Custody Plans Built to Hold Up as Kids Grow
A custody order is not the finish line. We think about how an arrangement holds up years down the road, not just whether it resolves today's disagreement. We keep that longer view in focus.
When Your Family Needs Answers, San Mateo Turns To Us
Divorce, custody battles, and protective orders rarely wait for a convenient moment. San Mateo County families turn to Hopper Hopper & Strebe when custody, support, or protection from an abusive partner needs immediate attention. Our family law attorneys build every case with a plan for trial, even when the goal is a fair settlement.
OUR FIRM
No two family law cases move at the same pace. Some can resolve in a few months if both sides agree on the basics. Other cases can be more challenging and stretch on for a year or more when the issues are complicated, such as when a business needs a valuation, custody is contested, or a spouse withholds records. Hopper Hopper & Strebe treats every filing as if it could end up in front of a judge, so the groundwork is already in place once a case turns contested.
We spend real time on discovery before a strategy gets set. Bank records, tax returns, and business ledgers often tell a different story than what a spouse initially presents, and missing that detail early can cost a client leverage later on.
Clients come to a family lawyer in San Mateo County wanting more than sympathy or a lawyer spouting unrealistic goals just to get them to sign up. They want someone who reads the file closely, tells them the truth about their odds, and pushes toward a resolution that actually holds up once the paperwork is signed.
OUR EXPERTISE
Family law disputes in San Mateo County rarely involve just one issue. Our San Mateo County family law attorneys handle each matter below with a strategy built around the specific facts of the case.
Family court deadlines move quickly, and the choices made early in a case often shape what happens later. Talk with our family lawyers in San Mateo about your options before your next filing is due.
What San Mateo County Clients Say
WHY US
Credentials matter less than how a case actually gets handled once it's underway. Families searching for a family law attorney in San Mateo County choose our team for courtroom experience paired with a level head, even when a case turns adversarial.
A custody order is not the finish line. We think about how an arrangement holds up years down the road, not just whether it resolves today's disagreement. We keep that longer view in focus.
Some firms steer clear of anything that can't be settled in a single mediation session. Our team specializes in high-conflict divorces, disputed asset cases, and contested custody matters without losing sight of what our clients are going through.
When a spouse controls the finances or a business complicates the numbers, we subpoena records and trace accounts most people would never think to check. We bring in forensic accountants when a San Mateo County case calls for that level of scrutiny.
Clients deserve a realistic read on their case, not a guarantee no attorney can back up. Our family law firm explains what the facts support, where the risks sit, and what a reasonable outcome looks like.
FAQ
Here is what residents most often ask before their first consultation.
California courts apply the best interest of the child standard under Family Code Section 3011, weighing the child's safety, stability, and relationship with each parent. Judges at the San Mateo County Superior Court use these same factors whenever parents cannot agree on their own.
California requires a mandatory six-month waiting period before any divorce becomes final, no matter how quickly both spouses agree. Filing also requires six months of California residency and three months of residency in the county where the case is filed.
A judge can issue a long-term order after a full hearing, and it can remain in effect for up to five years. Violating any restraining order is a criminal offense in California, which is part of why an immediate, well-prepared response matters.
Yes. Either parent can request a modification when circumstances change significantly, such as a relocation or a shift in a child's needs. The court applies the same best interest standard used in the original decision.
OUR LOCATIONS
From our San Francisco and Sacramento offices, we represent Peninsula families from San Mateo to Redwood City in divorce, custody, and domestic violence matters.
by appointment only
555 Capitol Mall, Suite 785, Sacramento CA 95814
by appointment only
916 Highland Pointe Drive, Suite 250, Roseville CA 95678
by appointment only
5170 Golden Foothill Pkwy, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
by appointment only
100 Pine Street, Suite 1250, San Francisco, CA 94111
CONTACT US
A family law matter rarely waits for a convenient moment to start. If a divorce, custody disagreement, support dispute, or restraining order has brought you to this page, you're in the right place. As family lawyers, we're ready to look at the specifics of your situation and map out what happens next.
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