Michael John Apicella

I've always had a passion for law and justice. As such, I gave up a business career in my mid thirties to obtain a law degree. I graduated from law school in 2001. While in school, I received multiple awards and honors, including top 5% of my class in the first year, as well as a merit scholarship. I received special training in trial work, earning certificates in litigation, public interest law, and mediation. My law practice began in commercial litigation, where I had certain aptitudes and strengths due to my business background. However, given my desire to help individuals (rather than corporations), I became attracted to family law. My practice now focuses primarily on mediating family matters, such as divorce, custody, visitation, child and spousal support, paternity, etc. I also draft prenuptial and cohabitation agreements. I've helped many couples, even the highly acrimonious, resolve their issues without ever having to step inside a courtroom. Before becoming a lawyer, I gained over a decade of business experience in real estate, insurance, finance, and banking. I am a former California licensed insurance broker, and still hold a California real estate license. My background and experience provides unique insight when handling clients' divorce issues, for instance, establishing accurate income for support purposes, valuing and dividing a family business, tracing community and separate property funds, allocating debts, among other issues. Such broad understanding of financial issues has proven helpful for my clients. Additionally, because I truly care about my clients, I fully understand the issues that they go through during their divorce. I approach each case with dedication to accomplish my clients' goals, and to do so in a time and cost efficient manner.

Golden Gate University School of Law

J.D. (2001)

Honors: 1L top 10%; CALI Award for Excellence in Research, Writing, and Advocacy; Law Review grade-on candidate; merit scholarship

University of Southern California

B.S. (1993) | Business Administration

Activities: Delta Tau Delta Fraternity

Owner: Attorney at Law

Apicella Law & Mediation Office

2004 - Current

Family law practice, handling all issues, such as divorce, custody, visitation, support, property/debt division, adoption, paternity, etc. We also offer mediation services for all such family law issues. For those not yet married, we draft premarital (prenup) and co-habitation agreements.

Associate Attorney

Kelly, Herlihy & Klein, LLP

2002 - 2004

Insurance defense and commercial litigation.

Litigation

Mediation

ABA

California State Bar  # 225759

Member

2003 - Current

California

Since 2003