Ask five people what a family lawyer in Los Angeles actually does and you might hear five answers: divorce, custody, a prenup, a restraining order, or the surrogacy contract that lets an overseas couple become parents in a Westside hospital. All five belong to the same practice area, but very few lawyers excel at all of them.
That’s why this list isn’t a ranking of divorce attorneys. It covers the wider field of family law, including prenuptial agreements, custody and support, assisted reproduction, and free help for families who can’t afford private counsel. Four of the five picks hold current 2026 rankings from Chambers High Net Worth or Best Lawyers. The fifth is a nonprofit that provides free help to low-income families in LA County.
California Family Law Basics for 2026
These rules come up in family cases across Los Angeles County:
- Best interests of the child: Courts decide custody based on the child’s health, safety, and welfare, including any history of abuse and the child’s contact with both parents.
- A child’s voice: Children 14 or older can generally tell the judge their custody preference, unless the court finds it isn’t in their best interest.
- Domestic violence restraining orders: There’s no court filing fee to request one, and a judge can issue temporary orders quickly.
- Prenups and timing: California requires at least seven days between when a prenup is first presented and when it’s signed, so last-minute agreements can fail.
- Surrogacy contracts: Under Family Code 7962, intended parents and the surrogate must each have their own lawyer, and the agreement must be signed and notarized before embryo transfer or medication begins.
- Child support: Support follows a statewide guideline formula based mainly on each parent’s income and parenting time.
Five Los Angeles Family Lawyers Worth Knowing
1. Samantha Klein, Withers
Chambers High Net Worth 2026 places Samantha Klein in Band 1 for California family law, the top individual tier. She heads Withers’ California family law practice, which entered the Chambers rankings in 2026 at Band 2 in its first year.
Clients single out her prenuptial work. One told Chambers that “Samantha is really good at complex pre-nups.” Others describe the team as discreet and focused on resolution. That fits a practice whose clients often have businesses, trusts, or homes in more than one country. Because Withers is an international private client firm, she can coordinate with estate and tax lawyers when a marriage, or its end, affects a family’s wider wealth plan.
- Strongest at: complex prenups, high-value divorces, and cross-border family wealth
- Office: 10250 Constellation Boulevard, Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90067
2. Susannah “Shani” Braffman Amen, Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside
Judges’ respect counts for a lot in family court, and it’s what Chambers reviewers mention most about Shani Amen. “Judges really respect her,” one said, and another praised her “very calm, professional demeanour at all times.”
She co-chairs the family law practice at Elkins Kalt, which holds a Band 2 ranking for California high-net-worth family law. She is individually ranked in Band 3 and is a University of Pennsylvania law graduate. Her work covers divorce, custody, and other family disputes for high and ultra-high-net-worth clients.
- Strongest at: contested custody and complex property cases before experienced judges
- Office: 10345 West Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064
3. Scott Weston, Fox Rothschild
Scott Weston has appeared in The Best Lawyers in America for family law every year since 2011. In 2026, Chambers ranked him in Band 3 for California high-net-worth family law for the fourth year. A Loyola Law School graduate, he practices from Fox Rothschild’s Century City office.
Chambers notes his work on prenuptial agreements and custody cases for affluent clients. One client described him as a “fierce advocate, but also focused on resolution.” That balance matters in custody disputes, where the parents will still need to co-parent after the case ends.
- Strongest at: custody disputes and prenups where both sides want to avoid a scorched-earth fight
- Office: 10250 Constellation Boulevard, Suite 900, Los Angeles, CA 90067
4. Rich Vaughn, International Fertility Law Group
Rich Vaughn’s practice began with his own family. After becoming a parent through egg donation and surrogacy, he founded International Fertility Law Group, a Miracle Mile firm that focuses entirely on assisted reproductive technology law.
The firm drafts and reviews the agreements California requires among intended parents, surrogates, and egg or sperm donors. It also handles the parentage judgments that put intended parents on the birth certificate. Vaughn is licensed in California, Illinois, and New York and is active in the American Bar Association’s assisted reproduction committee and the National LGBT Bar Association. As its name suggests, the firm also works on international surrogacy arrangements.
- Strongest at: surrogacy, egg and sperm donation, and parentage orders
- Office: 5757 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 645, Los Angeles, CA 90036
5. Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law
Not every family can pay hundreds of dollars an hour. The Harriett Buhai Center provides free family law help to low-income residents of Los Angeles County. Its staff and volunteer lawyers, paralegals, and law students handle domestic violence restraining orders, custody and visitation, child support, paternity, and divorce.
Services are offered in English and Spanish. Appointments are required, and walk-ins aren’t accepted. For a parent facing a restraining order hearing alone against a represented ex-partner, that help can change the outcome.
- Strongest at: domestic violence and custody cases for families with limited income
- Office: 3250 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 710, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Why Families From Around the World Come to LA for Surrogacy
California is one of the most surrogacy-friendly places in the world, and Los Angeles is one of its busiest hubs. The reason is legal certainty. Family Code 7962 sets clear rules for gestational carrier agreements. Once those rules are followed, the agreement is presumed valid, and courts can enter a judgment naming the intended parents as the child’s legal parents, either before or after birth.
Many countries ban or restrict paid surrogacy, so intended parents travel to California for a process that works. That makes the lawyer’s role unusually important. Before choosing one, it’s worth asking a few questions:
- How many parentage judgments has the firm obtained in Los Angeles County?
- Will the firm coordinate with lawyers in your home country on citizenship and recognition?
- Who represents the surrogate, since California requires her to have independent counsel?
An Unexpected Detail: Two Ranked Practices, One Tower
Two of the high-net-worth family lawyers on this list work in the same Century City building. At 10250 Constellation Boulevard, Withers is in Suite 1400 and Fox Rothschild is in Suite 900. In a small field like elite family law, the lawyer across the table may literally be a few floors away. That’s one reason experienced practitioners often know each other well and can settle cases that might otherwise go to trial.
This content is general information, not legal advice. Family law outcomes depend on specific facts, so speak with a licensed California attorney about your situation.
Family Law Questions LA Parents Ask
Q1. How much does a family lawyer cost in Los Angeles?
A: Rates vary widely. Many experienced family lawyers charge several hundred dollars an hour, top high-net-worth specialists charge more, and nonprofits offer free help to eligible families.
Q2. At what age can a child choose which parent to live with in California?
A: No age lets a child decide alone. Children 14 and older can usually share their preference with the judge, who weighs it with other best-interest factors.
Q3. Is surrogacy legal in California?
A: Yes. California law expressly allows gestational surrogacy agreements, provided both sides have separate lawyers and the agreement is signed and notarized before medical procedures begin.
Q4. How do I get a restraining order against a family member in Los Angeles?
A: File a request for a domestic violence restraining order with the Superior Court. There’s no filing fee, and a judge can grant temporary orders quickly.
