We survived “National Divorce Day,” which is typically the first Monday back to work after the holidays. Family law attorneys universally tend to see a spike in inquiries on “Divorce Day” and throughout the month of January, also known as “Divorce Month.” Our team has been working diligently to attend to the increase in new inquiries, as well as to assist our active clients. 

We are pleased to be kicking off 2023 with two phenomenal new employees!

We are honored and delighted to announce the appointment of Constance L. Carpenter as Of Counsel. 

Ms. Carpenter joins HK following an astounding 40 years at Carpenter and Mayfield, LLP. She has been practicing family law in Santa Clara County for more than four decades and has handled over 1,000 family law cases

pertaining to divorce, property valuation and division, child custody and support, spousal support, same sex and blended family custody issues, and domestic violence. She has become one of the region’s preeminent expert in minor’s counsel cases where she is routinely appointed by the court to advocate for the best interest of children involved in contentious custody matters.

A former Trustee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, Ms. Carpenter has received special recognition from the Pro Bono Project of Santa Clara County and Legal Advocates for Children and Youth (LACY). She is also a member of the National Association of Counsel for Children and has been a member of the National Lawyers Guild since 1972. She currently serves as Board Chair of the Domestic Violence Intervention Collaborative (DVIC) and has been named to the Northern California Super Lawyers List 2022 & 2023, among many other accolades.

Welcome aboard, Constance!

We are also very excited to announce the appointment of Lana M. Shearer as Of Counsel.

Ms. Shearer brings over 20 years of legal experience to HK. She is a Certified Family Law Specialist and has dedicated over 13 years to assisting couples navigate

the separation and divorce process. As a trained Mediator and Collaborative Divorce Practitioner, she has handled family law matters with a coordinated and educational approach, and ensures her clients are well informed throughout the divorce process.

Ms. Shearer serves by invitation from the Judiciary as Judge Pro Tem in Sacramento County. Her experience and extensive mediation and collaborative skills make her a valuable addition to our diverse team of 22 family law attorneys.

Welcome aboard, Lana!

On January 14th, Elaine Le, Senior Associate, was featured as a guest on The Divorce Hour Talk Radio show with Ilyssa Panitz. In the interview, Elaine discussed the ins and outs of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements in California.

On January 22nd, Ernest A. Baello returned as a guest on The Divorce Hour Talk Radio show with Ilyssa Panitz. Ernest reviewed considerations when relocating with children during a divorce in California and how this may affect spousal and child support.

Thank you, Ilyssa Pantiz and CRN Digital Radio, for the opportunity to discuss these topics. If you missed the live shows, replays are available via podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify.

Over the past decade, HK has been actively involved with ProVisors, a professional networking organization focused on legal, business, financial and real state services. On January 19th, we hosted approximately 45 ProVisors members for an in-person happy hour. Thank you to our trusted advisors and referral partners who came by to enjoy an evening of billiards, sushi and camaraderie.

Each January, the Santa Clara County Bar Association presents an Installment Ceremony to welcome its incoming Board of Trustees. A few of us attended this year’s program. We had the opportunity to mingle with our fellow SCCBA members, as well as to witness the Honorable Beth McGowen swear in this year’s SCCBA Board of Trustees. Congratulations to incoming SCCBA President, Richard Schramm and to our own Andrea J. Justo, who was sworn in as President Elect. Andrea’s term will commence on January 1, 2024.

On January 23, HK sponsored the Santa Clara County Estate Planning Council luncheon. The SCCEPC is a networking and continuing education organization for members involved in estate planning.

Thanks to our colleagues at Next Door Solutions, we were able to offer each attendee a gift bag with extra cosmetics that were donated by Nordstrom. Michelle Hoover, Director of Community Relations, reminded the audience of Next Door Solutions’ new Legacy Society which offers planned charitable giving, and a recap of NDS estate planning programs.

Congratulations to our raffle winner, Sabrina M. Johnson of The Law Office of Sabrina M. Johnson on walking away with the $100 cash prize!

Considering our recent hiring of Constance Carpenter as Of Counsel, we found it appropriate to feature Domestic Violence Intervention Collaborative in this month’s Community Spotlight. Constance serves as the Chair of the Board at DVIC, a non-profit organization that focuses on collaborative responses to those facing domestic violence. DVIC provides a variety of services, programs, and collaborations with the court and community partners to help create awareness and to address the needs of domestic violence survivors. DVIC has support groups that offer victims the chance to meet with licensed therapists on a weekly basis. Individual therapy sessions are also offered with licensed therapists who specialize in trauma.   

Since 2005, the DVIC has continued to put efforts into promoting adult and child safety. Your tax-deductible donations are needed, please click here and/or contact Constance Carpenter for more ways to get involved.

We look forward to making a positive difference in 2023, and to creating a memorable year with our team, clients, community, and referral network.

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