Top Best Family Lawyers | 21160 Available

Joel E. Fowlks is an attorney in Milwaukie, Oregon, practicing in the fields of family law, estate planning and probate. Joel graduated from Oregon State University and Willamette University College of Law. Before attending law school, he worked as a sportswriter and copy editor in Portland. He also worked as a law clerk in the Trial Division of the Oregon Department of Justice before entering private practice.. Joel’s office is conveniently located on King Road in Milwaukie, just minutes from I-205 and Highway 224 (the Milwaukie Expressway).

I have been practicing exclusively family law since 2008, when I graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School. My focus is centered entirely on divorce, custody, support matters, domestic violence, and asset and debt distribution. My practice is located in Downtown Portland, but I have open cases in counties across the State of Oregon.

I have practiced family law in the Twin Cities area for over 30 years, and recently started a law firm with my daughter Madeline, a 2018 graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law. We are located at the Collaborative Law Alliance in Edina, Minnesota and serve clients throughout the state of Minnesota.. Let our family protect yours at this difficult time in your life.

Admitted to Practice in:. Minnesota. New York. U.S. District Court, Dist. Of Minnesota. Areas of Practice:. Family Law. Alternative Dispute Resolution. Business Litigation. Education:. B.A., magna cum laude, Carleton College. J.D., cum laude, University of Minnesota. Biography:. I have practiced primarily in the area of family law since 1982.  I have substantial experience in high net worth cases involving complex assets that are difficult to value, such as closely-held business entities, commercial real estate, and intellectual property.  I am skilled in both litigation and alternative dispute resolution, and I have a high success rate both in trying cases to a conclusion and in reaching settlements through mediation.  I have extensive appellate court experience before both the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court, and I am listed on the Minnesota Supreme Court Roster of Qualified Neutrals.. Notable Representations:. I have:. Successfully represented celebrities in the entertainment business and other prominent public figures;. Successfully litigated the value of closely-held business entities worth, or claimed to be worth, millions, tens of millions, and even hundreds of millions of dollars;. Successfully represented clients in highly contested custody disputes, including disputes involving one parent’s request to move with the children out of state;. Successfully litigated the validity, enforceability, and interpretation of prenuptial agreements;. Successfully litigated the amount and duration of spousal maintenance in highly contested cases; and. Successfully represented the prevailing parties in two landmark Minnesota Supreme Court Cases -- McKee-Johnson, which established standards for prenuptial agreements in Minnesota, and Antone, which reaffirmed the formula for determining the marital portion of appreciated premarital real estate.. Awards and Recognitions:. Recognized as a “Super Lawyer” since 2003 by Minnesota Law & Politics and Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine.. Included in the 2014 edition of Best Lawyers in America.. Affiliations:. Member - Minnesota State Bar Association. Member - New York State Bar Association. Fellow – Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers

arim El-Ghazzawy is the founder and principal of El-Ghazzawy Law Offices, LLC, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Focusing his practice exclusively on family law, including both litigation and alternative dispute resolution, he concentrates on high-asset divorce cases and serves clients in the Twin Cities area and throughout the state in matters involving prenuptial agreements, spousal maintenance claims, complex custody issues, business valuations and property distribution. Mr. El-Ghazzawy has significant appellate experience.. Mr. El-Ghazzawy has been practicing law for over three decades. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Arts in history and Spanish before earning his Juris Doctor at the University of Minnesota Law School. His results-oriented approach has been instrumental in notable verdicts regarding the legality of foreign marriages, opposition to out-of-state relocation by custodial parents, and vacation of an Antenuptial Agreement.. Admitted to practice in Minnesota, Mr. El-Ghazzawy is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. In recognition of his outstanding legal skills and high ethical standards, Mr. El-Ghazzawy has earned an AV Preeminent* peer-review rating through Martindale-Hubbell along with recognition from Minnesota Monthly and U.S. News & World Report.. *AV Preeminent and BV Distinguished are certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell ratings fall into two categories: legal ability and general ethical standards.

Mrs. Desai is a Certified Family Law Specialist with the California State Board of Legal Specialization. She has over 20 years of experience exclusively in the area of family law. Her practice is dedicated to ensuring that optimal results are obtained for each and every client. An in-depth case evaluation and early collection of data and documents help ensure cases are presented effectively. Mrs. Desai has successfully resolved cases through settlement negotiations and trial. Call our office today to schedule a consultation.

Glen L. Rabenn has specialized in Family Law since 1972. With offices in Seal Beach, Mr. Rabenn practices in the Family Law Courts of Orange and Los Angeles County. He was one of the first attorneys to be certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California.. Although Mr. Rabenn has been successfully litigating cases in the Superior Courts of Los Angeles and Orange Counties for many years, he believes that the courtroom is not the only place to resolve the complex and sensitive issues that are commonly found in family law matters. Recognizing that every client and case is different, Mr. Rabenn advocates the use of collaboration and mediation to resolve marital disputes.

Attorney Nathan W. Gabbard is an expert family law attorney in Los Angeles, who routinely assists with several family law cases, including divorce, child custody, spousal support, same-sex family law matters. Mr. Gabbard attended Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles and received his Juris Doctor in 2009. In 2016, Mr. Gabbard was certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization as a family law specialist.Mr. Gabbard is also a leader in the legal community, serving as a voting member of the Family Law Executive Committee of the California Lawyers Association, and has active roles in the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and other legal associations. If you would like to discuss your case with an experienced attorney, call Mr. Gabbard to schedule an appointment about your case.

Ben Aguilar received his J.D from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2011 where he was the President of the International Law Society. Ben received his B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Education from the University of California, Irvine in 2007.. Before attending law school, Ben had the opportunity to work for the Spanish Justice Department in Barcelona, Spain where he worked directly with victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. This experience prompted Ben’s desire to attend law school and commit to public interest and ensuring all individuals have equal access to the justice system.. While attending law school, Ben served as the American Bar Association's 9th Circuit Lieutenant Governor of Communications and as a member of the National Advisory Committee for Equal Justice Works. Ben spent his first summer in law school clerking at the Center for International Protection in Moscow, Russia where he assisted in providing legal aid to Russian nationals' victims of human right violations in filing complaints before the European Court of Human Rights. He spent the summer after his second year in law school taking law classes in Hangzhou, China. Ben clerked at the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties for two years and also volunteered with the California Innocence Project.. Ben currently serves on the Thomas Jefferson School of Law Alumni Board of Directors. He has previously served in the board of directors for the Coalition for Reproductive Choice, and Visionaries In Philanthropy (Meals-On-Wheels San Diego).. Ben is admitted to practice law in California and the Southern federal district of California. He is a member of the American Bar Association, San Diego County Bar Association, La Raza Lawyers, National Lawyers Guild, and the Tom Homann LGBT Law Association.

The focus of our firm for 33 years has been to develop and nurture trusted relationships with our clients in Maryland.  We strive to understand our client's individual legal needs, in order to provide excellent benefits. Our philosophy is to serve the best interests of our clients. We take pride in handling the representation of our clients in the areas of family law, child support, custody and visitation, divorce, mediation, and more. Our areas of practice include the following:. We proudly support Howard County and surrounding areas, including but not limited to, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Queen Anne's County, Prince George's County and MontgomeryCounty.

Title: Partner. Practice Area Focus Areas: Adoption, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Dissolution, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Estate Planning, Father's Rights, Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Marital Property, Mediation & Collaborative Law, Name Change, Paternity, Power of Attorney, Prenuptial Agreements, Same Sex Family Law, Wills. Industry Group: Industry Groups Unknown. A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, with honors, and the American University, Washington College of Law, Juris Doctor, Ms. Schwartz was selected to participate in the Criminal Justice Clinic.. She is an active member of the Howard County Bar Association, Howard County Family Law Section, Howard County Women’s Bar Association, Howard County Collaborative Professionals and Maryland Collaborative Practice Council.Ms. Schwartz has spoken on Domestic Relations issues including divorce, pre-nuptial agreements, domestic violence, representing children in contested custody cases, and cutting edge issues in Family Law for several organizations throughout Maryland including the Montgomery County Women’s Commission, New Beginnings, an organization for newly separated and divorced individuals, the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers (MICPEL), Johns Hopkins University-APL, the Howard County Bar Association and the National Family Resiliency Center, Inc. (NFRC).. Ms. Schwartz served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Domestic Violence Center of Howard County from 2005 to 2014, has served on the Board of Directors of the Howard County Collaborative Professionals since 2010, currently as Past President, as Co-President for the Howard County Family Law Committee for many years, the Scholarship Committee for the Columbia Foundation, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for Maryland Collaborative Practice Council and on the Board of Directors of Girls on the Run for Central Maryland. Ms. Schwartz received the Howard County Bar Association President's Award in 2007 for her dedication and service to the Family Law Committee.  In 2015 Ms. Schwartz was inducted as a fellow into the Howard County Bar Foundation.   Ms. Schwartz was named a Maryland Super Lawyer and a Top Attorney in Maryland by Baltimore Magazine in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Ms. Schwartz was named Top 50 Women Lawyers in MD in 2014 and 2015.Professional Associations:. Volunteer:

Chris came to the firm approximately 23 years ago as a courier and then a law clerk. He earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature from the Towson State University and then, in 2002, graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law with a concentration in family law and litigation and has remained with the firm as Partner. Chris is admitted to practice before the Maryland Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.Chris was born and raised in Howard County with family roots in the County spanning nearly 100 years. He has practiced in the County his entire career. He has tried and handled cases in nearly every county in the State of Maryland, including the Courts of Appeal, Howard County, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Wicomico County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Washington County, and Allegany County. He has successfully handled matters relating to construction law, domestic relations law, criminal matters, landlord/tenant matters, estate administration, personal injury, and contract disputes.During his years with the firm, Chris has become an integral part of the practice. Chris devotes his time to trial advocacy in the areas of criminal and civil law.

Angela Hoover is a native of Williamson County and a seventh generation Middle Tennessean.  Angela is a graduate of Franklin High School where she was active in the mock trial program, and was a nationally ranked debate champion. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from the University of Tennessee.  While in college, Angela served as President of her sorority, a UT Ambassador, and a student lobbyist.  Angela earned her law degree from the Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law at the University of Memphis and was licensed to practice law in 2004.  While in law school she was the Student Bar Association Executive Director, won awards for Excellence in Conflicts of Law and the Dean’s Award for Best Oral Advocate.  She was one of only three members on the school’s prestigious National Moot Court team.  Angela currently serves as the managing partner of her family’s law practice in her hometown of Franklin. Angela served as the Parliamentarian and Legal Counsel for the Tennessee Young Republican Federation.  Angela is a member of the Williamson County, Tennessee and American Bar Associations and is the former Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee for the Lawyers Association for Women.  Angela is active in the community as member and former Board member of the Franklin Noon Rotary Club.  She is also a two-time Paul Harris Fellow.  She is also a member of the Heritage Foundation of Franklin and Williamson County and the Downtown Franklin Association.  In 2015 Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam appointed Angela to serve on the Collection Service Board for the State of Tennessee & she was reappointed for a second term on this statewide commission. In 2020 Angela was appointed as the Municipal Judge for the City of Henry, Tennessee and is a member of the Tennessee Municipal Judge's Conference. In her free time Angela enjoys traveling, SCUBA diving, golf and playing with her little puppy, George Washington.

EXPERIENCE –. Tennessee City and County courts,  Court of Appeals, State Supreme Court,. Virginia City and County courts, Court of Appeals. 4th, 8th, 6th Federal District Court. 4th,  8th  6th Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals. U. S. Office of Personnel Management Appeals. Veteran’s Administration Appellate Court. Unemployment, Social Security, and Administrative Courts. Public Defender State Court of Appeals 2004. Virginia third year practice attorney 1995. 8th DISTRICT COURT CLERK INTERNSHIP   Summer 1994. MEDIATOR - Family Alternative Mediation, Norfolk, VA. 2006    present  Tennessee Supreme Court trainer for Juvenile Law and Guardian ad Litem