Best Divorce Lawyers in San Jose
Nathan S. LaMotte
Divorce Lawyers
Nathan LaMotte attended the Santa Clara University School of law. During his time there, he always had an interest in family law. He spent two semesters working as an extern at a bay area boutique family law and estate planning firm where he assisted the founding attorney in a variety of family law cases. During his time at Santa Clara law, he was also awarded the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Evidence.
James J. Hoover
Divorce Lawyers
As a Certified Family Law Specialist, Mr. Hoover represents clients in all aspects of family law litigation, including but not limited to, domestic violence, child custody and visitation, property identification, characterization, valuation and division, spousal support, child support, breaches of fiduciary duties, reimbursement claims, dates of separation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and related matters. After many years of experience, Mr. Hoover skillfully settles and if necessary, litigates all of these issues.
Mr. Hoover educates, advocates, and acts in our clients’ best interests on these issues. He pays particular attention to our clients’ emotional and financial difficulties.
James J. Hoover attended Santa Clara University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting; minor in economics, in 1998. In 2001, Mr. Hoover graduated Summa Cum Laude from Santa Clara University School of Law. He ranked 4th in his class of over 200 students, receiving “top of the class” CALI Awards in the following classes: Contracts, Torts, Commercial Transactions, Wills and Trusts, Dispute Resolution, and Criminal Procedure.
Given his experience, expertise, and common sense, Mr. Hoover has facilitated family law matters as a mediator.
In May 2013, James J. Hoover earned the prestigious status of Certified Family Law Specialist, an honor by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization bestowed upon only approximately 10% of family law attorneys. Mr. Hoover is a ten-time recipient (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023) of the Avvo Clients’ Choice Award for the divorce attorney category. This rare and coveted distinction is based on continuous positive client reviews.He has also been recognized on the Northern California Super Lawyers List since 2021.
Mr. Hoover enjoys spending time with his family, staring at the ocean, traveling, playing his ukulele, and making kahelelani shell necklaces. He has completed 11 marathons, including 9 Napa Valley Marathons with a personal record of three hours and twenty-one minutes at age 37. When not doing the above, Mr. Hoover annually hikes contiguous segments of the Pacific Crest Trail, hoping to walk from Mexico to Canada.
MOKSHA C. SMITH
Divorce Lawyers
Moksha Smith is a Senior Attorney at Magdalena Law Group. Being a prosecutor for over five years and advocating for the rights of victims in domestic violence and sexual assault cases has helped Ms. Smith champion for her clients now by achieving justice and finding a voice. She pioneered the Criminal Defense division at Magdalena Law Group, where she handles a variety of misdemeanor and felony cases.
Ms. Smith has an in-depth understanding of the criminal justice system having worked for both sides. She fights for her clients behind the scenes and in the courtroom. Ms. Smith has taken over twenty five trials to verdict, and conducted hundreds of preliminary hearings and motions. Ms. Smith was awarded her Juris Doctor Degree from Santa Clara School and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience with minors in Psychology and Biology from UCSD. During law school, Ms. Smith competed on Santa Clara Law’s Trial Team, earning awards in National Competitions and interned at multiple District Attorney’s Offices. Ms. Smith was recently selected as a Top 40 under 40 criminal defense trial attorney by the National Trial Lawyers Association and the 10 Best Attorneys by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys in Northern California for 2021.
Joanne Y. Zhou
Divorce Lawyers
Joanne Zhou is the founder and managing partner of The Zhou Law Group, and a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) – the highest recognition of family law expertise issued by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California. Ms. Zhou has represented over 1,000 clients in the past 10 years and is well known for her talent, compassion, competence, and efficiency. Her strength lies in her ability to simplify complicated divorce issues and propose intelligent, effective solutions for her clients.
As a prominent member of the California Bar Association and California Family Law Association, Ms. Zhou regularly gives exclusive interviews to Tencent, and many other mainstream media companies, with her comments on trending legal news and topics, which have gained over 50 million views in total. Her pristine reputation speaks volumes about her exceptional skills and profound social influence.
Ms. Zhou has represented clients in all types of dissolution proceedings, be it local or international, ranging from relatively straightforward matters to the most complex and high asset ones involving children, business, investment (restricted stock units, stock options, IPO-related equity), and various other assets and liabilities. Ms. Zhou is proficient in both Chinese and English, well versed in the multicultural background, and thus adept at understanding and meeting the needs of domestic and cross-border clients.
Before founding The Zhou Law Group, Ms. Zhou worked side by side with a highly recognized San Jose Lawyer Stanley K. Yim for several years. Together they assisted numerous clients from various ethnic groups with their immigration and family law concerns. Prior to coming to San Jose, Ms. Zhou also clerked with Judge David Shaheed in Indianapolis, Indiana. These experiences proved invaluable as they helped Ms. Zhou mature into a reputable and accomplished professional with moral integrity.
Mitchell T. Ehrlich
Divorce Lawyers
Mitchell Ehrlich was made a Partner at Lonich Patton Ehrlich Policastri in 2007. He practices exclusively in the firm’s Family Law practice, handling a wide variety of family law issues, including dissolution, legal separation, property division issues, custody and support disputes, parentage claims, post-judgment matters and pre and post-nuptial agreements. In addition, he became a California Certified Family Law Specialist as certified by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization in 2009 and since has co-headed the Family Law Practice with co-founder David Patton.
Mr. Ehrlich was born in Schenectady, NY in 1971, and grew up in San Jose. Mr. Ehrlich graduated with an Economics Degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1993. After working in real estate finance for several years, he then attended law school at Pepperdine University School of Law during which time he secured placement on the Deans Honors List numerous times, earned multiple scholarships, and had temporary assignments with the Washington D.C. Public Defender’s Office, the U.S.D.A. and the U.S. District Bankruptcy Court. Mr. Ehrlich graduated Cum Laude from Pepperdine in 1998, and then returned to San Jose to begin the active practice of law.
Mr. Ehrlich began his career doing criminal law, employment litigation and products liability. He then joined Lonich and Patton in 1999 where he amassed a tremendous amount of litigation experience in cases concerning insurance law, business law, products liability and employment law. Mr. Ehrlich has also handled all of the firm’s appellate work.
Mr. Ehrlich is a Certified Family Law Specialist, a member of the State Bar of California and the Santa Clara County Bar Association. Among his many professional activities are volunteering his time to serve as a Temporary Judge for the Santa Clara County Superior Court Family Court and Traffic Court and as an Arbitrator for the Santa Clara County Bar Association’s Attorney Client Fee Disputes Division. He was previously a volunteer Temporary Judge with the Santa Clara County Superior Court Civil Division and was Chair of the City of San Jose Traffic Appeals Commission from 1999 through 2004. Mr. Ehrlich also volunteers his time with the Pro Bono Association’s Lawyers in the Library Program as well as handling Pro Bono cases time permitting. Mr. Ehrlich is admitted to practice before all California courts, including the North Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the Federal District Court for the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of California.
Steven A. Dinneen
Divorce Lawyers
Ekaterina Berman
Divorce Lawyers
My name is Ekaterina Berman. I help individuals and families with divorce, family law, spousal support, child support, custody and visitation, property division, and domestic violence restraining orders. My objective is to partner with you to help you ensure that the outcome of your matter is fair and appropriate, which means community and separate property interests are taken into account, support is set at the right level, and your relationship with your children is preserved. What sets me apart is that I am the one responsible for your case from start to finish. When we work together, we work as partners whose common goal is to put you in the best financial position to move on with your life.
My practice is based on two values: excellence and efficiency in representation. My commitment to excellence includes providing quality legal and personal support to my clients. My commitment to efficiency includes moving the case forward to completion right from the start as well as addressing contested issues in divorce through alternate dispute resolution early on. Yet, I am not afraid to go to court if negotiation of a fair solution is not possible.
I make the following commitment to my clients:
- Giving clients the attention they need
- Providing an honest, objective assessment based on law and facts
- Implementing strategies at the outset to accomplish clients’ short-term and long-term goals
- Maintaining constant communication
- Being always available to answer questions
- Returning phone calls and emails promptly
- Zealously advocating for clients to get a fair result
- Taking a proactive approach in moving the case towards completion.
- Taking a proactive approach in moving the case towards completion
I am a San Jose divorce lawyer, and have been serving individuals and small businesses since 2006. I decided to start my own office seeing how most clients do not get the legal service they deserve, and compromise their rights. I always work personally with my clients, and put emphasis on understanding their situation and adjusting the strategy to their needs. I am a meticulous researcher and I will make sure everything is done correctly the first time, and that nothing slips through the calendar or the local rules, as happens so often in larger law firms.
I grew up in San Jose. I received my education at De Anza College and UCLA. I graduated from Whittier Law School magna cum laude at the top 15% of my class. While in law school, I received 2 scholarships, and I worked as an intern for the Honorable David G. Sills at the California Court of Appeal, 4th District, Division 3, in Orange County.
LYDIA E. HSU
Divorce Lawyers
Lydia has experience in all aspects of family law matters, including child custody and visitation; child and spousal support; property identification, characterization, valuation and division; reimbursement claims; pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements; and domestic violence issues. Lydia also provides representation in guardianships and step-parent adoptions.
Lydia serves a broad range of clients including attorneys, doctors, business owners. parents and grandparents. She is passionate about providing counsel that is empathetic and pragmatic and ensuring that her clients are aware of their options. Lydia works closely with her clients to achieve the best possible result for them and their family – whether through mediation or other alternative dispute resolution or through litigation.
Lydia has worked in family law since 2009. She previously worked with two non-profit organizations assisting domestic violence survivors and clerked with the Supervising Family Law Judge in Santa Clara County. Prior to co-founding Foster Hsu, LLP, she was a Senior Associate at the largest family law firm in the Bay Area. In addition to representing her family law clients, Lydia currently serves as a volunteer settlement officer for the Family Court.
Having the best divorce lawyer in San Jose can offer several benefits during the divorce process, which can be emotionally and legally complex. A skilled divorce lawyer can provide you with:
Expertise: A top divorce lawyer will have extensive knowledge of family law, local regulations, and legal procedures specific to San Jose, ensuring that your case is handled correctly and effectively.
Strategic Advice: A skilled lawyer can help you navigate the legal intricacies of divorce, providing strategic advice on issues like property division, spousal support, child custody, and more.
Negotiation Skills: Divorce often involves negotiations between parties. A capable lawyer can negotiate on your behalf to secure the best possible settlement, ensuring your rights and interests are protected.
Reduced Stress: Divorce can be emotionally draining. Having a reliable lawyer can alleviate some of the stress by handling legal matters and paperwork, allowing you to focus on your well-being and your family.
Objective Perspective: Emotions can cloud judgment during a divorce. A lawyer provides an objective viewpoint, helping you make rational decisions that are in your best interest.
Paperwork and Documentation: Divorce involves a significant amount of paperwork and documentation. A competent lawyer can ensure all documents are properly prepared and submitted, avoiding delays and errors.
Customized Approach: Every divorce case is unique. A skilled lawyer will tailor their approach to your specific circumstances, ensuring you receive personalized legal advice and representation.
As for the impact of divorce on child growth, it’s important to note that divorce can have both short-term and long-term effects on children. While each child’s experience is unique, some potential impacts include:
Emotional Distress: Divorce can lead to feelings of sadness, anger, confusion, and anxiety in children. They might struggle to understand the changes happening in their family dynamic.
Academic Performance: Some children may experience a decline in academic performance due to the stress and emotional upheaval associated with divorce.
Behavioral Changes: Children might exhibit changes in behavior, becoming more withdrawn or acting out as a response to the emotional turmoil they’re experiencing.
Relationship Issues: Divorce can affect a child’s ability to form and maintain relationships, as they might have trust issues or struggle with attachment.
Self-Esteem: Children of divorce might face challenges to their self-esteem and self-worth as they grapple with feelings of abandonment or guilt.
Long-Term Impact: While some children can overcome the challenges of divorce and grow into well-adjusted adults, others may face lasting emotional and psychological effects that impact their adult lives.
It’s important for parents to prioritize their children’s well-being during a divorce. Open communication, emotional support, and potentially seeking professional help, such as therapy, can aid children in coping with the changes and challenges divorce brings.