McLaughlin Family Law & Mediation, APC
Facilitating peaceful resolutions to California family law disputes.
PRACTICE
AREAS
DIVORCE
During a divorce, many issues can present. Couples may have to resolve disputes over the characterization of property as community property or separate property, determine the value of property (such as businesses and residences), or ascertain whether a premarital agreement is valid. For couples with children, divorce proceedings will involve the implementation of a schedule for custody of any minor children, as well as the determination of child support amounts and durations.
Our firm can advise you about the law and how it might apply to the unique facts of your case. Whether through mediation or a collaborative divorce process, it is possible for couples to resolve these issues outside of a courtroom.
MEDIATION
Divorce mediation is right for you if you want to keep the divorce process amicable, maintain control of the outcome between you and your spouse, and manage the cost of your divorce. Because mediation avoids court intervention, you can avoid long waits to have time in front of a judge and will be able to move the process along as quickly as you and your spouse decide is right for you.
As a mediator, this firm would act as a neutral third party with you and your spouse to negotiate the terms of your marital settlement agreement (a legal document that would outline your decisions). We would prepare and file all of your divorce documents, but keep you and your spouse outside of a courtroom. This process not only keeps you out of court, but also allows the two of you to work through your issues privately, peacefully, and at your own pace.
COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE
Collaborative divorce is right for you if you want to keep the divorce process amicable, but you and your spouse still want advice from your own attorneys (as opposed to hiring only one person as a mediator). Collaborative divorce is a hybrid approach between the traditional litigation model and divorce mediation.
In this scenario, this firm would represent you individually and would offer specific recommendations for you. Your spouse would also have an attorney prepared to go forward in the collaborative approach. Even though both parties would have attorneys, we would stay out of court, endeavor to keep costs low, and still work toward a private and peaceful resolution to your divorce case.
PREMARITAL, POST-MARITAL, AND COHABITATION AGREEMENTS
One way to avoid a contentious divorce in the future is to negotiate a premarital or post-marital agreement today. Planning for and protecting your future really begins long before you file for divorce. It begins before you begin living with and marrying someone.
Our firm can prepare premarital and post-marital agreements with a sharp focus on protecting your future wellbeing. We can also assist you in the preparation of cohabitation agreements if you wish to plan a future with your partner but have no plans to marry.
OUR VISION
A divorce does not need to be a bad experience. Our firm provides a process in which all parties to a dispute are heard, understood, and assisted in a peaceful manner. To the extent possible, this firm will not only work to give you a good outcome, but also make the journey through your family law case as painless as possible.
Not all family law matters must be litigated in the public court system. Mediation is often an appropriate way to resolve divorce, child custody, paternity, and other types of family law matters. The benefits of mediation include greater privacy, a less adversarial process, and generally much lower costs.
McLaughlin Family Law & Mediation, APC, exists to help couples who want to avoid hostile, expensive, and long court battles. Whatever your history, our firm seeks to facilitate the peaceful resolution of your present family law dispute.
By choosing the path of mediation or collaborative law, a couple empowers themselves to make their own informed decisions, as opposed to leaving their fate up to the rulings of a judge. We can help couples work through their differences with both legal expertise and human compassion.
ABOUT
VICTORIA MCLAUGHLIN, ESQ.
(424) 256-8986
I grew up in the South Bay, and after spending ten years living in the Westside, I recently moved back. I look forward to serving couples located in both communities going forward.
Divorce is generally a difficult experience. After spending years litigating divorces (and going through my own), I decided I wanted to help couples navigate the end of their marriages in a different, more peaceful, way.
Since attending college at UC Davis and law school at the University of La Verne, I have always been actively involved in my LA community. I served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA). I also spent many years on the Executive Committee of the LACBA Barristers Section, where I last served as its President-Elect.
Super Lawyers Magazine named me a Rising Star in 2019 and 2020, an honor reserved for no more than 2.5% of attorneys in Southern California. My writing on various legal topics can be found in Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine.
When I am not practicing law, you can find me enjoying long runs on The Strand, practicing yoga, hiking, and generally being in the sun.
CONTACT
McLaughlin Family Law & Mediation, APC
1230 Rosecrans Ave.
Suite 300
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(424) 256-8986
To schedule a consultation or submit general questions, please use the form below:
