$ 700-700 per hour
Leslie Ellen Shear
About Leslie
Biography
I am one of only a very few California lawyers certified by the State Bar of CA, Bd. of Legal Specialization as a Certified Family Law Specialist (1983) and a Certified Appellate Law Specialist (2009). I am a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers.
Please do not send any confidential information to me and my office until I have done a conflict check and scheduled a paid consultation. I may have already consulted with the other side in your case. Please just send an email indicating that you would like a consultation and indicate whether it is for an appeal or trial court matter.
My family law practice is limited to complex child custody and parentage, and jurisdiction (including international child custody) cases, and appellate matters.
I appear in California trial courts in cases involving complex child custody (including international and interstate) issues and complex parentage issues. I appear in all California appellate courts, and represented a child before the U.S. Supreme Court. I have many published appellate decisions.
Practice Areas
3
Practice Areas
Fees and Rates
Cost
Hourly Rates
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in California for 49 years
State: California
Acquired: 1976
No misconduct found
Location
Leslie Ellen Shear, CFLS, CALS, IAFL
Attorney at Law, 16133 Ventura Blvd Seventh Floor, Encino, CA, 91436-2403
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Leslie Ellen Shear's Reviews
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Leslie Ellen Shear's Lawyer Endorsements
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. She is so knowledgeable and contributes so much to our community, I have no idea how she has time to rest. From custody to computers, she is a "go to" resource. Alan Nobler"
"I endorse this lawyer and highly recommend her services. She is simply brilliant and has a wealth of knowledge in her custody and appellate specialties which she readily shares with others. I call her whenever I have a complicated paternity/maternity case to sort through. Leslie and I have been colleagues since the early 1990's during which time we served on the Association of Family Law Specialist Board of Directors together. Leslie has written numerous appellate briefs in her capacity as amicus counsel for ACFLS over many years with the purpose of educating the courts usually about the best interests of the children."
"I endorse this lawyer's work. I not only endorse Ms. Sheer, I am awestricken. Ms. Sheer is amazing--capable, ultra-knowledgeable, sharp, witty, and an excellent advocate. You should be so lucky to have her as your counsel."
Vivian Holley
Mediation lawyer
Sterling Myers
Family lawyer
Experience
Honors
2015
Martindale-Hubbell® Client Distinction Award, Martindale-Hubbell®
2015
Super Lawyer, Los Angeles and Super Lawyers Magazines
2014
Hall of Fame Award, ACFLS
2014
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers ™, Martindale-Hubbell
2014
Joseph Drown Award for Service to Children, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, CA Chapter
2014
Super Lawyer, Los Angeles and Super Lawyers Magazines
2013
Super Lawyer, Los Angeles & Super Lawyers Magazines
2013
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers ™, Martindale-Hubbell
2013
Ambassador Award, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
2012
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine
2012
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers ™, Martindale-Hubbell
2011
Top Attorneys, Pasadena Magazine
2011
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine
2011
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers ™, Martindale-Hubbell
2010
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine
2010
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers ™, Martindale-Hubbell
2009
Super Lawyer, Los Angeles Magazine
2008
Los Angeles Magazine Superlawyer, Los Angeles Magazine
2007
Los Angeles Super Lawyer (Family Law), Los Angeles Magazine
2006
Los Angeles Super Lawyer (Family Law), Los Angeles Magazine
2005
Los Angeles Super Lawyer (Family Law), Los Angeles Magazine
2004
Los Angeles Super Lawyer (Family Law), Los Angeles Magazine
N/A
AV rating, Martindale-Hubbell
Work Experience
1985 - Present
Attorney, Principal, Law Office of Leslie Ellen Shear
Associations
2009 - Present
International Academy of Matrimonial LawyersFellow
2007 - Present
ScribesMember
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Member (former Family Law Executive Committee Member)
State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
Family Law Advisory Commissioner (former)
1997 - 2014
Association of Certified Family Law SpecialistsPast President (various board positions)
1981 - 2007
Association of Family and Conciliation CourtsMember (former California Chapter Board Member)
American Bar Association
Member
Sample of Legal Cases
Anne H. v. Michael B. (2016) 1 Cal.App.5th 488
Affirmed
R.M. v. T.A. (2015) 233 Cal.App.4th 760
Affirmed
Rand v. Board of Psychology (2012) 205 Cal.App.4th 1209
Affirmed
H.S. v. Superior Court (2010, 4th District, Riverside) 183 Cal.App.4th 1502
Reversed trial court decision
Strauss v. Horton (2009) 46 Cal.4th 364
Prop 8 not invalidated
Marriage of Paillier (2006, 4th District, Riverside)
Reversed
Kristine H. v. Lisa R. (2005) 37 Cal. 4th 156
Established rights of non-bio lesbian mother
Craig L. v. Sandy S. (2004, 4th District, San Diego) 125 Cal.App. 4th 36
Reversed
Marriage of Abargil (2003, 2nd District) 106 Cal.App. 4th 1294
Reversed
Marriage of Rose and Richardson (2002, 2nd District) 102 Cal.App. 4th 941
Reversed
Montenegro v. Diaz (2001) 26 Cal. 4th 249
Court adopted analysis set forth in amicus brief.
Marriage of Kelso (1998, 2nd District) 67 Cal.App. 4th 374
Reversed
Marriage of Buzzanca (1998, 4th District, Santa Ana) 61 Cal.App. 4th 1410
Reversed
Michael H. v. Gerald D. (1989) 491 U.S. 110
Established child's due process right re parentage
People v. Moore (1987, 2nd District) 189 Cal.App.3d 1537
Affirmed.
Ohmer v. Superior Court (1983, 2nd District) 148 Cal.App. 3d 661
Affirmed
Hocharian v. Superior Court (1981) 28 Cal. 3d 714
Prevailed in Cal. Supreme Ct. Reversed trial court
Marriage of Seagondollar (2006, 4th District, Santa Ana) 139 Cal.App.4th 1116
Reversed
Amy G. v. M.W. (2006, 2nd District) 142 Cal.App.4th 1
Affirmed.
Marriage of Lafkas (2007, 2nd District) 153 Cal.App.4th 1429
Dismissed
Proposition 8 Cases
Court adopted views re retroactivity.
Education
1976
University of California at Los Angeles School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1973
University of California - Los Angeles
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2016
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
13+ Ways Family Law Appellate Practice is Different
2016
Family Law Section Dinner
Going Up?: Appellate Court Basics for Family Law Practitioners
2015
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
From “I Rest” to “I Appeal”: The Post-Evidentiary Phase of a Family Law RFO or Trial
2015
California Chapter Conference
Taking and Keeping: What All of Us Need to Know About Family Code §3048 and Abduction-Risk Research
2015
California Chapter Conference
A Four-Hour Tour – Cal-UCCJEA and Beyond
2015
AFMS/AFCC Alberta: Professionals At The Crossroads
Bringing Up Baby: Developing Parenting Plans that Grow With the Baby
2015
ACFLS 2015 Spring Seminar
Orders Across Borders
2014
Cultural Competency
Take My Child Back: Handling your First Hague Petition
2014
AFCC California Chapter Conference
Moving From Kansas to Oz: Evaluating, Trying and Resolving an International Relocation Case (Special Institute)
2014
AFCC CA Chapter Conference
Structuring California Child Custody Evaluations: Appointment Orders & Procedures Statements
2014
AFCC 51st Annual Conference (Toronto)
Bringing Up Baby: Developing Parenting Plans that Grow With the Baby
2014
ACFLS Sacramento Chapter Lunch
From “I Rest” to “I Appeal”: The Post-Evidentiary Phase of a Family Law RFO or Trial
2013
White-Zuckerman Manhattan Beach Study Group
From “I Rest” to “I Appeal”: The Post-Evidentiary Phase of a Family Law RFO or Trial
2013
Washington Chapter Conference
Moving From Kansas to Oz: Evaluating, Trying and Resolving an International Relocation Case
2013
Voice of the Child (Santa Clara County)
Dude, I'm 14 years old and I'm Here to Address the Court ... Now What? Children’s Voices in Family Court
2013
Orange County ACFLS Chapter Dinner
Moving From Kansas to Oz: Evaluating, Trying and Resolving an International Relocation Case
2013
LACBA Advanced Minors' Counsel Training
A Three-Hour Tour – Cal-UCCJEA and Beyond
2013
CULTURAL COMPETENCY IN FAMILY PRACTICE
Improving Our Cultural Competency in the Courtroom: Tools for Autodidacts
2013
CA Chapter, AFCC Evaluator Training
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGAL UPDATE
2013
Alameda County Minors' Counsel Training
Other People’s Children: First Do No Harm (Ethical Issues for Family Court Minors’ Counsel)
2013
50th Annual Conference (Los Angeles)
Moving From Kansas to Oz: Evaluating, Trying and Resolving an International Relocation Case (Special Institute)
2012
Family Law Symposium
From Righteous Indignation to Reversal: Family Law Appellate Practice Basics
2012
Cal Chapter Conference --Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Special Institute: Inside Parenting Coordination Practice in California: Managing Roles, Responsibilities and Risks
2012
Annual Meeting
Dude, I'm 14 years old and I'm Here to Address the Court ... Now What? Children’s Voices in Family Court
2012
ACFLS January luncheon meeting
An Imperfect Toolkit: Parental Abduction Prevention and Remedies 10 REASONS THE HAGUE CONVENTION MAY NOT BE ENOUGH
2011
“Comprehensive Look at Transnational Employment Issues: The Tax, Family, Employment, Immigration (and Inheritance) Issues.”
An Overview of Transnational Employment Issues: Employment, Family, Tax, and Inheritance
2011
Webinar CA State Bar Family Law Section
Taking Children's Testimony in Family Law Cases
2011
Study Group
Deposing Custody Litigants
2011
Minors at Risk Caucus
An Imperfect Toolkit: Parental Abduction Prevention and Remedies 10 REASONS THE HAGUE CONVENTION MAY NOT BE ENOUGH
2011
Dinner meeting
Children’s Voices In Family Court Minors Testifying? ... Major Concerns!
2011
AFCC-CA Writing Institute, Annual Conference San Francisco
Substance, Structure and Style: Writing About Children and their Families in Family Court Settings
2011
AFCC-CA Annual Conference San Francisco
Evaluator Makeover Workshop
2011
AFCC 48th Annual Conference -- Orlando
“Why Can’t the Little Girl Have Two Daddies and a Mommy?” Considering Three (or More) Parent Families
2011
ACFLS Spring Seminar -- Indian Wells
Travels With Finney -- A Family Lawyer and her IPad
2011
2011 AOC/LAAC Family Law Conference
Move-Away Custodial Cases
2010
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
PROBLEMS WITH POP-DEC’S
2010
Minors at Risk Caucus
Just the Facts, Mam, Just the Facts: Admissible Evidence for Minors Counsel
2010
LACBA 2010 Minors’ Counsel Training October 15-16, 2010
Working Effectively with Parents’ Counsel- Dos and Don’ts
2010
Dinner Meeting -- San Fernando Valley Bar Association, Family Law Section
An Imperfect Toolkit: Parental Abduction Prevention and Remedies
2010
Association of Certified Family Law Specialists Spring Seminar
ATTORNEYS’ FEES AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE TOOLKIT FOR CASES WHERE A PARTY SHOWS LITTLE OR NO INCOME, BUT MANAGES TO FUND A SUBSTANTIAL LITIGATION BUDGET FROM THIRD PARTY HELP OR OTHER SOURCES
2010
AFCC-CA Annual Conference
Custody Lawyer/ Mediator/ Evaluator as Storyteller: Shaping Narratives to Help Decisionmakers Craft Individualized Parenting Plans
2010
AFCC 47th Annual Conference -- Denver
Anatomy of a Parenting Plan Full Day Institute
2010
ACFLS North Chapter Dinner
Deposing Custody Litigants
2010
"Helping Families: New Directions in Consensual Dispute Resolution."
Hearing Children’s Voices in CDR
2009
Law Day Dinner
Propositon 8 Cases and the California Supreme Court
2009
LACBA Family Law Inns of Court
Spot the Issues: Civil Marriage in California for Same-Sex Couples
2009
Family Law Section Monthly Dinner
Parenting Plans for Toddlers and Teenagers
2009
BHBA Famlly Law Section dinner
Deposing Custody Litigants
2009
AFCC 42nd Annual Conference
International Moveaway Cases: Practical Issues
2009
2nd Annual Small Firm and Solo Practitioners Conference: MISSION POSSIBLE
Are Lawyers Unbundling In a Frigid Economy?
2008
White, Zuckerman, Warsavsky, Luna, Wolf & Hunt San Gabriel Valley Family Law Study Group
Family Law Fairness After Seagondollar and Elkins: A Pragmatic Approach
2008
Minors' Counsel Training Program
First Do No Harm - Recognizing Our Limitations
2008
Legal Aid Association of California 2008 Family Law Conference
Handling Move-Away Cases in the Public Law Setting A Moving Target: Requirements and Rights in Move-Away Cases
2008
AFCC Annual Conference Vancouver, Canada: Fitting the Forum to the Family: Emerging Challenges for Family Courts
The Custody Lawyer/ Mediator/ Evaluator as Storyteller: Shaping Narratives to Help Decisionmakers Craft Individualized Parenting Plans
2008
2008 Annual Meeting State Bar of CA
The Custody Lawyer as Storyteller: Drafting Admissible, Compelling, and Effective Declarations
2007
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
A Moving Target: Requirements and Rights in Move-Away Cases
2006
Family Law Buzzwords
Parentage, Interstate & International Custody Buzzwords Jeopardy
2006
AFCC-CA Annual Conference
Brown v. Yana
2006
AFCC-CA Annual Conference
It’s a Small World After All: Understanding and Addressing International Child Custody and Visitation Cases (Daylong Special Institute)
2006
AFCC Annual Conference
Relocation and Custody Modification Revisited: the California Supreme Court and Marriage of Lamusga
2006
2006 Spring Training: AAML No. Cal.
Keynote Address The Natural: Rules of the Game
2005
Family Law Section Monthly Dinner
Same-sex Parentage Issues
2005
Domestic Partners
Parentage Issues for Domestic Partners and Same-Sex Couples California’s Parentage Law Revolution: Step By Step
2004
Trial Advocacy Seminar, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (California - South chapter)
INTERVIEWING CLIENTS IN RELOCATION CASES
2004
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
The Changing Face of California Parentage Law – Beyond Birth and Blood Tests: Social Parents, Presumed Parents and Intended Parents
2004
Family Law Section Luncheon
Child Custody Evaluations: Form Follows Function
2004
AFCC-CA Annual Conference
Anatomy of a Parenting Plan
2004
AFCC 41st Annual Conference: Best Interests Revisited, Challenging Our Assumptions
Relocation And Custody Modification Revisited: The California Supreme Court And Marriage of LaMusga
2004
Administrative Office of the Courts Family Court Services Training
Move-Aways and Modifications — The Impact of Marriage of LaMusga
2003
The Hague Child Abduction Convention Seminar
The “Right to Remove” of the Custodial Parent — the Burgess Case and Subsequent Cases
2003
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
Moving Away in the New Millenium
2003
AFCC-CA Annual Conference
The Role of the Psychological Expert Witness in International Custody Proceedings
2003
ACFLS Children's Issues
Practical Implications of Recent Changes in Custody Law
2002
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
Rethinking Joint and Sole Legal Custody Orders
2002
Family Law Section Luncheon
International Move-Away Cases: Law and Practice
2002
AFCC-CA Annual Conference
Move-Aways With Young Children (included section on international moveaways) Special Institute
2002
AFCC-CA Annual Conference
Legal Custody and Best Interests (Assessing and Allocating Communication and Decision-Making Authority)
2002
AFCC Fifth International Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations
Evaluating Appointment Orders
2002
AFCC Fifth International Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations
California Domestic Violence Update: Highlights of Changes in Cal DV Law for Custody Evaluators
2002
AFCC Fifth International Symposium on Child Custody Evaluations
Institute on Relocation: A Custody Lawyer Looks at Move-Aways
2001
State Bar of California Annual Meeting
The Effect on Children of a Moveaway and How to Stay Close from a Distance
2001
LACBA Parenting Plan Coordinator Training
Parenting Plan Coordinator (Child Custody Special Master)
2001
Center for Families, Children & the Courts Administrative Office of the Courts Family Court Services Southern Regional Training
Assessing and Allocating Legal Custody
2001
Association of Certified Family Law Specialists Fall Seminar
Tools for Family Lawyers on the Web
2001
AFCC-CAL Do Great Work See Great Works in the City of the Roses
Assessing and Allocating Legal Custody
2001
AAML So. Cal 14th Annual Institute of Trial Advocacy
Interviewing Clients in Relocation Cases
2000
ACFLS Fall Seminar
Inexpensive Computerized Family Law Research Tools
1998
LACBA Family Law Section Child Custody Colloquium
Preventing and Resolving Interstate and International Custody Jurisdictional Disputes
1998
ACFLS Spring Seminar (Yosemite)
“Parenthood: California Style.”
1997
Joint conferences: ABA Family Law Section and the American Psychological Association
Painting Family Portraits for the New Paradigm: The Modern Art of Parenting Plan Evaluations
1983
AFCC Annual Conference (Williamsburg, VA)
The Role of the Lawyer in Custody Mediation
1981
AFCC-Cal (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, CA Chapter) "Mediation of Child Custody and Visitation Disputes"
Developing Written Agreements and Working Effectively With Attorneys
Publications
2014
California Continuing Education of the Bar, California Child Custody Law and Practice (CEB) [Rev. annually]
Chapter 4, Parenting Plans
2013
Journal of Child Custody
Guest Editor's Note (Special International Custody Issue)
2013
Journal of Child Custody (coauthor Julia C. Shear Kushner)
Taking and Keeping the Children: Family Abduction Risk and Remedies in U.S. Family Courts
2013
Journal of Child Custody (with co-author Leslie Drozd)
To Speak of All Kinds of Things: Child Custody Evaluations and the Unique Characteristics of Relocations to Foreign Countries
2012
2010
ABA Family Advocate, Vol. 33, No. 1
Relocation Realities: Developing a Long-Distance Parenting Plan,
2009
California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB), California Child Custody Law and Practice (rev. annually)
Chapter 4: Parenting Plans
2009
AFCC Newsletter
ACFLS Files Amici Curiae
Brief in Proposition 8 Cases:
March 5 Oral Argument Signals No
Retroactive Application; Justices Split
on Constitutional Validity of Proposition 8
2008
2001
AFCC-Cal (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, California Chapter) Newsletter
Comment: Montenegro v. Diaz — Cal Supreme Court Quietly Changes The Child Custody Landscape While Sidestepping Central Questions
2001
ACFLS (Association of Certified Family Law Specialists) Newsletter
Will This Child Move? The Structure of Move-Away Analysis
2001
AFCC-Cal (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, California Chapter) Newsletter
Will This Child Move? The Structure of Move-Away Analysis
1998
Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America: Child Custody
From Competition to Complementarity: Legal Issues and their Clinical Implications in Custody
1997
Faculty Handbook joint conferences: ABA Family Law Section and the American Psychological Association
Painting Family Portraits for the New Paradigm: The Modern Art of Parenting Plan Evaluations
1996
Family and Conciliation Courts Review
Children’s Lawyers in California Family Law Courts: Balancing Competing Policies and Values Regarding Questions of Ethics
1996
Family and Conciliation Courts Review
Guest Editorial (User-fees for Mandatory Custody Mediation)
1996
Family and Conciliation Courts Review
Life Stories, Doctrines and Decisionmaking: Three High Courts Confront the Move-away Dilemma
1995
Los Angeles Daily Journal
Guest Editorial (User-fees for Mandatory Custody Mediation)
1988
Unknown
The Boundaries of Mental Health Expertise In Dependency and Family Law: A Proposal For Standards of Practice
1983
AFCC-Cal (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, California Chapter) Newsletter Column
Drafting Plans Allocating Parental Responsibility
1982
LACBA Family Law Section Child Custody Colloquium
Child Custody Evaluations: A Guide For Attorneys and Evaluators
1981
AFCC-Cal (Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, California Chapter) Conference Proceedings: "Mediation of Child Custody and Visitation Disputes"
Developing Written Agreements and Working Effectively With Attorneys
1981
Fifth Annual Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Colloquium Handbook: "The Child, the Family and the Legal System"
Drafting Post-Separation Orders Allocating Parental Rights and Responsibilities
N/A
ACFLS (Association of Certified Family Law Specialists) Newsletter
"Custody Matters" columns
N/A
Journal of Child Custody
Book review columns
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers