The dissolution of a marriage can be incredibly complex and painful. As the largest family law firm south of Los Angeles, the legal team of Beatrice Snider prides itself on bringing order to chaos in times of emotional upheaval.

The expertise of Snider's staff is considerable: Many have more than 30 years' experience in family law, and five are Certified Family Law Specialists. Beatrice Snider was one of the first lawyers to be certified by the California State Bar in this specialty. Her firm deals with a vast array of issues such as divorce, annulment, property distribution, spousal support, child support, custody and visitation, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, legal separation agreements, domestic partnership issues and cohabitation agreements.

Using a collaborative, problem-solving approach, Snider's team is able to resolve 95 percent of cases before trial. "Trial is a very formal way of dealing with family law issues," explains Snider. "It is the ultimate tiebreaker or arbitrator of a dispute, but it is definitely not the best process for resolving the complex issues involved in a family law matter."

Snider's firm also specializes in divorce cases that involve a family business. As chairperson for the subcommittee of Certified Family Law Specialists, Snider helped to write the current guidelines for determining the value and division of a family business in divorce. These guidelines have been adopted by the Superior Court and are used by all the family law courts in San Diego.

What sets Snider's team apart from other firms is its combination of expertise and compassion. "To be able to transfer from an intact marriage to co-parenting and separate financial lives, you need to have support from your lawyers in a positive, constructive, collaborative way," she explains. "What we do is assist and support our clients in developing a positive attitude and plan toward the future in terms of how to share the children, allocate the income and divide assets while minimizing the fear." Snider adds, "It's a difficult chapter in someone's life, but it's not the end of the story. A client's legal team should be a positive force in that transition.".