Family Law
Planning ahead. Resolving thoughtfully.
Family law touches the most important relationships in your life — marriage, partnership, children, the structures you build to protect what matters. My practice focuses on the planning and resolution side of family law: prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, mediation, uncontested dissolution, and legal separation. Work that helps couples and families think clearly, communicate well, and avoid unnecessary conflict.
This isn’t litigation. It’s the kind of family law that’s about making careful decisions in advance, or finding a thoughtful path through a transition. If you’re facing a contested divorce or custody battle, I’m happy to refer you to colleagues who handle those matters — but my own practice is built around a different approach.
What I help with
I work with individuals and couples on the planning and non-adversarial sides of family law:
• Prenuptial agreements — for couples preparing for marriage who want clarity about finances, separate property, and expectations from the start
• Postnuptial agreements — for married couples who want to formalize financial arrangements after the wedding
• Uncontested dissolution (divorce) — when both spouses agree on the major terms and want a clean, efficient process
• Legal separation — for couples who want the legal protections of separation without ending the marriage
• Mediation — facilitated conversations between spouses or partners to reach agreements together rather than through opposing attorneys
• Collaborative divorce — a structured, non-adversarial process where both spouses work with their own attorneys but commit to resolution outside of court
• Marital settlement agreements — drafting and reviewing the agreements that resolve property, support, and other issues
• Premarital and postmarital planning for cross-border couples — for couples with international ties, where the legal questions cross jurisdictions
Every matter is approached with the goal of clarity, dignity, and outcomes that work for the long term. Family decisions made under stress rarely hold up; family decisions made with care almost always do.
Who I work with
I work especially well with:
Couples preparing for marriage — partners who want to enter the relationship with shared understanding about finances, property, and expectations. Prenuptial agreements aren’t about anticipating failure; they’re about being adults together about money, before money becomes a source of conflict.
Cross-border couples — partners where one or both have assets, family, or roots in another country. These cases involve choice-of-law questions, foreign property, and the practical reality that the legal system in one country may not enforce what was decided in another. Cultural fluency matters here as much as legal fluency.
Couples ready to separate amicably — spouses who have decided to part ways and want to do so respectfully, especially when children, shared finances, or extended family are involved. Uncontested dissolution and mediation are usually faster, cheaper, and emotionally healthier than litigation.
Married couples revisiting their financial structure — partners who want a postnuptial agreement to clarify ownership, protect a business, or address changes that have happened since the wedding.
Couples in collaborative divorce processes — clients committed to a non-adversarial approach, working with their own attorneys but with a shared commitment to resolution outside of court.
What makes this practice different
Planning over conflict. I built my family law practice around the idea that good agreements, made early and clearly, prevent the kind of conflict that destroys families. My clients aren’t here for a fight — they’re here to think carefully and decide well.
Bilingual and culturally fluent. I practice in English and Mandarin, and I work with many Chinese-American couples whose family planning conversations involve cultural expectations that other lawyers don’t always understand. Working in your first language matters when discussing money, family, and the future.
Cross-border experience. For couples whose lives, assets, or families span more than one country, the legal questions are more complex than a standard prenup or divorce. I have the international experience to handle these matters and the relationships with practitioners abroad to handle issues outside California.
Estate planning integration. Marriage, divorce, and prenuptial agreements all interact with estate plans. As an estate planning attorney as well, I think about your family law matter alongside the trusts, wills, and beneficiary designations that need to align with it. Most family law attorneys don’t.
A note on the process
Most family law matters in my practice follow a predictable arc:
1. Initial consultation. A free 15-minute call to understand your situation and decide together whether my approach is the right fit. If you’re looking for an aggressive litigator for a contested case, I’ll tell you honestly and refer you to someone who is.
2. Working consultation. A 60–90 minute session to map the full picture — your relationship, your assets, your concerns, your goals. For prenups, this is where we discuss what matters to each of you and how to structure the conversation. For dissolution or separation, this is where we map terms, timing, and what an agreement will need to address.
3. Drafting and revision. I draft the agreement (prenuptial, postnuptial, marital settlement, or otherwise). You review, your fiancé(e) or spouse reviews (with their own attorney for prenups, as required), and we revise as needed.
4. Execution. Signing happens with proper formalities — witnesses, notarization, and timing requirements observed (especially important for prenups, where California has specific rules about timing and independent counsel).
5. Filing and finalization. For dissolution and separation, we file the necessary court documents and shepherd the matter through to final judgment. Most uncontested cases close in 6 months from filing.
Fees depend on complexity. Prenuptial agreements are typically flat-fee. Uncontested dissolutions and mediation are flat-fee or capped. Complex international cases are quoted on a case-by-case basis. I’ll always tell you what something costs before you commit.
Let’s talk
Family decisions are too important to make in a rush, and too important to make without good counsel. Whether you’re preparing for marriage, navigating a separation, or planning across borders, I’d be glad to help you think it through.