Expertise.com
Get Listed
2024

Last updated:

Best Divorce Lawyers in Santa Rosa

Our Recommended Top 14

We did the research for you!

  • Licensing
  • User Reviews
  • Mystery Shopping Calls

Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Santa Rosa Divorce Lawyers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

92

Reviewed

60

Curated

14

Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

Website
1425 N. McDowell Blvd, Suite 209, Petaluma, CA 94954
  • Contested
  • Uncontested

Why choose this provider?

Wine County Family Law, P.C., has offices in Santa Rosa and three Mendocino County locations: Sonoma, Petaluma, and Ukiah. It focuses on divorce preparation, child support determination, custody, visitation arrangements, paternity cases, and court order modifications. Lindsay Torgerson, the firm's owner, adds a personal touch, drawing on her upbringing in a single-income family and her own experiences as a divorced single mom. Her empathy connects with clients facing similar challenges, ensuring they receive compassionate and dedicated legal representation.

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
3558 Round Barn Boulevard, Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Richard Sax is a general litigation legal firm that was founded by a divorce lawyer in Santa Rosa. The attorney has been practicing law for over 40 years, and he works with couples who are filing for divorce, either amicably or not. He also creates a postnuptial agreement addressing child and spousal support, as well as property division. Additional practice areas include bankruptcy, criminal defense, and estate planning.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Richard Sax - Principal46 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (6)
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
3558 Round Barn Blvd. Suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
  • Child Support
  • Child Custody

Why choose this provider?

DeSantis Law Group, Inc., guides spouses through the divorce process. Santa Rosa-based attorney Lorilee DeSantis takes time to listen and understand her clients’ concerns regarding alimony, child custody and support, property division, and visitation. She explains their legal options using terms they understand. Her personal experience with divorce and conflicts within her family allowed her to understand the emotional complexities of domestic issues and address them with sensitivity. The Sonoma County Superior Court Pro Bono awardee offers legal services for the underprivileged through the Family Law Facilitator’s Office.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (12)
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (3)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
101 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support

Why choose this provider?

Dunst Law Offices is a practice serving Santa Rosa and surrounding communities. It represents clients in a wide range of family law issues including divorce, legal separation, property division, restraining orders, and same-sex dissolution. Its legal team educates individuals and helps them in developing case strategies. The firm's practitioner, Laura M Dunst, began her career in the legal field in the late 1980s as a legal typist. She is a member of the Rohnert Park Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club Of Rohnert Park-Cotati.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Laura Dunst - Principal17 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (6)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
3.8
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
––

Website
610 Davis Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support

Why choose this provider?

Law Offices of Angelle K. Wertz serves clients in Santa Rosa and the surrounding areas. The firm can assist clients in probate and trust administration, litigate criminal defense proceedings, and represent clients in family law cases. Its scope of work involving family law ranges from divorces to the establishment of child custody and support. Angelle Wertz has been practicing law for over 29 years, with a focus on representing clients in criminal and family law cases.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Angelle Wertz - Principal11 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (4)
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (3)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1150 State Farm Drive, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support

Why choose this provider?

Serving clients across the Santa Rosa metro, Vandyk Law is a law firm that handles divorce cases. It helps clients seeking mediation and divorce filing assistance. The firm also assists in child custody, domestic violence, child support, annulments, and spousal support. It also offers legal representation to clients charged with criminal offenses such as homicide, theft, and domestic violence. The firm's staff have 40 years of combined legal experience. Its founder, Carolyn Vandyk, is a member of the National Association of Professional Women.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Carolyn Vandyk - Founder12 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.0
Yelp
4.0 / 5 (11)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
120 4th Street, Petaluma, CA 94952
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support
  • Mediation

Why choose this provider?

Apicella Law & Mediation is a family law firm that caters to the needs of clients residing in the Santa Rosa metro area. It assists clients with various cases related to divorce, including asset division, debt allocation, child custody and visitation, and child and spousal support. The firm also handles paternity, prenuptial, postnuptial, and cohabitation agreements. In addition, it offers mediation services. Founder Michael Apicella has been practicing law since 2001. He has experience in real estate brokerage, insurance, and mortgage banking.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Michael Apicella - Principal21 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.5
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (10)
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
3510 Unocal Place, Suite 200, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
  • Child Support
  • Child Custody

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Robin M. Estes handles cases related to divorce, child custody, and other concerns within the field of family law. Estes provides assertive and empathetic representation for clients in Santa Rosa who are in domestic crises. She helps clients through the legal process, keeps them well-informed, and pursues the best possible outcome as quickly as possible. Estes has been in practice since 1994. She also offers assistance in collaborative law and provides mediation services.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (10)
Avvo
4.9 / 5 (10)
Yelp
5.0 / 5 (4)

(+1 additional source)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
3.3
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
––

Website
575 West College Avenue Suite 105, Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Why choose this provider?

Terre Family Law is a team of family law and divorce attorneys in Santa Rosa. Founding attorney Carla Boyd Terre, a board-certified family law specialist, deals with divorce, child and spousal support, child custody and visitation, and property division. Terre and her team also handle children and parentage actions, family law appeals, and same-sex or LGBTQ cases. As experienced mediators, they help concerned parties finalize agreements that will be filed and converted into court orders.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Carla Terre - Principal21 yrs

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1604 4th Street Suite #4, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
  • Alimony
  • Child Custody

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Charlotte Creaghan offers family law representation to clients in Santa Rosa and nearby communities. Principal attorney Charlotte Creaghan has over a decade of industry experience providing legal counsel to divorcing couples. She collaborates with clients to understand their family's unique situation and create a case based on their interests. Creaghan has worked on divorce claims that involve joint bank accounts, homeownership, and child custody. She also takes on guardianship, alimony, and domestic violence cases.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.4
Yelp
4.5 / 5 (8)
Google
4.2 / 5 (5)
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
50 Old Courthouse Square, Suite 601, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
  • Alimony
  • Child Support
  • Child Custody
  • Asset Distribution

Why choose this provider?

Evans Kingsbury LLP is a woman-owned firm that helps clients seeking a divorce in the Santa Rosa metro. Its attorneys have over 60 years of combined legal experience in assisting clients in filing a dissolution of domestic partnership or marriage. They also offer legal representation in custody battles and adoption cases. Other family law matters it handles include alimony, child support, property division, domestic violence, and child abuse. Partner Deirdre Kingsbury also litigates disputes regarding probate and trusts, contracts, and real estate transactions.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
FindLaw
5.0 / 5 (4)
Google
5.0 / 5 (3)
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
521 College Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
  • Child Custody

Why choose this provider?

Kathleen J. Smith, Attorney at Law, caters to clients in Santa Rosa and neighboring areas. It provides legal representation in divorce cases, which include issues such as child custody and visitation, parenting plans, spousal support, and property division. It also handles other family law matters, like domestic violence, adoption, and guardianship. The law firm's owner and principal, Kathleen Smith, has been practicing law since 1996. She is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.1
Google
4.3 / 5 (12)
Facebook
3.0 / 5 (2)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
1612 4th Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support

Why choose this provider?

A Family Law Firm, Inc. in Santa Rosa is a team of legal professionals that handles divorce and family law cases. The firm was founded in 1995 by Bret and Joann Campoy, who are both board-certified specialists in family law practice. The duo offers services related to the divorce process, including the dissolution of marriage papers, divorce mediation, child support mediation, asset division, and spousal support settlement. The firm also handles child guardianship and step-parenthood rights.

Attorney Information

Attorney NamesExperience
Bret Campoy - Partner29 yrs
Joann Campoy - Managing Partner27 yrs

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.0
Yelp
4.0 / 5 (11)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Website
411 Russell Ave Suite 103, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
  • Child Support
  • Child Custody

Why choose this provider?

Levy Carroll Law represents clients in divorce proceedings in Santa Rosa. It provides legal options on custody concerns, child support, guardianship, spousal support, and modification of post-divorce decrees. The firm considers the financial welfare of clients, assisting in filing bankruptcy petitions that would depend on the situation and timing of divorce to prevent further financial disputes. The firm has been handling divorce cases for over 20 years. Its lawyers, Julie S. Levy and Zachary Carroll, both graduated from law school cum laude.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.3
Yelp
4.3 / 5 (11)
Google
3.9 / 5 (10)
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (9)

(+1 additional source)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Disclaimer:  Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services withExpertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Back to top

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the non-emergency contact number for the local police station in Santa Rosa, California?

    The non-emergency contact number for the Santa Rosa Police Department is (707) 528-5222.

  • How long do you have to respond to divorce papers in Santa Rosa?

    Under California law, you have 30 days to respond to a divorce petition in Santa Rosa, starting from the date the divorce papers were served. Failure to do so will cause the court to enter a judgment by default, specifically if there is no written divorce agreement. The divorce will be considered uncontested, and the administrative process will predominantly fall under the stewardship of your spouse.

  • What can a Santa Rosa divorce lawyer do to prove that your spouse has hidden assets?

    To help you prove suspicions of hidden assets, your Santa Rosa divorce lawyer may take several steps during the discovery phase of your case. These include demanding detailed financial records, real estate documents, and bank statements. Often, the other spouse will try to defeat these discovery requests, so having an attorney well-versed in high-net-worth divorce by your side can make a difference.

  • How much will a divorce in Santa Rosa cost couples?

    Straightforward divorces in Santa Rosa can be concluded for about $1,500. Meanwhile, complex cases involving custody battles and property division disputes cost more. If looking for less taxing options, spouses may choose collaborative or mediated divorce as an alternative to litigation, which takes time and money to resolve.

  • Will your spouse get a portion of your inheritance after your divorce in Santa Rosa?

    Your inheritance is a non-marital property and, initially, your spouse doesn’t have the right to get a part of it. However, there are instances when your spouse might recover a portion of the asset, especially if you have failed to manage the inheritance as a separate property or commingled it with marital assets. In these circumstances, proving non-marital properties in a Santa Rosa divorce might become difficult.

  • What factors do judges consider when handling pet custody issues in a Santa Rosa divorce?

    Like child custody, judges in Santa Rosa determine pet custody based on what is in the animal's best interest. They may consider the following matters:

    • Who has a stronger connection with the pet?
    • Who sustains the nourishment of the pet?
    • Who attends the pet’s veterinary appointments? By California law, the party who gets to keep pet custody will be solely responsible for the financial needs of the pet.
Back to top

Related Articles

Featuredcalifornia divorce laws

California Divorce Laws

Before you file for divorce in California, decide how you want to file. Filing without an attorney is cost-effective if your ...

You might also like...

8 Steps To Hire A Divorce Attorney

How Does Collaborative Divorce Work?

Four Questions You Must Ask Before Filing for Divorce

Find top Divorce Lawyers nearby

Search for Divorce Lawyers near you

Other top picks in your area