Best San Diego Divorce Attorneys

Contreras Law Firm is a team of divorce lawyers in San Diego handling dissolution, child custody, support, and restraining orders. The office also takes real estate and business litigation, so clients with overlapping legal problems can stay in one place.

Several attorneys hold Certified Specialist status through the California State Bar, and the group includes trial advocates and trained mediation attorneys. That mix matters when a case might settle or end up before a judge.

Staff speak English and Spanish, which removes a real barrier for many families downtown. Consultations are free, and the firm is known for straight answers about where a case actually stands.

Founded in 2014 by attorney Kathy Minella, this Mission Valley practice works only in family law and estate planning. Minella is a Certified Family Law Specialist and a past Super Lawyers selection.

The firm covers divorce, high-asset cases, custody, adoptions, surrogacy, and domestic violence restraining orders. Military families get focused help with retirement division and support orders.

The office runs paperless. Clients log in to see their file, calendar, and case status instead of chasing anyone for updates. Every new matter starts with a free 15-minute call with an attorney. Hourly rates begin around $395, and retainers generally run $5,000 and up, depending on complexity.

Mediation, not litigation, is the whole focus here. Barney Connaughton has guided more than 1,000 couples to settlement outside the courtroom. He brings 31 years in family law and serves as a Family Law Settlement Judge in San Diego County Superior Court.

Spouses sit down with one mediator and build their own agreement on custody, support, and division of property. Sessions run in person or over Zoom, which helps when the two parties live apart.

The Chula Vista office sits a block from the courthouse and serves Bonita, National City, Imperial Beach, and San Ysidro. First consultations cost nothing, and parking is free.

Since 2002, Burke & Domercq has practiced family law exclusively across North County San Diego. Owner Pierre A. Domercq is a member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a group of roughly 1,600 attorneys nationwide.

This Carlsbad firm handles divorce, high-asset cases, business valuation, custody, and property division, plus mediation for couples who want to avoid trial. Clients come from Oceanside, Vista, Encinitas, and Rancho Santa Fe.

Maria Rogova is a San Diego divorce attorney serving both English- and Russian-speaking clients. Born and raised in Moscow, she holds law degrees from the United States and Russia.

Her practice covers divorce, legal separation, annulment, alimony, child support, custody, and prenuptial agreements. Attorney Rogova offers a free 30-minute consultation and meets clients downtown or online.

Board certification is uncommon in California family law, and Heidi D. Collier has held it for years. She is a San Diego native who has spent her entire career in family court, with more than three decades of cases behind her.

Attorney Collier takes divorce, custody, support, mediation, restraining orders, and post-judgment modifications. An answering service relays messages after hours, so urgent questions do not sit overnight. Clients come from Poway, San Marcos, Del Mar, and Rancho Bernardo.

Ryan Family Law Group is a divorce law firm built around military and federal-employee cases. Founder Paul J. Ryan is a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel who has practiced for over 30 years and once ran the legal assistance office at MCAS Miramar.

From Rancho Bernardo, the team handles custody, spousal support, and complex asset division, including military pensions and federal retirement packages. Service members and their spouses receive a 20% discount on hourly rates.

Brian A. Victor spent eleven years inside San Diego Family Court Services, where he wrote more than 4,000 custody recommendations for judges. That background shapes how he prepares clients for their own FCS session.

Attorney Victor is also a licensed marriage and family therapist. He litigates and mediates divorce, custody, and guardianship matters, and was named a Super Lawyer in 2026.

Puja A. Sachdev leads this Mission Valley practice, formerly known as Sachdev Legal Group. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist, a trained family law mediator, and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst.

The attorneys bring more than 30 years of combined experience to contested and uncontested filings. They also take military divorce and high net worth splits where valuation drives the negotiation. Case evaluations are complimentary.

Sarah Schaffer runs Schaffer Family Law Group from Del Mar Heights, with additional offices in Carlsbad and downtown. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist, holds an LL.M. in taxation, and serves as a colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve.

Her group has worked on complex property, spousal support, and military cases since 2011, and mediates whenever a courtroom fight can be avoided.

Based in Hillcrest, this practice takes contested and uncontested cases throughout the county. The lead attorney has handled over 1,000 family law matters and hundreds of custody trials. Clients reach their case files online at any hour, with alerts before each hearing.

Thomas M. Huguenor started handling family law cases in 1972 and opened his own office in 1975. He holds a Family Law Specialist certification, carries an AV peer rating, and has sat as a Judge Pro Tem in San Diego Superior Court. Much of his recent work involves parental alienation and move-away disputes.