John N. Griffith, CFLS
John Griffith, CFLS
John Griffith has practiced exclusively in the area of family law since 2009. Prior to opening Griffith, Young & Lass, he worked as the managing partner of one of the largest family law firms in North County San Diego. John's local family law...
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Catie E. Young, Esq.
Catie Young, Esq.
San Diego family lawyer Catie Young has a wide range of litigation experience. She has worked in civil litigation, business litigation, white-collar criminal defense, juvenile dependency and national security clearance law.
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Amy J. Lass, CFLS
Amy Lass, Esq.
Amy Lass was born in New York and raised in San Diego, California. Amy graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2003 with a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Enterprise Accounting.
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Shirin Asgari, Esq.
Attorney Shirin Asgari has a broad spectrum legal experience and has handled matters in family law, criminal law, business law, and national security law. Shirin focuses on family law matters and is a strong advocate for the rights of her clients. She dedicates time and attention to the needs of each client and the unique circumstances their case presents.
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Jeffrey Wittliff, Esq.
Jeffrey Wittliff graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with bachelor's degrees in both Economics and Government, before attending California Western School of Law where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, near the top of his class.
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Eric Cowdery, Esq.
Eric Cowdery was admitted to the California Bar Association in 2013, and has been working diligently in the field for 5 years. Eric takes a personalized approach to each case, working with clients to help them through the sometimes confusing and complex legal process of divorce.
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Lia Siganporia, Esq.
Lia Siganporia has assisted the attorneys at Griffith, Young & Lass with many cases, and has experience with various family law issues, including dissolution of marriage, child custody and visitation, move-away requests, child support, spousal support, property and asset division, and domestic violence restraining orders.
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Alternatives to Trial
Post Divorce Modifications
Mother's Rights
How Child Custody is Determined
Move Away Child Custody Cases
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High Asset Property Division
Family Law Glossary
Does it Matter Who Files First?
What to Bring to Your First Meeting with an Attorney
How to Keep Your Costs Down in a Divorce
Top 5 Mistakes Clients Make
What to Expect at Trial
Divorce and Taxes
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Griffith, Young & Lass, APC
Proudly serving family law clients in divorce, child custody and child support matters throughout San Diego North County including Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, Escondido, Encinitas, La Costa, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, San Marcos, San Elijo Hills, La Jolla, City of San Diego, El Cajon and Chula Vista.
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The divorce process begins when you or your spouse files a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the Superior Court in San Diego County (or wherever the appropriate jurisdiction is). You can do this yourself, or we can do this for you.
Once it is filed with the court, the spouse who is served with the divorce/dissolution petition is called the "respondent" or "defendant" in the divorce/dissolution process. He or she must respond to ("answer") the petition within 30 days.
Assuming your spouse responds, the two of you will exchange information about assets, debts, property and other relevant items. If you both can agree on how to divide up your assets and debts, along with child custody and support, you won't need a trial. But if you two can't agree, you will need to have a court hearing.
If your spouse doesn't respond, the case will proceed anyway. The petitioner, or the one asking for the divorce, requests orders from the court regarding the division of property and attorney's fees and, when appropriate, alimony, custody, visitation and child support. In this situation, the divorce will become final six months and one day after the respondent is served.)
Mediation is a less expensive and faster alternative to a litigated, contested divorce. If both parties are willing to work together to arrive at a settlement, mediation is the recommended route. Legal counsel (one attorney) will help both parties understand the often complicated legal jargon, and ensure the divorce process goes as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Temporary hearings are designed to resolve issues that may come up while the divorce is pending. These situations include:
Temporary custody arrangements
Temporary support/maintenance stipulations
Injunctions against financial assets and stipulations of asset usage
Protections against harassment and domestic violence
Similar to mediation, the Judicial Hosted Settlement Conference, is designed to help both parties come to a mutual agreement without needing to proceed to litigation (court). This is especially helpful for cases that have reached an impasse where both parties are unable to come to an agreement, and a judge can provide helpful guidance on the legal proceedings that would follow if an agreement cannot be made. If both parties are unable to come to an agreement, the case typically proceeds to a trial.
If your case goes to trial, your attorney and your soon-to-be ex's attorney will present evidence and make arguments before the judge. Then, the judge will rule on any unresolved issues. If it's necessary to go to court, we will want to be as prepared as we can be, so we can get you the best result possible.