The DeCarolis Family Law Group has selected a unique team of experts in their field to create a firm that is professional with 80 years of legal and litigation experience to represent the best interests of our clients.
Patrick decarolis jr
Partner
Patrick DeCarolis, Jr., a certified family law specialist, has been practicing law for more than 40 years. Early on in his career, he was associated with Manley Freid and Paul Caruso, and opened his own family law practice in 1982. In 1997, he was a founding partner in DeCarolis & Trope, which merged in 2001 with Trope and Trope, becoming Trope & DeCarolis in 2007. DeCarolis has served as a Judge pro tem in the Los Angeles Superior Court in Santa Monica and Van Nuys. DeCarolis has served as a member of the Mediation Panel for the Family Law departments in the Central and West districts. He was trial and appellate counsel in the international move-away case Condon v. Cooper. He is also an editorial consultant for Matthew Bender and has contributed to the Rutter Group in its family law publication.
Dan barbakow
Lawyer
Daniel R. Barbakow, a graduate of California Western Law School, has been licensed to practice in California since 1973. He has been a member of many local bar associations and was a Super Lawyer for several years. While his focus is family law, his eclectic legal background separates him from most family law attorneys. His legal background includes extensive experience in real estate matters, both transactional and litigation, probate and probate litigation, general business matters and business litigation. As a family law attorney, he represents high net-worth individuals in all aspects of the practice.
CLARISSA LOPEZ
Lawyer
Clarissa Lopez received her Bachelor’s Degree with honors from University of California, Santa Barbara and received her law degree from University of California, Los Angeles. Lopez previously worked with non-profit organizations, criminal prosecutors and political advocacy groups before she began practicing family law exclusively in 2002. She has advised and represented clients in all aspects of family law such as dissolution of marriages and domestic partnerships, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, division of assets and other financial claims with the occasional related detour into civil and probate law.
melissa fresquez
Lawyer
Melissa Fresquez is an experienced attorney who has practiced family law exclusively since 2001. She has a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Irvine and received her law degree from University of Southern California. Upon graduation from law school, Fresquez worked as a non-profit attorney representing victims of domestic violence, and then began practicing family law in a private setting. She has represented clients in many divorce and family court proceedings including dissolution, paternity matters, restraining orders, and all aspects of family law including child support, spousal support, custody and the division of marital estates; ranging from simple to complex matters. Fresquez is a volunteer with the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law and is fluent in Spanish.
dani seales
Paralegal
corinne gillespy
Paralegal
tracy bowsman
Paralegal