When Beatrice Snider moved to Berkeley, California from Gothenburg, Sweden, when she was 10, the school district gave her a vocational aptitude test that determined she should become a forest ranger or a lawyer.

Years later, Snider—whose mother's strong beliefs in truth, justice and the American way brought the family to the States—runs the largest family law firm south of Los Angeles. Snider's firm is known for its expertise in business division in divorce, which includes characterizing the business as a community or separate property, valuation of the business and division of the business. They current local rule for division of business in divorce, which has been touted by the CPA Association across California, came out of the Certified Family Law Specialist committee that Snider chaired.

"Lawyers should be experts at bringing order to chaos during a divorce," says Snider, who has owned her own firm since 1974. "It's nobody's fault their life, family and finances are in chaos. They need competent counsel leading them through this chaos."

Snider and her team of eight lawyers and total staff of 26 have become advocates for the whole family during a divorce, especially the children.

"I'm concerned about the kids who are in their teens when child support ends at age 18," says Snider, who was in the first graduating class of attorneys certified by the State Bar in family law. "What kids can support themselves at age 18 in this society?"

Snider's firm also recommends vocational evaluation services to help women going through a divorce reenter the modern job market.

"At least you have an analysis of your aptitudes and interests," Snider says. "Your likelihood of success in a career is going to be much better."

Snider, who earned her law degree from California Western School of Law, says family law is so important she isn't even thinking about retirement.

"It's not the money; it's the sense of making a difference and filling a need. Law is a wonderful method of running a society. Look at what we're learning in Iraq. Without a fair and functional legal system, a society doesn't work."