John Michael Kelly

As the proud managing attorney of a 41 year firm and 34 person staff firm (9 family law lawyers) I can honestly say "You are not alone!"

Michael Kelly’s Legal Accomplishments (see newspaper clippings on website:

1) First California attorney to try Grandparents Rights Suit (Petrikin 1970)

2) First California attorney appointed by children to represent them as individuals in a divorce (Ryan 1984)

3) First California attorney to file suit against abducting parent under Penal Code , for $2.50 million (Ward 1985)

4) Largest child abduction award litigated in the United States, $12.4 million (Wang 1993)

5) Assisted in the rewriting and expansion of California Code 4606 “Children’s right to an attorney” (Ryan 1985)  

Chairmanships:

1) Chairman, American Bar Custody Committee – 2003

2) Chairman, California State Bar Custody Committee, 2 years

3) Chairman, Santa Monica Bar Family Law Section, 3 years

4) Chairman, Trial Lawyers – Family Law Membership Committee, 2 years

5) Chairman, California Family Law Institute

6) Chairman, American Bar Family Interstate Custody Task Force

7) Chairman, American Bar Family Law Practical use of Computers, 1991

8) Chairman, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Legal Committee

9) Course Producer and Moderator, Negotiations, Joint Meeting of

10) California State Bar, Child Custody, Support and Division of Property Committees, 1988

11) Member: Los Angeles County, Santa Monica (Co-Chairman, Family Law Section, 1984-1986) and American Bar

12) Irish American Bar Association.

Teacher:

Taught continuing education accredited courses on family law custody and advance divorce at the University of Southern California

Author:

1) “Evil People in Divorce”
2) "The Unwritten Laws of Divorce"
3) "Divorce is War"
4) "Divorce Dictionary"
5) "Great White Chronicles"
6) "The Success Dictionary"
7) "Super Order"
8) "Warriors Path"
9) "Best Interests of the Child"

No charge consultation