Family Law Attorneys in San Francisco, California
Debra Schoenberg's long and distinguished career has been exclusively dedicated to the practice of family law. More than 25 years ago, she established Schoenberg and Associates, a successful practice which evolved into the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C.. Her firm has gained vast experience and expertise in this highly sensitive and complex area of practice, and Ms. Schoenberg has established a professional reputation for thoroughness, strategic thinking, keen attention to detail, loyalty and dedication to client service.
Today Ms. Schoenberg handles cases for her family law clients in San Francisco and the Bay area that range from complex financial issues and extensive marital estates, to high conflict custody matters. Adept at negotiating resolutions as well as aggressively pursuing litigated outcomes, she also handles straightforward family law cases, pre- and post-marital agreements and marital settlements.
Long recognized as a leading family law attorney, Ms. Schoenberg is a frequent lecturer in family law. In recognition of her work she was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She is also a Certified Family Law Trial Specialist by the State of California Board of Legal Specialization and a Board Certified Family Law Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. As the result of an extensive and confidential review by members of the Bar, she has been repeatedly listed in the Directory of Super Lawyers.
When not practicing law, Ms. Schoenberg sings with the San Francisco Bach Choir and is active in her temple, in addition to participating in a wide range of professional and community organizations.
Ms. Schoenberg can be reached at dschoenberg@sflg.com.
Sheila Bari
Sheila Bari graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2002, where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Sociology, with Honors. Upon graduation from UCLA, Sheila worked as a paralegal at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and coached a girls' lacrosse league. Sheila attended law school at Santa Clara University and was admitted to the California Bar in December 2008. While at law school, she law clerked for three years at McManis Faulkner, a general civil litigation and family law firm, in San Jose, California. After law school, Sheila moved to New York City, passed the New York State Bar exam and worked at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), primarily on large class action cases. Sheila moved back to California in 2009 and practiced family and civil litigation, gaining substantial courtroom experience in multiple counties in the Bay Area. Sheila is especially passionate about family law and joined Schoenberg Family Law Group in August 2010.
Katie Burke
Katie Burke brings nine years of family law practice to Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. After earning her Master of Counseling degree from Arizona State University in 1999, Katie attended the University of San Francisco School of Law, graduating with her J.D. and passing the California State Bar in 2002.
Katie practiced in San Francisco family law firms until June 2006, when she launched a solo family law practice, dividing her time equally between private practice and the San Francisco Family Law Court minor's counsel panel, through which she represented children in their parents' custody and visitation disputes.
Katie is also a creative nonfiction writer. Her passions for writing and child development took her to Africa three times between 2009 and 2010, to help Kenyan and South African children write and share their personal stories. This led to a one-year writing and editorial contract with Google, for which Katie closed her solo practice in March 2011, to report tech blog news about Google to its Sales Staffing recruiters worldwide, and edit persuasive documents that recruiters prepared for executive review.
Katie joined the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. in 2012. Katie extends compassion to her clients and delivers zealous advocacy, operating at a high level to preserve her clients' dignity throughout their family law proceedings.
Katie is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco's Family Law Section and the Domestic Violence Committee of Queen's Bench Women's Bar Association. She occasionally writes family law articles for Nolo, a California publisher of legal books and software for self-represented litigants, and reports on civil appellate cases for Trial Insider, a daily online legal news source.
Katie was named on Super Lawyers’ 2011 and 2013 “Rising Star” lists, for peer-rated top attorneys under forty who have practiced for ten or fewer years.
Jennifer L. Knops 
Jennifer L. Knops began working for the Schoenberg Family Law Group (formerly Schoenberg & Associates) in May 2002. At that time Jennifer was completing her undergraduate education, graduating in May 2003 with a B.A. in Philosophy and a minor in Speech and Communications. While an undergraduate, Jennifer was a member of the Lawrence Debate Union and was named a national All-American Debate Team member.
Jennifer was a paralegal with the Schoenberg Family Law Group until August 2006, when she left to attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jennifer returned to the practice after her first year in law school to work as a Summer Associate, and continued as a "remote" Associate during her second year. During her third year at Pitt Law, Jennifer was a Certified Legal Intern in the health law clinic, representing clients in guardianship and social security matters. Jennifer gained appellate experience through her work in the clinic and by being twice selected to represent Pitt Law at the national health law moot court competition. She recently received a favorable decision on a denial of Medicare coverage appeal she worked on while in the clinic. In a recent article, the New York Times highlighted this case and its potential positive impact on Medicare policies. Jennifer also co-developed and co-founded a new practicum at Pitt Law, known as Street Law: Health and Human Rights. Jennifer graduated in May 2009, whereupon she was awarded a Certificate of Advanced Study in Health Law (Health and Human Rights, Bioethics) and was inducted into the Order of Barristers.
After completing law school, Jennifer re-joined the Schoenberg Family Law Group as an Associate. She is admitted to practice law in the State of California. Jennifer is a member of the San Francisco division of the National Lawyer's Guild and the San Francisco Bar Association.
Nancy Lawlor
Ms. Lawlor brings her nearly 15 years' experience as a litigation attorney to the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C.. She graduated from the Golden Gate School of Law in 1998, where she focused on litigation "with honors." Ms. Lawlor thereafter clerked with the San Francisco Federal Public Defenders' Office for a year, prior to practicing civil litigation in a small firm for five years, where she specialized in small business litigation, landlord-tenant law, and probate litigation. She always had a strong desire to practice family law and, during her tenure at the civil litigation firm, Ms. Lawlor began taking on family law cases. Her passion for family law ignited, Ms. Lawlor and a partner founded a law firm in Oakland, California in 2007, at which she limited her practice to family law matters. In addition to being well-versed in the drafting of family law pleadings, motions, and agreements, Ms. Lawlor has experience with appellate argument, mediation, short and long cause family law hearings, and trials.
Ms. Lawlor grew up in New York teaching sailing on the Great South Bay. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Philosophy with honors from Wheaton College, a women’s college in New England. She is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF). In her spare time she and her partner care for their active toddler, as well as teaching self-defense as a second degree black belt in a rare Indonesian art, Poekoelan Tjimindie Tulen.
Tari Quinn
Tari Quinn has been practicing law since she was admitted to the California Bar in December 1997 following her graduation from the University of San Francisco School of Law, with honors. While in law school Tari received CALI awards for excellence in Community Property and California Land Use. She earned her bachelors' degree in Rhetoric and Communications from the University of California at Davis, where she graduated with honors and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
Tari has been practicing family law since 2004. She also has extensive experience in estate planning. Tari brings her passion and experience for family law to the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C., where her primary goal is to provide efficient service to her clients without sacrificing quality.
Miho Takarada 
Ms. Takarada was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1999. She graduated from San Jose State University with an undergraduate degree in Economics and a master's degree in Administration of Justice. She attended McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Ms. Takarada has a strong background in family law, estate planning and civil litigation, including conducting trials with favorable judgments for her clients. She also has experience in corporate law in Tokyo, Japan. Ms. Takarada enjoys working with clients and prides herself on being very responsive to her clients' needs during this difficult state in their lives. In addition to be being an attorney, Ms. Takarada is "mom" to her now three year old son.
Stephanie K. Decker
Stephanie K. Decker joined Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. as the firm's financial paralegal. Stephanie brings compassion and patience in assisting clients in preparation of their financial disclosures. Stephanie possesses a wealth of knowledge in Family Law disclosure laws and practice, from local court rules to the state appellate process, which help enables her to efficiently assist clients and attorneys with the preparation of disclosure documents and other financial analysis. Stephanie attended San Francisco State University's ABA approved paralegal certificate program. Thereafter, she was the first paralegal in the state to be approved by the California Attorney General's Office to intern for an Administrative Law Judge. Stephanie lives in Marin and is a dedicated parent to two children and is active in her community.
Jennifer M. Kennedy
Jennifer M. Kennedy brings her over six years of experience and expertise as a Family Law paralegal to the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C., which she joined in April 2012. Jennifer has a passion for helping clients navigate some of the most difficult times in their lives with dignity and grace. She is compassionate, sharp, understanding, and is an excellent liason between client and attorney.
A Bay Area native, Jennifer earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina-Aiken and her paralegal certificate from California State University-East Bay. She moved to San Diego in 2006 to start her paralegal career and spent more than 5 years fine-tuning and expanding her capabilities in Family Law at Raskin & Tee Attorneys at Law and The Law Office of Lugar & Pohl. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys relaxing with friends and family, running, reading and being outdoors as much as possible.
Heather Salazar 
Heather Salazar brings her 15 years' experience as a family law paralegal to the Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C.. She graduated in 1996 from the paralegal program at Northwestern California School of Law, whereupon she was awarded her Paralegal Certificate. Since that time, Heather has worked almost exclusively in the area of family law and has continued her paralegal education in this field. Heather is experienced in assisting with a myriad of family law matters and is well-versed in all stages of the litigation process. She is adept at acting as a liaison between client and attorney. Heather is a mother, step-mother and wife and is able to draw upon her life experience to caringly connect with clients in what can be an emotional time while helping clients remain focused on the progression of their cases through the legal system.
Renee Soto-Johnson 
Ms. Soto-Johnson joined Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. as a paralegal in January 2010. Prior to joining Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C., Soto-Johnson worked as a Family Law Legal Secretary/Paralegal since 2001. Ms. Soto-Johnson attended Las Positas College and majored in Administration to Justice/Criminal Law. She was also a part of the woman’s competitive soccer team for two years at Las Positas College.
For more information about our attorneys, please click on the links below:
Attorneys:
- Debra R. Schoenberg
- Sheila Bari
- Katie Burke
- Jennifer L. Knops
- Nancy N. Lawlor
- Tari Quinn
- Miho Takarada
Paralegals:
