Under the old system, every proceeding was adversarial, and it was an open secret that the parties often perjured themselves to obtain a divorce decree. In the words of California Supreme Court Justice Stanley Mosk, writing in dissent two years after the state adopted the no-fault approach, the process was “a melancholy charade.”

The acceptance of “irreconcilable differences” as sufficient grounds to end a marriage was a great step forward, but, contrary to some expectations, it did not necessarily make the process easy, either emotionally or legally.

Our practice is devoted to family law. Our experience tells us family law has grown more sophisticated over the years, with an increasing need for expertise in both courtroom skills and legal knowledge.