The RegistryCounty Record · California

Family Law Attorneys in Mendocino County, California

Counsel for divorce, custody, support, and the agreements that hold families steady. In Mendocino County, that work runs through the Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino. This directory presents family law records from official State Bar of California data in neutral order.

Venue matters. Family law cases from Mendocino County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino. A North Coast county of timberland, coastline, and Anderson Valley vineyards; the courthouse in Ukiah hears the main calendars, with a branch in Fort Bragg serving the coast.

Before comparing counsel, note the clock. Under Cal. Fam. Code § 2339, the governing period is a divorce cannot be final sooner than six months after the respondent is served. Residency first: six months in California and three months in the filing county (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). Custody, support, and property orders can issue while the six-month clock runs.

This page is the Mendocino County chapter of the registry's statewide record · Family Law Lawyers in California collects all 58 counties.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

A divorce cannot be final sooner than six months after the respondent is served.

Cal. Fam. Code § 2339

Residency first: six months in California and three months in the filing county (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). Custody, support, and property orders can issue while the six-month clock runs.

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of Mendocino.

County seat: Ukiah

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.mendocino.courts.ca.gov

Family Law · Mendocino County roster

21 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list family law among their practice areas with an address of record in Mendocino County.

18 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in Ukiah (11), Mendocino (3), Fort Bragg (2) and Willits (2).

Admission years on this roster run from 1970 to 2012.

Elina N. Agnoli

Business Law · Laytonville

Bar #261732 · Admitted 2008

Official record

Megan L. Cohen

Family Law · Mendocino

Bar #268641 · Admitted 2010

Official record

Christa M. Hill

Family Law · Ukiah

Bar #182878 · Admitted 1996

Official record

Lisa H. Hillegas

Family Law · Ukiah

Bar #161289 · Admitted 1992

Official record

Barbara J. Kalina

Criminal Defense · Mendocino

Bar #129471 · Admitted 1987

Official record

Mark E. Kalina

Criminal Defense · Mendocino

Bar #136432 · Admitted 1988

Official record

Editte D. Lerman

Business Law · Ukiah

Bar #241471 · Admitted 2006

Official record

Family Law matters in Mendocino County

The matters this field covers, as Californians search for them. Each attorney's own profile states which of these they take.

  • divorce and legal separation
  • child custody and visitation
  • child support
  • spousal support
  • community property division
  • prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
  • paternity
  • domestic violence restraining orders
  • move-away requests
  • adoption and guardianship
  • modification and enforcement of orders

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Family Law questions, cited

How is property divided in a California divorce?

California is a community property state. Assets and debts acquired during the marriage are generally community property (Cal. Fam. Code § 760) and are divided equally at divorce (Cal. Fam. Code § 2550). Separate property: what each spouse owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance (Cal. Fam. Code § 770), stays with that spouse, though tracing commingled assets often becomes the real dispute.

How long does a divorce take in California?

At minimum six months and one day from service of the petition, Cal. Fam. Code § 2339 bars an earlier termination of marital status. Uncontested cases can be ready for judgment when the waiting period ends; contested custody or property cases routinely take longer, driven by the county superior court's family division calendar.

How is child custody decided in California?

By the best interest of the child, per Cal. Fam. Code §§ 3011 and 3020, weighing the child's health, safety, and welfare, any history of abuse, and each parent's contact with the child. California public policy favors frequent and continuing contact with both parents where safe. Most counties require mediation through Family Court Services before a contested custody hearing (Cal. Fam. Code § 3170).

How is child support calculated in California?

Under the statewide uniform guideline formula in Cal. Fam. Code § 4055, which turns primarily on both parents' net disposable incomes and the percentage of time each parent has physical responsibility for the children. The guideline amount is presumptively correct (Cal. Fam. Code § 4057); courts depart from it only in limited circumstances.

Do I need to live in California to file for divorce here?

Yes: one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in the county of filing for three months before the petition (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). If neither spouse yet qualifies, a legal separation can be filed first and amended to a dissolution once residency is met.

Legal information, not legal advice.

From the answer files

Related counsel in Mendocino County

Family Law in nearby counties

Source: Cal. Fam. Code § 2339 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.

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