Tamara Shari Benefield

Tamara Shari Benefield

also known as Certified Family Law Specialist, Tamara Benefield Faulk

4.9
Rating: 8.7

Licensed for 22 years

Family Lawyer at Beverly Hills, CA
Practice Areas: Family, Child Custody, Child Support ... +7 more

9454 Wilshire Blvd. Penthouse Suite, Beverly Hills, CA

About Tamara

Biography

Practice Areas

10

Practice Areas

Family 20%

Dissolution/Divorce, Nullity, Legal Separation Child Custody, Visitation, Child Support, Spousal Support, Domestic Violence, Domestic Partnerships, Adoption, Co-Habitation Agreements, Interstate Actions, Premarital and Marital Settlement Agreements, Marital Property/Community Property, Division of Assets, Parenting Agreement, Surrogacy and Artificial Insemination, Petitions to Terminate Parental Rights/Abandonment

24 years | 1,000 cases

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 22 years

State: California

Acquired: 2003

Active

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 2021

Location

Law Offices Of Tamara Benefield

9454 Wilshire Blvd. Penthouse Suite, Beverly Hills, CA, 90212

Law Offices Of Tamara Benefield

400 Corporate Pointe, Suite 300, Culver City, CA, 90230

Law Offices Of Tamara Benefield

1230 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 300, Manhattan Beach, CA, 90266

Law Offices Of Tamara Benefield

3780 Kilroy Airport Way, Suite 200, Long Beach, CA, 90806

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Tamara Shari Benefield's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

51 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 10 reviews | Cost of Services

Posted by anonymous | May 28, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Child Support

Grateful

I don’t throw around the word "hero" lightly—but that’s exactly what Tamara Benefield, Esq. became for me. I was stuck in a nightmare trying to get child support from a deadbeat ex who had done nothing for our child. I had lost hope in the Compton court system until Tamara walked into my life. She... is not only brilliant—she is fearless. Tamara fought for me like it was her own family on the line. She exposed my ex’s lies, pushed the court to act, and made sure justice was served. And when I didn’t have all the money up front, she worked with me. She gave me room to breathe, with a payment plan that I could manage—and her billing was always exact, no surprises, no games. Tamara didn’t just win my case—she gave me back my voice. If you’re tired of being ignored, tired of getting the runaround from the system, you need this woman on your side. She’s the real deal, and I’ll never stop being grateful.

Posted by Manuel Little | August 29, 2023 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

I highly recommend her to anyone!

Mrs. Tamara is well worth the money! I had a very complicated case to deal with and in a very short time. Mrs. Tamara and her team Went above and beyond to make it happen and we won! She dropped everything to take care of my case. I highly recommend her to anyone!

Posted by Andrea | July 21, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Domestic Violence

Dedicated, empathetic and amazing

If I could give more stars, I would. Tamara literally saved my life from a dangerous predator. She knew exactly how to guide me through the process and made sure I understood everything before proceeding on to the next issue, and was always very straightforward and honest. Mine was a very long and... drawn-out process due to the level of psychosis of the other party involved, and Tamara definitely went above and beyond to keep me safe and ensure that my property remained in my possession. She worked when she was sick, pulled all-nighters and hustled over the holidays to ensure my safety. She made sure I received the maximum amount of protection from the courts, and even helped me regain some of the legal fees. She truly cares for her clients and it shows. I know she had lots of other cases besides mine but she always made me feel as though she was always there for me, and always responded immediately in an emergency, no matter the hour. She is truly what a great attorney is SUPPOSED to be. I always felt confident with her support, and believe me when I say that you will do well to trust her. Addendum 07/18/2021: Well unfortunately I was in the position where I had to hire an attorney again because of the same vexatious litigant, but I am so grateful to have Tamara on my side! She once again came through for me when I needed her the most, put my fears to rest, and took care of business. You will not find a more hard-working and empathetic professional in this field. Guaranteed.

Posted by anonymous | August 04, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Family

Excellent Lawyer who is fast and accurate.

I am very happy to have had the good fortune of finding Mrs Benefield! I was faced with a difficult family law case as the other side was antagonistic. My previous lawyer was unable to circumvent “bad faith” negotiations and I was left with a legal entanglement that was based on lies that had no...t been opposed properly by my other counsel. My previous partner was angry and using a legal battle spending over 100k to prevent me from seeing my son. I was opposing false allegations and gross misstatements of the truth. I needed a lawyer that could pick up a mishandled case as well as deal with an opposing counsel that is litigious and will antagonize for their client as to extend the bill as long as possible. Ms Benefield took my case just a week before trial. I was very impressed with her ability to process the case as well as simplify the pieces that had deliberately been opacified by opposing counsel. I watched her site case law and precedent to beat back the ill intentions of the opposing counsel. She was savvy with influencing the other side to settle. She was able to conceptualize and oppose arguments very well. She was committed to a solution for the case putting an end to a “billing battle” by the previous attorneys. She was clear with her understanding of law as well as the explanations of all proceedings. I had the experience of family attorneys explaining things but lacking clarity. Sometimes when people don't have a good grasp on a topic they will claim that it’s tough to understand. Contrastingly Ms Benefield had an excellent knowledge base and explained everything with ease. I was thoroughly impressed with her and I would recommend her without reservation to my colleagues and friends. She is expensive but she provides a great service.

Posted by Constance | May 22, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Attorney Benefield is Top Notch

My attorney, Tamara Benefield was amazing. She really knows her stuff. She represented me quite well when we went to court for the trial. She had my best interest at heart and was determined to see that I got what I deserved in my divorce. I got far more than I expected. She is confident, thinks v...ery quickly on her feet, but she listens to your wants and needs. I am blessed because I now know she put in a lot of time on my case and I got great services for the amount of money I paid. I am 100% satisfied with Attorney Benefield. I would use her services again if needed and I would refer friends or family to her.

See All Client Reviews

Tamara Shari Benefield's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Tamara
Toni Y. Long headshot
Toni Long

Family lawyer | Mar 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ms. Benefield is an extremely competent, compassionate and knowledgeable family law attorney. She is a fighter who works very hard on behalf of her clients. Tamara is one of the first people I think of when clients or friends need a family law attorney. I know they are in good hands if she is their attorney. I endorse her without reservation!"

Marc Joel Kopeikin headshot
Marc Kopeikin

Family lawyer | Jul 07

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"I wholeheartedly endorse attorney Tamara Benefield. In all my years of Family Law practice, I have never experienced a lawyer that will stop at nothing to fight for her client's rights as Tamara does. She's simply the BEST !"

Olga Boz Ginzburg headshot
Olga Ginzburg

Family lawyer | Jun 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Don Roabien Dennis headshot
Don Dennis

Family lawyer | Jan 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Attorney Benefield is very thorough and attentive. Without hesitation, I have referred numerous clients to her and she has been patient, diligent, and knowledgeable in consulting them."

Jasmine Jaye McMullen headshot
Jasmine McMullen

Family lawyer | Jan 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Tamara has always been an outstanding and upstanding attorney in her family law practice. I am proud and confident when referring clients to engage her knowledgable and professional services."

Louis Justin Shapiro headshot
Louis Shapiro

Family lawyer | Jan 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Tamara is personable, knowledgeable and reliable! She has the right temperament and skill set to be a formidable advocate for her client. She leads by example and is an inspiration to our field."

Daniel Michael Flores headshot
Daniel Flores

Family lawyer | Jan 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Alon Darvish headshot
Alon Darvish

Family lawyer | Oct 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I strongly endorse this lawyer. Ms. Benefield is a highly respected attorney in the legal community by fellow lawyers and former clients. She is experienced and knowledgeable about the law and truly cares about each of her clients. If you are searching for a lawyer that will fight for you but who is also compassionate, Ms. Benefield is the lawyer for you."

View All Endorsements
Denise Y. Aubry headshot
Denise Aubry

Family lawyer

Olga Boz Ginzburg headshot
Olga Ginzburg

Divorce and separation lawyer

Marc Joel Kopeikin headshot
Marc Kopeikin

Family lawyer

Louis Justin Shapiro headshot
Louis Shapiro

Criminal defense lawyer

Alon Darvish headshot
Alon Darvish

Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer

Joni Ellishia Salomon headshot
Joni Salomon

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.7 (Excellent)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2021.

Discipline, Probation; no Actual Suspension issued in CA, 2021

updated on 09/10/2021

This sanction means the attorney had a suspension placed on hold (and ultimately removed) by complying with certain requirements.

Honors

2017

Trailblazer Under 40 Award, National Bar Association

2016

Top 100 Family Law Attorneys, National Bar Association

2015

Advanced Cross Examination, National Family Law Trial Institute

2014

Certified Specialist - Family Law, State Bar of California

2010

Certificate of Completion, Family Law Trial Institute at South Texas College of Law

Work Experience

2013 - Present

Professor, University Of West Los Angeles School Of Law

2004 - Present

CEO, Law Offices of Tamara Benefield

2001 - 2002

Associate, Anderson, McPharlin & Conners

Associations

2016 - Present

Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles

Family Law Liaison for Harriet Buhai Center

2016 - Present

National Bar Association

Member

2016 - Present

Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law Board of Directors

Liason

2016 - Present

California Association of Black Lawyers

Historian

2014 - Present

Association of Certified Family Law Specialists

Attorney Member

2012 - Present

Beverly Hills Bar Association

Member

2012 - Present

Order of Distinguished Attorneys

Member

2009 - Present

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Member

2003 - Present

American Bar Association

Member

2003 - Present

Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles

Lifetime Member

2003 - Present

State Bar of California

Member

2002 - Present

Los Angeles County Bar Association Barristers

Member

2017 - 2017

California Association Black Lawyers

Judicial Evaluations Co-Chair

2016 - 2017

California Association of Black Lawyers

Historian

Sample of Legal Cases

500K Frozen and Liened

Ex Parte Application granted to protect corpus of the community estate

IRMO

$180,000 Judgment and $7500 per month wage garnishment

See More Legal Cases

Education

2002

Loyola Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

1999

California State University, Northridge

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2019

California Lawyers Association - Annual Meeting Monterey Intersectionality of Family Law and Criminal Law In Domestic Violence Cases

2016

2014

Law Professor

Civil Procedure

Publications

2010

Law Offices of Tamara Benefield - Real Estate Litigation Web Page What Every Homeowner In Distress Should Know When They Face Foreclosure

Languages

English

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline
    This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2021
    Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution