Practice area · California
LGBTQ+ divorce and custody
Divorce, custody and parentage disputes, handled by lawyers who understand how your family was built.
For LGBTQ+ spouses, domestic partners and co-parents who are separating, and for any parent whose rights are being questioned.
Book a consultation Free 20-minute call to startExample fee: $350 to $450 an hour (hourly, example rates). What's included
In plain words
Separating is hard. It can be harder when a parent's rights rest on a presumption, a donor agreement, or a marriage that came after a child was born.
We protect parent and child relationships, including the nonbiological parent's, and we look for calm paths like mediation before court. When court is the right answer, we are ready for it.
We use the right names and pronouns, and we know the history that can affect your case, such as a domestic partnership that began before marriage was open to you.
Situations we help with
- Divorce and legal separation
- Ending a registered domestic partnership
- Custody and parenting plans
- Protecting a nonbiological parent
- Child support
- Mediation and collaborative divorce
- Moving away with children
- Donor and co-parenting disputes
Step by step
How it usually goes
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1
A free 20-minute call
We listen first. If there are safety concerns, we talk about those before anything else.
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2
A strategy meeting
We review your documents, your dates and your goals, and give you an honest view of the options.
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3
Negotiation or mediation
Most families settle. A plan you build together is often kinder to children and easier to live with.
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4
Court, when needed
If agreement is not possible or not safe, we prepare your case carefully and stand with you in court.
No lawyer can promise an outcome or a date. Courts, agencies, clinics and other states all move at their own pace. We tell you what we know, when we know it. Things that often change the pace:
- The court's calendar
- Home study scheduling
- Another state's approval
- A party who is hard to reach
- Medical timing
- Records from a clinic or agency
- Another country's paperwork
Example fee
$350 to $450 an hour
Hourly, example rates. Retainers usually start at $5,000. Mediation-only work is often billed as a smaller flat package.
Included
- A written budget estimate
- Monthly itemized bills
- Strategy and negotiation
- Court work when needed
Paid separately
- Court filing fees
- Mediator fees
- Expert or evaluator fees
Your exact fee is in your plan letter before you sign. Payment plans are available. All fees
Rules differ by place
Courts in different states treat presumptions, donor agreements and domestic partnerships differently. If the other parent lives in another state, where a case is filed can matter a lot.
We practice California law, and bring in licensed local counsel when another state or country is involved.
General information
This website is general information, not legal advice. Reading it, calling us or sending a form does not make Kith & Kin your lawyer. That happens only when we both sign an engagement letter.
Questions about divorce and custody
I am not the biological parent. Do I have rights?
You may, especially if you are married, are named in a court order or have raised the child as your own. Every case is different, so we review your facts closely.
Do you try to settle before going to court?
Yes, when it is safe and fair. Mediation is often quicker and kinder for children. We also go to court when that is what it takes.
We registered as domestic partners years before we married. Does that matter?
It can. The start date of your partnership may affect property and support. We sort out the dates early.
Other paths families take
Free 20-minute call
Talk it through with someone who gets it.
A free 20-minute call with an attorney who does this work every week. You will hear which steps apply to you, what California asks for, and what an example fee of $350 to $450 an hour would cover.
Prefer to text? (510) 555-0163. Dee replies within one business day.