Family Law Specialist
Hon. Susan Lopez-Giss (Ret.) joined ADR Services, Inc. in 2022 after 15 years of distinguished service as a Judge of the Los Angeles Superior Court.
After graduating from Loyola Law School, Judge Lopez-Giss joined the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, where she served 30 years as a prosecutor and later Assistant City Attorney. She developed a groundbreaking domestic violence prosecution program that was implemented statewide, only one of such programs in the country at the time. She was instrumental in drafting a domestic violence prosecution manual, filing guidelines, and restraining order statutes, and helped train law enforcement and medical personnel across the country. Judge Lopez-Giss developed guidelines for the handling of child abuse and child sexual abuse and served on interagency councils that addressed child abuse and neglect that included training for mandatory reporting. She also reviewed and personally oversaw the prosecution of hundreds of such cases. For her pioneering work developing these programs, Judge Lopez-Giss was presented with a Resolution by the Mayor and the Los Angeles City Council.
Compassionate Legal Services for Family Law Mediator
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
- Business & Contract: breach of contract; bankruptcy matters; bond issuances; fraud
- Family Law: parentage; custody; visitation; child and spousal support; business valuation
- Government & Statutory Interpretation: California False Claims Act litigation; government contracts; Federal Energy Commission; California Public Utility Code; water rights issues; rate structures; government tort liability; government energy environmental law
- Property and Neighbor Disputes: boundary disputes; property damage; nuisance
- Personal Injury: sexual abuse; domestic violence; harassment
FAMILY LAW EXPERTISE
- Parentage Cases
- Custody: move-away; abuse allegations; parental alienation; educational issues (including psychological, developmental, emotional, socialization); medical issues; co-parenting failures
- Visitation: allocation of time; distance; best interests determinations
- Child and Spousal Support: imputation of income; allegations of hidden assets
- Business Valuation: sole ownership, partnerships, corporations; entertainment industry: bonuses vs. loans; real estate, rental income; depreciation vs. actual assets