When choosing a law firm to handle your divorce in L.A., you should find one that’s prepared and qualified to deal with any legal curveball your case might throw you. They should also be working to make the process as easy and efficient as possible, so that you can move on with the least damage to your wallet and your emotions. With these traits in mind, you need look no further than Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt & Klein, LLP, based in Los Angeles.

“A family lawyer must have the ability to listen patiently, to understand the problems thoroughly, and to resolve those problems as quickly and efficiently as possible,” says Robert Brandt, the head of the Family Law Department at FMBK. According to Managing Partner Steven Mindel, who heads the Business Transactions Department at FMBK, a top family law attorney must also be knowledgeable about all areas of law. “To use a baseball analogy, you have to be a utility player. Divorce law combines so many different legal areas, including business, child custody, finance, and property. There’s always some collateral issue involved. You also have to respond to the clients’ needs: returning phone calls, listening to what they’re saying, changing gears from toughness to compassion whenever necessary.”

FMBK’s staff has extremely high standards for their own work. They're versatile in their legal abilities, and they expect only the best of themselves. Five of the lawyers are Certified Specialists in Family Law*, Howard S. Klein is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law**, and the team has the knowledge and experience to handle all types of cases — from prenups to paternity to palimony to divorce to post-divorce matters. “We’re also able to serve a broad spectrum of the community — from higher-asset to lower-asset cases,” adds Brandt.

Aware that divorce is very expensive, they also do what they can to make it less so. "We're very conscious of cost control and we work closely with the client to reduce fees if necessary. We aim to minimize the expense and maximize the return." says Mindel.

One of the best ways to minimize the cost of divorce is to concentrate on completing the process as quickly as possible — and not to fixate on trivial issues, says Brandt. "Don't fight for principle or for your own ego; carefully choose what the important issues are — such as your children's best interests," he advises. "The more you battle, the more expensive your divorce becomes."

FMBK will explore a realm of solutions to divorce cases before even considering the adversarial court system. "It is always preferable to work out a settlement rather than to have one dictated to you by a court," says Brandt. "So be reasonable and realize that a truly just settlement is one that no one is 100% happy with." Mindel adds that they "try to reduce the animosity between parties to help them build trust and move on." In addition to setting up realistic goals and showing clients where to get the tools to deal with their anxiety and grief, FMBK offers a broad spectrum of legal services. The firm can assist you with wills, trusts and estate planning issues, complex civil litigation matters, real property law, and commercial litigation, in addition to dealing with your divorce; many of these additional fields become involved in divorce cases.

The highest quality service at the most efficient price: this is what FMBK has to offer.

The highly credited and  versatile team at Feinberg, Mindel, Brandt & Klein in LA can provide you with top notch family law services.  Here are brief biographies of FMBK's attorneys or visit our web site:

Irwin B. Feinberg
Partner, Head of our Litigation Department
Litigation
ifeinberg@fmbklaw.com

Irwin B. Feinberg is our firm's lead litigator and a partner. Mr. Feinberg completed his undergraduate work at UCLA in 1976 and earned his J.D. from the University of California at Davis in 1979. He clerked for the Honorable Bertram Janes, Justice of the California Court of Appeal. Before founding FMBK, he originally practiced at the law firm of Buchalter, Nemer, Fields, Chrystie & Younger.

He is the former Board Chair and currently serves on the board of Our House, and serves as Vice President on the board of Westview School. He is also a former board member of Kayne ERAS and Cure FD Foundation.  He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.  Mr. Feinberg lives in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Deb, and their three children.

Steven A. Mindel, CFLS*
Managing Partner, Head of our Business Transactions Department
Business Transactions & Family Law
smindel@fmbklaw.com

Steven A. Mindel, a Certified Family Law Specialist* since 1998, is the Managing Partner of FMBK and heads our firm's Business Transactions Department. Mr. Mindel graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA in 1981 and from the USC Law Center in 1985.

Mr. Mindel currently serves as the Co-President of University Synagogue and previously served on the Governing Board of Directors of Los Angeles Free Clinic where he received two special recognition awards for his volunteerism. He was appointed and served a two year term on the California State Bar Family Law Section Executive Committee ("FLEXCOM"). Mr. Mindel was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and was named one of Southern California’s Top 100 lawyers. He has an AV rating with Martindale Hubbell. Mr. Mindel routinely lectures at Loyola Law School in Family Law and in addition, he is the resident Family Law expert for CouplesCompany.com. He is a lifetime member of the UCLA Alumni Association.  Mr. Mindel is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and resides in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Nancy and their children.

Robert C. Brandt, CFLS*
Partner, Head of our Family Law Department
Family Law
rbrandt@fmbklaw.com

Robert C. Brandt is a Certified Family Law Specialist* and heads our firm’s Family Law Department and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Brandt graduated from San Diego State University in 1971 with Distinction in Speech Arts. He earned a Masters degree in Speech from UCLA in 1972 and his JD from Southwestern University School of Law in 1976.

Mr. Brandt has been practicing for more than 30 years. He belongs to the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the United States District Courts. Mr. Brandt is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Executive Committee Family Law Section and the Chairperson of the Continuing Legal Education Subcommittee.  Among other achievements is his experience as a volunteer mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court and as a grader for the Family Law section of the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Brandt frequently participates in Continuing Legal Education seminars as a lecturer, moderator and panel member. He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and he has an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Brandt resides in Calabasas, California with his wife Lynn, a school psychologist. They have three children and one grandson.

Howard S. Klein, CEPTPLS**
Partner, Head of our Probate & Trust Department
Probate & Trust Department
hklein@fmbklaw.com

Howard S. Klein, a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law** since 1993, heads our firm’s Probate Department. Mr. Klein graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1958 from UCLA, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year. He graduated from UCLA Law School in 1961, worked as a trust administrator, and has practiced law in Los Angeles County for over 40 years. Mr. Klein also holds an "AV" rating with Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. Klein has practiced family law for over 35 years and has lectured, written and been a frequent panelist for Continuing Education of the Bar and most major local bar associations, primarily on probate/family law cross-over issues, on which he is an acknowledged authority. He is on the Los Angeles Superior Court Probate Mediation Panel and has mediated over 100 cases in the past decade.

Mr. Klein is the immediate past Chair of the State Bar Advisory Commission on Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. He has chaired the Probate Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and sat for six years on the Executive Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Trust and Estate Section. He was named as a Super Lawyer by Los Angeles Magazine, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.  A past member of  B’nai B’rith International ("BBI") Board of Governors, Mr. Klein resides in Porter Ranch with his wife, Rosalind, who is a Senior International Vice President of BBI.

Jeremy B. Kline, CFLS* 
Partner
Litigation & Family Law
jkline@fmbklaw.com

Jeremy Kline, Certified Family Law Specialist, graduated Cum Laude from UCLA in 1982 and from the USC Law Center in 1985. Mr. Kline is a partner and practices in the areas of business, real-estate and commercial litigation, as well as family law. He has briefed several appeals during his practice, including City National Bank v. Adams, 96 Cal.App.4th 315 (2002).  He is a member of the LA County, Beverly Hills, American Bar Association and the Century City I, Professional Network Group.  He is also a lifetime member of the UCLA Alumni Association. Jerry has a wife, Betsy, and two children.

Maritoni A. Acosta, CFLS*
Partner
Family Law Mediation
macosta@fmbklaw.com

Maritoni Acosta is a Certified Family Law Specialist*. She graduated from UCLA in 1991 and Loyola Law School in 1994, and became a partner at FMBK in 2000. Ms. Acosta heads the firm's Family Law Mediation department where she works closely with parties and their attorneys to resolve their family law matters as efficiently as possible. She has served as chairperson of the Santa Monica Bar Association's Family Law Section, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Philippine American Bar Association.  Ms. Acosta was named a Rising Star by Los Angeles Magazine in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.  She is a lifetime member of the UCLA Alumni Association.

Nancy L. Burt
Associate
Family Law
nburt@fmbklaw.com

Nancy Burt graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCLA in 1983 and received her law degree from the University of San Francisco in 1986. Her practice is devoted exclusively to the practice of family law. Prior to joining FMBK, Ms. Burt practiced with the law firm of Coleman-Schwimmer & Warren. She has published "Sex Discrimination: Isbister v. Boy’s Club" in the University of San Francisco Law Review, 1985.

John E. Rogers Jr.
Associate
Probate & Trust Department
jrogers@fmbklaw.com

John E. Rogers, Jr. graduated from the University of New Hampshire at Durham in 1983 with a B.A. in History, and Minors in English and Theology. He earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, in 1998, where he was the editor of the Loyola Reporter for two years. From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Rogers was the Probate Law Columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal newspaper. He was the founder of the statewide California Probate News Service in 1995 and was its principal editor and case analyst until 1998. Mr. Rogers is an active member of the Probate Volunteer Panel program operated by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. As such, he takes cases by Court appointment in the Santa Monica, Torrance and Central Districts. Mr. Rogers focuses his practice on traditional Probate matters involving estate and trust administration and litigation, with a particular emphasis on both Probate and, to a lesser degree, Mental Health (L.P.S.), Conservatorship issues. Mr. Rogers is on the Elder Law Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Trusts & Estates Section. He is also Legal Update Co-Chair of Executive Committee of the Trusts and Estates Section of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.

Wallace S. Fingerett
Associate
Family Law & Litigation
wfingerett@fmbklaw.com

Wallace S. Fingerett is a Certified Family Law Specialist. He has been an attorney for more than 30 years. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in business and the University of La Verne Law School. Mr. Fingerett practices in the area of family law, as well as real estate litigation. Mr. Fingerett’s experience includes work as a solo practitioner for more than twenty years and a senior financial consultant for a major brokerage. He has lectured at adult continuing education courses; volunteer attorney at Senior Citizens Center in Van Nuys and Reseda; volunteer attorney at Haven Hills Women’s Shelter in San Fernando Valley; volunteer attorney at Ventura County Family Services in Thousand Oaks; volunteer attorney on behalf of Asylum applicants in Texas. He resides in Woodland Hills with his wife, Rhonda, and two teenage boys.

Alex Grager
Associate
Family Law
agrager@fmbklaw.com

Alex Grager received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Southern California in 2001 and his law degree from the University of Southern California Law Center in 2004.  While in law school, Alex worked at Bet Tzedek Legal Service a non-profit law group providing low cost/no cost legal counsel to the community. Alex is experienced in family law litigation representing clients in all aspect of family law including custody disputes and domestic violence. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association and the Orange County Bar Association. Alex is a co-chair of Roxbury Park Legal Clinic of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and he has been recently elected to the Board of Governors of the Barristers of the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Alex speaks fluent Russian.

Donna Shapiro
Associate
Probate & Trust Department
dshapiro@fmbklaw.com

Donna Shapiro graduated with Honors and Distinction from Stanford University in 1986, attended Harvard Law School and completed her J.D. at Stanford University in 1989. Her practice is devoted to the area of estate planning. Prior to joining FMBK, Ms. Shapiro practiced with the law firm of Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman in Beverly Hills. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of University Synagogue. She is also a lifetime member of the Stanford Alumni Association. Ms. Shapiro resides in Pacific Palisades with her two sons.

Brett A. Berman
Associate
Family Law
bberman@fmbklaw.com

Brett A. Berman graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in history and received his JD from Southwestern University School of Law. Before becoming a lawyer, Mr. Berman served as a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch where he worked with individuals and small businesses in achieving their financial goals and objectives. Mr. Berman, who practices solely in the area of family law, has published articles on complex family law issues in the Los Angeles Daily Journal newspaper and lectured on divorce taxation. He has also volunteered as a Judge for the Constitutional Law Foundation annual mock trial competition held at the Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr. Berman has a wife, Michelle, and two children.

John Adam Lazor graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Departmental Honors and Distinction in psychology from Stanford University in 1987 and received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1992.

Mr. Lazor has practiced family law for 15 years. He is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and Beverly Hills Bar Association. Mr. Lazor has been a member of the Family Law Indigent Paternity Panel since 1993, has worked with the Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center, and has volunteered for the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law and Aids Project Los Angeles. Mr. Lazor has been the featured guest on two one-hour television shows designed to educate parents regarding their legal rights and responsibilities. He has been a guest lecturer speaking with high school students about the realities of teenage parenthood as well as being a contributing author to Los Angeles Lawyer magazine. Mr. Lazor is currently a member of the California Bar's Family Law Committee on Financial Affairs. He is a lifetime member of the Stanford Alumni Association. Mr. Lazor is a member of Broadcast Music, Incorporated. He resides in Culver City with his wife, Pam, and their daughter.

Evan N. Okamura graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Asian American Studies in 2003. He earned his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 2007. Evan is currently waiting the results of his recent bar exam. While at Southwestern, Evan was a member of the Trial Advocacy Honors Program. Evan and his partner were finalists in mock trial competitions held by the American Association for Justice and the San Diego Defense Lawyers.

Before entering law school, Evan was selected as a Mike M. Masaoka Congressional Fellow by the Japanese American Citizens League, through which he had the opportunity to work in the office of the Honorable Dianne Feinstein. Evan is a member of the Japanese American Bar Association and volunteers with the Trial Advocacy Honors Program as an assistant coach.

 
** Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law
* Certified Family Law Specialist
State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

12424 Wilshire Blvd., Ninth Floor
Los Angeles, California 90025-1060
Phone: (310) 447-8675
Fax: (310) 447-8678
Website: www.fmbklaw.com
e-mail:rbrandt@fmbklaw.com or smindel@fmbklaw.com

• Howard S. Klein & Geoffrey Murry Publish Estate Planning for Non-Traditional Couples
• FMBK Partner Robert C. Brandt Moderates the Family Law Trial Institute Panel
• Two Palisadians Named "Super Lawyers"
• FMBK Attorneys Named Top 100 Attorneys and Super Lawyers in Los Angeles Magazine
• Click here for more PR releases

Robert Brandt, Steve Mindel, and Howard Klein have written several articles including:

FAQs:

• "My registered domestic partner and I are experiencing irreconcilable differences. We need to go through something like divorce. How would that work?"
• "How do I prepare for the possibility of divorce?"
• "Is there anything I can do to legally force my husband back to work?"
• "My husband may leave me if we let our daughter have custody of our grandchildren."
• "If your ex fails to pay debts, can creditors come after you?"
• "Can a paternal father take his child away from the present father?"
• "How can I get out from under child support for an adult?"
• "Do I need to set goals for my divorce, or will my lawyer do that for me?"
• "Every month my ex is late with his child support payment. Should I withhold visitation from him until he smartens up?"