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Thought Leadership

Common Mistakes in Family Law Matters: Pitfalls Practitioners and Courts Should Avoid (Part 2)

Comm. Patti C. Ratekin (Ret.)

October 23, 2025 - Shutterstock F amily law mistakes come in many forms, but they are in- variably costly unless promptly recognized and rectified. As noted in...

Thought Leadership

10 ways lawyers can maximize family law mediation outcomes

Hon. Dianna Gould-Saltman (Ret.)

September 12, 2025 - Shutterstock Imagine a couple - we’ll call them Jane and Pete - who have been married 25 years and have two teenagers. Jane has a thriving c...

Thought Leadership

Legal tools for addressing substance abuse in Family Court cases

Hon. Harry L. Powazek (Ret.)

August 01, 2025 - FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025 Shutterstock F amily courts are already struggling with a lack of resources and rapid judicial turnover. Expecting ju...

Thought Leadership

Representing clients with mental health problems: At what cost?

Hon. Patricia Garcia (Ret.)

June 27, 2025 - Shutterstock T oward the end of my ten- ure as a family law judge, I presided over a high- conflict case that indelibly imprinted itself in...

Thought Leadership

Family law crisis: Why divorce cases now take years and cost more

Hon. Harry L. Powazek (Ret.)

June 02, 2025 - Shutterstock W hen it comes to re- solving family law dis- putes, the “good old days” weren’t all that bad. I began practicing fami...

Thought Leadership

Mediating divorce after a natural disaster

Hon. Dianna Gould-Saltman (Ret.)

April 16, 2025 - A house engulfed in flames during the Eaton Fire in Altadena. | Shutterstock W hen a couple seeks to settle their divorce through mediation, bo...

Thought Leadership

Family law needs a make-over: Mediation first, drama later

Comm. Gretchen W. Taylor (Ret.)

March 19, 2025 - Family law disputes in the United States suffer from inefficient processes that drain resources, prolong emo- tional distress, and often do more...

Thought Leadership

Successful mediations call for an artist’s touch

Hon. Robert McGuiness (Ret.)

February 20, 2024 - Mediation is essentially an art, not a science. Along the lines of Jus-tice Potter Stewart’s de- finition of pornography, you will know a good me...

Thought Leadership

Guide to Family Court “Buzzwords” (Part 1)

Comm. Patti C. Ratekin (Ret.)

November 27, 2023 - Shutterstock T he purpose of this guide is to provide an instant definition of most of the common terms and “buzz- words” heard in a Famil...

Thought Leadership

Guide to Family Court “Buzzwords” (Part 2)

Comm. Patti C. Ratekin (Ret.)

November 27, 2023 - Shutterstock T he purpose of this guide is to provide an instant definition of most of the common terms and “buzz- words” heard in a Famil...

Thought Leadership

Even “toxic” clients deserve to have divorces effectively litigated or settled

Hon. Hank M. Goldberg (Ret.)

December 13, 2022 - By Hank Goldberg F amily law attorneys could learn a thing or two from criminal defense attorneys. When a criminal defense attorney represents a...

Thought Leadership

Third-parent claims require careful navigation

Comm. Patti C. Ratekin (Ret.)

October 21, 2022 - By Patti Ratekin Imagine that you have raised a child from a young age. You’ve been part of every milestone in his life, comforting him when he ...