Legal Solutions for You,
Your Family & Your Business
Find a Lawyer >
Family Law lawyers serving San Francisco County, CA >
Paula Lawhon
Back to Search Results
Paula Lawhon
Mediation & Law Office of Paula M. Lawhon
870 Market St
Suite 1151
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: (415) 398-3400
http://www.lawhonlaw.com/
http://www.sfmediation.com
Creative Solutions: Mediation & Legal Representation
Legal Topic
Family Law
Preferred New Clients
From my work as a litigator for almost 10 years in civil and Family Law disputes, I have seen the damaging financial and emotional impact of litigation and have become a strong advocate of mediation to resolve disputes without court trials. In addition to mediating all types of Civil and Family disputes, I continue to represent individuals in Family Law matters and to work collaboratively to find solutions which meet the needs of my clients and their families.
Sub-Categories
Family Law
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Child Support
- Custody
- Paternity
- Visitation
- Civil Unions
- Common Law Marriage
- Domestic Partnerships
- Living Together/Cohabitation
- Marriage
- Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
Legal Topic
Divorce
Preferred New Clients
From my work as a litigator for almost 10 years in civil and Family Law disputes, I have seen the damaging financial and emotional impact of litigation and have become a strong advocate of mediation to resolve disputes without court trials. In addition to mediating all types of Civil and Family disputes, I continue to represent individuals in Family Law matters and to work collaboratively to find solutions which meet the needs of my clients and their families.
Sub-Categories
Divorce
- Alimony/Palimony/Spousal Support
- Annulment
Bar Admissions
CA, Dec 1999
Bar Number: 203368
Other Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Association Memberships
San Francisco Bar Association, State Bar of California
Continuing Education
100+ hours in Family Law specialization seminars in the past 3 years; 100+ hours in Mediation skills training in the past 3 years.
Papers and Publications
Author of weekly San Francisco Mediation weblog: www.sfmediation.com. (since 2006)
Co-author of "Significant Recent Developments in Employment Law," U.S. Law Network (2004).
Co-author of "Disability Management: Implications of the ADA and FMLA," Minnesota State Bar Association (2004)
Example Cases
I frequently mediate marital dissolution involving a multi-million dollar corporation, with valuation and division of separate and community property stocks, stock options, investments, retirement plans and multi-million dollar homes, in addition to resolution of custody and visitation issues. As the attorney for one part or the mediator for both parties, most of my time is spent finding workable solutions to custody, visitation issues and complex financial disputes. When an informal settlement is not possible, I prepare my clients for contested hearings, settlement conferences, and trial.
Education
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
School:
University of California, Irvine
City:
Irvine
State:
CA
Year:
1996
Honors:
phi beta kappa, cum laude, Golden Key Honor Society
Focus and Accomplishments:
Graduate of the School of Social Ecology
Degree:
Juris Doctorate
School:
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
City:
San Francisco
State:
CA
Year:
1999
Honors:
Public Interest Scholar
Focus and Accomplishments:
Public Interest Concentration
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
California
Firm Focus and History
Firm Focus: Representation of Family Law clients and Mediation of Civil, Employment and Family Law cases
Firm History: After working in several law firms and organizations in San Francisco for 7 years, I opened my own law practice in 2005 dedicated to helping individuals and small employers in family law and employment law matters. The focus of my practice has shifted to include mediation. This shift was based on my years as a courtroom litigator and the realization that clients are more satisfied with the results when they are empowered to make their own decisions instead of having decisions imposed on them. I enjoy working creatively with parties to reach agreed-upon negotiated solutions rather than watching the damage done to bank accounts and stress levels due to acrimonious and unnecessarily aggressive court litigation and the uncertain results related to litigation.
Previous Employment Summary
Private Investigator 1990-2000; Civil litigator(Personal Injury, Insurance Defense, Environmental) and Assistant Managing Attorney of 10-attorney law firm (Employment Counseling) 2000-2004; Insurance Coverage, Employment Litigation and Counseling Attorney 2004; Employment Counseling & Litigation and Civil Litigation Attorney 2004-2005.
Activities and Awards
Fee Arbitrator, San Francisco Bar Association and State Bar of California; Volunteer Supervising Attorney, Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center; Volunteer Family Law Attorney, Volunteer Legal Services Program of the San Francisco Bar Association; Volunteer Mediator, San Francisco Superior Court Family Law Self Help Center;
Mediator Panelist, San Francisco Bar Association with the San Francisco Superior Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution Program
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
Empowerment through knowledge is the primary focus of my practice as a mediator as well as an attorney. The more information a person has, the better decisions he or she will make. Part of my job as a Family Law attorney and as a mediator is to make sure that each party has the necessary information available to make an informed decision and that each party understands all of the issues, the law and their options before entering into an agreement or before rejecting an agreement in favor of litigation.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
This is a very enjoyable area of my practice and I am very willing to continue doing this. I frequently see couples who have prepared their own prenuptial agreements or have come to their own decisions about custody / visitation matters or their own division of assets and debts in a divorce case, and have come to me for review of their work, or for help with finalizing the agreements or other necessary paperwork. This is the type of client I would probably be; I would read as much as I could, make necessary decisions and prepare rough outlines or draft agreements and then take it to the expert to help finalize everything.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
I am willing to do this with certain clients. Representation in court matters can be more complicated than it seems. Judges have limited time to hear each case and it is imperative that a self-represented party be able to control their emotions 100%, even under pressure, be able to communicate effectively and respectfully to the judge and to the other party in court and to defer to the court's authority and expertise where appropriate. An evaluation of the client and the circumstances is necessary in each case to determine whether such behind-the-scenes coaching is appropriate for the client, the attorney and the particular issues of the case.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I wanted to help people. This is also why I left the larger law firms, because I did not feel I was able to help the people who needed it the most. I wanted to make a positive difference in many people's lives and having my own practice allows me to do that on a daily basis through my practice areas, through mediation and through my volunteer services with organizations such as the San Francisco Bar Association.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
My work as a sole practitioner has helped me to become a better lawyer. I am able to constantly have my finger on the pulse of the case without other attorneys or a large staff working on various pieces of a case. I always know what is happening in every case, what each client expects of me and what I need to do to help resolve the case for the benefit of each client. Being a sole practitioner allows me to provide the personalized attention I would want if I ever need to hire my own attorney.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
The legal system can be extremely daunting to those unfamiliar with it, particularly when they are dealing with the often overwhelming emotional aspects of a divorce or a custody dispute. As a civil litigator prior to choosing Family Law as my specialty, I felt I could use my legal skills to help those who have found themselves in the unfortunate position of dealing with a divorce, separation or a custody/visitation dispute. I changed my focus to Family Law in order to help those very people.
What do you like best about your career?
I enjoy meeting diverse individuals from all walks of life, with varying countries of origin, and a broad range of ages, careers and socio-economic circumstances as well as different goals and needs.
Tell us about your law firm:
I am a sole practitioner. After working in larger law firms, this was my preference. I do not have associates to do my work because I think the only way I can give personalized attention to each of my clients and cases is to do the work myself. I do have a great legal assistant to help me out and keep costs as low as possible.
What are your strengths and style?
A unique strength I have is being a good listener. I have always been a peacemaker, believing that life is too short to spend too much time involved in an ugly dispute. It turns out that if you listen carefully, most other people don't want an ongoing dispute either. My clients, and even potential clients that I have ended up not representing, frequently thank me for just listening to them, for taking the time to hear their side of the story or for sympathizing with their circumstances. Listening is a very important aspect of my job, because how else will I know what they need from me if I don't listen?
I enjoy having my clients relax in the warm environment of my office as we talk about the ways in which I may be able to help. I am fairly casual in my dealings with clients, preferring to call clients by their first names and I ask clients to call me "Paula" rather than Ms. Lawhon. But I also enjoy the handshakes which remind us all that we are doing business together and that I am the professional who has been hired to solve a problem. I will always work to resolve a matter informally because that is almost always the path that will cost the client the least amount of money, take the least amount of time, and will best satisfy the client's goals. If informal resolution is not possible, I am a strong advocate for my clients in court because I believe in their cases, which is why I take the case in the first place. I am always courteous and professional with the judge and opposition, and no matter how small the issue, I will always work to get the best solution and to do what is right for each client.
Personal Interests:
I enjoy cooking/entertaining, spending time with family and friends, walking, swimming, bicycling, traveling, reading novels and the Sunday comics.
Office Manager/Assistant
Yes
Office Hours
Monday through Friday;
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Emergency after hours by appointment
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Foreign Languages
None
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
This is not applicable.
Hourly Rates
$350 per hour.
Free Initial Consultation?
Hourly rate applies. I provide, at no charge, detailed one-on-one initial telephone consultations to discuss and determine the specific nature of each case, the needs of the client and my expertise and ability to help in specific areas. Legal advice is not provided during the initial telephone consultation; in-person appointments at hourly rate are required for legal advice.
Typical Retainer
$2,500 to $5,000.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
