10 Best Family Law Attorneys in Pasadena, CA

This guide compares 10 family law attorneys and firms that serve Pasadena, California, covering divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, property division and related matters heard at the Pasadena Courthouse of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Firms were evaluated on three things: professional credentials (State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist status, bar association leadership, peer recognition), depth of family law experience (years in practice, trial and mediation work, high-asset and international case handling), and practice focus (a dedicated family law practice versus a general practice that lists family law among many areas).

When comparing options, three questions matter most. Does the attorney appear regularly in the Pasadena family law departments and understand how local judges and Family Court Services mediators handle custody and support disputes? Can the firm handle the financial side of a case, such as business valuations, stock options and tracing of separate property? And does the practice offer more than one path to resolution, including mediation, collaborative divorce and trial?

Quick View: Top 3 Family Law Firms in Pasadena, CA

Here is the list of family lawyers in Pasadena:

1. Khalaf Law Group

• Attorney/Key Figure: Ted Khalaf, Founding Attorney
• Headquarters: 33 S Catalina Ave, Suite 202, Pasadena, CA 91106 (additional office: 82632-B Hwy 111, Suite 4, Indio, CA 92201)
• Phone: (626) 486-0166
• Website: pasadenafamilylawgroup.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce, High Net Worth Divorce, Divorce for Business Owners, Divorce Mediation, Child Custody, Child Support, Spousal Support, Domestic Violence, Post-Divorce Modifications, Family Court Orders
• Firm Size: Boutique, family-law-only firm with two Southern California offices; serving clients for well over a decade

About the Firm: Khalaf Law Group is a Pasadena divorce and family law firm founded by Ted Khalaf. Before concentrating on family law, Khalaf worked in civil litigation, personal injury, and business litigation, a courtroom-oriented background that carries over to contested custody, support, and property division cases. He is a member of the State Bar of California, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, and has spoken at seminars and conventions for other family law attorneys on how to handle family law matters.

The firm’s practice is built around divorce and family law alone, with dedicated pages for specialized situations such as interstate custody, child relocation, high net worth divorce, and divorce for business owners. Clients can pursue divorce mediation to settle terms outside of court, with litigation available if mediation does not resolve the case. The firm also handles domestic violence matters from both directions, including restraining orders for those seeking protection and defense against false allegations that could affect custody, along with post-judgment modifications of custody and support orders. Offices in Pasadena and Indio allow it to serve clients across Los Angeles County, Riverside County, Glendale, and the Coachella Valley.

2. Law Office of Patricia A. Rigdon

• Attorney/Key Figure: Patricia A. Rigdon, Founder and Attorney
• Headquarters: 301 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 706, Pasadena, CA 91101
• Phone: (626) 405-0006
• Website: patriciarigdon.com
• Practice Areas: Family law, divorce (litigation, mediation, collaboration, business valuations, divorce for business owners, executives and lawyers), child custody (interstate, joint custody, move-away), child support, spousal support, property division, high net worth divorce, prenuptial agreements, guardianships, post-divorce modifications
• Firm Size: Boutique, single Pasadena office; more than 20 years of family law experience

About the Firm: Patricia Rigdon founded her Pasadena practice after being admitted to the California bar in 1998, and she holds a State Bar family law specialist certification. Her work covers the full range of family court matters, and she has spent more than two decades resolving divorce and custody disputes both inside and outside the courtroom.

What sets the firm apart is how many resolution routes it offers under one roof. Clients can pursue litigation, mediation or a collaborative process, and the practice handles cases with financial complexity, including business valuations and divorces involving executives, professionals and business owners. Custody work extends to interstate and move-away disputes, which are common for Pasadena families with ties to other regions.

3. Kramer & Zitser LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Diana P. Zitser, Founding and Managing Partner (Certified Family Law Specialist); Brian Kramer, Managing Partner
• Headquarters: 1901 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, CA 90067 (serves Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area)
• Phone: (310) 948-6461
• Website: kramerzitser.com
• Practice Areas: Family law, high asset and high net worth divorce, child custody, hidden assets, property division, spousal support
• Firm Size: Boutique family law firm with two managing partners, of counsel and associate attorneys

About the Firm: Kramer & Zitser was formed by two Los Angeles family law practitioners with a record of results in high-profile matters. Diana Zitser is a Certified Family Law Specialist whose practice centers on strategic advocacy in high-asset divorce and family law, and the firm practices family law exclusively.

The firm is a strong fit for Pasadena residents whose cases involve significant property, investment or business interests. Its focus on hidden-asset issues and complex property division means financial disputes get the depth of attention that a general practice rarely provides, and its dedicated attorney bench supports cases that need both negotiation and courtroom skill.

4. Law Office of Noelle M. Halaby, APC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Noelle M. Halaby, Founder (Certified Family Law Specialist)
• Headquarters: 801 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203 (serves Glendale, Pasadena, the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles County)
• Website: halabyfamilylawyers.com
• Practice Areas: Family law, divorce, legal separation, annulment, paternity, custody disputes, child and spousal support, post-judgment modifications, restraining orders and domestic violence, prenuptial agreements, mediation, same-sex family law, adoption
• Firm Size: Boutique, practice limited to family law since 2003

About the Firm: Noelle Halaby established her firm in January 2003 and limits it to family law. She is certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, and she was previously a principal partner in the Pasadena firm Moore, Halaby & Associates, which gives her direct roots in the Pasadena legal community.

Beyond litigation, Halaby has served as a family law judge pro tem in Los Angeles Superior Court branch courts and is a scheduled mediator for the court’s Family Law Department. That judicial and mediation experience helps her anticipate how a bench officer or mediator will view a dispute, and it informs the strategic, settlement-minded approach her office is known for.

5. Schweitzer Law Partners

• Attorney/Key Figure: Donald P. Schweitzer, Founder and Partner (Certified Family Law Specialist)
• Headquarters: 201 S. Lake Avenue, Suite 800, Pasadena, CA 91101
• Phone: (626) 683-8113
• Website: pasadenalawoffice.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence, property division, estate planning, probate, conservatorships, trust administration
• Firm Size: Mid-size Pasadena firm with multiple partners, more than 15 years serving Pasadena

About the Firm: Don Schweitzer founded the firm, formerly the Law Offices of Donald P. Schweitzer, after a career that included work as a gang homicide detective in Santa Ana and eight years in the Orange County District Attorney’s office, where he started in the family support unit. That background shaped a practice that pairs trial readiness with an empathetic client approach.

The partner bench is a distinguishing feature. Casey Marticorena is a Certified Family Law Specialist who was named one of the Los Angeles Daily Journal’s Top Family Lawyers of 2022, and Kayla Horacek is a Certified Family Law Specialist with minor’s counsel accreditation. The firm pairs family law with estate planning and trust work, which suits clients who want to update their planning after a divorce, though that combination means it is a family and estates practice rather than a pure family law boutique.

6. Law Offices of R. Ross Jacinto

• Attorney/Key Figure: R. Ross Jacinto, Owner (Certified Family Law Specialist)
• Headquarters: 540 El Dorado Street, Suite 202, Pasadena, CA 91101
• Phone: (626) 304-1001
• Website: rossjacinto.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, domestic violence and restraining orders, juvenile dependency, conservatorships
• Firm Size: Boutique, attorney-led practice with support staff

About the Firm: Ross Jacinto has practiced in Pasadena since 1994, has been a Pasadena Bar Association member since 2000, and is a Certified Family Law Specialist recognized by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Pasadena Magazine has honored him as a Top Family Law Attorney, and the firm recently moved to new offices on El Dorado Street.

His practice stands out for handling matters that sit at the edge of traditional divorce work, including juvenile dependency and restraining orders, alongside standard custody and support cases. The firm works on a team model with support staff covering calls while he is in court. His profile also lists areas such as personal injury, so the practice is somewhat broader than a family-law-only boutique.

7. Law Office of Fritzie Galliani, APC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Fritzie Galliani, Founder
• Headquarters: 1770 Corson Street, Pasadena, CA 91106
• Phone: (626) 577-2326
• Website: familylawattorneypasadena.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce (contested, uncontested, collaborative, military, same-sex), child custody, child support, spousal support, prenuptial agreements, guardianship, paternity, adoption, restraining orders, criminal defense

About the Firm: Fritzie Galliani has practiced since 1978 and has more than 15 years of family law trial experience, including more than 100 jury trials. Before opening her own firm she served as a deputy city attorney for Los Angeles and as Director of Alternate Defense Counsel for Los Angeles County until 1994.

Her courtroom background is the main draw. Clients facing a contested custody fight or a hostile divorce get an attorney who has tried a large number of cases, while the firm also handles uncontested divorces and mediation for couples who want to avoid court. Because the practice is built around one senior attorney and also includes criminal defense, it is a more personal but less specialized setup than a large family law group.

8. Salisbury, Shaw, Lee & Tsuda, LLP

• Attorney/Key Figure: Lee W. Salisbury, Partner
• Headquarters: 70 S. Lake Avenue, Suite 600, Pasadena, CA 91101
• Phone: (626) 449-4812
• Website: salisburylawoffices.com
• Practice Areas: Family law, divorce, child custody and support, prenuptial agreements, mediation
• Firm Size: Small boutique; more than 35 years serving the Pasadena area

About the Firm: Lee Salisbury graduated from USC Law in 1976 and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for family law since 2008. He is listed with the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers directory, and his firm has guided Pasadena clients through family law disputes for more than 35 years.

Partner Serine Tsuda received the Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award from the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, reflecting the firm’s involvement in the family law community. The firm emphasizes settlement where it serves the client while staying ready to litigate, and it is respected among judges and other lawyers. The trade-off of a small team is a thinner bench for very large, multi-expert cases.

9. Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group

• Attorney/Key Figure: Attorney Berenji, firm leader, with a team reporting more than 70 years of combined family law experience
• Headquarters: 251 S. Lake Avenue, Suite 830, Pasadena, CA 91101 (Pasadena office; additional offices in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills)
• Phone: (310) 361-3475
• Website: berenjifamilylaw.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, high-net-worth divorce, business divorce, divorce mediation, domestic violence, orders of protection, legal separation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, post-judgment modifications
• Firm Size: Mid-size family law firm with three Southern California offices

About the Firm: Formerly Berenji & Associates, the firm rebranded as Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group when it opened its Pasadena office on South Lake Avenue, expanding its reach across the San Gabriel Valley, including South Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino, Arcadia and Sierra Madre. The firm focuses exclusively on family law and has been recognized among America’s Premier Attorneys’ Top 30 Matrimonial and Family Law Attorneys.

Its range of practice areas, from business divorce to orders of protection to high-net-worth cases, lets one firm cover most issues that arise in a contested family matter. Because the Pasadena location is its newest office, clients who want a long local track record at the Pasadena Courthouse should ask which attorneys will appear on their case.

10. Law Offices of Makupson & Howard

• Attorney/Key Figure: Carolyn A. Makupson, Partner; Kristen Howard, Partner
• Headquarters: 301 E. Colorado Blvd., Suite 610, Pasadena, CA 91101
• Phone: (626) 356-0752
• Website: pasadenafamilylawfirm.com
• Practice Areas: Divorce (collaborative, contested, military, same-sex, uncontested), child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, property division, prenuptial agreements, paternity, restraining orders, adoption
• Firm Size: Boutique Pasadena firm with several attorneys

About the Firm: Carolyn Makupson has been licensed since 1990 and holds a law degree from the University of La Verne. She is a member of the Pasadena Collaborative Divorce Group, the Pasadena Bar Association and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section, and she leads the practice alongside Kristen Howard and a team of family law attorneys.

The firm builds its approach around keeping the process as low-conflict as the situation allows, which suits couples interested in collaborative divorce or a negotiated settlement. Its Colorado Boulevard office sits steps from the Pasadena Courthouse area, and its attorneys regularly handle matters for Pasadena and neighboring communities.

Pasadena, CA Family Law Resources

• Los Angeles Superior Court: Provides information on divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support, legal separation, and domestic violence cases.
• Pasadena Courthouse: Offers family law services, court information, and access to relevant judicial resources.
• Pasadena Self-Help Resource Center: Assists individuals with family law forms and court procedures when representing themselves.
• California Courts Self-Help Guide: Explains family law procedures, filing requirements, and legal options for divorce and custody matters.
• Los Angeles County Department of Child Support Services: Provides resources for establishing, modifying, and enforcing child support orders.

Understanding Pasadena, CA Family Law Court Procedures

• Filing a Petition: A family law case typically begins when a party files the appropriate petition with the court.
• Serving Documents: The other party must receive the required legal documents according to California law.
• Financial Disclosures: In divorce cases, spouses generally exchange financial information to help resolve property division and support issues.
• Temporary Orders: Parties may request temporary orders concerning child custody, support, or other urgent matters.
• Mediation: Parents may participate in court-connected mediation to develop child custody and parenting time arrangements.
• Court Hearings: If disputes remain unresolved, a judge reviews the evidence and makes decisions on contested issues.
• Final Judgment: The court issues orders resolving the case, subject to applicable legal requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a divorce take in Pasadena, California?

California requires at least one spouse to have lived in the state for six months and in the county for three months before filing, and a divorce cannot be finalized until six months after the respondent is served or appears. Cases in Pasadena are heard at the Pasadena Courthouse, 300 East Walnut Street, part of the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Uncontested cases can finish soon after the waiting period, while contested cases with custody or property disputes often take considerably longer. Attorneys who work regularly in this courthouse, such as those at Schweitzer Law Partners and Baghdaserians Law Group, tend to have a clear sense of how long each step runs.

What is a Certified Family Law Specialist, and does it matter?

A Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) has passed an exam and shown substantial family law experience to the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. It is a stricter standard than simply listing family law as a practice area. Examples on this list include Noelle Halaby, Diana Zitser of Kramer & Zitser, Ross Jacinto, Patrick Baghdaserians and the Schweitzer Law Partners attorneys Casey Marticorena and Kayla Horacek. For complex custody or financial disputes, the designation is a useful way to compare attorneys.

How is child custody decided in Los Angeles County?

California courts decide custody based on the best interests of the child, and parents in a contested custody case are generally sent to mediation through Family Court Services before a judge rules. The Pasadena Courthouse has Family Court Services on site. Interstate and move-away disputes add complexity, and firms such as the Law Office of Patricia A. Rigdon and Baghdaserians Law Group handle those cases regularly.

How are property and spousal support handled in a California divorce?

California is a community property state, so assets and debts acquired during the marriage are generally divided equally. Spousal support is set by considering factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse’s earning ability and the marital standard of living. When businesses, stock options or hidden assets are involved, financial tracing and valuation become central, which is where firms such as Kramer & Zitser, the Law Office of Patricia A. Rigdon and Baghdaserians Law Group focus much of their work.

Should I hire a small boutique or a larger family law firm?

A small practice such as Salisbury, Shaw, Lee & Tsuda or the Law Offices of Makupson & Howard offers direct access to experienced attorneys and a personal approach, while a larger group such as Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group or Schweitzer Law Partners offers a deeper bench for cases that need several attorneys, experts and fast turnaround. The right choice depends on how complex the finances are, how contested the custody questions are and how much direct contact you want with the lead attorney.

Is there an alternative to going to trial?

Yes. California courts encourage settlement, and many Pasadena firms offer mediation or collaborative divorce. Carolyn Makupson is a member of the Pasadena Collaborative Divorce Group, Fritzie Galliani handles collaborative and uncontested divorces as well as contested trials, and Noelle Halaby is a scheduled mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court Family Law Department. Choosing a firm that does both settlement work and litigation keeps your options open if talks break down.

Disclaimer: This guide regarding Family Law Attorneys in Pasadena, CA is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an attorney referral. It is not a ranked or sponsored list, and inclusion does not imply an endorsement by or affiliation with any named firm. Because attorney credentials, case results, and contact details change over time, please confirm current information directly with each firm before making a hiring decision, and note that past results do not guarantee similar outcomes in any other case.