About Us
Over 40 Years of Family Law Practice Experience
In 2011, the Law Offices of Brandmeyer, Stanton & Dockstader merged with Gilligan Law Corporation to form Brandmeyer Gilligan & Dockstader, LLP (BGD). And in 2014, BGD obtained Kathy Tomeo’s esteemed practice. Ms. Tomeo worked at the Law Offices of Roy A. Hoff, Inc. for 36 years. Combining top-notch litigators with experts in non-litigation alternatives, BGD emerges as one of the most well-rounded firms in the family law practice area in Southern California.
As the largest family law firm in the greater South Bay area, Brandmeyer Gilligan & Dockstader, LLP (BGD) has the dedication and experience required to handle every type of family law matter. Specializing in complex family matters, BGD has a staff of eight attorneys. From litigation to mediation to collaborative divorce, BGD has a proven track record of favorably resolving client cases through skilled representation and strong advocacy.
The firm handles a range of matters, including marital dissolution and separation, child custody and visitation disputes, division of property/business valuation, child and spousal support, paternity disputes, pre-and post-nuptial agreements, domestic partnerships and domestic violence.
While most family law firms are small, our eight-attorney firm has the resources to attend to all of our clients’ needs. For clients who prefer to resolve their matters outside of court, we have attorneys who specialize in non-litigation alternatives, such as divorce mediation and divorce collaborative. For cases that can only be handled in court, our litigation attorneys are highly skilled at negotiating settlements and producing positive trial outcomes, particularly in high-conflict cases.
Approaching to Resolving Family Law Issues
When dissolving a marriage or modifying orders, a client has a number of options to consider. Identified below are the alternative methods available in resolving family law issues. Brandmeyer Gilligan & Dockstader, LLP offers a comprehensive range of legal services to address our clients’ family law issues from traditional litigation, to collaborative services, to mediation services, or a hybrid of these methods.
Divorce Litigation
Litigation is the traditional divorce process where both parties hire attorneys who provide legal advice and represent their client in negotiations and court hearings. Each attorney advocates positions based on the personal wants, needs and viewpoints of their client. The process may involve the use of formal legal procedures, known as “discovery,” to obtain financial and other relevant information.
Collaborative Divorce
The goal of Collaborative Practice is to come to a mutually acceptable, negotiated settlement between two parties without the threat of going to court. In this practice, each of the parties retain their own collaborative attorney who will gather information, provide education on rights, responsibilities and options, and negotiate on their behalf.
Divorce Mediation
Divorce Mediation is a voluntary process through which you make decisions together with your spouse based on an understanding of your views, your spouse’s views, and the reality you face. A divorce mediator facilitates your discussions but does not give advice or make decisions. The divorce mediator may, however, make suggestions as to how the various disputed issues can be resolved and what the process would be if the matter were litigated.