handling cases involving claims of unfair competition, breach of contract, fraud, trade secret misappropriation and employment law with a management orientation. Ms. Tidalgo began to practice family...

Magdalena Chattopadhya practices all areas of family law, providing comprehensive legal representation for matters related to divorce, separation, child custody/support, paternity, retraining orders, and more. As a Certified Family Law Specialist, she is hands-on with her clients from the initial consultation all the way to negotiations, trials, and even appeals when necessary. Ms. Chattopadhya focuses on the big picture – the long-term impact of a case on her clients’ lives. As a certified mediator, she strives to help parties move forward from a conflict in an amicable and dignified manner. She is dedicated to pursuing the best possible result, no...

Jennifer is certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She earned a B.A. in Law and Society from the University of California at Santa Barbara and her law degree from Santa Clara University. Jennifer is a member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, and member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and is a member of the Family Law Executive Committee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association. Jennifer has lectured at multiple seminars for the Santa Clara County Bar Association, and Santa Clara University School of Law,...

Traci is certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. She graduated from Santa Clara University in 2000 and was admitted to the bar in December of that year. During her tenure at Santa Clara, she was the Sr. Technical Editor of the Computer Technology Law Journal and received a Certificate of Excellence in Legal Research and Writing. After graduation, Traci was recruited by a top corporate law firm. She worked at Gray Cary (now DLA Piper) from 2000 - 2002 as a securities and corporate transactional attorney. She was involved in...

Our practice covers all aspects of family and matrimonial law in all of the Bay Area counties, primarily focusing on Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano, and San Francisco counties. We will expertly navigate you through your family law matter, whether it involves termination of a domestic partnership, paternity, custody, visitation, domestic violence, adoption, guardianship, support, an annulment, legal separation, or post-judgment issues. Regardless which of these processes you are dealing with, we understand the strain and pressure that these matters inevitably put on clients and the necessity of providing strong representation. Therefore, we strive to make the entire process as easy...

I have represented more than 35,000 clients in criminal and personal injury cases. My clients have included Judges, Lawyers, Doctors, Olympic Champions, World Ranked Professional Boxers, the rich and poor. I have been admitted to numerous Federal Courts, Military Court, Bankruptcy Court and some State Courts by special permission. I appear daily in Court. I have obtained not guilty verdicts in most major felony cases. I have tried numerous Personal Injury cases, including brain damage, wrongful death, medical malpractice, biking and motorcycle accidents and product liability. I have tried Bankruptcy cases and Military General Court Martial Cases. I am...

Known for her expert representation of California’s senior executives and their spouses, Kiana protects her clients in high asset divorces and contested custody cases. In her twenty years of legal practice, Kiana has negotiated and litigated the full spectrum of disputes that occur in financially sophisticated divorces and contested custody cases. Kiana graduated Cornell Law School with a concentration in business law. Prior to finding her passion in family law, she was a business litigator at Reed Smith LLP one of the nation’s 20 largest global law firms. She has a B.A in psychology from UC Berkeley and has taken countless negotiation trainings at...

I was born and raised in San Francisco and have been a San Mateo County resident for the past 34 years. I have been practicing law for over 20 years and understand the difficult time one goes through in a break up. No one can do better than I in achieving your goals and wishes.

Bankruptcy attorney for over 35 years in Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. Represents clients in Chapters 7 & 13, and associates with an attorney in Chapter 11 cases. Call for a free in-person, initial consultation to discuss your financial situation. You will learn about various alternatives available to you to resolve your debt and creditor problems, such as payment plans, negotiated (discounted) settlements, and bankruptcy...and what to do if you have been sued/served with a lawsuit. For the interview you can choose which office, Paso Robles or San Luis Obispo. Call now to set your free first appointment.
Richard...

Renee Ross is certified in Family Law by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and is a highly skilled and insightful attorney. She represents family law clients throughout Pleasanton and the surrounding areas. She has more than a decade of experience and handles a broad range of cases including divorce, child custody and support, high net worth divorce, and same-sex family law issues. Attorney Ross can also provide counsel for adoptions, domestic partnership issues, complex property divisions, and other family law cases. She is passionate about providing personalized legal solutions for her clients, guiding them with skill...

Susan Dent is a recently admitted member of the California Bar, joining Lonich and Patton from a C.F.L.S. litigation firm in Newport Beach, CA. Ms. Dent was an active member of the law school community at Santa Clara University, serving as both an associate and editor for the Santa Clara Law Review, an Executive Board member for Honors Moot Court Internal, and as the president of Santa Clara Law's Criminal Law Society. Ms. Dent also served as a research assistant for SCU's Center for Global Law and Policy. Thoughout law school, Ms. Dent clerked for Hon. Jerome...

Julia Lemon became an associate at Lonich and Patton, LLP in November 2007. Julia is well versed in Estate Planning and Business Law, however she has a a special interest in Family Law matters. Julia began her relationship with the firm as a second year law clerk in 2005. Julia was raised in San Jose and attended Presentation High School. Thereafter, she attended the University of California at Davis where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. In 2004, Julia graduated with honors and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, earning a Bachelor's Degree with a major in...

Kara represents individuals in all aspects of family law, including divorce, property division, child and spousal support issues, child custody and visitation, attorney fees and costs, as well as domestic violence restraining orders, prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements. Kara’s clientele incorporates a broad range between C-level executives, business owners, engineers, start-up employees, other attorneys, medical professionals, and stay at home parents.

Robert (“Bobby”) Cashen is a partner at Morgan Tidalgo Sukhodrev & Azzolino LLP. Mr. Cashen has been named a Super Lawyer’s Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine in both 2018 and 2019, an award conferred upon the top 2.5% up and rising attorneys in California. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Family Law Section of the San Mateo County Bar Association and will serve as its chair in 2020.

Mr. Cashen assists clients with all aspects of family law matters. He is experienced with complex financial issues, such as business valuation and characterization, private equity,...

A Bay Area native, Chelsea has always been committed to making a difference in the local community. Family law has provided her the avenue to help families in transition, while maintaining civility and focus on issues that truly matter. Chelsea graduated Cum Laude and received her Bachelor’s Degree from Saint Leo University in St. Leo, Florida, which she attended on a volleyball scholarship. She returned to the Bay Area for law school and graduated with her Juris Doctor Degree from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2015. While in law school, Chelsea used her classroom knowledge to help families while working...

As the managing attorney of the Law Offices of R Morgan Holland, L.C., Santa Maria lawyer R. Morgan Holland represents Californians in family law and bankruptcy matters. Since 1988, Attorney Holland has been practicing as a lawyer in California, and he has managed his own firm for more than two decades. He is a graduate of Ohio State University and the University of Akron School of Law. Get in touch with his firm for a no-charge case evaluation.

Cameron Fernandez graduated with high honors from Santa Barbara College of Law in 2005, having attended law school while working full-time at the family law office of the Law Offices of Shannon L. Fernandez, and raising his family of four young children. During law school, Cameron completed internships with Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rogelio Flores, as well as the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. Cameron began practicing law in 2006 and became a full partner of FERNANDEZ and FERNANDEZ in 2007. In 2014 Cameron founded the Law Office of Cameron Fernandez which is the preeminent family...

Quynh (“Quinn”) Chen is a bilingual attorney that has been admitted to practice in the Ninth Circuit of the United States Appellate Court. Her practice areas primarily focus on family law, entity formations, and intellectual property. Her interest is in software patents and helping underrepresented clients in her community.

As part of her interest in software patents, Ms. Chen is proficient in programming in Ruby on Rails, MEAN stack Javascript, and working with various databases. While at Golden Gate University, School of Law, she served as Vice President of Asian Pacific American Law Student Association.

Kent P. Tierney has been practicing law for over 20 years. He specializes in the areas of Family Law, Real Estate, Civil Litigation, and Business Law. Mr. Tierney formed what is now Tierney Law Group in 2012 following more than 15 years of practice with several Bay Area law firms specializing in Civil Litigation. Mr. Tierney brings his unique personal experiences to the representation of his clients and is known for his no nonsense approach to cases. Mr. Tierney’s clients often compliment him for his straightforward demeanor and candid review of cases. His strengths are his knowledge of the law,...

Law Offices of Ali Yousefi was established with the vision to provide outstanding and effective service to litigants in the family law, employment law, and personal injury realms. What clients need the most during litigation are passion, professionalism and expediency. These values are the pillars of our office. At the Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C., we care for peoples rights and our utmost duty is to find legal solutions that will remedy challenges you are facing with the law.

Experienced, dedicated and affordable immigration attorney servings the Immigration community for near 20 years. Record of winning case on asylum, VAWA claim, naturalization with criminal background, waivers, and complex family based immigrant visa petitions.

Scott Mitchell is highly experienced in a wide range of legal matters, including bankruptcy, personal injury, criminal defense, and divorce. He has handled thousands of cases, developing an in-depth knowledge and a nuanced understanding of many areas of the law. Nothing substitutes real-world experience and proven knowledge, and with Attorney Mitchell, you have access to a seasoned attorney who knows the ins and outs of many state and federal courts. He works hard for his clients in order to get the right results. If you would like to see how Attorney Mitchell can help you, call for a FREE consultation.

Sabi Mand is a zealous advocate for his clients. He works vigorously to provide effective representation and results for his clients. Sabi has worked for several Bay Area law firms handling all aspects of Family Law before starting his own practice. He has also worked as a mediator for over 15 years, and helps clients resolve their disputes amicably. Sabi has volunteered as an attorney for the Alameda County Superior Court, Family Law Division. He has very refined negotiation and interpersonal communication skills. He has been a coach and judge for the UC Hastings negotiation team. In addition, Sabi has had the...

Lydia is a Certified Family Law Specialist as certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and has experience in all aspects of family law matters, including child custody and visitation; child and spousal support; property identification, characterization, valuation and division; reimbursement claims; pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements; and domestic violence issues. Lydia also provides representation in guardianships and step-parent adoptions. Lydia serves a broad range of clients including attorneys, doctors, business owners. parents and grandparents. She is passionate about providing counsel that is empathetic and pragmatic and ensuring that her clients are aware of their options. Lydia works...

Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law from the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Legal services in the areas of (1) Trust & Estate, including Wills, Living Trusts, Probate, Trust Administration, and Conservatorships. (2) Taxation, including Compromise of Tax Liabilities, Tax Payment Agreements and Workouts, Defense Against IRS Collection, Audit and Appeals, and Abatement of Tax Penalties (3) Family Law, including Prenuptial Agreements, Divorce, Custody, Division of Assets, and Guardianships.

Help small to medium size companies navigate through a wide variety of legal challenges: formation, funding, governmental impediments, operational legal planning, merger and acquisition, employee relations, and labor compliance. All with the goal of litigation avoidance. Litigation in all California state courts and the Northern and Eastern U.S. District Courts of California.

Jessica joined Mello & Pickering LLP in January 2015. In 2011 Jessica received her undergraduate degree from Saint Mary’s College of California where she majored in political science. After graduating from Saint Mary’s, she received her law degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2014. She was then admitted to the California State Bar in December 2014, after passing the state bar exam on her first attempt. During her law school education, Jessica gained extensive experience in family law working for the Department of Child Support Services, the San Francisco Bar Association’s family law project and a solo family...

For over 14 years, Mr. Baello has litigated high stakes family law actions in three of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States - the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City. Through this diversity of experience, he has the expertise and adaptability to obtain favorable results through trial or settlement in varied situations and tribunals. Ernest is a Certified Family Law Specialist (“CFLS”) per the California Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a graduate of the renowned National Family Law Trial Institute. Mr. Baello provides comprehensive and strategic representation in complicated and high conflict cases. Prior to becoming...

Andrea represents clients in all areas of family law, including divorce, legal separation, annulment, custody and visitation, support, and complex property division.

Andrea understands the impact a divorce and other family law issues can have on people’s lives and is committed to provide support to litigants with family law issues, while explaining the law to them and advocating for the best results possible.

Arlette completed her law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2010. Prior to earning her J.D., she received a B.A. in History and a B.A. in International and Area Studies at the University of Oklahoma. She is admitted to practice law in the State of California and the State of Oklahoma.

Arlette has solely practiced family law since 2010. Her family law experience began prior to graduating from law school when she worked as a law clerk at the family law firm of Cindy Allen and Associates, PLLC. After graduating from law school, Arlette worked as an...

Christine Pham is a San Francisco native with over 10 years of litigation experience. Her background in litigation, bankruptcy, and knowledge of California family law, combined with her creative legal strategies and sincere compassion for her clients, has made her a recognized and trusted name in and around the Bay Area.

Christine focuses her practice on helping families and couples in a range of family law and family formation matters, including child custody and support, spousal support (alimony), dissolution of marriage (divorce), legal separation, division of property, and assisted reproduction.

Christine’s dedication to her clients is reflected in the testimonials they give...

Lisa R. Murray has practiced law since 1987, and family law since 1989, assisting families through the difficult divorce process. Ms. Murray assists her clients in reaching amicable and equitable settlement by offering services as a mediator, Collaborative Practice lawyer, consulting attorney for clients in mediation, and negotiating settlements. Ms. Murray has served her community as a court-appointed child advocate representing children in divorce cases, and Judge Pro Tempore. Ms. Murray's focus on consensual dispute resolution, such as mediation and Collaborative Practice was borne from her experience of the destructive manner in which litigation separates parents' and...

Before merging her law office with Tammy J. Mercado’s, Mary Whipple opened her own law practice in the summer of 2008. Prior to that Mary was an associate attorney at the Law Office of Cummins & Holmes, a full-service civil litigation law firm in San Ramon. The majority of her experience is in family law, which includes divorce, custody, support, prenuptial agreements, and domestic-violence restraining orders. Mary has also represented clients in a variety of non-family-law cases, including juvenile dependency, probate, breach of contract, and employment disputes, to name a few. Previously, Mary worked as a contract attorney for O’Melveny...

I am one of a handful of Certified Family Law Specialists, as certified by the California State Bar, Board of Legal Specialization, in the Stanislaus and San Joaquin area. Family law is my favorite area of the law as I greatly enjoy the ability to help people navigate through the court process. I know that I go to court every day but that my clients don't. I understand that this process can be overwhelming and often, emotionally driven. My job is to be certain that my clients understand best case scenarios and worst case scenarios so...

My family law practice is entirely limited to mediation and coaching. After witnessing the financial destruction and emotional distress that accompanies a litigated divorce, I decided to devote my career to helping couples separate constructively, peacefully and with dignity. Not only does a mediated divorce typically cost tens of thousands less than a drawn-out courtroom battle, but it also maximizes the likelihood that the parties will enjoy a civil relationship after the legal work is done. This is critically important when children are involved. I handle the entire divorce process for my clients, from our initial meeting to drafting...

Amy Laughlin has been achieving exceptional results for clients since 1992. After graduating with honors from The University of Michigan Law School, Amy joined the San Francisco office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP. While there, she counseled individuals and corporations in a wide range of complex financial matters. In 2013, Amy opened her own practice where she focuses primarily on divorce, business and entertainment law.