William Nelson Watkins Jr

William Watkins has been a lawyer since 2001, and has over a decade of experience at finding effective solutions to his client’s problems.  Mr. Watkins specializes in all areas of family law including dissolution of marriage, legal separation, child custody, paternity, child support, spousal support, property division, and settlement negotiations.

As an experienced estate planning attorney, Mr. Watkins also devotes a substantial amount of time to preparing Living Trusts, Wills, Powers of Attorney and other estate planning tools to meet his clients’ inheritance and family planning needs.  Mr. Watkins prides himself on educating his clients on their options and providing them with cost-effective plans that will protect their families, protect their assets, and reduce their stress.

Before starting his own law practice, Mr. Watkins gained valuable experience practicing corporate, municipal, and redevelopment law at large and prestigious large firms in San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area.  Mr. Watkins handled complex transactions for clients that were primarily corporations, cities, and public agencies.  He successfully negotiated real estate development transactions, drafted agreements for property acquisition and the development of commercial, industrial, and family housing projects.

After spending years “helping the rich (company) get richer”, Mr. Watkins discovered that his true passion is family law and estate planning, which allows him to work one-on-one with ordinary people to improve their lives.  Because of his big firm experience, Mr. Watkins is confident that he can find solutions for his clients’ problems, no matter how difficult or complex.

Besides having a wealth of legal expertise, Mr. Watkins prides himself on being a “people’s person”, an effective listener, and a great communicator.  Passionate about language learning and effective communication, Mr. Watkins is fluent in Spanish and proficient in French.

Mr. Watkins is an Ivy League graduate of Columbia University in New York, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1998.  Mr. Watkins earned his Juris Doctor degree from the UCLA School of Law in 2001.