Family · San Francisco
Top Family Lawyers in San Francisco
Family lawyers advise on relationships and children: custody and parenting time, child support, adoption, guardianship and domestic-violence protection. This list compares 32 family lawyers practising in San Francisco on verified licences, years in this area, focus and sourced reputation.
- Updated 19 Oct 2026
- Ranking v1.0.0
- How we rank
- lawyers considered
- 32
- 20 verified licences
- 63%
- average years in practice
- 12
The ranking
Score out of 100- 1
Samuel R. Weller
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Thorne Law Group35 yrs in practice3.8(16)FamilySpeaks English, Hindi
- 2
- 3
Hiroshi Ortega
VerifiedPartner
Granger & Redfern LLP21 yrs in practice4.5(3)FamilyCriminal DefenseDivorce+1 moreSpeaks English, Tagalog
- 4
Vivian Vasquez
VerifiedAssociate
Rowe & Redfern LLP28 yrs in practice4.5(15)FamilyEmploymentEstate Planning+1 moreSpeaks English, Hindi
- 5
- 6
- 7
Ruth S. Osei
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Brook & Fairfax LLP15 yrs in practice4.2(26)Estate PlanningFamily - 8
- 9
Ruth Rourke
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
Granger & Redfern LLP38 yrs in practice4.3(15)Personal InjuryChild CustodyFamily+1 more - 10
Aisha Lindqvist
VerifiedFounding Attorney
25 yrs in practice3.6(20)BusinessFamilyPersonal InjurySpeaks English, Spanish
- 11
Marcus Abernathy
VerifiedPartner
Hale & Prescott LLP19 yrs in practice3.6(24)Criminal DefenseDivorceFamilySpeaks English, French
- 12
- 13
- 14
Thomas Ramirez
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Ashby Law Group7 yrs in practice3.5(7)FamilyEmploymentPersonal InjurySpeaks English, Mandarin
- 15
Vivian Abernathy
VerifiedManaging Partner
Brook & Fairfax LLP19 yrs in practice4.0(5)Criminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 16
Irene Ramirez
Out of dateFounding Attorney
18 yrs in practice4.6(11)EmploymentBusinessFamilySpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 17
Patrick M. Patel
VerifiedAssociate
Holt Law Group24 yrs in practice3.6(4)Personal InjuryDivorceEstate Planning+1 more - 18
Leila Takahashi
VerifiedFounding Attorney
13 yrs in practice4.3(21)Estate PlanningChild CustodyFamilySpeaks English, Mandarin
- 19
Amara Delgado
Out of dateFounding Attorney
Rowe & Redfern LLP22 yrs in practice4.3(3)Real EstateFamilyPersonal InjurySpeaks English, Russian
- 20
Helena Cardenas
VerifiedAssociate
Calder & Vance LLP6 yrs in practice3.3(7)BusinessCriminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, Mandarin
- 21
- 22
Felix Thornton
UnverifiedManaging Partner
Brook & Fairfax LLP19 yrs in practice4.5(26)Child CustodyFamilyImmigration+1 more - 23
- 24
Ines A. Takahashi
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
Prescott & Brook LLP3 yrs in practice4.1(17)Child CustodyBusinessFamily+1 more - 25
How we rank
Each lawyer gets nine component scores from 0 to 100. The bar shows how many of the 100 available points each component contributed. Weights are fixed for every lawyer in this list and published in full; payment plays no part.
Expertise50%
- Credentials20%
- Relevant experience15%
- Specialization15%
Standing35%
- Verified reputation15%
- Professional recognition10%
- Relevant track record10%
Service & data15%
- Client experience5%
- Profile & data quality5%
- Data freshness5%
San Francisco legal resources
- State Bar of California
Licence lookup for California attorneys.
- Bar Association of San Francisco
Lawyer referral and information service.
Choosing a family lawyer
Family cases are often decided by local judges with wide discretion, so local courtroom experience matters. Ask whether the lawyer offers mediation or collaborative law, and how they keep children out of the conflict. Confirm who on the team will actually handle your file day to day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a family lawyer and a divorce lawyer?
Divorce is one part of family law. Family lawyers also handle custody between unmarried parents, adoption, guardianship and protection orders.
Can custody arrangements be changed later?
Usually yes, if circumstances change significantly. The court applies the best interests of the child when deciding whether to modify an order.