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Steven Paul Fernandez

Divorce and separation Attorney at Santa Monica, CA

5.0   5 reviews
  • Licensed for 34 years
    State CA
    Acquired 1989
    Status
    Active No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About Steven

Learn Steven’s areas of practice.

4
Practice areas
  1. Divorce and separation
    30%
    Dissolution of Marriage and Complex Property and Asset Division issues.

  2. Family
    30%
    Certified California Family Law Specialist by the State Board of Legal Specialization.

  3. Child custody
    20%

  4. Child support
    20%
    Spousal and Child Support Issues

I was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1989. In 2012, the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization designated me as a California Certified Family Law Specialist in Family Law.

I am currently a partner at the Santa Monica law firm of Fernandez & Karney where our practice is limited to family law with an emphasis in complex property /asset division and support cases.

In 1987, I earned my Juris Doctoratedegree from U.C.L.A. In 1984,  I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

I have  served as a Judge Pro Tem and Pro Bono Family Law Mediator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court, and  have also had the opportunity to guest lecture on “Discovery in Family Law” at California State University, Northridge.

As a Southern California native of Malibu, CA, I have been a part of the West Side community over forty years. Finally I am also active in the legal community and am a member of many organizations, including the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, the Westside Professional Group, the Santa Monica Bar Association, and the Family Law Sections of both the State Bar of California and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

If you need a divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, CA, call us today to find out how we can assist you.

Contact Steven

Similar lawyers nearby

Fernandez & Karney
429 Santa Monica Blvd.
Suite 120
Santa Monica, CA, 90401

Reviews

5.0 / 5.0
  5 customer reviews
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Posted by Zach | October 18, 2018
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Thank you Steve Fernandez
I don’t know where I would be without Steve Fernandez. This is not merely a review- some suggestion that endorses the services of Fernandez and Karney. This is more of a testament of gratitude for what he did for me. First things first: the work of Steve Fernandez is excellent. He is a professional in the highest sense of the word. He obviously has a deep nuanced understanding of family law. He is beyond competent. All of his work was precise, swift, timely, and thorough. But the true zeal beneath this review comes from the humanity in the way Steve treated me. When I met Steve Fernandez my life was not in a good place. It is now. I have my life back, and, for the first time in a bit, the future looks bright and exciting. Steve Fernandez gave me a fresh start, brought order back to my life, and stood up for me when no one else would. And that is the real reason I write this. My life was flipped upside down in the span of a day. My absorbantly wealthy wife used all of the powers at her disposal to bully me and make my life as difficult as possible. It was a daunting situation. But Steve kept me poised, sane, and confident that the way I was being treated was not only immoral, but not legal either. He was right. So he stood up for me when no one else would. When all other avenues of help disappeared Steve was there- calm, intelligent, a guiding light through the tumultuous and complex process of divorce. So, Steve, thank you. You kept me calm. You got me what I deserved. And, most importantly, you truly helped me in a time of need. These are not little things and I can’t thank you enough.
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Posted by Robert | December 22, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Godsend
Opposing council will misquote this review in court, so I will misquote Hunter S Thomson. "Family Law is a cruel and shallow money trench where thieves run free and most of the time good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.... " Free advice : Before filing for custody, select your attorney wisely, choose a firm with a strong foundation. Hopefully this helps. Had I initially hired Steven Fernandez, none of this would have happened, had I not hired him I would have never seen our child again as I had come to his firm unable to speak and broken. I'll explain. I am a thirty eight year old man who loves his daughter dearly. I've had a smorgasbord of Family Law Specialist, JNE Commission, overpriced Avvo 10's. Not all of them were to blame for the original event that turned the child custody case that I filed in Los Angeles into a fabricated Hemet case, built by design for over-litigated fee churning fraud... However, said attorneys sure were lazy for the money and were happy to turn a blind eye to the blatant fraud and corruption, while simultaneously extrapolating from me every single penny. Steven Fernandez, who's name is on the letterhead of this firm, was the first person to put the wellbeing of myself and our child ahead of easy money and Steven has done a better job than every single other firm combined. He has earned every single dollar and then some. Fraud, perjury, corruption, stalking, extortion, legal kidnapping, private investigators, investigative journalists, you name it, from Malibu to Hemet, we have been through it. Again, had I initially hired Steven Fernandez, absolutely none of this would have happened. Steve has the guts and good nature to run a deep roster of gifted professionals. Steven is smart, ethical and everything that one would hope their own children would grow up to be. Every attorney at this firm is a consummate professional and gifted in their own right. I believe the latter is a prerequisite for being employed by Steven, as Mr. Fernandez is highly intelligent, yet still he is a respectable humble man. Steven and his firm are hands down some of the most compassionate skilled litigators alive and excellent human beings.
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Posted by Ann | August 10, 2015
Brilliant and professional
Steven Fernandez is one of the best and brightest people I know. He has represented me in my divorce for 17 months. Steven is always professional, is a fast study, and pays attention to details. The other attorneys, paralegals, and staff at Fernandez & Karney are also first rate. They are easy to get along with, responsible, and not afraid to ask questions. They quickly produce quality work. They've worked tirelessly, efficiently, and conscientiously to protect me. This office is well-prepared to take on any family law case.
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Posted by Catherine | October 4, 2012
Grounded, Sharp and Highly Effective
My divorce case was a real bugger as my soon to be ex is a clever one hiding assets. Steve was super savvy and highly tenacious whilst maintaining reasonable attorney fees he guided me emotionally (at one point I was so angry I cried restraining order and he stopped me and he was right...not only for my well being but also financially), he kept a close watch on my costs and fees, (consistently weighed the costs vs. the gains and over all outcome- saved me a lot of anguish and costs), and provided awesome follow up with his team. I dug for every document I could get me hands on and there was not much. His team dug in and dug some more. It was not a real lucrative high end case for this firm, but they treated me and the case as if it was. At the end I made out well, then came the bill. It hurt to win and then to have to hand over cash from the win, but standing back and measuring the overall win not only financially but emotionally and what they saved me from I was happy to make the payment and move on. In retrospect, I realize the time and work put into my case and how this firm took it on with little down. When I measure the number of staff hours, the hours and the attention I got with immediate emails and call backs and time and answers...I got one heck of a deal. This was a terrible experience without a doubt, but could have been much worse if I had landed with the wrong firm, wrong people. I cannot speak enough about Kelly Fernandez Karney, a great team with balanced and very smart leadership. You can't go wrong here.
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Posted by Nicole | August 27, 2012
Excellent Lawyer, smooth as silk divorce
I am very happy with the way Mr. Fernandez handled my case. He helped me get a very advantageous settlement, and he struck a good balance between friendly commiseration and professionalism.

Cost

Rates
  • Free Consultation 40 minutes
  • Retainer Always
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Judge Pro Tem
  • Los Angeles County Superior Court
  • 1900 - 1900

Education

  • University of California at Los Angeles School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 1987
  • Univ of California Santa Barbara
  • undergraduate
  • N/A

Legal Cases

  • Divorce Case
  • Settled

Associations

  • California Board of Legal Specialization
  • 2012 - Present
  • Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • 2012 - Present
  • State Bar of California
  • 1989 - Present

Languages Spoken

  • English
  • Spanish

Honors and Awards

  • Top 100 Trial Lawyers
  • National Trial Lawyers
  • 2016
  • California Certified Family Law Specialist
  • The State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
  • 2012

Publications

View all publications

Speaking Engagements

  • Lecture
  • “Discovery in Family Law”
  • N/A

Attorney endorsements

Received (6)
Given (13)
Endorse Steven
Divorce and separation Attorney | Nov 21
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer."
Family Attorney | Aug 30
Relationship: Co-worker
"I endorse this lawyer."
Divorce and separation Attorney | May 08
Relationship: Other
"Mr. Fernandez is honest, ethical, compassionate, zealous, and trustworthy. Mr. Fernandez is an excellent lawyer. I endorse Mr. Fernandez."
Divorce and separation Attorney | May 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Fernandez excels in all areas of Family Law. However, he is particularly outstanding at litigating high asset and high conflict divorces."
Divorce and separation Attorney | Apr 24
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I endorse this lawyer. Steven is the perfect combination of a highly knowledgeable lawyer and compassionate advocate. I actually do not know any attorney as knowledgeable as he is with statutes, case law, and up to date rulings that effect family law and high asset divorce. Steven will handle any divorce with decorum while getting the client the highest asset deal or order that they are entitled to."
Family Attorney | Apr 18
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"Steven Fernandez is an excellent lawyer and a Certified Family Law Specialist. He is extremely honest to clients, to the court and to opposing counsel. That level of integrity is rare and sets him apart."
View more endorsements