Kathy A. Minella
Attorney Profile
Top Rated Family Law Attorney in San Diego, CA
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Kathy A. Minella is the founding attorney of Minella Law Group, APC, in San Diego, California. Ms. Minella concentrates her practice on family law and serves clients throughout the San Diego area. She handles matters involving divorce, adoption, child custody, child support, division of marital assets, domestic partnerships, military divorce, restraining orders, spousal support and visitation.
Board certified in family law by the State Bar of California, Ms. Minella has more than 10 years of experience in family law. In addition to her litigation skills, she is an experienced mediator and uses this training to help San Diego residents find the best solutions to their domestic-related legal issues. Ms. Minella is also on the minors counsel panel and is appointed by the court to represent children going through high conflict divorce and custody issues.
Ms. Minella earned a bachelor’s degree in interactive media from Columbia College. She relocated to San Diego to attend and graduate from California Western School of Law. While attending law school, she was a volunteer at the Madge Bradley domestic violence clinic. She received her California law license in 2010 and began practicing family law.
Following law school, Ms. Minella gained legal experience by working at a large San Diego-based family law firm. She went on to practice at a smaller firm before founding Minella Law Group, APC, in 2014. Dedicating her practice exclusively to family law enables her to provide the highest quality of service in all types of complex domestic matters.
Ms. Minella is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association and the State Bar of California.
- 100%Family Law
Adoption, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Dissolution, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Paternity, Prenuptial Agreements, Marital Property, Mediation & Collaborative Law, Same Sex Family Law
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2019 - 2020
Certificates and Credentials
- California Board of Legal Specialization
Family Law
Additional Sources of Information About Kathy A. Minella
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About Kathy A. Minella
First Admitted: 2010, California
Professional Webpage: https://minellalawgroup.com/about/
Pro bono/Community Service
- Madge Bradley domestic violence clinic, volunteer
- Minors Counsel for Family Court, 2020
Educational Background
- Columbia College, Interactive multimedia, 2003
- California Western School of Law JD. , 2010
Bar/Professional Activity
- California State Bar, 2010
- San Diego County Bar Association, 2020
- San Diego Family Law Bar Association, 2020
Special Licenses/Certifications
- Certified as a specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, 2017
Scholarly Lectures/Writings
- A blog detailing out all the frequently asked questions about spousal support. , Blog, Spousal Support FAQ's, Minella Law Group, Family Law, 2021
- A blog talking about the ten benefits of adopting a child. , Blog, 10 benefits of adopting a child, Minella Law Group, Family Law, 2021
Videos
- This video goes over the ability to terminate a parents right in a family law case. , Can You Request to Terminate Parental Rights?, Family Law, 2021
- This video details out the way virtual vistiation can be an aid in a custody proceeding. , Virtual Visitations as Part of a Divorce Solution, Family Law, 2021
- This is all about how to seek Grandparent visitation rights in California. , Grandparents' Visitation and Custody Rights in California: What To Know, Family Law, 2021
Honors/Awards
- Selected as the attorney of the month for August 2021 in the Attorney Journal. , Attorney of The Month , Attorney Journal, 2021
Representative Clients
- Represented a high net worth Husband/Father seeking to limit his exposure on payment of long term support and additional support based on his stock options and bonuses received from his company. , 2021
- Represented a Father through a high conflict custody case where Mother was seeking to move to Canada. I assisted him through the custody evaluation as Mother was presenting a story of abuse and lack of co-parenting. Custody evaluation came back in our favor and the we were successful in maintaining his 50/50 custody of his 4 year old daughter. , 2020
- Represented a stay at home wife and mother of a surgeon seeking to maximize custody of her children and the amount of money she receives every month. , 2020
Verdicts/Settlements
- Contested move away hearing where Mother was seeking to move with her young child. It was not recommended by Family Court Services, after a 2 day trial, the court agreed Mother was the primary and Father had engaged in domestic violence. The court granted the move away. , 2021
- Successfully argued for an order for no spousal support to a military wife who was harassing husband's command for one half his BAH. The court agreed Wife had no need for support and she was able to fully support herself. Husband was in jeopardy of losing his job due to her contact to his command. , 2021
- Father was being asked to pay support for a child who he adopted that had severe mental health issues and was institutionalized by the school. As the school district was paying the fees for the institution, Father was being asked to reimburse. We successfully argued a deviaion from guideline due to the situation being completely involuntary and a result of the mental health issues of the child. She was a danger to herself and others and likely the result of being abused as a baby. The court agreed and deviated from the guideline calculation and had Father pay 25% of what he was being asked to pay. This was a significant savings to him. , 2020
- We represented a third party who had voluntarily parented a child since date of birth through the child's third birthday when mother randomly appeared and took the child. There was no guardianship so third party had no rights to keep the child. We were able to successfully get the third party parental rights which granted her custody and visitation rights to the child. , 2021
- FAQ: Can I request termination of parental rights? https://t.co/oA9akM0duv
- Top 5 Items not to Post on Facebook While Going Through a Divorce https://t.co/DlhV6AtNsg https://t.co/4bNOayqUJZ
- 5 Tips For Protecing Separate Property During A Divorce https://t.co/D69VflBkcQ
- From Primary to Full Custody: 5 Tips on How to Maintain Full Custody https://t.co/30EMCjEJ5A
- FAQ: Who Keeps the House In A Divorce? https://t.co/oxRnc3H29q https://t.co/ExxeckrX0Z
Last Updated: 5/15/2022