Century City | Los Angeles | Oakland | Virtual Services
Comm. Gretchen W. Taylor (Ret.)
Mediator | Arbitrator | Judge Pro Tem | Discovery Referee | Parent Plan Coordinator
“I bring understanding to the parties and their lawyers in high-conflict-driven situations. Satisfactory solutions are almost always achievable with a deeper understanding of the emotions, the legal framework, and their effect on the issues.”
Case Administrator
Practice Areas
- Family Law
Education
- Advanced Mediation Training; Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University
- Ongoing Advanced Mediation Training; Center for Understanding in Conflict, Muir Beach, CA
- Board Certified Family Law Specialist, California State Bar
- J.D., Southwestern University School of Law
- B.A., Marymount College, Palos Verdes, CA
Biography
Commissioner Taylor is a Certified Family Law Specialist with decades of experience. She was a divorce attorney and, a family law judicial officer and is now a mediator. Her subject-matter expertise coupled with her vast knowledge of related issues such as family dynamics, child development, domestic violence, and complicated financial and property issues makes her a highly sought-after neutral.
She has pioneered a multi-disciplinary mediation team, crafted models to meet the needs of complex situations, and settled more than 1,200 disputes. Attorneys and related professionals choose Commissioner Taylor for her innovative approach to resolving emotionally charged and intractable disputes.
Using an interests-based approach, each participant is encouraged to explore potential solutions. Commissioner Taylor uses sensitive and expert guidance to allow for previously unnoticed answers to reveal themselves, leading to agreement with satisfying and lasting outcomes. She works as easily with parties without counsel as she does in cases involving multiple attorneys and forensic experts.
During her 12- year judicial career on the Family Law bench, she handled thousands of cases, managed a busy calendar, and resolved most of them by settlement. Prior to her tenure on the Los Angeles Superior Court, Commissioner Taylor was appointed to the Riverside Superior Court, where she reorganized and improved the Desert Branch Family Law Departments. She was a successful Beverly Hills family law attorney for 18 years before her appointment to the bench.
Experience
- Mediator, Private Judge, Neutral (2009–2019)
- Commissioner, Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles (2003–2009)
- Commissioner, Superior Court of California, County of Riverside (1997–2003)
- Associate Attorney, Jaffe & Clemens (1996–1997)
- Private Practice, Law Offices of Gretchen W. Taylor (1979–1996)
