ROBBINS
FAMILY
LAW
A certified specialist in matters of divorce, child support, and custody.
Family Law is our sole focus
Based in San Francisco, Robbins Family Law offers full representation in all aspects of family law including divorce, custody and support. Our firm is led by Kelly Robbins who has practiced family law exclusively since 1996, with over 20 years of trial and courtroom experience, including the sought-after designation of Certified Family Law Specialist from the State Bar of California.
OUR APPROACH
PRACTICE: All Aspects of family law
Dissolution
In matters of divorce, we possess unique experience in resolving complex issues from disputed financial arrangements and assets including business valuation, real estate ownership and ‘move-away’ custody cases. While mediation is a viable option for some cases, hearings and trial are often required to advocate the client’s best interests most effectively.
Robbins Family Law offers full representation in all aspects of family law including divorce, custody and support. The firm is led by Kelly Robbins, a practitioner with over 20 years of trial and courtroom experience, who has practiced family law exclusively since 1996. Ms. Robbins has the sought-after designation of Certified Family Law Specialist from the State Bar of California. Robbins Family Law is also available to handle pre-marital or post-marital agreements, paternity and palimony cases.
Custody
Robbins Family Law has successfully managed cases involving both initial custody arrangements as well as subsequent modifications of custody orders. The court looks to the “best interests” of the child in these matters. The timeshare that each parent has with the children often impacts other aspects of a case, including support and property division. Thorough understanding of the Court’s goals helps us resolve issues effectively and with as little conflict as possible.
Support
We represent our clients in matters of support for both children and spouses, from initial orders through appropriate modifications. Our knowledge of the complex factors associated with imputed income, earning capacity and interim spousal support through final orders, enables us to secure equitable support arrangements for our clients.
SPOUSAL SUPPORT
ATTORNEYS
Experience Counts
Kelly Robbins,
Principal Attorney
Kelly Robbins is a Family Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California. Family and divorce law have been her sole focus for eighteen years with an emphasis on high-asset property division and support. She has experience handling business valuations, asset tracing, and complex custody issues, including international jurisdictional cases.
Ms. Robbins was initially selected as a “Super Lawyer” in 2010 and continues to maintain this distinction. That same year, Robbins Family Law was honored as one of the top two family law firms in the Bay Area by the Recorder Legal Newspaper Readers' Survey.
Ms. Robbins has taught MCLE and other certification-based family law seminars. She assists the San Francisco Superior Court as a volunteer meeting the needs of self-represented litigants. As an additional public service, she serves as Settlement Master for the Court's Mandatory Settlement Conferences. Kelly has also trained and served as Judge Pro Tem for the San Francisco Superior Court Family Law Division.
Ms. Robbins received her J.D. from the University of San Francisco School of Law and her B.A. from San Francisco State University. The latter honored her as “Alumna of the Year” for The Political Science Department in 2011.
In addition to being a past President of both the Queens Bench Bar Association and California Women Lawyers, Ms. Robbins was also elected to the Family Law Section Executive Committee of the State Bar (FLEXCOM) in 2017. In 2019 Ms. Robbins joined the board of directors of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists.
"Kelly Robbins recently represented me through a difficult divorce from an aggressive husband who is an accomplished litigator and attorney. Kelly was highly effective - professional, responsive, knowledgeable and thoroughly prepared at every step of this process. She was also patient, kind and compassionate with me, respectful of the mixed feelings I had as we worked through a difficult and emotional time, unearthed a mountain of documentation, and confronted an angry and intimidating opponent. I derived strength from Kelly as I knew I had a strong, unwavering, and talented ally at my side. Her calm, steadiness, and persistence with our mediator, experts, and my husband's aggression diffused multiple difficult situations and helped resolve our divorce quickly and fairly. I highly recommend Kelly!"
-Kate, client in 2016
Matthew Huelsenbeck,
Associate Attorney
Matthew Huelsenbeck is an associate attorney at Robbins Family Law.
After graduating with a B.A. in both economics and history, Matthew worked as a legal assistant here at Robbins Family Law. After working at Robbins Family Law for over a year, Matthew left to attend University of California, Davis School of Law.
During law school, Matthew worked as a family law extern for Judge Dabel at the San Mateo Superior Court, Family Law Division. There, he developed an appreciation for what goes into judicial decision-making. During his second and third years of law school, Matthew worked at an estate-planning firm where he drafted trusts.
After earning his J.D., Matthew returned to Robbins Family Law. Matthew is adept at drafting motions, drafting settlement agreements, and conducting legal research. More than anything, Matthew enjoys working face-to-face with clients to help them navigate the daunting process of divorce.
PROCESS
What to Expect
We understand the process of divorce can be challenging for our clients. While every case is unique, we’ve found a little knowledge about the aspects of divorce proceedings related to property division helps make it more understandable and manageable. A few ideas about preparation, the process and settlement are below to help you get a feel for what to expect.
Preparation
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Before filing a dissolution action, gather information which may not be as easily accessible later. This might include credit card and retirement account statements, investment account statements not in your name, and all documents related to valuation of assets or debts.
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Consider the timing of a separation and the filing. The State of California uses the formal date of separation as the cut off for community earnings and also community debt. Many factors come into play regarding these concepts, but it benefits a client to discuss issues before filing so that adequate consideration can be given.
Process
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The process starts with the pleadings: the Petitioner files the action and has the other spouse, the Respondent, served with the Petition.
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The process then moves into property division. Property division is the central occupation of divorce and involves gathering financial documentation to comply with state law. The law requires full disclosure of all information about both community and separate property assets and debts. Note the law requires disclosures to be “current” but because many items are divided as of the date of separation a client should take care to have information about both time periods available. Legal methods exist to formally request information either from the other spouse, or third parties such as financial institutions.
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This aspect of the process can take up to several months, depending upon the complexity of a case. Business valuations can be time consuming, for example, as can tax issues.
Settlement or Court Resolution
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After each party has reviewed the disclosures provided by the other, global settlement discussions can take place. Some matters are resolved quickly with simple written agreements, such as dividing a bank account, while others require more research and negotiation. Often parties can resolve all but a particular issue, in which case that issue can be segregated and submitted to the court for resolution and thereby conclude the case.
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Final settlement can take several weeks or longer, depending on the issues.
There are, of course, numerous unique considerations related to divorce, custody and support matters. We have extensive experience with both the law and the trends within the courts, which enables us to be an effective advocate for your interests. With any questions about the process don’t hesitate to contact us at 415-788-5400 or admin@robbinsfamilylaw.com.
Contact
We welcome your call or email to discuss your situation, in strict confidence.
Tell Us About Your Situation
Robbins Family Law
388 Market Street, Suite 920
San Francisco, California
94111
Tel. 1 (415) 788-5400
Fax 1 (415) 788-5455
Kelly Robbins, Principal: kelly@robbinsfamilylaw.com
Administrative Assistant: admin@robbinsfamilylaw.com