The RegistryBay Area · California
Family Law Attorneys in San Francisco, California
Counsel for divorce, custody, support, and the agreements that hold families steady. In San Francisco, that work runs through San Francisco County's courts, and this page holds the record: family law coverage for San Francisco drawn from official State Bar of California data, ranked by the published Growth Score.
San Francisco is a city of roughly 808,000, and its family law matters are heard at the San Francisco County Superior Court — Civic Center Courthouse. San Francisco is California's only consolidated city and county; its superior court hears civil matters at the Civic Center Courthouse, and the city hosts the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit, and the State Bar of California's headquarters.
One date controls everything that follows: a divorce cannot be final sooner than six months after the respondent is served, per Cal. Fam. Code § 2339. Residency first: six months in California and three months in the filing county (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). Custody, support, and property orders can issue while the six-month clock runs. Read the record below with that clock in mind.
The clock & the craft
A divorce cannot be final sooner than six months after the respondent is served.
Cal. Fam. Code § 2339
Residency first: six months in California and three months in the filing county (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). Custody, support, and property orders can issue while the six-month clock runs.
Reading the roster in San Francisco
In a family matter you will likely work with your attorney for months, so weigh responsiveness and temperament alongside experience in the county's family law departments — local practice on disclosures, mediation, and settlement conferences varies by court. Ask how the attorney bills (family law is typically hourly with a retainer), how they approach settlement versus litigation, and who in the office handles day-to-day filings.
Family Law · San Francisco County roster
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Family Law questions, cited
How is property divided in a California divorce?
California is a community property state. Assets and debts acquired during the marriage are generally community property (Cal. Fam. Code § 760) and are divided equally at divorce (Cal. Fam. Code § 2550). Separate property — what each spouse owned before marriage or received by gift or inheritance (Cal. Fam. Code § 770) — stays with that spouse, though tracing commingled assets often becomes the real dispute.
How long does a divorce take in California?
At minimum six months and one day from service of the petition — Cal. Fam. Code § 2339 bars an earlier termination of marital status. Uncontested cases can be ready for judgment when the waiting period ends; contested custody or property cases routinely take longer, driven by the county superior court's family division calendar.
How is child custody decided in California?
By the best interest of the child, per Cal. Fam. Code §§ 3011 and 3020, weighing the child's health, safety, and welfare, any history of abuse, and each parent's contact with the child. California public policy favors frequent and continuing contact with both parents where safe. Most counties require mediation through Family Court Services before a contested custody hearing (Cal. Fam. Code § 3170).
How is child support calculated in California?
Under the statewide uniform guideline formula in Cal. Fam. Code § 4055, which turns primarily on both parents' net disposable incomes and the percentage of time each parent has physical responsibility for the children. The guideline amount is presumptively correct (Cal. Fam. Code § 4057); courts depart from it only in limited circumstances.
Do I need to live in California to file for divorce here?
Yes — one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in the county of filing for three months before the petition (Cal. Fam. Code § 2320). If neither spouse yet qualifies, a legal separation can be filed first and amended to a dissolution once residency is met.
Legal information, not legal advice.
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Read the record. Then decide.
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