Linda S. Gross
Law Offices of Linda S. Gross
2730 Wilshire Blvd
Suite 220
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Map
Phone: (310) 829-3221 | Fax: (310) 829-6316
http://www.lindasgross.com
Collaborative Divorce, AV-Rated, CFLS, SuperLawyer
Legal Topic
Family Law
Preferred New Clients
I prefer to work with clients who handled the family finances but can work with non-financial clients if they are organized.
Sub-Topics
Abuse
- Domestic Violence
Children
- Child Custody
- Child Support
- Paternity
- Visitation
Couples
- Civil Unions
- Domestic Partnerships
- Living Together/Cohabitation
- Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Restraining Orders
Legal Topic
Divorce
Preferred New Clients
I prefer to work with clients who handled the family finances but can work with non-financial clients if they are organized.
Sub-Topics
Alimony/Palimony/Spousal Support
Annulment
Bar Admissions
CA, Jan 1978
Bar Number: 79054
Specialty Certifications
Certified Family Law Specialist, California State Bar, 2007
Certified Family Law Specialist, California State Bar, 2002
Certified Family Law Specialist, California State Bar, 1997
Certified Family Law Specialist, California State Bar, 1992
Other Court Admissions
California, 1978; New York, 1979; Florida, 1979; U.S. Tax Court, 1978; U.S. District Court - Central District of California
Association Memberships
American Bar Association, Family Law Section; California Bar Association, Family Law Section; Los Angeles County Bar Association, Family Law Section; Florida Bar Association; New York Bar Association
Continuing Education
Classes/Seminars Taught:
"Conundrum No. Three: How Do You Deal With Parents Who Abuse Drugs and Alcohol - Allegations, Evidence and Orders?" 2005 Child Custody Colloquium sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section, September 24, 2005, Los Angeles, California
"Sex Addiction: Legal Aspects of Sex Addiction and Child Custody," Substance Abuse and Sexual Addiction Allegations in Family Law Cases: Getting Below the Surface, sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section and the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, June 11, 2005, LACBA/Nexis Conference Center, Los Angeles, California
"Settlement Strategies," 2004 Family Law Symposium: Analyzing the Critical Issues, sponsored by Continuing Education of the Bar, December 4, 2004, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Los Angeles, California
"Litigation Strategies: Impressing the Judge and Evaluator" Panel No. 2 of 26th Annual Child Custody Colloquium sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Family Law Section, September 18, 2004, Le Meridien Hotel, Los Angeles, California
"Fundamentals of Handling Marital Dissolutions" sponsored by Continuing Education of the Bar, April 11-12, 2003, Los Angeles, California
"The Nuts and Bolts of Divorce in California" sponsored by Lorman Educational Services, July 24, 2001, Costa Mesa, California.
"The Nuts and Bolts of Divorce in California" sponsored by Lorman Educational Services, January 30, 2001, Los Angeles, California.
"Safe Access and Friendly Exchanges for Kids" Conference, Los Angeles Superior Court, Professional Monitor and Supervised Visitation Training, October 29-30, 1998, Los Angeles, California.
"Developing, Managing, and Surviving a Family Law Practice in the 90's,." Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) presentation, July 27 and August 12, 1996 at Los Angeles, California with Fred Silberberg, Esq. and Richard Gottfried, M.A.
"Mine is Mine & Yours is Yours: Pre & Post Nuptial Agreements." 1992 State Bar Section Institute, San Diego, California, November 15, 1992. Family Law Section Presentation.
"Ten Commandments of Prenuptial Agreements." February 20, 1991 Presentation with Daniel Jaffe at Beverly Hills Bar Association monthly meeting.
"Play Your Best Trump Card: Pre- and Post-Nuptial Agreements."
1990 State Bar Convention, Monterey, California, August 25, 1990. Family Law Section Presentation.
Papers and Publications
"Premarital Agreements" (Co-Author) Chapter 17 California Marital Settlement and Other Family Law Agreements, Continuing Education of the Bar, 2 Ed, 1997
Updated 3rd Ed. 2005
"Developing, Managing and Surviving a Family Law Practice in the '90s" Program Handbook, Continuing Education of the Bar, July/August, 1996
"Family Law and the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act", Practice Pointers, May, 1996
"Enforcement of Out-of-State Support Orders, Attorneys' Fee Orders and Property Settlements", Practice Pointers, May, 1993
"Parental Alienation Syndrome: A New Name for an Old Game?" (Co-Author), 12 Los Angeles County Family Law News & Review, (No. 1) Winter, 1991
"Attorneys for Children in Dissolution Custody and Visitation Dispute: Alternatives", 10 Los Angeles County Family Law News and Review, (No. 1) Winter, 1988
"Child Preference in Custody Determinations", 9 Los Angeles County Family Law News and Review, Winter, 1988
"California Breakup", Los Angeles Times Magazine, March 13, 1988
Example Cases
In re Marriage of Jones, 195 Cal. App. 3d 1097 (1987)
In re Marriage of Wickander, 187 Ca. App. 3d 1364 (1986)
Please see website for details: http://www.lindasgross.com
Education
University of San Diego School of Law
LL.M
San Diego
CA
1985
University of California at Davis School of Law
J.D.
Davis
CA
1977
Mount Holyoke College
B.A.
South Hadley
MA
1968
Philosophy
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
California, New York, Florida
Firm Focus and History
The Law Offices of Linda S. Gross was founded in April 1990. The current office is located in Santa Monica, California. I am a certified Family Law Specialist whose practice is limited to marital dissolution, legal separations, prenuptial agreements, cohabitation agreements, paternity, child and spousal support, and custody and visitation disputes.
Previous Employment Summary
Law Offices of Arlene Colman-Schwimmer, Los Angeles, CA, Associate, 1986 - 1990
Law Offices of Neal R. Hersh, Beverly Hills, CA, Associate, 1985 - 1986
Sole Practitioner, 1979 - 1985
Milgrim, Thomajan, Jacobs & Lee, New York City, NY, Associate, 1977 - 1979
Activities and Awards
Honors and Awards:
* Southern California Super Lawyer 2007, 2006, 2005
* Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law - Volunteer Distinguished Service Award, 1992
* Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law - Mentor Distinguished Service Award, 1993
* Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law - Pro Bono Panel Volunteer of the Year, 1995
* Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law - Hall of Fame Award, 1997
Distinguished Service Award (1992); Mentor
* Hall of Fame Award (1997)
* Ten Year Service Award (1999)
* Fifteen Years of Distinguished Service (2004)
Pro Bono Activities:
* Volunteer Attorney for Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, 1989 - 2000
* Volunteer Mediator - Los Angeles Superior Courts Family Law - West and Central Districts, 1991 - 2000
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
I prefer clients who are interested in their own case; who want to be educated and make decisions or participate in making decisions in their case. I do not represent passive clients who say things like "you're the attorney. You decide."
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I am willing to review documents prepared by clients. I am willing to help clients ghost write papers. I am willing to handle limited scope representation where the client does all the paperwork (preferably with my supervision) and then I make the court appearance.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
I am willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves. I act as a consulting attorney for mediation clients who attend mediation sessions by themselves after having met with me to strategize. I then review any agreement before it is signed to make sure that the agreement represents the deal the client thinks he or she negotiated.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I decided to become an attorney when a bookstore in which I was working was trashed by a political candidate for mayor. A policeman had accompanied the candidate to the store and was standing outside. When we rushed out to get him, he entered the store and said, "Mr. X, you did not trash this store, did you? The man replied, "No, I picked up one book and all the rest fell on the floor." Whereupon the two people left the store. We had to hire a lawyer to write a letter to this person to keep him from coming into the store again.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
I have a Master's at Law in Taxation and was previously a corporate, business and tax attorney. The skills I acquired are a useful aid in dissolution, separation and support matters. I am more qualified than many family law attorneys in handling complex business valuation and tracing issues in dissolution actions.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I originally went to law school to become a tax attorney and I did. However, income tax law practice was very dry and not that interesting. I had worked for a family law firm after both my first and second years of law school so I switched to family law. I love family law. It is one of the most interesting areas of law, combining expertise in civil trial work as well as business, tax, real estate, and family law knowledge. I am always learning something new and it is very exciting.
What do you like best about your career?
I love practicing family law. It is very challenging and interesting, even after practicing it for a number of years. I prefer collaborative divorce because both parties commit to negotiating a resolution outside of court. Both parties commit to full disclosure. Both parties commit to trying to reach the best result for the family as a whole.
Tell us about your law firm:
My firm consists of my two paralegals, both of whom have been with me for many years. Both have been trained and one has taken some law school classes. They work together with each other well and they work well with me. I have an independent attorney who is available to help with research and paperwork if needed. She can also cover court appearances in a pinch.
What are your strengths and style?
My strength is my fairness and my directness. Not every client appreciates it but I get to the bottom line and give the client the benefit of my extensive court experience in an effort to save time and money. I prefer to settle to save financial resources, but for some cases, such as where the other spouse is an addict or alcoholic, going to court may be the most efficient way to resolve the case.
Personal Interests:
My personal interests include reading, movies, art museums, hiking and white water rafting.
Office Manager/Assistant
LaChelle Miller and Deborah Moreno, both of whom are qualified paralegals
Fax
(310) 829-6316
Office Hours
Monday through Thursday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Emergency After Hours
No
Foreign Languages
None
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
My hourly rate is $400 per hour. My normal retainer (nonrefundable) is $4,000. I have a written retainer agreement. In some cases, I will agree to take a smaller retainer for limited scope work. When I act as a consulting attorney to someone engaged in mediation, I have a written agreement about my hourly rate but do not charge a retainer and the client pays by the consultation by the hour. I am not in a position to carry large balances for my clients and need them to keep current with respect to their fees.
I do not charge contingency fees and refer most collection cases to firms who specialize in collection and do it on a contingency basis.
I do not do flat fee work.
Hourly Rates
$400
Free Initial Consultation?
No. Initial consultation may either be added to bill if retained or $350 for about 45 minutes of consultation.
Typical Retainer
My typical retainer is $4,000.
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Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the state agency that licenses lawyers upon joining the directory.
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