Attorney Dossier · Santa Monica · October 2026
Five family law firms that serve Santa Monica clients, checked on State Bar records, offices, fee terms and Google reviews.
A Santa Monica family case usually runs through the Main Street courthouse and lasts at least six months, so the lawyer’s location, certification and billing terms shape the whole case. We checked each firm the way you would before signing a fee agreement.
0 of 5
firms here publish an hourly rate
6 months
minimum wait before a California divorce can be final
$0
court fees with an approved fee waiver
Fernandez Law Group is listed first on this page. The order of the other four is not a ranking. Every fact below was checked against the source named beside it.
01
The scorecard: 6 checks, 5 firms
✓ meets the check ◐ partly or self-reported ✗ does not, or not published
Fernandez Law GroupWestside clients with business, real estate or investment assets who want a certified team near the Main Street courthouse
Office in Santa Monica
✓Santa Monica BlvdState Bar record checked
✓Active, no disciplineFamily law focus
✓Family law onlyFee terms published
◐Free consult onlyGoogle rating checked
✓4.2 / 43 Skarin Law Group, APCDivorces that turn on income, a business or real estate, where a lawyer who is also a CPA reads the numbers
Office in Santa Monica
✗El SegundoState Bar record checked
✓Active, no disciplineCFLS certified
✓Yes, plus CPAFamily law focus
✓Family law onlyFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓4.8 / 180 Lavinsky LawClients who want one attorney on custody, support or a modification, from an office minutes from Santa Monica
Office in Santa Monica
◐West LA, nearbyState Bar record checked
✓Active, no disciplineCFLS certified
✗Not listedFamily law focus
✓Family law onlyFee terms published
◐Free consult onlyGoogle rating checked
✓3.5 / 16 Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APCClients who need financial analysis and a lawyer who works in Spanish or Tagalog, with one attorney per case
Office in Santa Monica
✗Koreatown, LAState Bar record checked
✓Active, no disciplineCFLS certified
✓Yes, plus CPAFamily law focus
◐Also immigration, estatesFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓4.7 / 87 Furubotten Law, APCSouth Bay clients who want the founding attorney on every hearing and need a way to finance the case
Office in Santa Monica
✗Manhattan BeachState Bar record checked
✓Active, no disciplineCFLS certified
✗Not listedFamily law focus
✓Family law onlyFee terms published
◐Financing offeredGoogle rating checked
◐4.1 / 9 (OC profile) 02
Before you sign: what the numbers mean for a Santa Monica family case
1
0 of 5: firms here publish an hourly rate
Court costs are fixed: $435 to file a divorce petition in Los Angeles County, and $435 more for the other spouse to respond. Lawyer fees are not. None of the five firms prints a rate, so the first meeting is where you ask. Three of the five advertise a free first consultation or case evaluation.
SOURCE · California Courts self-help fee guidance; firm websites
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6 months: minimum wait before a California divorce can be final
Family Code 2339 sets the earliest end date at six months after the other spouse is served or appears in the case. To file at all, one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in Los Angeles County for three. Westside family cases are heard at the Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main Street.
SOURCE · California Family Code sections 2320 and 2339; Los Angeles Superior Court, West District
3
$0: court fees with an approved fee waiver
A person on public benefits such as Medi-Cal or CalFresh, or with household income at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, can ask the court to waive filing fees with form FW-001. Separately, Family Code 2030 lets the court order the higher-earning spouse to help pay the other spouse’s lawyer.
SOURCE · Government Code section 68632; Family Code section 2030; California Courts self-help
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The 5 firm dossiers
01
Fernandez Law Group
Westside clients with business, real estate or investment assets who want a certified team near the Main Street courthouse
Why it made the list
Fernandez Law Group is the only firm in this group with an office inside Santa Monica, on Santa Monica Boulevard a short drive from the Main Street courthouse where West District family cases are heard. Its Santa Monica family law practice runs on a team model: managing partner Steven Fernandez, certified in family law by the State Bar, leads senior attorney Craig Nadai and attorney Jean Young Kim, backed by an in-house discovery department and a data management team for financial records. Fernandez states he has practiced family law exclusively since 2002 and has served as a Judge Pro Tem with the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Proof file
- Lead attorneySteven P. Fernandez, managing partner · Firm site
- State Bar#139293, admitted January 17, 1989; active · State Bar of California profile
- CertificationFamily law (CFLS); firm states certified since July 2012 · State Bar profile; date from firm site
- Public disciplineNone on record · State Bar profile, checked for this guide
- Offices429 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 120, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 811 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1736, Los Angeles, CA 90017 · Google, firm site
- Phone310-564-9163 (Santa Monica office) · Google, firm site footer
- Fee termsFree initial consultation; hourly rates not published · Firm site
- LanguagesSpanish spoken by staff; Spanish-language pages on the site · State Bar profile, firm site
- Google rating4.2 from 43 reviews (Santa Monica profile) · Google, checked for this guide
Your first-call script
QWill Steven Fernandez handle my case himself, or will Craig Nadai or Jean Young Kim run it day to day, and what does each bill per hour?
QWill my file run from the Santa Monica office or the downtown office, and which courthouse do you expect my case to be heard in?
QWhen does your discovery department get involved, and is its work billed separately from attorney time?
From the reviews we read
+ Team support named often+ Settled outside court+ Thorough preparation~ Some negative reviews
Reviewers credit the whole team, naming paralegals and associates as well as Steven Fernandez, and several describe settling outside court after careful preparation. Others mention thorough, prompt work during a hard divorce. The rating sits below Skarin and Reyes because a minority of reviews are negative, so read the low-star reviews before a first meeting.
Fit and watch-outA strong fit for a Westside divorce with a business, rental property or investment accounts to divide, handled by a certified attorney’s team close to the courthouse. The trade-off: hourly rates are not published, and a team model means you should ask early which lawyer handles daily work on your file.
02
Skarin Law Group, APC
Divorces that turn on income, a business or real estate, where a lawyer who is also a CPA reads the numbers
Why it made the list
Skarin Law Group combines family law and accounting under one founder and works from El Segundo, with service pages for Santa Monica and Culver City clients. Matthew Skarin is certified in family law by the State Bar, and the firm states he is also a CPA and a licensed real estate broker, a mix that suits cases where income, a business or rental property has to be valued. Senior associate Anni Aslanian also handles cases, and the firm publishes plain-language posts on recent California changes, including the joint divorce petition and the sworn financial disclosures both spouses must exchange.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyMatthew K. Skarin, president · Firm site
- State Bar#271183, admitted November 8, 2010; active · State Bar of California profile
- CertificationFamily law (CFLS); firm states he is also a CPA and real estate broker · State Bar profile; firm site
- Public disciplineNone on record · State Bar profile, checked for this guide
- Office360 N Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 1000, El Segundo, CA 90245 · Google, firm site
- Phone310-256-2700 new clients; 310-975-3161 existing clients · Firm site, Google
- Fee termsNot published; one reviewer describes a paid two-hour consultation · Firm site; Google review
- LanguagesSpanish spoken by staff · State Bar profile
- Google rating4.8 from 180 reviews · Google, checked for this guide
Your first-call script
QDoes Matthew Skarin do the CPA review of my income or business himself, and is that time billed at his legal rate?
QIs the first consultation paid, and how long does it run?
QWhich attorney will appear at my hearings, and how much of the day-to-day work goes to paralegals?
From the reviews we read
+ Paralegals praised by name+ Clear explanations+ Prenuptial agreement advice~ Many reviews from spring 2026
With 180 Google reviews, Skarin has the largest review base in this group. Most praise named paralegals and associates for patience and clear explanations, and fewer describe how a case ended. A large share of the reviews were posted in March and April 2026, so weigh that recent volume alongside the older reviews about Anni Aslanian and Matthew Skarin.
Fit and watch-outA good fit for a client whose case depends on the numbers: a business, uneven income or rental property. The trade-off: no Santa Monica office and no published fees, and the review set speaks more to staff service than to who argues the case in court.
03
Lavinsky Law
Clients who want one attorney on custody, support or a modification, from an office minutes from Santa Monica
Why it made the list
Lavinsky Law is a Los Angeles divorce lawyer practice built around one attorney, Alexandra Lavinsky, from an office on Wilshire Boulevard in West Los Angeles, the closest of the other four firms to Santa Monica. The firm states it has practiced since 2013, offers a free consultation and assigns an individual legal assistant to every case. Its practice pages cover custody, mothers’ and fathers’ rights, grandparents’ rights, restraining orders, modifications and same-sex prenuptial agreements. A client who wants the same lawyer from intake to judgment gets that structure here.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyAlexandra R. Lavinsky · Firm site
- State Bar#226472, admitted October 14, 2003; active · State Bar of California profile
- CertificationNo certified legal specialty listed · State Bar profile
- Public disciplineNone on record · State Bar profile, checked for this guide
- Office12121 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 501, Los Angeles, CA 90025 · Google, firm site
- Phone310-929-6411 · Firm site, Google
- Fee termsFree consultation; rates not published · Firm site
- Case handlingAn individual legal assistant assigned to each case · Firm’s own statement
- Google rating3.5 from 16 reviews · Google, checked for this guide
Your first-call script
QWill Alexandra Lavinsky appear at every hearing, or does anyone else cover court dates?
QWhich legal assistant will be assigned to my file, and how fast do they return calls?
QIf my case involves a restraining order, how do you prepare me for that hearing?
From the reviews we read
+ Direct, strategic advice+ Post-judgment support help~ Two poor restraining order consults
Positive reviewers describe a direct, strategic attorney who tells clients what they need to hear, including in support disputes filed years after a divorce. Two reviewers describe a dismissive first consultation about a domestic violence restraining order. At 3.5 from 16 reviews, this is the lowest rating in the group and a small base.
Fit and watch-outFits a client who wants a single attorney close to Santa Monica for custody, support or a post-judgment change. The trade-off: one lawyer means less depth if a case runs long, and anyone seeking a restraining order should judge the first call closely given the reviews.
04
Law Offices of Kenneth U. Reyes, APC
Clients who need financial analysis and a lawyer who works in Spanish or Tagalog, with one attorney per case
Why it made the list
Kenneth Reyes runs a Los Angeles divorce attorney practice on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown with four associate attorneys. He is certified in family law by the State Bar, and the firm states he is also a CPA. Its stated model is one attorney per case from start to finish, with staff support behind that lawyer. Language coverage is the widest here: the State Bar lists Spanish and Tagalog for Reyes himself, and Armenian and Vietnamese among staff. The firm also handles immigration and estate planning, which matters when a divorce touches a visa petition or a trust.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyKenneth U. Reyes, managing partner · Firm site
- State Bar#201538, admitted June 8, 1999; active · State Bar of California profile
- CertificationFamily law (CFLS); firm states he is also a CPA · State Bar profile; firm site
- Public disciplineNone on record · State Bar profile, checked for this guide
- Office3699 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 747, Los Angeles, CA 90010 · Google, firm site
- Phone213-798-4854 · Firm site, Google
- LanguagesAttorney: Spanish, Tagalog. Staff: Armenian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese · State Bar profile
- Fee termsNot published · Firm site
- Google rating4.7 from 87 reviews · Google, checked for this guide
Your first-call script
QUnder your one-attorney model, which lawyer would take my case, and can I meet them before signing?
QCan the assigned attorney work with me directly in my language, or only through staff?
QIf I live on the Westside, how do you cover hearings at the Santa Monica Courthouse from a Koreatown office?
From the reviews we read
+ Clear communication+ Organized staff follow-up~ Many immigration client reviews
Reviewers describe clear communication and close attention from Kenneth Reyes and associate Ivy Le, and several name paralegal Saniata Lachica for organized follow-up. A large share of the reviews we read came from immigration clients, so the family law sample is smaller than the 87 total suggests.
Fit and watch-outFits a client whose case needs both a financial eye and a lawyer who speaks Spanish or Tagalog. The trade-off: the office is across town from Santa Monica, fees are not published, and family law shares the firm with immigration and estate work.
05
Furubotten Law, APC
South Bay clients who want the founding attorney on every hearing and need a way to finance the case
Why it made the list
Furubotten Law is a California family law practice led by Denise Furubotten, licensed since 1996, with offices listed in Manhattan Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach and Murrieta; Manhattan Beach is the closest to Santa Monica. The firm states that clients work with Denise directly rather than a junior associate, that courts routinely appoint her to represent children and adults, and that her earlier work in injury, business and criminal cases informs high-asset divorces. It is the only firm here that advertises case financing, through AffiniPay, and it offers a complimentary first evaluation by phone.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyDenise A. Furubotten, founder and president · Firm site
- State Bar#181733, admitted February 27, 1996; active · State Bar of California profile
- CertificationNo certified legal specialty listed · State Bar profile
- Public disciplineNone on record · State Bar profile, checked for this guide
- OfficesManhattan Beach (1500 Rosecrans Ave, Suite 500), Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Murrieta · Firm site, Google
- Phone714-795-3862 on the site; Google shows other numbers per office · Firm site, Google
- Fee termsComplimentary phone evaluation; case financing through AffiniPay · Firm site
- Google rating4.1 from 9 reviews (Huntington Beach profile); LA County profiles not rated · Google, checked for this guide
Your first-call script
QWhich of your four offices would I meet you at, and on which days are you there in person?
QHow does AffiniPay financing work, and what does it cost me if approved?
QWhat does the initial retainer cover before the first hearing?
From the reviews we read
+ Custody courtroom advocacy+ Explains next steps~ One fee complaint~ 9 reviews, a small base
Custody clients describe firm courtroom advocacy and clear updates on next steps and hearing dates, and one notes she respected choices made against her advice. One reviewer alleges fees were charged with little work done. Nine reviews on one profile is the smallest base here, and the two Los Angeles County profiles show no rating.
Fit and watch-outFits a South Bay client who wants the founding attorney at every hearing and needs help paying for it. The trade-off: no Santa Monica or Westside office, a small review base, and a phone number on Google that differs from the one on the site.
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Six checks before you sign a family law fee agreement
A written fee agreement. California requires a written fee agreement when fees are expected to exceed $1,000 (Business and Professions Code 6148). It should state the hourly rate for each person on the file, the billing increment and what the retainer covers.
The name of your lawyer. Ask which attorney appears at hearings and who returns your calls day to day. Team firms and one-attorney firms both work; you should know which one you are hiring.
The State Bar profile. Look up the attorney on the State Bar of California site. It shows license status, admission date, any public discipline and whether the lawyer is certified in family law.
Your disclosure documents. Both spouses must exchange sworn financial disclosures. Gather tax returns, pay stubs, bank, retirement and mortgage statements, and a list of debts before the first paid meeting so billed time goes to strategy.
A Family Code 2030 request. If your spouse earns much more than you, ask whether to request an order that your spouse help pay your attorney fees.
The courthouse and the calendar. Confirm where the case will be filed, usually the Santa Monica Courthouse for Westside residents, and the earliest date judgment can be final under the six-month rule.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Santa Monica?
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The court fee to file a divorce petition in Los Angeles County is $435, and the other spouse pays $435 to respond, unless a fee waiver is granted. None of the five firms here publishes an hourly rate. Fernandez Law Group and Lavinsky Law advertise a free consultation, and Furubotten Law a free evaluation by phone.
How long does a divorce take in California?
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At least six months. Family Code 2339 bars a divorce from becoming final until six months after the other spouse is served or appears. Cases with disputes over property, support or custody often take longer.
Where are Santa Monica family law cases heard?
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Westside family cases are heard at the Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main Street, part of the West District of the Los Angeles Superior Court. Some matters are heard downtown at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
What does CFLS mean, and which of these lawyers hold it?
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CFLS means the State Bar of California has certified the lawyer in family law after added testing and peer review. Steven Fernandez, Matthew Skarin and Kenneth Reyes show the certification on their State Bar profiles. Alexandra Lavinsky and Denise Furubotten do not list one.
Can my spouse be ordered to pay my attorney fees?
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Yes, in some cases. Family Code 2030 lets the court order one spouse to contribute to the other’s fees and costs when there is a gap in income or access to money. Ask about it at the first meeting.
Is there free legal help for a Santa Monica family case?
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Yes. The California Courts self-help site has free forms and guides, a fee waiver on form FW-001 covers court fees for people who qualify, and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles runs a family law clinic at the Santa Monica Courthouse.
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Method and sources
How we checked these firms+
This is a shortlist of five family law firms that serve Santa Monica clients, not a ranking. For each one we read the firm’s own site for offices, attorneys, fee terms and languages, then checked the lead attorney’s State Bar of California profile for license status, admission date, certification and any public discipline.
We checked each firm’s Google Business Profile for address, phone, rating and review count, and read the review text itself. Where a firm makes a claim about itself, we say it is the firm’s own statement. Court fee, deadline and fee waiver figures come from the California Family Code, the Government Code and the California Courts self-help pages.
Sources+
- Firm websites: cfli.com, skarinlaw.com, lavinskylaw.com, kenreyeslaw.com, furubottenlaw.com
- State Bar of California attorney profiles: #139293 (Fernandez), #271183 (Skarin), #226472 (Lavinsky), #201538 (Reyes), #181733 (Furubotten)
- Google Business Profiles for each firm: address, phone, rating, review count and review text
- California Family Code sections 2030, 2320 and 2339
- California Government Code section 68632 (fee waiver eligibility) and California Courts self-help pages on divorce filing fees
- California Business and Professions Code section 6148 (written fee agreements)
- Los Angeles Superior Court, West District, Santa Monica Courthouse; Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles clinic listing
General information for people choosing a family law attorney, not legal advice. Court fees and rules change; check the California Courts self-help pages or a lawyer before relying on them.