Half Moon Bay Family Lawyers

With a progressive law practice since 2007, Mr. Ali Shahrestani is a bi-coastal litigation attorney representing international and domestic clients in state and federal legal matters in CA, NY, and MA. He has been featured in print and TV news for his legal expertise, is a recipient of multiple awards and a graduate of top rated universities with honors, and has donated much effort and time to public education, legal journalism, and social justice activism. 1) Education Law - K-12, College, Graduate, Students, Teachers, Schools 2) Divorce & Child Custody - High Conflict, LGBTQ, Father's Rights 3) Business, Contracts, & Real Estate Law...

Because divorce is a problem to be solved, not a battle to be won, I focus on alternatives to the court system, through Collaborative Law and Mediation. I believe that most families and children are best served by being supported to work together in resolving their family matters. The fundamental goal in both Collaborative Divorce and Mediation is client empowerment.

With either mediation or the Collaborative process you will have control of the decisions that are made and will be firmly supported, legally and emotionally, in achieving a successful dissolution of your relationship. This not only allows but also encourages you...

Experienced Principal with a demonstrated history of working in the law practice industry. Skilled in trial advocacy, representing clients with business disputes, labor and employment law and family Law. Samira received her undergraduate degree with honors from University of California at Berkeley and obtained a Doctor of Law (J.D.) from Santa Clara University School of Law, with a specialization in intellectual property. Samira practices in Federal Court, State Court and the Appellate Court.

Mr. Krepelka specializes in all aspects of family law matters, such as property division, characterization, allocation, and valuation; reimbursement claims; spousal support; child support; breaches of fiduciary duty; business valuations; real property valuations and claims; post-judgment matters; enforcement of California orders, out-of-state orders, and international orders; contempt actions; all aspects of child custody and visitation; domestic violence issues; and pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. He is seasoned in working closely with experts such as forensic CPAs, real estate appraisers, and child custody evaluators. He is a skilled litigator, handling numerous contested Family Law Trials of varying lengths. Travis Isaiah Krepelka obtained a...

As a Certified Family Law Specialist, Jim Hoover represents clients in all aspects of family law litigation, including but not limited to, domestic violence, child custody and visitation, property identification, characterization, valuation and division, spousal support, child support, breaches of fiduciary duties, reimbursement claims, dates of separation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and related matters. After many years of experience, Mr. Hoover skillfully settles and if necessary, litigates all of these issues. Mr. Hoover educates, advocates and acts in our clients' best interests on these issues. He pays particular attention to our clients' emotional and financial difficulties. Mr. Hoover attended Santa Clara University,...

Mr. Lederman is a Certified Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Family Law Section and served as Section President in 2008. He is also a past State Bar Family Law Section Legislation Chair and is the 2017 Family Law Section Chair. He frequently speaks and writes on family law issues.

Ethan M. Weisinger is a California State Certified Family Law Specialist working in all of the Bay Area Counties. He represents clients in all aspects of conventional family law matters, (divorce/separation, child custody, spousal/child support, etc.) as well as dissolution of same-sex marriages, including Registered Domestic Partnerships. Ethan graduated with honors from California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo with a degree in English and Political Science. Ethan then went on to study law at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and graduated with honors, with an emphasis in Trial Litigation in 2010. From 2010...

DEBRA R. SCHOENBERG, ESQ., HAS A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED CAREER.
More than thirty years ago, she established her own firm, which has vast experience and expertise in the highly sensitive and complex practice of family law. Ms. Schoenberg has established a professional reputation for thoroughness, strategic thinking, keen attention to detail, loyalty, and dedication to client service.

Today Ms. Schoenberg handles cases that range from complex financial issues and extensive marital estates, to high-conflict custody matters. Adept at negotiating resolutions as well as aggressively pursuing litigated outcomes, she also handles straightforward family law cases, pre- and post-marital agreements, and marital settlements. Ms....

In the past I have worked for the largest bankruptcy firm in the country and have handled hundreds of insolvency cases. Are you contemplating separating from your spouse? Have you been served with divorce papers already? I started my family law practice with the premise that I would always attempt to facilitate a collaborative divorce. Experience has allowed me to witness firsthand the potential of inadvertently creating acrimony between spouses (instead of reducing it) when the court system is used haphazardly. The courts should be a place of last resort - who wants a Judge who barely knows you to...

Mr. Cvietkovich is very well-connected in the Bay Area being a 6th generation resident of San Jose. He currently works in the same building where his great-uncle had a law practice from the 1960s to the 1980s. Mr. Cvietkovich has handled over 3000 cases in his career and he uses his vast experience to aggressively defend his clients. Mr. Cvietkovich is a member of the Santa Clara County Bar Association and the California Public Defender’s Association. To find out about our flexible and affordable payment options or to receive a free consultation, please contact us today at 408-625-1130.

Welcome to the Law Office of James Chau. You deserve the highest quality legal representation at affordable prices for your San Jose / Santa Clara County Divorce and Family Law needs. Please call the office today to speak with an attorney.

Michael E. Lonich is the managing partner of Lonich & Patton and has nearly 30 years of experience representing a wide range of businesses and individuals. His practice concentrates on Estate Planning, Business Law and divorce mediation. Mike draws upon his expertise and the firm's resources to partner with individuals and families to develop comprehensive estate plans and successfully represent clients in trust administration and probate litigation. From the creation of a simple will to a complex trust, family limited liability partnership or business succession plan, maximizing financial benefits as well as ensuring the peace of mind that an estate...

My work history has been focused in the area of family law and judgment enforcement for family law cases.

Prior to becoming an attorney in 2004, I obtained my paralegal certificate in 1979, established American Process & Courier Service in 1991. I have a broad range of experience including family law, civil litigation, probate, bankruptcy and estate planning.

I now focus on assisting self-represented litigants with document preparation services in family law and uncontested probate matters as well as enforcement of judgments.

Yanna Sukhodrev is a partner at Morgan Tidalgo Sukhodrev & Azzolino LLP and a Certified Family Law Specialist. She focuses her practice exclusively on family law and has successfully handled a variety of matters, both before private judges and in the public courthouse, including high-earner child support issues, date of separation disputes, restraining orders, breach of fiduciary duty claims, reimbursement claims, valuation of stock options, valuation of businesses and complex challenges to the validity of pre-nuptial agreements and marital settlement agreements. She regularly handles challenging custody disputes, and has experience litigating international move away cases. She works closely with...

Mitchell T. Ehrlich is a partner with Lonich and Patton and along with David Patton, he leads the Family Law practice. His practice focuses on all areas of Family Law including Dissolutions, Child Custody, Support Matters, Property and Business Division, Pre and Post-Nuptial Agreements, Paternity, Registered Domestic Partnerships, Guardianship and Adoptions. In 2009, he became a California Certified Family law Specialist. Mitchell has over 10 years of experience as a civil litigator and trial attorney. Mitchell began focusing his practice exclusively on Family Law matters shortly after Lonich & Patton's Family Law practice was developed. Prior to that, he amassed significant...

Gretchen Z. Boger began her law career as a Deputy District Attorney in San Joaquin County from 2007 – 2010. During her tenure with the D.A.’s office, she prosecuted 17 jury trials.

Ms. Boger has been practicing family law exclusively since January 2010. Ms. Boger joined Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri in 2013. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. During her time at McGeorge, she received a concentration in trial advocacy.

Ms. Boger demonstrates great care and compassion in handling the complex emotional and legal issues which are unique to family law matters. Ms....

David Patton is a Family Law Specialist as certified by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, limiting his practice to family law exclusively. He heads the firm's family law practice.

Mr. Patton has 22 years experience as a trial lawyer, spending his early years focusing on insurance defense and plaintiff's personal injury cases. After co-founding Lonich & Patton in 1994, Mr. Patton developed the firm's family law practice. Since then, he has become one of Silicon Valley's top family law attorneys. Mr. Patton is a certified family law specialist. Only attorneys certified by the State Bar of California...

Gina Policastri is a Family Law Specialist as certified by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and partner at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri, where she has worked since graduating from Santa Clara University School of Law. Gina was one of the firm’s first associates and, during her 21-year tenure, has been instrumental in growing the firm into one of the largest family law firms in California. Gina obtained a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Santa Clara University in 2000 and her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2003, where she earned a place...

Valerie Fenchel is the CEO and founder of Fenchel Family Law. Her legal services empower men and women to navigate marriage and divorce toward more vibrant futures. She advises clients, devises strategies, and works with therapists, actuaries, and forensic accountants to settle or litigate cases. As a witness to the damage caused by divorce over the course of her career as a family law attorney and educator, Valerie has gained extensive experience in helping families in crisis. Experience & Background Valerie is actively involved in the legal community. She is the lead attorney of Shalom Bayit’s Pro Bono Legal Panel, Secretary of...

Ariel Sosna is a founding partner of Van Voorhis & Sosna LLP. She is certified as a specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Sosna has been exclusively practicing family law in California (San Francisco Bay Area) since 2007.

Ms. Sosna received her J.D., with a concentration in Family Law, from U.C. Hastings School of the Law and her B.A. in Psychology from U.C. Berkeley.

Before starting her own practice, Ms. Sosna was an associate at a well-known San Francisco law firm. She was co-chairperson of the Family Law Section of the San Francisco...

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...

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...

I have been certified by the California State Bar as a specialist in family law. I excel in helping individuals navigate some of the most difficult and painful experiences of their lives. I handle all issues related to divorce, legal separation, and parentage actions, including matters related to child custody, child support, spousal support, and complex property division. I also help clients wanting assistance with pre-marital and post-marital agreements. Additionally, I serve as a consulting attorney for clients in mediation and those seeking a second opinion. I am also a divorce mediator who specializes in educating parties about the law while...

Indy Colbath is a licensed California attorney who has focused the entirety of her legal career on family law issues, including: divorce, annulment, child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, and domestic violence restraining orders. Indy has a breadth of courtroom experience she relies upon when assessing her clients’ family law matters, as well as strong relationships with the local legal community and bench. Indy has effectively represented her clients in an array of complex family law litigation, many of which involving high net worth individuals. Even though Indy has a passion for courtroom advocacy, she understands that every...

Divorce doesn’t have to be a costly and painful battle. Mediator and Collaborative Divorce attorney Emily M. De Falla guides couples toward a cooperative, respectful divorce. By honoring both parties’ priorities, she can help you get around roadblocks and craft sensible solutions. The results are lower costs, equitable results, and healthier, happier kids.

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,...

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...

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...

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...

Andrew Marcellino is a seasoned lawyer who has represented many clients throughout Santa Clara County in the trial and mediation process. He fights for his clients in the courtroom, but emphasizes negotiation and mediation as alternatives whenever possible. He does this to save his clients time, money and emotional stress, and to help them retain control over their legal results.

We assist family law clients in matters of domestic violence, divorce, custody and visitation, child support, restraining orders, property division, modifications of court orders, paternity matters, and other issues related to family law. We also provide experienced representation in criminal...