Family Law

Palo Alto Family Lawyers

“Sometimes a good outcome is very clear – getting a restraining order against an abusive spouse, or getting spousal support against a spouse who’s hiding income. Other times, a good outcome is far more nuanced. Without fail, all of our best outcomes, our big wins, come about because only one side did the work. And a big, big part of that is deeply understanding the people involved and what makes them tick.”

Amy Laughlin

Looking for a Family Law Attorney in Palo Alto? Read this first.

Of all the towns in all of California, you have chosen to live in Palo Alto. It’s understandable: a beautiful peninsula town with an abundance of parks and towering redwoods like the one from which it drew its name – El Palo Alto.

But it’s the human features of Palo Alto that are truly distinctive…

Home to some of the world’s richest billionaires
Birthplace of Silicon Valley
Founding location of HP, Google, PayPal, Tesla, VMware, etc.
Home of Stanford University, consistently ranked in top 5 universities globally and top 3 in the US

In other words, a city brimming with driven, highly motivated, highly innovative entrepreneurs. Where might a resident look for a family law attorney? Someone to handle an UHNW child custody case or carried interest-intensive divorce, someone to draft a complex prenuptial agreement or protect your wealth and preserve your legacy across generations?

There’s no substitute for experience. Laughlin Legal Divorce and Family Law Group, a Palo Alto family law firm, has deep experience in all the various family law case types. In a recent conversation, Amy Laughlin, Founder and Partner, offered her thoughts and advice on choosing a family law attorney in Palo Alto wisely.

What makes practicing family law in Palo Alto unique? Is it enjoyable to practice family law in Palo Alto?

AMY LAUGHLIN It’s definitely enjoyable and that has everything to do with what makes practicing family law in Palo Alto unique – it’s the population, people who are wired to achieve great things. I’ve got a very high bar myself, so we speak a similar language. And to serve them properly, you have to have a command of complex asset valuation and often international family law, too. It also helps to have a sophisticated understanding of business finance.

I’ve always loved numbers. That’s part of the reason I went into securities litigation, a complex area of the law representing major corporations and C level executives who were sued for securities fraud. Ultimately, I wanted to take my practice to a more human level, just one on one, serving individuals, and when I got into family law, especially family law in Silicon Valley, most of our cases are very, very complex and I think that’s where we really shine.

Most lawyers will tell you they went into law because they don’t like math and they don’t like numbers, they like words. Well I like words and I love numbers. I love working with the financial aspects, that’s the part where I feel I really add value to the clients. Like all family law attorneys, we often work with forensic experts. But even forensics make mistakes and I love to be able to do a run through by myself with the financials before we bring in an expert.

We’re especially strong in dealing with private equity and venture capital compensation in ultra high asset divorce. There’s a small fraction of family law practices where the folks are experts in this area, and we’re one of them. I look for these cases because I feel they play to our strengths. Generally speaking, opposing counsel is not as experienced as we are in dealing with complex situations including complex financial matters in part because they don’t have the background that I have in complex financial matters, and they haven’t handled cases for centi-millionaire and billionaire clients. And I bring that knowledge to every case that comes into the firm whether I’m the lead attorney or not. I love when I can just delve into some really complex financials and outwit the other side.

Why are there so many Palo Alto family lawyers?

AMY LAUGHLIN Again, it’s the population. This is Silicon Valley. It’s the original tech innovation hub. Downtown Palo Alto alone contributed nearly $1 billion in personal income tax revenue from just 9,000 returns in 2016. These individuals have highly complex assets and often equally complex lives. They’re competitive, risk-taking people with an aversion to following anyone else’s rules. Some are highly acquisitive, with multiple companies and properties in multiple countries. And you don’t amass that kind of wealth without sacrifices. It can be hard on a marriage.

It’s not unusual for exceptionally wealthy individuals to have multiple lawyers, typically specialists, who manage their assets, keep their businesses compliant, respond to the lawsuits that rich people tend to be the targets of, protect their wealth, protect their legacy, and deal with changes in their private life. In addition to a family lawyer, they’re likely to have a tax planning lawyer, business formation lawyer, corporate transaction lawyer, corporate litigation lawyer, real estate transaction lawyer, real estate litigation lawyer, trust and estate lawyer, etc. Often they’ll simply form an alliance with a Big Law firm and work with the various partners as needed.

Do people choose Palo Alto family law attorneys strictly for geographic convenience? Is there another reason?

AMY LAUGHLIN People with a great amount of wealth seldom make consequential decisions based solely on convenience. They’re more likely to have a strategic reason for their choices. When it comes to choosing a Palo Alto family law attorney, they’re more likely to be moved by an attorney’s experience with opposing counsel or experience handling cases of a size similar to their own. Or their knowledge, specifically of Santa Clara County judges, procedures, rules and forms. They are definitely more likely to choose a firm that has worked with multiple UHNW family law cases. Experience is typically the greatest determinant.

Another very significant element in their choice is level of service. Exceptionally wealthy people demand an exceptionally high level of service. For instance, our clients choose us because we offer deep knowledge of high asset valuation and litigation, but in addition, I offer a very high level of service that includes 24/7 accessibility.

Who specifically needs a Palo Alto family law firm?

AMY LAUGHLIN Anyone who lives in Palo Alto with a family law case. That includes: divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, and domestic violence cases; probate, guardianship cases, etc. If you live in Palo Alto, you’re just a short drive away from downtown San Jose where the Santa Clara County Superior Court is located.

What would you ask a Palo Alto family court lawyer before hiring them?

AMY LAUGHLIN I would recommend asking three fundamental questions:

1 How experienced are you with UHNW family law litigation?

2 Describe your expertise in the area of complex asset valuation.

3 Would I have access to you 24/7?

The answers to those 3 questions will narrow the field significantly. Beyond that, it’s important to choose someone you feel comfortable with, someone who shares your values.

If you think you need an experienced family law attorney in Palo Alto, look no further.

Laughlin Legal Divorce and Family Law Group is a collection of some of the most skilled high asset and ultra high asset Palo Alto family law attorneys. Laughlin Legal is trusted throughout California for their ability to understand and secure their clients’ needs and values, and help divorcing parties achieve a better outcome for a better tomorrow.

Call us at 650.343.3486 to schedule your first consultation. If you’d prefer, you can email us to set up your appointment. If we miss your call, we will respond promptly and call you back as soon as possible.

Laughlin Legal Family Law Group

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