The RegistryCounty Record · California

Family Law Lawyers in El Dorado County, California

Every family law attorney and family lawyer listing on this page traces back to the State Bar of California's official roll, filtered to family law matters arising in El Dorado County. Verification describes profile identity, not quality or outcomes.

Venue matters. Family law cases from El Dorado County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado. A Sierra county split by Echo Summit — courthouses in Placerville and South Lake Tahoe serve the foothills and the lake basin respectively.

Before comparing counsel, note the clock. Under Cal. Fam. Code § 2339, the governing period is a divorce cannot be final sooner than six months after the respondent is served. 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.

This page is the El Dorado County chapter of the registry's statewide record — Family Law Attorneys in California collects all 58 counties.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

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.

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of El Dorado.

County seat: Placerville

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: www.eldorado.courts.ca.gov

Family Law · El Dorado County roster

44 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list family law among their practice areas with an address of record in El Dorado County.

43 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in Placerville (15), El Dorado Hills (11), Cameron Park (7) and S Lake Tahoe (4).

5 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation — a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.

Admission years on this roster run from 1975 to 2024.

The employers most represented here are El Dorado Superior Court (2) and Mayer Family Law (2).

Kelly S. Bentley

Estate Planning · Placerville

Bar #244436 · Admitted 2006

Official record

Sage D. BlackOwl

Criminal Defense · El Dorado Hills

Bar #296690 · Admitted 2014

Official record

Dennis R. Brimer

Family Law · Camino

Bar #124185 · Admitted 1986

Official record

Shaun P. Brooks

Family Law · El Dorado Hills

Bar #342998 · Admitted 2022

Official record

Shahid A. Buttar

Business Litigation · South Lake Tahoe

Bar #231527 · Admitted 2004

Official record

Gregory S. Clark

Criminal Defense · Placerville

Bar #270508 · Admitted 2010

Official record

Layla C. Cordero

Family Law · Placerville

Bar #328329 · Admitted 2019

Official record

Alexandria Cotton

Family Law · Placerville

Bar #355659 · Admitted 2024

Official record

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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.

From the answer files

Family Law by city in El Dorado County

Related counsel in El Dorado County

Family Law in nearby counties

Source: Cal. Fam. Code § 2339 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.

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