Mark Joseph McGowan

Mark Joseph McGowan

4.9
Rating: 8.4

Licensed for 29 years

Trusts Lawyer at Palm Desert, CA
Practice Areas: Trusts, Probate, Personal Injury ... +3 more

72630 Fred Waring Drive, Suite 201, Palm Desert, CA

About Mark

Biography

Mark J. McGowan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University (1981) and graduate of Stanford Law School (1984). His practice focuses on representing individuals, estates, and businesses in trans...

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in California for 25 years

State: California

Acquired: 2000

Active

No misconduct found

Licensed in Washington for 24 years

State: Washington

Acquired: 2002

Administrative Suspension

No misconduct found

Licensed in Florida for 29 years

State: Florida

Acquired: 1996

Retired

No misconduct found

Location

The Law Offices of Mark J. McGowan

72630 Fred Waring Drive, Suite 201, Palm Desert, CA, 92260

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Mark Joseph McGowan's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

125 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 reviews | Family

Posted by anonymous | December 13, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Family

Excellent Support Reviewing My Separation Agreement

I had an excellent experience working with Mark McGowan on reviewing my separation agreement. He approached the process with genuine compassion, maintaining positive intent throughout and ensuring every conversation remained non-contentious and constructive. Mark took the time to understand my concer...ns and explained complex terms in a clear, reassuring way. The review was handled efficiently without ever feeling rushed, and I felt fully informed and supported at every step. His attention to detail and thoughtful guidance gave me real peace of mind. I would highly recommend his services to anyone seeking thorough, empathetic, and timely legal support.

Posted by anonymous | September 19, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Family

Very much appreciated

I called Mark to assist me with an x party restraining order. Mark personally answered the phone and listened to my ordeal. His communication was effective and I was very grateful that he stood right by me when I was feeling very scared and uneasy about going in alone. Mark presented himself very we...ll. He will be my go to guy in the future. He was very fair with his rate which allowed me to retain him at that time. Thank you again.

Posted by Adam | February 25, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Family

A Far Away Client with an UPFRONT Approach

I had the pleasure of having Mark as a family law attorney for a number of years. I lived in Illinois and had used him for 3 separate custody battles. All of which I won. Keeping the children in Illinois. The funny thing is that I had him as an attorney for 8 years and had never physically met him un...til the third battle started. He always advocated on my children's part and even went so far as to ask if I wanted to stay in his guest house during my visit. This was a man that laid his whole self out for his client. Myself and my kids. It was a couple years since I had talked to him and I was missing his assistant when I called. He had an amazing southern bell of a lady working as his right hand. When I spoke to him I found out she had actually passed. Mark and his team mate were like acquired family and I was truly saddened by that. He is a great attorney, a strong advocate for right, and a truly great guy. Over the years as I progressed in my own career he would even give me praise and say that is amazing. If you want a person to take your family's wellness to heart and fight for the good. He is your man. Thank you Mark. Wholeheartedly.

Posted by Didona | January 21, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Family

Personable, knowledgeable and diligent

I have had the pleasure of knowing Mark for many years and have relied on him as my legal guru for issues regarding trusts, litigation, probate, business law, real estate, and family law. He is simply the best: personable, knowledgeable, diligent - and his fees are reasonable, especially given the qu...ality of attentive service he personally provides. A class act in the office and in court, he aggressively protects my interests. You can tell he really cares about his clients.

Posted by Krystal | January 07, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Family

Great lawyer

Mark McGowan is a great attorney who was effective in my family law case. He was always available, always pleasant and very educated on the matters of law. He impressed the courtroom and was a great choice to represent me. He did everything respectfully and was an absolute strength to have on my s...ide. I believe he caused me to win exactly what I wanted and I will always recommend him for his no nonsense command in the court room.

See All Client Reviews

Mark Joseph McGowan's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Mark
Carolyn Holt Martino headshot
Carolyn Martino

Trusts lawyer | Jul 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Very knowledgeable and professional. Highly respected for his ethics and hard work."

View All Endorsements

No Endorsement Data Available Yet
This attorney hasn't created any attorney endorsements recently on Avvo.

Experience

Rating:  8.4 (Excellent)

Honors

2004

Certified Specialist - California State Bar, California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization

2001

Attorney and Counsellor, Supreme Court of the United States of America

1981

Phi Beta Kappa, Stanford

Work Experience

2000 - Present

Attorney and Counsellor, The Law Offices of Mark J. McGowan

1984 - 1986

Practitioner, Rifkind, Sterling & Levin

Associations

American Bar Association

Desert Bar Association

Stanford Alumni Association

Education

1984

Stanford Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

1981

Stanford University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

Spanish

Avvo Rating

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  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline 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