Douglas Sean Pinkham

I am Douglas S. Pinkham, I practice Divorce & Family Law in Southern California.  This has been my work and my passion for 16 years.  I have been divorced myself, so I understand first-hand the raw emotions, the complexities, and even the costs associated with divorce.  I am certain this helps me build a closer connection with my clientele.

I graduated from Western State University, College of Law, in 1998 after having the benefit of having a highly respected Orange County Family Law Judge as my professor for Community Property, which is Divorce and Family Law studies.  From my first day as a practicing attorney, my firm’s focus has been Divorce & Family Law.

Immediately after being sworn in as an attorney, friends and family members asked me for help with their legal matters.  I was an attorney for four days, and I had five cases…all Family Law.  I handled those cases, enjoyed the area of practice, took on more and more Family Law cases, and I have never looked back!  Ever since the outset of my career in the law, I have specifically focused my practice in the areas of Divorce and Family Law. 

As my client, you should know I have been in your position.  For better or for worse, I also went through a divorce.  It is by far one of the most difficult experiences I was forced to deal with, emotionally, financially, and socially.  However, as a result of my having experienced these trials personally, I am confident I am in a better position to understand the needs and desires of my clients.  I am absolutely certain of my ability to help you navigate this process and get you through this difficult time.   

After 16 years of experience as both a litigator and a mediator, it is my humble and sincere opinion that a divorce, or legal separation, or any related family law issue, does not need to be divisive, or contentious.  As an attorney, one of my first goals is to do everything I can to get you reach your desired outcome while avoiding any unnecessary contention, financial costs, time and even unnecessary anger and sadness.  It is not always true, but often times mediation is a viable option.  Even if the parties to a divorce cannot agree on all issues, the assistance of a skilled divorce mediator may very well get the job done; saving you and your spouse thousands, even tens-of-thousands of dollars in the process.  However, if mediation is not possible in your case, other members of out litigation team can certainly assist in a more classic divorce process. 

I know I am unusual in this fact, but I truly love my work.  I realize I am helping my clients through the most important thing in their lives.  While a divorce is in the process, it almost feels like your life is on-hold, or otherwise stalled, until the divorce is final.  It is my goal in every case to get my clients from filing to finished in the fastest, most direct path possible.  I sincerely feel rewarded when clients come to us at one of the most difficult periods of their lives, but leave after our first meeting with a feeling of relief, and support.  I feel satisfaction when, in the end, they leave content to have had someone thoroughly support them through the entire process.  But more importantly, I cannot express the feeling of knowing that someone is now ready to begin a new chapter in their lives, stronger, better, and once again hopeful.  My staff and I have the reputation of being tough, but fair divorce advocates.  If there is a way to settle an issue without harming our client or our client’s legal position, it is done and done expeditiously.  However, please don’t confuse settling an issue with weakness.  We settle whenever possible if it makes sense for the client, and only if the client agrees to the settlement.  On the other hand, if some opposing counsel tries to harm our client, or the opposing party takes some unreasonable position or has some unrealistic expectation, we simply won’t stand for it.  This being said, we stay in contact with our client’s on a nearly daily basis when activity is taking place in their matter, continually explaining all aspects of the divorce process, and after being fully informed of all aspects of any particular issue and the tactics or methods of dealing with that particular issue, it is always the client’s final choice on how to proceed.