Attorney Dossier · San Diego · October 24, 2026
Five San Diego family law firms that take high net worth divorces, checked against the State Bar, Google and their own sites.
When a marriage includes a business, stock options or several properties, a lawyer’s financial process matters as much as a courtroom record. California also penalizes a spouse who hides assets, so disclosure work starts on day one.
$435
court filing fee per side, before any lawyer is paid
100%
of a hidden asset the court can award to the other spouse
$0
cost of the San Diego court’s Family Law Facilitator
JWB Family Law 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 in October 2026.
01
The scorecard: 5 checks, 5 firms
✓ meets the check ◐ partly or self-reported ✗ does not, or not published
JWB Family LawClients who want a certified partner in the first meeting and help with pensions, military benefits or stock pay
San Diego office
✓Mission ValleyBar record checked
✓Active, cleanFamily law certification
✓CertifiedFee terms published
◐Free consult, discountGoogle rating checked
✓3.9 / 28 Shorb & Connor LLPNorth County clients who want to reach a partner on the first call and a free strategy session
San Diego office
✓Rancho BernardoBar record checked
✓Active, cleanFamily law certification
✗Not listedFee terms published
◐Free consultGoogle rating checked
✓4.9 / 34 Gordon D. Cruse, APLCContested cases likely to reach trial, handled personally by a lawyer licensed since 1983
San Diego office
✓DowntownBar record checked
✓Active, cleanFamily law certification
✓CertifiedFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓3.5 / 11 Embry Family Law P.C.Clients who need Spanish-speaking staff, Imperial County coverage or bankruptcy advice beside the divorce
San Diego office
✓Mission ValleyBar record checked
✓Active, cleanFamily law certification
✓CertifiedFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓4.8 / 61 Moore, Schulman & Moore, APCComplex estates that need a large bench, tax-aware advice and reach into Orange County
San Diego office
✓Del Mar areaBar record checked
✓Active, cleanFamily law certification
✓Yes; 10 statedFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓4.0 / 40 02
Before you sign: what the numbers mean for a San Diego divorce
1
$435: court filing fee per side, before any lawyer is paid
Each spouse pays $435 for a first filing in San Diego Superior Court. None of the five firms here publishes an hourly rate or retainer. JWB Family Law and Shorb & Connor publish a free first consultation, and JWB lists a 15% discount for military families, hospital healthcare workers and first responders.
SOURCE · California court fee schedule; firm websites, read October 2026
2
100%: of a hidden asset the court can award to the other spouse
Family Code 1101 sets the remedy when a spouse breaches the duty to disclose: 50% of an undisclosed asset, or 100% when the court finds fraud, oppression or malice by clear and convincing evidence. Each side must also serve a preliminary declaration of disclosure, normally within 60 days of filing, under Family Code 2104.
SOURCE · California Family Code sections 1101(g), 1101(h) and 2104
3
$0: cost of the San Diego court’s Family Law Facilitator
The court’s Family Law Facilitator’s Office is staffed by attorneys, paralegals and clerks and helps people without a lawyer prepare forms at no charge. It gives no strategy and does not help parties who already have counsel. Where one spouse controls the money, Family Code 2030 lets the court order fees paid so both sides have a lawyer.
SOURCE · San Diego Superior Court, Family Law Facilitator’s Office; California Family Code section 2030
03
The 5 law firm dossiers
01
JWB Family Law
Clients who want a certified partner in the first meeting and help with pensions, military benefits or stock pay
Why it made the list
JWB Family Law handles only family law and runs offices in San Diego, Temecula and El Centro. Its high net worth divorce attorneys in San Diego page names the asset problems that drive these cases: business valuation, separate property tracing, hidden income, and stock options, RSUs and deferred pay, with forensic accountants and appraisers brought in when needed. Founder Jane Wesley Brooks holds State Bar certification in family law, and the firm states its free 30-minute consultation is run by Brooks or managing partner Jessica Pederson rather than an intake coordinator. Its recent writing on CalPERS pension division speaks to public-sector and military households.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyJane Wesley Brooks, #239220, admitted December 2005; active, no public discipline on record · State Bar of California
- CertificationFamily law, State Bar of California · State Bar of California
- Offices2650 Camino Del Rio N, Suite 305, San Diego, CA 92108; also Temecula and El Centro · Firm site, Google
- Phone619-234-6123 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Fee termsFree 30-minute consultation; 15% discount for military families, hospital healthcare workers and first responders; rates not published · Firm site
- Track recordStates 1,000+ families served and 91% of cases settled out of court · Firm’s own figures
- LanguagesSpanish spoken by staff · State Bar profile
- Google rating3.9 from 28 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWill Jane Wesley Brooks or Jessica Pederson appear at my hearings, or will an associate?
QWhich forensic accountants and business valuators do you use, and who approves their budget?
QDoes the 15% military and first responder discount apply to every attorney and paralegal rate on my file?
From the reviews we read
+ Clear cost estimates up front+ Handles high-conflict custody+ Direct, plain advice~ Some concerns about late-case staffing
Recent reviewers credit up-front cost estimates, plain answers and steady handling of high-conflict custody; one describes a 13-year-old support order reopened with the result the client wanted. The 3.9 average from 28 reviews is below three of the other four firms, and the critical reviews we read concern staffing late in a case, so ask who will appear at each hearing.
Fit and watch-outA fit for clients who want a certified partner involved from the first meeting, and for households with public pensions, military benefits or ties to Riverside or Imperial County. The trade-off: the 91% settlement rate and 1,000+ families are the firm’s own figures, and its Google average trails three of the four other firms here.
02
Shorb & Connor LLP
North County clients who want to reach a partner on the first call and a free strategy session
Why it made the list
Shorb & Connor LLP is a two-partner firm in Rancho Bernardo, the closest office in this group to Poway and Escondido. Partners Andrew L. Shorb and Kristin L. Connor run the cases themselves, and the site says callers speak with an attorney from first contact. Its San Diego high asset divorce lawyers page describes a network of forensic accountants for valuing businesses, partnerships and portfolios and for finding hidden assets, plus advice on the tax side of support and property splits. The firm also keeps separate pages for professional athlete and celebrity divorce, where privacy and uneven income dominate.
Proof file
- PartnersAndrew L. Shorb, #284479, admitted November 2012; Kristin L. Connor, #199132, admitted December 1998 · State Bar of California
- License statusBoth active; no public discipline on record · State Bar of California
- CertificationNone listed on either bar profile · State Bar of California
- Office11440 W Bernardo Ct, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92127 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Phone619-330-0938 on the site; Google and the State Bar list 888-222-1220 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Fee termsFree strategy session; rates not published · Firm site
- Firm historyStates it has practiced since 2011 · Firm’s own statement
- Google rating4.9 from 34 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QNeither partner’s bar profile lists a family law certification; how do you staff a contested business valuation?
QWhich forensic accountants do you use, and who pays their retainer up front?
QDo Andrew Shorb and Kristin Connor split cases, or would both work on mine?
From the reviews we read
+ Substantive free consultations+ Patient and thorough+ Plain instructions on documents~ Few reviews describe high-asset trials
Reviewers return to free consultations that felt substantive, patience with detail, and staff who turned legal steps into plain lists of what to send. Several name Andrew Shorb and his support team. At 4.9 from 34 reviews it has the highest Google average in this group. The reviews we read describe divorces and advice calls more than high-asset trials.
Fit and watch-outStrong for clients who value partner access and a firm that leans toward negotiated settlements. The trade-off: neither partner’s State Bar profile lists a certification in family law, and a two-partner bench has less depth if a case runs to a long trial.
03
Gordon D. Cruse, APLC
Contested cases likely to reach trial, handled personally by a lawyer licensed since 1983
Why it made the list
Gordon D. Cruse, APLC is a downtown practice built around one lawyer: Gordon Dale Cruse, admitted in December 1983 and certified by the State Bar in family law. The site promises the lead lawyer personally handles each case and stresses trial work, and it lists fellowships in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Family Lawyers, both its own statements. As a San Diego divorce lawyer, he keeps pages on high net worth divorce, move-away custody and legal separation. For a couple whose dispute turns on a valuation fight, four decades of courtroom time is the main thing on offer.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyGordon Dale Cruse, #110387, admitted December 1983; active, no public discipline on record · State Bar of California
- CertificationFamily law, State Bar of California · State Bar of California
- Office402 W Broadway, Suite 900, San Diego, CA 92101 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Phone619-431-4523 on the site and Google; the State Bar lists 619-696-9922 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Fee termsNot published · Firm site
- MembershipsLists AAML and IAFL fellowships and ACFTL diplomate status · Firm’s own statement
- Google rating3.5 from 11 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWho else works on my file, and who covers a hearing if you are in trial elsewhere?
QWhat retainer and hourly rate apply, and how often do you bill?
QIn your most recent high-asset trial, how was the business or real estate valued?
From the reviews we read
+ Careful detail work+ Clear explanations~ One complaint about fees and progress~ 11 reviews, a small base
Eleven Google reviews average 3.5, the smallest base and lowest score here. Positive reviewers, including a fellow attorney, describe careful detail work and clear explanations under time pressure. One critical reviewer describes high fees, little progress on custody and a settlement proposal he did not accept. With so few reviews, each one moves the average a long way.
Fit and watch-outFits a client who expects litigation and wants one senior lawyer accountable for it. The trade-off: one lawyer means one calendar, fees are not published, and the small, mixed review base gives little outside evidence either way.
04
Embry Family Law P.C.
Clients who need Spanish-speaking staff, Imperial County coverage or bankruptcy advice beside the divorce
Why it made the list
Embry Family Law P.C. is in Mission Valley and is led by Ben Edward Embry, admitted in January 2010 and certified by the State Bar in family law. It is the only firm here that also files Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which matters when a high-income household carries heavy debt next to its assets. A senior associate and an associate attorney back up the founder, staff speak Spanish, and the firm takes cases in El Centro, Brawley and Imperial. Its family law attorney in San Diego pages walk through San Diego’s local custody mediation steps in detail.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyBen Edward Embry, #268623, admitted January 2010; active, no public discipline on record · State Bar of California
- CertificationFamily law, State Bar of California · State Bar of California
- Office2635 Camino del Rio S, Suite 306, San Diego, CA 92108 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Phone619-485-6476 on the site and Google; the State Bar lists 619-440-5716 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Practice areasFamily law plus Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy · Firm site
- LanguagesSpanish spoken by staff · Firm site, State Bar profile
- Fee termsNot published · Firm site
- Google rating4.8 from 61 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QHow many of your current cases involve a business or equity pay, and who values them?
QWill Ben Embry or an associate handle my hearings?
QIf debt is part of the picture, how do you sequence the divorce and any bankruptcy filing?
From the reviews we read
+ Turned around long custody fights+ Honest about likely outcomes+ Named, responsive paralegals~ Few reviews on asset division
With 61 reviews at 4.8, Embry has the largest Google base in this group. Reviewers describe long, motion-heavy custody fights that turned once the firm took over, candor about likely outcomes, and paralegals who are named and responsive. Few of the reviews we read describe business or investment division, so ask for high-asset examples directly.
Fit and watch-outGood for a client whose case mixes wealth with debt, or who wants Spanish-speaking staff. The trade-off: high net worth work is one practice area among many here, and the firm publishes no fee terms.
05
Moore, Schulman & Moore, APC
Complex estates that need a large bench, tax-aware advice and reach into Orange County
Why it made the list
Moore, Schulman & Moore, APC is the largest firm in this group, listing 21 attorneys on its site and stating that ten hold State Bar certification in family law. We checked founder David Scott Schulman: admitted in 1993, certified, active. The San Diego office is in the 92130 Del Mar area, with a second office in Irvine for cases where assets or a spouse sit in Orange County. Its high-asset divorce page sits beside separate pages on divorce and taxes and on minor’s counsel, which helps when a high-asset case also carries contested custody.
Proof file
- Founder checkedDavid Scott Schulman, #165285, admitted June 1993; active, no public discipline on record · State Bar of California
- CertificationSchulman: family law, State Bar of California; firm states ten attorneys are certified · State Bar; firm’s own statement
- Offices12220 El Camino Real, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92130; 300 Spectrum Center Dr, Suite 1420, Irvine · Firm site, Google
- Phone858-492-7968 on the site; Google and the State Bar list 858-755-3300 · Firm site, Google, State Bar
- Team size21 attorneys listed · Firm site
- Fee termsNot published · Firm site
- Google rating4.0 from 40 reviews · Google, checked October 2026
Your first-call script
QWhich of your ten certified attorneys would lead my case, and can I meet them before signing?
QDo you use a client portal, or will billing and updates come by email?
QWho handles the tax questions on support and property division?
From the reviews we read
+ Clear strategy explanations~ Cost raised in critical reviews~ Scattered email communication~ Results vary by attorney
The 40 Google reviews average 4.0 and split sharply. Positive reviewers name attorney Julie Westerman for explaining strategy and options. Critical reviewers describe high cost, updates scattered across many email threads, thin preparation and an approach one felt raised conflict. With a bench this large, the attorney you are assigned matters more than the firm name.
Fit and watch-outSuits a complex estate where depth of bench and tax analysis matter, or where Orange County is part of the picture. The trade-off: the reviews are the most divided here, with cost and communication the common complaints, and no fee terms are published.
04
Six things to settle before you sign a fee agreement
A written fee agreement. California requires a written agreement when fees will foreseeably exceed $1,000, which any high-asset divorce will. It should list each timekeeper’s hourly rate, the retainer and when it must be topped up.
Named lawyers for hearings. Write down who leads the case, who appears at each hearing, and how much notice you get if that changes.
Experts on a budget you approve. Forensic accountants and business valuators should be retained through the firm, with a written budget you sign off before work starts.
A disclosure calendar. Agree on a date for your preliminary declaration of disclosure, normally due within 60 days of filing, and a list of the records the firm needs from you.
A fee parity request if needed. If your spouse controls the accounts, ask whether the firm will seek a Family Code 2030 fee order at the start of the case.
A privacy plan. Ask how the firm keeps account statements and business records out of the public file, for example through mediation or a request to seal where the law allows it.
05
Frequently asked questions
How much does a high net worth divorce lawyer cost in San Diego?
+
None of the five firms here publishes an hourly rate or retainer. Court fees are $435 for each side’s first filing. JWB Family Law and Shorb & Connor offer a free first consultation, which is the place to ask for written rates for every attorney and paralegal on the file.
What counts as a high net worth divorce in California?
+
There is no legal threshold. Firms use the term for cases with businesses, stock options or RSUs, several properties, trusts or large retirement accounts, where valuation and tracing drive the cost. JWB Family Law’s own page puts the rough line at about $1 million in liquid assets.
What happens if my spouse hides assets in a California divorce?
+
Family Code 1101 lets the court award the other spouse 50% of an undisclosed asset, or 100% if it finds fraud, oppression or malice by clear and convincing evidence. Each side must also serve a preliminary declaration of disclosure early in the case.
How long does a high net worth divorce take in San Diego?
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California sets a minimum of six months from service of the petition before a divorce can become final. High-asset cases often run longer because of valuations and discovery, and none of the five firms here publishes a typical timeline.
Can my spouse be ordered to pay my attorney fees?
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Yes. Under Family Code 2030 the court can order one spouse to pay the other’s fees so both have access to a lawyer, based on income and need. Raise it early if your spouse controls the money.
What does CFLS mean after a lawyer’s name?
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It means the State Bar of California has certified the lawyer in family law after an exam, a caseload requirement, continuing education and peer review. Four of the five firms here have a certified lawyer on the State Bar record; neither Shorb & Connor partner’s profile lists one.
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Method and sources
How we checked these firms+
This is a shortlist of five San Diego family law firms that take high net worth divorces, not a ranking. For each firm we looked up the lead or founding attorney on the State Bar of California licensee search for license status, admission date, certified specialty and any public discipline, then read the firm’s site for offices, fee terms and practice areas.
We checked each firm’s Google Business Profile for address, phone, rating and review count, and read the review text, critical reviews as closely as positive ones. Where a firm publishes a result, a membership or an award, we say it is the firm’s own statement. The legal figures come from the California Family Code and the San Diego Superior Court.
Sources+
- State Bar of California licensee search: Jane Wesley Brooks #239220, Andrew L. Shorb #284479, Kristin L. Connor #199132, Gordon Dale Cruse #110387, Ben Edward Embry #268623, David Scott Schulman #165285 (checked October 2026)
- Firm websites: jwbfamilylaw.com, shorbconnor.com, gordoncruse.com, embryfamilylaw.com, msmfamilylaw.com (read October 2026)
- Google Business Profiles for each firm: address, phone, rating, review count and review text (checked October 2026)
- California Family Code sections 1101, 2030, 2104 and 2339
- California Business and Professions Code section 6148 (written fee agreements)
- San Diego Superior Court, Family Law Facilitator’s Office; California court filing fee schedule
General information for people comparing divorce lawyers, not legal advice. Check the current statute text or speak with a licensed California family lawyer before relying on it.