About the Authors
Shelley L. Albaum is a partner with Brot & Gross, LLP, of Sherman Oaks, where she practices family law, including complex, high asset cases, and interstate and international child custody matters. She has written extensively on issues related to custody, jurisdiction, and property rights, and is co-author of an amici curiae brief in Montenegro v Diaz. Ms. Albaum received her J.D. from the University of West Los Angeles in 1985. She is the co-author of chap 12 of this publication.
Jessica F. Arner is of counsel to Lakin Spears, LLP of Palo Alto and has practiced family law exclusively since 1978, with particular focus in the area of child custody. She is a California Certified Family Law Specialist. She is past president of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo, and has served as a member for over 20 years. Ms. Arner has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America since 1997. She received her J.D. from the University of California, Davis, School of Law in 1977. Ms. Arner is the author of chap 9 of this publication.
Charlene S. Baron maintains a family law practice in Carlsbad. She is a California Certified Family Law Specialist. Ms. Baron was honored as the 2005 Attorney of the Year by the Northern San Diego County Bar Association and as a 2002 Norby Award recipient by the Family Law Judges and Certified Family Law Specialists of San Diego County. Ms. Baron is a current member of the Family Law Executive Committee of the California State Bar. She received her J.D. from Western State University in 1977 and also holds an M.A. in Psychological Counseling. She is the author of chap 10 of this publication.
Harold J. Cohn is a Los Angeles-based Certified Family Law Specialist. He has served in numerous capacities via the State Bar of California, including as a member of the Family Law Section Executive Committee, the Family Law Advisory Commission, the California Standing Committee South on Child Custody and Visitation, and as a grader of the Family Law Specialization Examination. He was Chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section Executive Committee and an Executive Board Member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Mr. Cohn speaks extensively on custody-related issues and is co-author of an amici curiae brief in Montenegro v Diaz. He received his J.D. from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law in 1975. He is the co-author of chap 12 of this publication.
Hon. Christine N. Donovan is a judge of the Solano County Superior Court. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2021, she served as the Child Support Commissioner for Contra Costa County Superior Court from 2019 to 2021. She was a senior staff attorney with Solano County Superior Court from 2007 through 2019, where she handled family law and probate matters, and was in private practice in Sacramento from 2003 to 2007 where she practiced family law exclusively. She served on the Judicial Council’s Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee from 2013 to 2016. She has been published in the Harvard Women’s Law Journal and in other Continuing Education of the Bar publications, has served as faculty for several continuing education programs for the Judicial Council of California and other organizations, and became a Certified Family Law Specialist in 2008. She received her B.A. (with highest honors) from the University of California, Davis in 1999 and her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2002. She is the co-author of chap 2 of this publication. She is also an author of California Child and Spousal Support: Establishing, Modifying, and Enforcing (Cal CEB).
Frank E. Dougherty maintains a family law practice in Sacramento. He is a California Certified Family Law Specialist. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist who has conducted numerous psychological evaluations in custody matters. He received his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1972 and his J.D. from the University of California, Davis, School of Law in 1995. He is the author of chap 13 of this publication.
Christopher F. Emley maintains a private family law practice in San Francisco. He serves as Chair of the Volunteer Legal Services Program Board of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and has served as a member of the Board of Directors for that association, as well as president of the California Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts. He is a California Certified Family Law Specialist, and is also a fellow of the Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Emley received his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, in 1967. He is the author of chap 3 of this publication.
Neil M. E. Forester is a Certified Family Law Specialist, and a shareholder at Forester Purcell Stowell, PC in Folsom, California. His experience in family law custody matters includes obtaining initial custody orders, modifying custody orders pre- and post-judgment, and working with international custody clients on cases under the Hague Convention. Mr. Forester received his J.D. (with Distinction) in 2004 from the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor teaching Family Law Trial Skills. He is the co-author of chap 19 of this publication.
Larry A. Ginsberg is a partner with the Los Angeles family law firm of Harris-Ginsberg LLP. Mr. Ginsberg was named a “Southern California SuperLawyer” in 2004 and 2005 by Los Angeles Magazine. He is a former member of the State Bar Family Law Executive Committee, as well as the former president of the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, a nonprofit provider of family law legal services to low-income individuals. Mr. Ginsberg is a California Certified Family Law Specialist, and is a frequent panelist and lecturer for many local and national legal organizations. He received his J.D. from Pepperdine School of Law in 1986. Mr. Ginsberg is the author of chap 15 of this publication.
Hon. Dianna Gould-Saltman is a judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. She formerly was a partner with Gould-Saltman Law Offices, LLP, in Los Angeles, which handles family law cases exclusively. While a practitioner, she became a California Certified Family Law Specialist and Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She has served on the boards of California Women Lawyers and Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, and also served as the chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section. Judge Gould-Saltman is a frequent lecturer on family law topics, particularly child custody issues, throughout the United States and Canada. In 2004, and again in 2005, she was named a “Southern California SuperLawyer” and one of the “Top 50 Female Southern California SuperLawyers” by Los Angeles Magazine. She received her J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 1985. She was appointed to the Los Angeles Superior Court bench in 2010. She is the author of chap 18 of this publication.
Richard F. Gould-Saltman is a partner with Gould-Saltman Law Offices, LLP in Los Angeles, which handles family law cases exclusively. He is a California Certified Family Law Specialist. Mr. Gould-Saltman formerly chaired the State Bar Family Law Sub-Committee on Financial Issues (Los Angeles area) and is a frequent lecturer on family law topics, particularly family law financial issues. Mr. Gould-Saltman was named a “Southern California SuperLawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine in 2005. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School in 1978. He is the author of chap 21 of this publication.
Lawrence E. Leone is a principal in the Leone Law Group, specializing in complex family law and mediation. Previously, he was a partner at the Los Angeles family law firm of Trope and Trope. Mr. Leone is a Certified Family Law Specialist, and was named a “Southern California SuperLawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine from 2004–2017. He was a member of the Elkins Task Force, and served as the chair and as a trustee of the Technology Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section. He was the recipient of the Spirit of the CEB Award for family law in 2014, and has written extensively for CEB, the California Family Law Monthly, and for other family law publications. Mr. Leone earned his J.D. in 1977 from Loyola University of Los Angeles, School of Law. He is the co-author of chaps 7 and 14 of this publication, and is also a co-author of Dividing Pensions and Other Employee Benefits in California Divorces (Cal CEB).
Mary J. Martinelli is a partner with Downey Brand, LLP in Sacramento, where she specializes in family law. She has taught family law as a visiting professor at the University of California, Davis, School of Law, and has served as a judge pro tem in the Sacramento County Superior Court. Ms. Martinelli is a California Certified Family Law Specialist, and received her J.D. from the University of California, Davis, School of Law in 1986. She is the co-author of chap 19 of this publication.
Cheryl Anne Row is a partner with Lemkin, Barnes & Row in Santa Ana, where she practices family law exclusively. She is a California Certified Family Law Specialist, and has previously served as a member and advisor to the Executive Committee of the State Bar’s Family Law Section (FLEXCOM). In 2005, Ms. Row was named a “SuperLawyer Rising Star” by Los Angeles Magazine. She received her J.D. from California Western School of Law in 1996. She is the author of chaps 1 and 5 of this publication.
Leslie Ellen Shear, a California Certified Family Law Specialist, maintains a private family law practice in Encino, with a concentration on custody and visitation, mediation, and parentage, including writs and appeals. She is a frequent lecturer on these issues and has written numerous articles about them. Ms. Shear has presented argument on behalf of clients before both the California and U.S. Supreme Courts. She is a long-term member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists (ACFLS) and formerly served as the editor of the ACFLS Newsletter. In addition, she has served as a judge pro tem, special master, and minor’s counsel. She received her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law in 1976. She is the author of chap 4 of this publication.
Staci Campbell Simonton maintains a private law practice in Marin County that concentrates on family law (Law Office of Staci C. Simonton). She formerly practiced family law and civil litigation with the San Francisco firm of Sideman & Bancroft LLP. Ms. Simonton is a member of the Executive Committee of the State Bar’s Family Law Section (FLEXCOM). She lectures on such family law topics as family law agreements and the interrelationship between family law and estate planning issues. She is a member of the Family Law Sections of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, and the San Francisco Bar Association. Ms. Simonton received her J.D. from the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 1997. She is the author of chap 16 of this publication.
John F. Staley practices family law exclusively as a partner with the Pleasanton firm of Staley, Jobson & Ford. He is a California Certified Family Law Specialist, and is a founding member and past president of the California Association of Certified Family Law Specialists. In 1994, that organization presented him with the 4th Annual Hall of Fame Award. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and has held positions on the Livermore City Council. Mr. Staley received his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, in 1972. He is the author of chap 17 of this publication.
Hon. Katherine E. Stoner is a partner in the Pacific Grove law firm of Stoner, Welsh, and Schmidt. She is a California Certified Family Law Specialist and handles both litigation work and mediation. She is a trainer at the Center for Mediation in Mill Valley, as well as an adjunct faculty member of Monterey College of Law. She is the recipient of numerous awards for both her legal and community service work, and is a member of a broad variety of community organizations. She has served as a panelist and lecturer for numerous continuing legal education programs, and has written books on divorce mediation and collaborative divorce, standard premarital agreements, and agreements for domestic partners. Ms. Stoner received her J.D. in 1978 from Monterey College of Law. She is the author of chap 8 of this publication, and also authored chap 7 of California Domestic Partnerships and Same-Sex Marriage (Cal CEB), which has been discontinued.
Sorrell Trope is the founder of the Los Angeles family law firm Trope & Trope. Under Mr. Trope’s leadership, the firm has been very active in supporting local organizations such as the Harriett Buhai Center and Levitt & Quinn, which provide legal services to the needy. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the Los Angeles Bar Association, and is a California Certified Family Law Specialist. Mr. Trope has contributed to the family law community as an author and speaker, professor and judge pro tem. He has been recognized with numerous awards for his contributions to the practice of family law, and has 20 reported cases. Mr. Trope received his J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. He is the co-author of chaps 7 and 14 of this publication.
Diane Wasznicky is the cofounder of the Sacramento family law firm Bartholomew, Wasznicky & Molinaro, LLP. She has served the family law community in numerous capacities, as past president and chair of the Judiciary Committee of the Sacramento County Bar Association, elected member and chair of the State Bar Conference of Delegates Executive Committee, and past president, vice president, treasurer and member of the board of directors of the Women Lawyers of Sacramento. She is a California Certified Family Law Specialist. She also serves as a judge pro tem in the Sacramento County Superior Court, and is the Judicial Council’s liaison to the State Bar’s Family Law Executive Committee. Ms. Wasznicky received her J.D. from the University of California, Davis, School of Law in 1980. She is the co-author of chap 2 of this publication.
Lulu L. Wong maintains a private practice in Napa and Sonoma counties where she provides litigation, mediation, and collaborative law services in family law. She is a California Certified Family Law Specialist. She has served on the State Bar Family Law Executive Committee and is currently an advisor to that Committee. She was chair of the Sonoma County Family Law Section and on the board of the Sonoma County Bar Association. She currently serves as a judge pro tem for settlement conferences in the Sonoma County Superior Court, and is a patient-care volunteer for Hospice of Napa Valley. Ms. Wong received her J.D. from the University of California, Davis, School of Law in 1993. She is the author of chap 11 of this publication.
About the 2023 Update Authors
Lydia E. Crandall is a partner in the Family Law Group of Lakin Spears, LLP, and has practiced Family Law exclusively since 2008. She was named a Northern California Rising Star in Family Law every year between 2009 and 2019, and a Super Lawyer in 2020 by Super Lawyers Magazine. She served as Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of the San Mateo County Bar Association in 2010 and as Chair in 2011. She was Co-Chair of Collaborative Practice of San Mateo County in 2014 and Chair in 2015. She currently serves as treasurer and secretary for the organization. Ms. Crandall has co-authored articles on disclosure obligations and attorney fees and sanctions in family law cases. Ms. Crandall was a senior editor of the Golden Gate University Law Review. She is the update author of chap 9 of this publication.
Hon. Christine N. Donovan is a co-author of chap 2 of this publication and the update author of chap 6. See About the Authors for her full biography.
Neil M. E. Forester is a co-author of chap 19 of this publication. See About the Authors for his full biography.
Richard F. Gould-Saltman is the author of chap 21 of this publication and the update author of chap 18. See About the Authors for his full biography.
Mary A. Oaklund received her J.D. from San Francisco Law School in 1980. She is in private practice, Oakund & Oaklund, with her husband, James M. Oaklund, in San Leandro. As a general practitioner, Ms. Oaklund has practiced in a wide variety of areas: family law, criminal defense (with multiple jury and court trials), juvenile dependency and delinquency, personal injury, bankruptcy, wills and trusts, small business contracts, and administrative law. She has been appointed by courts to represent minors in dependency proceedings since 1981. Currently, her practice emphasis is in family law, which includes appointment for minors under Fam C §3150, and privately retained juvenile dependency cases. Ms. Oaklund was trial counsel in numerous published appellate cases in dependency law, representing both minors and parents. She has been a guest lecturer at University of San Francisco Law School, and has presented numerous programs, including at the Administration Office of the Court, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Northern California Association Counsel for Children, California State Conference for Family Court Services Mediators and Evaluators, Forensic Expert Witness Associates, and the Alameda County Bar Association. Ms. Oakland has also served as a Pro Tem Judge in Alameda County Family Court. She has an A.A. in Commercial Art and a B.A. in Studio Art. Ms. Oakland is the update author of chap 10.
Renée R. Ross maintains a private family law practice, Ross Family Law, in Pleasanton. She has practiced family law exclusively in the Bay Area since 2005. Ms. Ross is a Fellow in both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and is designated as a Family Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California. Ms. Ross has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” every year since 2014 and has received annual recognition as one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Northern California since 2017. She volunteers as a Settlement Commissioner for the courts and is a frequent lecturer on family law topics. She is a current member of the Board of Managers of AAML’s Northern California Chapter and IAFL’s USA Chapter. Ms. Ross is the update author of chap 17 of this publication.
Cheryl Anne Row is the author of chaps 1 and 5 of this publication. See About the Authors for her full biography.
Leslie Ellen Shear is the author of chap 4 of this publication. See About the Authors for her full biography.
Staci Campbell Simonton is the author of chap 16 of this publication. See About the Authors for her full biography.
Hon. Katherine E. Stoner is the author of chap 8 of this publication. See About the Authors for her full biography.
Lulu L. Wong is the author of chap 11 of this publication. See About the Authors for her full biography.
