Heather M. Cullen

Bar / Professional Activity

• Certified Legal Specialty:Family Law (State Bar of California), 2023
• State Bar of California, Active Member, 2023
• San Bernardino County Bar Association
• U.S. District Court Central District of California
• Riverside County Bar Association

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• Judgment in contested dissolution including real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2023
• Judgment in contested dissolution including real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2023
• Judgment in contested same-sex dissolution including real property, spousal support and attorney fees, 2023
• Judgments and orders in contested matters including dissolution, establishment of parental relationship, domestic violence, military issues, child custody, child support, spousal support, division of property, and attorney fees., 2023
• Judgments and orders in contested matters including dissolution, establishment of parental relationship, domestic violence, military issues, child custody, child support, spousal support, division of property, and attorney fees., 2022
• Judgment in contested matter to establish paternity and determine child custody, 2022
• Judgment in contested same-sex dissolution, including real property, custody, spousal support, and attorney fees, 2022
• Judgments and orders in contested matters including dissolution, establishment of parental relationship, domestic violence, military issues, child custody, child support, spousal support, division of property, and attorney fees., 2021
• Judgment regarding establishment of paternity and child support orders, 2020
• Judgment in contested dissolution including real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2020
• Judgments and orders in contested matters including dissolution, establishment of parental relationship, domestic violence, military issues, child custody, child support, spousal support, division of property, and attorney fees., 2019
• Judgment in contested dissolution with husband in military including one or all of the following: real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2019
• Judgment in contested dissolution with one or both parties in military including one or all of the following: real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2019
• Judgments and orders in contested matters including dissolution, establishment of parental relationship, domestic violence, military issues, child custody, child support, spousal support, division of property, and attorney fees., 2018
• Judgment in contested dissolution including real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2018
• Judgment in contested dissolution including real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2017
• A 6-million-dollar settlement against convicted child molester, Laura Whitehurst and her employers, Citrus Valley High School and Redlands Unified School District. The Law Office of Heather Cullen united with California's leading law firm representing child victims of sexual abuse, Manly, Stewart and Finaldi, to obtain the largest single-victim settlement of a sex abuse case against a public agency in the United States, 2017
• Judgment in contested dissolution with wife in military including one or all of the following: real property, child custody, child support, spousal support and attorney fees, 2016
• Judgment in contested same-sex dissolution including real property, spousal support and attorney fees, 2016
• Judgment regarding establishment of paternity and child custody orders, 2016

Videos

• CBS News: Press Conference, 2014
• NBC News: Press Conference, 2014
• ABC News: Press Conference, 2014
• KTLA News: Press Conference, 2014
• KTLA 5 News Interview, 2013

Representative Clients

• Respondent (responding party) in Matters requesting modification on one or all of the following: child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, attorney fees in Family Court, 2023
• Protected party (victim) in domestic violence matter, 2023
• Petitioner in Same-Sex Dissolution (Wife), 2023
• Petitioner in Dissolution (Husband), 2023
• Respondent in Establish Parental Rights Matter (Father), 2023
• Petitioner in Dissolution (Husband in Military), 2022
• Petitioner in Establish Parental Rights Matter (Father), 2022
• Petitioner in Dissolution (Wife), 2022
• Party in Military: Petitioner (moving party) in Matters requesting modification on one or all of the following: child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, attorney fees in Family Court, 2022
• Petitioner (moving party) in Matters requesting modification on one or all of the following: child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, attorney fees in Family Court, 2022
• Respondent in Dissolution (Wife), 2021
• Respondent in Establish Parental Rights Matter (Mother), 2021
• Respondent in Dissolution (Husband), 2021
• Respondent in Dissolution (Husband in Military), 2021
• Petitioner in Dissolution (Wife in Military), 2021
• Petitioner in Establish Parental Rights Matter (Mother), 2020
• Petitioner in Same-Sex Dissolution (Husband), 2020
• Respondent in Dissolution (Wife in Military), 2020
• Defending party (alleged aggressor) in domestic violence matter, 2019
• Respondent in Same-Sex Dissolution (Husband), 2019
• Party in Military: Respondent (responding party) in Matters requesting modification on one or all of the following: child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, attorney fees in Family Court, 2018
• Respondent in Same-Sex Dissolution (Wife), 2018

Special Licenses / Certifications

• Certified Family Law Specialist. Certified by the State Bar of California., 2018
• U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1999

Pro bono / Community Service

• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support, and domestic violence, 2023
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support, and domestic violence, 2022
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support, and domestic violence, 2021
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support, and domestic violence, 2020
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support, and domestic violence, 2019
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support, and domestic violence, 2018
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support and domestic violence, 2017
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support and domestic violence, 2016
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support and domestic violence, 2015
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support and domestic violence, 2014
• Legal services provided to individuals who are unable to complete family law issues due to monetary restrictions. Goodwill services are provided to family law clients in issues regarding dissolution, child custody and visitation, support and domestic violence, 2013

Honors

• Inland Empire Top Lawyer, Inland Empire Top Lawyer, Inland Empire Magazine, 2023
• Outstanding Women Leaders, Outstanding Women Leaders, Inland Empire Magazine, 2023
• Top Rated Lawyers In California, Top Rated Lawyers In California, Lawyers of Distinction, 2023
• Best of the Best, Lawyer Awards, Best of the Best, Lawyer Awards, Inland Empire Magazine, 2023
• Who's Who of the Inland Empire, Who's Who of the Inland Empire, Inland Empire Magazine, 2023
• Top Lawyers Showcasing Inland Empire Attorneys, Top Lawyers Showcasing Inland Empire Attorneys, Inland Empire Magazine, 2022
• Leading Divorce & Family Law Attorney of the Year, Leading Divorce & Family Law Attorney of the Year, AI Global, 2022
• Best of the Best, Best of the Best, Inland Empire Magazine, 2022
• Family Law Top 10 Firm, Family Law Top 10 Firm, Attorney & Practice, 2022
• Annual Best of the IE - Lawyers Awards, Annual Best of the IE - Lawyers Awards, Inland Empire Magazine, 2022
• Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards, Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards, Lawyer-Monthly, 2022
• Leading Lawyer, Leading Lawyer, Inland Empire Magazine, 2022
• Super Lawyer (Firm Attorney), Super Lawyer (Firm Attorney), SuperLawyers, 2022
• Lawyer of Distinction, Lawyer of Distinction, Lawyer of Distinction, 2021
• Client Champion - Platinum Distinction, Client Champion - Platinum Distinction, Martindale-Hubbell®, 2021
• Client Champion, Client Champion, Martindale-Hubbell®, 2021
• Best Divorce Lawyers in Temecula, Best Divorce Lawyers in Temecula, Expertise, 2021
• Annual Best of the IE - Lawyers Awards, Annual Best of the IE - Lawyers Awards, Inland Empire Magazine, 2021
• Top Rated Lawyer, Top Rated Lawyer, Lawyers of Distinction, 2020
• Industry Leader, Industry Leader, Inland Empire Magazine, 2020
• Client Champion - Platinum Distinction, Client Champion - Platinum Distinction, Martindale-Hubbell®, 2020
• Super Lawyer, Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2019
• Leading Lawyer, Leading Lawyer, Inland Empire Magazine, 2019
• Top 10% Law Firm in Country [Managing Attorney], Top 10% Law Firm in Country [Managing Attorney], Lawyers of Distinction, 2018
• Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Marquis Who's Who in American Law, 2018
• Top 10% Law Firm in Country, Top 10% Law Firm in Country, Lawyers of Distinction, 2017
• Top Lawyer Law Firm (Senior Attorney), Top Lawyer Law Firm (Senior Attorney), Inland Empire aMagazine, 2017
• Top 100 Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers, American Society of Legal Advocates, 2017
• Top 100 Matrimonial and Family Law Lawyers [Firm Attorney], Top 100 Matrimonial and Family Law Lawyers [Firm Attorney], The National Advocates, 2017
• Top 10 Family Law Firm (Client Satisfaction) [Firm Attorney], Top 10 Family Law Firm (Client Satisfaction) [Firm Attorney], American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2017
• Top 10 Best Attorney re: Client Satisfaction, Top 10 Best Attorney re: Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Family Law Attorneys, 2016
• Top Lawyer Law Firm (Senior Attorney), Top Lawyer Law Firm (Senior Attorney), Inland Empire Magazine, 2016
• Top 100 Lawyers, Top 100 Lawyers, American Society of Legal Advocates, 2016
• Lawyers of Distinction, Lawyers of Distinction, Lawyers of Distinction, 2016
• Top 10% Law Firm in Country, Top 10% Law Firm in Country, Lawyers of Distinction, 2016
• Top 10 Best Family Law Attorney in California, Top 10 Best Family Law Attorney in California, American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2016
• Top 10 Attorney re: Client Satisfaction, Top 10 Attorney re: Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2015
• Top 10 Law Firm re: Client Satisfaction, Top 10 Law Firm re: Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Legal Counsel, 2015
• Client Distinction Award, Client Distinction Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2015
• Client Distinction Award, Client Distinction Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2014
• Woman of Distinction / Outstanding Women of the Inland Empire, Woman of Distinction / Outstanding Women of the Inland Empire, Inland Empire Magazine, 2014
• Outstanding Women in Law, Outstanding Women in Law, Inland Empire Magazine, 2014
• Endorsed for Exceptional Skills in the Practice of Family Law, Endorsed for Exceptional Skills in the Practice of Family Law, Linked In, 2013
• Circle of Excellence, Circle of Excellence, Merchant Circle, 2013
• Top Contributor, Top Contributor, Avvo, 2013
• Top Lawyer, Top Lawyer, Inland Empire Magazine, 2013
• Preeminent Rating, Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2013
• Client Distinction Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2013, 2015, Client Distinction Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2013
• Linked In All Star, Linked In All Star, Linked In, 2013
• Best of 2013: Riverside Attorney, Best of 2013: Riverside Attorney, Kudzu.com, 2013

Educational Background

• University of California, Riverside, Bachelor of Arts, Major: Philosophy / Law & Society, 1993

White Papers

• There are a lot of reasons not to stay in an abusive relationship, but we're going to talk about one more: the effect that being around domestic violence has on your children. No matter how hard you try to shield your children from the violence, they likely are witness to somewhere between 68% and 80% of incidents. Worse, their odds of also falling victim to violence ranges between 45% and 60% -- which is up to 15 times higher than for children who don't grow up in a house with domestic violence., How domestic violence could effect your children, Legal, Family, 2020
• If you and your spouse own vacation property, don't be surprised if it becomes a hot-button issue in your divorce. Vacation properties are usually valuable, and some spouses tend to see them as a "prize" or a sort of trophy that they can claim when a marriage sours. So, who really has the right to the vacation house? Even though California law is a community property state that requires divorcing couples to split their marital assets more-or-less 50/50, there's no easy way to divide up a single asset. (And don't think that you can skirt that rule just because your vacation home is in another state. California is likely to still consider it "quasi-community" property and treat it just like any other marital asset during the divorce.), What happens to vacation property in a divorce?, Legal, Family, 2020
• Are you ready to tie the knot but worried about how your student loans will affect your intended spouse? Does your intended have a lot of student loan debt that you're worried about taking on?, Marriage, divorce and student loans: What you need to know, Legal, Family, 2019
• The newest battleground for gay rights is being fought over the children of same-sex marriages., Same-sex divorces and custody rights, Legal, Family, 2018
• CALIFORNIA COURT DECISION ON PENSIONS IMPORTANT FOR DIVORCING COUPLES
• CALIFORNIA SAME-SEX COUPLES GAIN RIGHTS, FACE CHALLENGES
• SHOULD YOU COLLABORATE RATHER THAN LITIGATE IN YOUR CALIF. DIVORCE?
• CHILD SUPPORT OBLIGATIONS IN CALIFORNIA, THE BASICS
• DIVORCE CAN DERAIL A CALIFORNIA FAMILY BUSINESS
• DIVORCE CAN HAVE IMPORTANT TAX IMPLICATIONS
• HOW TO TELL IF YOU’RE READY FOR A DIVORCE
• DIVORCE MEDIATION OFFERS COUPLES A CALMER WAY TO SETTLE DISPUTES
• UNDERSTANDING THE ROUTES TO DIFFERENT CHILD CUSTODY SITUATIONS IN CALIFORNIA

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• A common dispute between divorced parents occurs when one of them wants to move away and take the kids. Such a situation is not unusual. Many people want to "start over" after divorce and that may mean moving away for a job, a new relationship or to be close to extended family. But when the parent left behind wants to preserve his or her relationship with the children, the proposed move-away may be seen as a threat to that bond., Author, When a divorced California parent with children wants to move, Website Articles, Legal, Family, 2018
• Dividing marital property is one of the most important steps in any divorce. However, if one spouse is not fully informed about how much marital property is actually available then that division cannot be fairly executed. That's why hidden assets are such a problem in divorce cases, especially for high-asset estates. Accusing another spouse of hiding assets is a serious accusation and one that should only be made with plenty of evidence to back it up. Below is a look at some of the signs that an ex-spouse may have been concealing assets in order to get a better divorce settlement., Author, Where to begin the hunt for hidden assets during a divorce, Website Articles, Legal, Family, 2017

Firm News (Newsletters)

• Monthly E-Newsletter

• Family Law & Matrimonial Attorneys