Hiring a Certified Family Law Specialist in California means that you are assured of having an attorney at your side with the highest degree of knowledge and experience recognized by the legal profession. In most states, attorneys are forbidden by both law and ethics from claiming they are an “expert” or “specialist” in any area of law for which they have not obtained certified specialization.

And very, very few attorneys ever earn certified specialization in their field. Today, fewer than 1 in 200 California attorneys are certified specialists in their field. With more than 200,000 lawyers in California, less than 1,000 are board certified in Family Law.

The California Bar Association, which is charged with regulating the practice of law in the state, recognized Attorney Thomas M. Huguenor as a Family Law Specialist in 1981 – less than one year after the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists (ACFLS) completed a pilot program that bestowed the distinction upon the state’s first Family Law Specialists.

It is a certification for excellence that he has maintained for three decades.

Certified specialists must pass a host of qualifications based on testing, knowledge and experience and must be judged favorably in an evaluation by other judges and attorneys. The specialist must renew their standing every few years and must maintain a practice focused primarily on their field of expertise.

“An attorney who has achieved certification as a specialist has demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards of legal competence,” the ACFLS reports.

A Family Law Specialist in California must also have significant knowledge and expertise in other legal areas, such as state and federal tax law, estate planning, bankruptcy law, social security law and state and federal securities laws, as well as laws governing pension and investment plans. In dealing with child-custody matters, they must also understand child development and other topics regarding the emotional and psychological concerns of families.

Many attorneys practice Family Law. But only with a Certified Family Law Specialist are you assured of having an attorney at your side with the greatest degree of professional excellence obtainable in the field.

The attorneys and professional staff at the Law Office of Thomas M. Huguenor are dedicated to providing the highest quality legal representation to clients facing all types of family law matters, including divorce, child custody and support issues. If you are dealing with a divorce or other family law matter in the San Diego area, call today for a free consultation to discuss your rights.