Certified Specialist

In order to be certified by the State Bar of California as a legal specialist in Family Law, an attorney must have been in practice for at least five years and have shown actual experience in court hearings involving restraining orders, domestic violence, custody, child and spousal support, division of community property and confirmation of separate property, taxation issues incident to a dissolution (divorce), contempt of court or enforcement proceedings, mediation and/or negotiation of family law disputes, and psychological and counseling aspects of dissolution of marriage.

The State Bar of California also requires that “legal specialists” complete more on going continuing education classes than attorneys who are not legal specialists. Thus, by selecting a Certified Family Law Legal Specialists as your attorney, you are assured of the assistance of a better trained and well qualified attorney, as certified by the State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization. Selecting a lawyer is often a very difficult task. The State Bar of California’s Board of Legal Specialization has made this task easier by establishing higher standards for both education and actual practice than attorneys who are not certified as “legal specialists.”

Attorney Paul Gavin (retired) was one of the first attorneys to be certified in North County San Diego as a Certified Family Law Specialists in 1988. Specialists are distinguished by substantial experience, successful completion of a demanding specialist’s examination, specific continuing legal education and peer recognition.