Fernandez Law Group

About Fernandez Law Group — Family Law Santa Monica, California

Fernandez Law Group brings over 100 years of combined legal experience to family law Santa Monica clients — a depth that positions it well in a coastal Los Angeles market where celebrity divorces, high-asset property divisions, and entertainment-industry income structures create legal complexity well beyond the typical dissolution. Founding partner Steven Fernandez holds California’s Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS) credential. The firm handles the full range of family law Santa Monica matters: divorce, child custody, spousal support, paternity, domestic violence, and community property division. Reach the office at (310) 564-9163 — the team serves clients throughout West Los Angeles and the broader Westside corridor.

Fernandez Law Group’s practice includes representation in the specific financial situations common to Santa Monica and Westside LA clients — entertainment royalties, residuals, production company interests, and celebrity licensing income — all of which require attorneys familiar with both California community property rules and the unusual asset forms that entertainment industry careers generate. Cases are filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Santa Monica Courthouse, which handles all family law Santa Monica proceedings for Santa Monica and Westside communities.

What Clients Say

Clients describe Fernandez Law Group as attentive to the specific financial and personal complexity of their situations — noting that attorneys understand entertainment industry income and asset structures rather than applying generic community property formulas that miss critical nuances. Reviewers highlight discretion as a particular strength, noting that the firm manages high-profile cases with the confidentiality that clients in the public eye require. Those going through difficult custody situations describe feeling well-prepared for proceedings and supported through a process that intersects legal complexity with significant personal stress.

Family Law Santa Monica — Practice Areas & Services

• Divorce & High-Asset Dissolution: Handles complex dissolutions involving entertainment royalties, residuals, development deals, real estate portfolios, and business interests — the asset types most commonly at issue in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles divorces.
• Celebrity Divorce: Manages high-profile dissolution proceedings with attention to confidentiality, timing of public filings, media considerations, and the privacy interests that public figures require throughout family court proceedings.
• Child Custody & Visitation: Develops custody arrangements that account for entertainment industry schedules, travel demands, and the privacy concerns of families with public profiles.
• Spousal Support: Analyzes long-term support obligations in high-income marriages, including the impact of fluctuating entertainment income on guideline calculations and the AAMLA factors courts apply in marriages of long duration.
• Domestic Violence & Restraining Orders: Seeks emergency protective orders and represents clients in DVRO hearings at the Los Angeles Superior Court, Santa Monica Courthouse.
• Paternity: Establishes legal parentage under California Family Code § 7611 — including cases involving high-profile individuals where discretion and efficient case management are equally important.
• Property Division: Divides entertainment royalties, residuals, intellectual property, and other unusual asset forms that require familiarity with both California community property rules and entertainment industry contract structures.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does California divide spousal support when one spouse has fluctuating entertainment income?

California courts calculate temporary spousal support using the DissoMaster guideline, which is based on recent income. However, long-term support orders take into account the marital standard of living, the supported spouse’s ability to become self-supporting, and the supporting spouse’s earning capacity over time — not just a single income snapshot. For entertainment professionals with highly variable annual earnings, forensic accountants are often retained to produce a normalized income figure that better reflects long-term earning capacity than a single year’s tax return.

Are divorce records public in California?

By default, California court records in family law cases are publicly accessible — including filings, financial disclosures, and declarations. However, parties can petition the court for sealing specific financial records under California Rules of Court 2.550–2.551 when there is a compelling confidentiality interest. In high-profile cases, attorneys often negotiate confidentiality provisions in settlement agreements that restrict what either party can disclose about terms and asset values, even though the court file itself remains public.

What is the Santa Monica Courthouse’s typical wait time for a custody hearing?

Emergency custody orders and temporary restraining orders can be sought on an ex parte basis with same-day or next-day hearings. Contested custody hearings requiring judicial time are scheduled weeks to months in advance depending on the issue’s complexity and the current family court calendar at the Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main Street. Courts prioritize matters involving immediate safety concerns; scheduling is more flexible for routine modification requests.