EXPERIENCED SAN DIEGO
DIVORCE & FAMILY
LAW ATTORNEYS
70+
Years of Combined Experience
986
Families Served
37
Awards and Achievements
90%
Referral Based
FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE SPECIALISTS
About Our Firm
In the legal profession since 1981, Julia Garwood became a Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) in 1995. This prestigious designation means that she has met the rigorous standards set by the California State Bar for education, experience, and knowledge in the field of family law. Ms. Garwood has been a member of the San Diego County Bar Association for over 30 years and served on the organization’s Executive Committee for Family Law Specialists since 2000.
The CFLS Executive Committee of the SDCBA is very active in the San Diego family law community. Among other activities, the CFLS Executive Committee hosts seminars throughout the year to educate attorneys and other professionals in the field about new Court rules and policy changes that affect the family law community and litigants.
FAMILY LAW & DIVORCE SPECIALISTS
HOW WE CAN HELP
The realization that your marriage is over can be overwhelming. First, take a deep breath and try to relax. Then, contact our experienced team to choose a family law and divorce attorney in San Diego; we create outcomes that will allow you to move on both financially and emotionally. Unanimously, when we have asked people after meeting for their initial visit have said they feel better.
If You Would Like to Schedule a Consultation Please Call Us at (619) 692-8100, or Click Here to Schedule Consultation
Divorce is Never Easy and it Pays to Hire a Skilled, Yet Caring Lawyer You Can Trust.
Our team can help you get started and move on to the next stage of your life.
Variety of Cases
Practice Areas
Our Members
Meet Our Attorneys
- Julia Garwood
- Casey Reeves
- Frank J. Terrazas
- Emma Magidson Slattery
- Lia Lorick
- Annie Ruttenber
- Taylor Johnson
- Lauren Leach
- Tim Smith
- Peter Saatjian
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Julia Garwood SHAREHOLDER/CERTIFIED FAMILY LAW SPECIALIST Julia Garwood is a family law attorney and mediator. Her Certified Family Law Specialist designation indicates that she has met the rigorous standards set by the California State Bar. She is also a former adjunct professor at a local law school, where she taught professional responsibility to future lawyers. She has worked in the field of family law for more than 30 years. As an acting settlement judge and mediator, Ms. Garwood sees each case from many different perspectives, including a judge’s perspective. |
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Casey A. Reeves SHAREHOLDER/CERTIFIED FAMILY LAW SPECIALIST Casey A. Reeves comes to Garwood Reeves with vast experience in litigation, discovery and evidence. Having graduated near the top of his classes in these areas, Mr. Reeves went on to work in high stakes cases dealing in complex business and valuation issues. Mr. Reeves prides himself on his commitment to an open line of communication with his clients and recognizes the need to keep clients fully informed of all aspects of their case. When requested, Mr. Reeves takes an information gathering approach to the area of family law and uses the discovery process to fully vet all issues in a case. |
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Frank J. Terrazas SENIOR FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY Frank Terrazas brings fourteen years of combined family law experience to Garwood Attorneys. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of San Diego, Frank obtained a Graduate Certificate in Paralegal Studies, and quickly found himself in family law. Frank spent ten years under the tutelage of two preeminent family law attorneys in San Diego county (now retired). After gaining ten years of invaluable experience as a distinguished paralegal in family law, Frank took the natural next step, and attended law school. |
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Emma Magidson Slattery FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY Emma Magidson Slattery brings over twelve years of family law experience to Garwood Reeves. Emma has successfully litigated countless cases in all aspects of family law, including custody and visitation, move-away orders, child and spousal support, high income wage earners, jurisdictional issues, income imputation, the division of community property, division of stock-options, and reimbursement claims (among others). |
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Lia Lorick FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY Garwood Reeves is proud to welcome Attorney Lia Lorick to our family law team. Lia received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a minor in Psychology, from San Diego State University, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Knowing she wanted to practice Family Law, Lia went on to receive her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law, with a concentration in Child, Family, and Elder Law, and graduated Cum Laude. During law school, along with maintaining her grades, and playing Semi-Professional basketball, Lia completed various family law internships at the Family Law Facilitator’s Office, YWCA of San Diego, and the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program. |
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Annie Ruttenber, CFLS CERTIFIED FAMILY LAW SPECIALIST Garwood Reeves is proud to welcome Attorney Erin “Annie” Ruttenber to our family law team. Annie received her Bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in philosophy from the University of Northern Colorado. Annie’s passion for family law and helping clients in need began while working for a child welfare agency in Hawaii. Annie quickly became a trained mediator and volunteered at Meditation Services of Maui, where she assisted parties in resolving their legal issues without litigation. Knowing she wanted to practice family law. |
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Taylor Johnson FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY Garwood Reeves is proud to welcome Taylor Johnson to our team of family law attorneys. Taylor first joined Garwood Reeves as an extern during her final semester at California Western School of Law, where Taylor was on Law Review and Moot Court Honors Board. Taylor quickly wowed us with her impressive legal writing and argument, her empathy and compassion, and her strong work ethic. |
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| Lauren Leach FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY Lauren has been a wonderful addition to the Garwood Reeves family since the summer of 2002, when she started as a post-bar clerk. In her free time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her Husband and two dogs and cooking. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the various issues covered in a Family Law Case?
As the name suggests, Family Law pertains to family matters. It is a broad term that includes everything that falls under the California Family Code. This includes issues like:
- Divorce
- Legal separation
- Child custody and support
- Spousal support
- Marital property division and allocation
- Fiduciary duties
- Annulments
- Paternity
- Prevention of domestic violence
- Domestic partnerships
- Assessment of rights and obligations during and after marriage
What is spousal support? Am I entitled to it?
In simple terms, spousal support refers to alimony or financial support that a spouse pays to his dependent partner when the marriage is dissolved. In California, there are two types of spousal support: Temporary and Permanent.
- Temporary Spousal Support is ordered by the family law judge to help the dependent spouse sustain his/her living during the divorce proceedings.
- Permanent Spousal Support is the financial award that the judge grants to the lesser-earning spouse once the divorce is finalized. It is long-term support that helps the lesser-earning spouse cover up his/her financial obligations and maintain a certain standard of living.
Your eligibility to receive spousal support depends upon a number of factors like your income, tax filing status, length of the marriage, parenting responsibilities, and more.
Also, in California, spousal support is gender-neutral and either spouse can request spousal support if the other spouse can afford to pay. An experienced attorney at Garwood Reeves can help you with all matters pertaining to spousal support.
How is the custody of children decided in California?
In California, both parents can have custody of the child; they can even share it jointly. The court takes into account numerous factors when making a decision regarding the child’s custody. Every attempt is made to ascertain the best interest of the child. Various factors that influence a child’s custody include:
- Age of the child
- Health of the child
- The ability of the parents to care for the child
- Emotional ties between the parent and the child
- History of family violence or substance abuse
- Child’s attachment to his/ her school, home, and community
How much child support should I expect to pay or receive?
There are strict, but uniform, guidelines in California law for calculating child support. It isn’t based only on the parent’s income; it is a complicated formula that also takes into account how much time each parent spends with the children.
As a general rule, the more the difference between the parents’ incomes and the less time the higher-earning parent spends with the child, the more child support he/she needs to pay.
How will the marital property be allocated between us?
California is a community property state and all marital assets and debts that are jointly acquired between the partners are divided equally. However, properties and assets that belong to one spouse or have been acquired from previous marriages are not subject to this division. Connect with Garwood Reeves’ skilled family law attorneys to understand how your property will be divided during your divorce.
I have complex familial issues. Can your attorney help me with my divorce proceedings?
Absolutely! Numerous family law matters involve complex litigation, division of high-value assets, complicated property issues, custodial rights of children, child support or spousal maintenance issues, and a lot more. Our attorneys have all the knowledge and experience in dealing with complex family issues and can help you secure your rights. Connect with us for a confidential consultation and find the best possible outcome for your specific situation.
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ADDRESS
Garwood Reeves
1450 Frazee Rd Suite 711
San Diego, CA 92108
PHONE
(619) 692-8100
hello@garwoodfamilylaw.com