Finding a Divorce Lawyer in Pasadena, CA: What You Actually Need to Know

You're sitting in your car in the Trader Joe's parking lot on South Arroyo, looking up divorce lawyers on your phone because you can't bring yourself to do this at home where your spouse might see. Or maybe you're at that Starbucks on Lake Avenue at 6am before work, trying to figure out if you really need to spend five thousand dollars you don't have on some lawyer charging $400 an hour.

I've been there. Not literally, but close enough. That feeling where you're finally admitting this is really happening, and now you've got to figure out the practical stuff while your brain is still catching up to the fact that your marriage is ending.

Pasadena lawyers aren't cheap. This is LA County. Houses in Bungalow Heaven go for over a million bucks now. Everything costs more here. But not every divorce needs a lawyer billing four hundred an hour for three months. And if you and your spouse already agree on how to split everything, paying some attorney ten grand to file paperwork you could do yourself is wasteful.

So here's the actual truth about divorce lawyers in Pasadena—when you genuinely need one, what they really cost, how to find someone decent, and when you're better off just handling it yourself.

Do You Even Need a Lawyer?

Okay, straight up: maybe not.

Most people think you have to hire a lawyer to get divorced. Like it's required by law or something. California doesn't care. You can file your own paperwork, show up to court if you need to, handle the whole thing without ever paying an attorney a dime.

But just because you can doesn't mean it's smart.

You probably need a lawyer if:

You've got kids and you can't agree on custody. I don't mean you're having a little disagreement about whether Wednesdays or Thursdays work better. I mean one of you wants full custody and the other is terrified of losing their kids. Child custody in California is no joke. Judges take this seriously. If you mess this up, you're stuck with it for years, or you're back in court spending even more money trying to fix what you should've done right the first time.

You own a house or property. Real estate in Pasadena is absolutely bonkers right now. If you bought a Craftsman in Bungalow Heaven five years ago, it's probably worth three times what you paid. That house is likely the biggest asset either of you will ever have. Dividing it wrong could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars. California's community property rules are specific, and if you don't know what you're doing, you'll get screwed.

One of you makes way more money than the other. If there's a big income gap—like one person's pulling six figures at a tech company and the other's making $45k—spousal support is coming up. Whether you're the one paying it or getting it, you want someone who actually knows how LA County judges rule on this stuff.

Your spouse already hired a lawyer. Do not—and I mean do not—try to handle this yourself if your spouse has representation. You're walking into negotiations completely outgunned. Their lawyer knows every trick, every form, every argument. You're Googling "how does community property work" at midnight. It's not a fair fight.

There's a business, stock options, or complicated financial stuff. Tech workers with RSUs, anyone who owns a business, rental properties, Bitcoin you bought in 2017 that's actually worth something now—this stuff is complicated. You need help dividing it properly or you're going to get absolutely destroyed on taxes or valuation.

You don't trust your spouse. If you've got that gut feeling that they're hiding money, lying about what they make, or planning something shady, you need someone who knows how to dig. Lawyers know how to do discovery, subpoena bank records, find accounts you didn't know existed.

There's been domestic violence or abuse. You need legal protection. Restraining orders, supervised visitation, someone who knows how to present evidence to a judge so they actually take it seriously.

You might not need a lawyer if:

You and your spouse agree on absolutely everything. And I mean everything. Not "we'll figure it out" or "we mostly agree." I mean you've sat down, made a list, and you both agree on exactly how the house gets divided, who keeps which car, how you're splitting retirement accounts, all of it.

You don't have kids. Or if you do, you've already worked out a detailed custody schedule and you're both fine with it.

Your assets are straightforward. Maybe you're renting. Maybe you've got some savings, a couple retirement accounts, but nothing super complicated. No businesses, no rental properties, no inheritance that's half yours and half separate property.

You can actually talk to each other without it becoming World War III. You don't have to like each other. You don't have to be friends. But you need to be able to have a conversation about paperwork without someone storming out or refusing to respond.

Even if you're sure you don't need a lawyer, spending $200-$300 to sit down with one for a consultation is probably smart. They'll tell you if you're missing something big or if what you think is a fair agreement is actually you getting totally screwed under California law.

What Divorce Lawyers Cost in Pasadena (The Numbers That'll Make You Sick)

Alright, let's rip the band-aid off.

Hourly rates in Pasadena: $300-$500 per hour

I know. I felt the same way when I first saw it.

Downtown Pasadena lawyers, the ones with offices near the courthouse on Walnut Street, they're charging $350-$500 an hour. South Pasadena, Altadena, you might find someone at $300-$450. You could maybe find a newer lawyer at $250 if you really look, but they're going to be less experienced.

But here's the thing nobody tells you upfront—the hourly rate is just the beginning.

You also pay a retainer. That's money you give them up front that they put in a special account and bill against. Usually $3,000 to $10,000. Think of it like a down payment, except this money actually gets spent.

Every single thing your lawyer does comes out of that retainer. They read an email from you? That's billing. Probably minimum of 15 minutes even if it took them two minutes to read it. At $400 an hour, that's $100 just to read your email about whether you should keep the Prius.

Phone call that lasts ten minutes? They're billing a quarter hour minimum. That's $100-$125 for a ten-minute phone call where they basically said "let me think about it and get back to you."

Court hearing that lasts maybe forty-five minutes? Your lawyer is billing you for four hours. Because that includes the time they spent preparing, the time driving to the courthouse and finding parking (which in Pasadena is its own nightmare), sitting around waiting for your case to be called, then driving back. Four hours at $400 is $1,600. For a forty-five minute hearing.

The retainer runs out faster than you think. Way faster. And then you get a letter—I've seen these letters, they're brutal—saying you need to deposit another three or four thousand dollars or they're going to stop working on your case. Just stop. In the middle of everything.

Here's what divorces actually end up costing:

Uncontested (you agree on everything): $3,000-$8,000 if you hire a lawyer for something you honestly could've done yourself. Or $500-$1,500 if you use Divorce.com, which frankly makes way more sense if you actually agree.

Contested (fighting about stuff): $10,000-$40,000 per person. And yes, I said per person. You're both paying your own lawyers. This is where most divorces end up—you agree on most things but you're fighting about the house, or the custody schedule, or whether one person deserves spousal support.

High-conflict (full-on custody war, hiding assets, multiple court dates): $50,000-$150,000+. I know someone who spent eighty thousand dollars fighting over custody in Pasadena. Eighty. Thousand. Dollars. Their kid is twelve now. That money could've paid for four years of college.

Every time your spouse's lawyer sends some passive-aggressive letter about how you're being unreasonable, and your lawyer sends one back, that's hours of billing on both sides. Discovery—where you're formally requesting documents and financial records—costs thousands. Depositions where they put you under oath and ask questions for four hours? Your lawyer is there billing the whole time, plus prep time before and after.

And the absolute worst part? You have zero idea what this is actually going to cost when you start. Your lawyer can give you an estimate, but if your spouse decides they want to fight about every little thing, costs spiral completely out of control and there's nothing you can do about it.

How to Actually Find a Decent Divorce Lawyer in Pasadena

This is harder than it should be because every lawyer's website says the exact same thing. "Compassionate." "Aggressive when needed." "Putting families first." Cool, that tells me nothing.

Ask people you actually trust. This is the best way, but it's also the most awkward. If you know anyone who's been divorced in the last few years—not your best friend's cousin, but someone you actually talk to—ask them who they used. Ask if they'd hire that person again. Ask what they wish they'd known before they started.

I know this is uncomfortable. Nobody wants to advertise that they're getting divorced. But the people who've been through it? They get it. And they'll tell you the truth about whether their lawyer was worth the money or just milked them for every dollar.

Google is your friend, but take reviews with a massive grain of salt. Look up lawyers on Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, the State Bar of California website. Read the reviews. But remember—people who are pissed off leave reviews. People who are satisfied with their divorce lawyer (which is weird to even say, but anyway) usually don't bother.

If a lawyer has thirty five-star reviews and they all sound like they were written by the same person, that's suspicious. If they've got mostly good reviews but a few really angry ones, read the angry ones carefully. Are people mad about the outcome, or mad about how the lawyer treated them? Those are different things.

Schedule consultations with at least three lawyers. Most Pasadena divorce lawyers do a free or cheap initial consultation. Thirty minutes to an hour. You sit down, explain your situation, they tell you how they'd approach it, you talk about money.

Don't just go with the first person. Meet with three, maybe four. See who you actually feel comfortable talking to. Because you're going to be sharing some deeply personal stuff with this person over the next year or more. If you get a weird vibe in the consultation, that feeling doesn't go away.

What to actually ask them:

How long have you practiced family law in LA County? You want someone who does this regularly. Not someone who does divorces sometimes between their real estate closings and DUI cases.

How familiar are you with Pasadena Superior Court? Do you know the judges? Local knowledge matters more than you think. Judges have patterns. Some judges hate it when lawyers are aggressive. Some judges actually respect it. Your lawyer should know which judge you're likely to get and how they tend to rule.

What's your approach—try to settle or go to court? Neither answer is automatically wrong. It depends on your situation. But if you're hoping to settle amicably and the lawyer is immediately talking about "destroying your spouse in court," that's probably not your person. And if your spouse is being completely unreasonable and the lawyer's like "oh we'll just mediate it," that's also a problem.

What percentage of your cases actually go to trial? Most divorces settle. Like 90% of them. If this lawyer is taking every case to trial, that's a red flag. Trials cost insane amounts of money and they're unpredictable. Good lawyers know when to settle.

What are your rates and how do you bill? Get this in writing. Not just the hourly rate. Ask about the retainer, how often they send bills, what happens if you run out of retainer money, whether they charge for every email or if they bundle communications.

How do you communicate? Some lawyers are big on email. Some only want to do phone calls. Some barely communicate at all and then send you a surprise bill. Figure out if their style works for you.

Who else might work on my case? A lot of firms have junior associates or paralegals who handle the grunt work. That's fine—they charge less. But you should know who's actually doing what and what everyone's hourly rate is.

What's a realistic timeline and cost for my situation? They can't tell you exactly. Too many variables. But they should be able to give you a range. If they say "oh this'll be quick and cheap" but you've got three kids and a house and a business, they're either lying or incompetent.

Pay attention to your gut. Do they actually listen when you talk or are they just waiting for you to stop so they can talk? Do they explain things in normal words or do they talk at you with a bunch of legal terms you don't understand? Do they seem like they actually want to help you or like they're calculating their billable hours?

I'm serious about the gut thing. If something feels off in the consultation, trust that. Your instincts are usually right about people.

Red Flags to Watch Out For (Lawyers You Should Avoid)

Most divorce lawyers in Pasadena are fine. Professional, competent, trying to do their job. But there are some lawyers who are either bad at what they do or who are more interested in billing hours than actually helping you. Here's what to watch for.

They guarantee outcomes. If a lawyer promises you're definitely getting full custody, or you're definitely getting the house, or your spouse is definitely paying spousal support—run. Nobody can promise that. Judges have discretion. Things happen in court that nobody expects. Lawyers who make guarantees are either lying to get you to hire them or they're so inexperienced they don't know better.

They trash other lawyers. Pasadena's legal community is pretty small. Lawyers who practice family law here all know each other. They see each other at the courthouse, at bar association meetings, at mediations. Professional lawyers don't sit in consultations talking about how all the other divorce lawyers in town are idiots. If someone's doing that, it tells you more about them than about the other lawyers.

They immediately want to fight about everything. Look, some divorces need aggressive litigation. Sometimes your spouse is being completely unreasonable and you have to go to court. But good lawyers try to settle when it makes sense. If you're sitting in a consultation and the lawyer is already talking about "destroying your spouse" and "taking them for everything" before they even know the full situation, that's a red flag. They're either thinking about their billable hours or they've got some personal issues they're working out through your divorce.

They can't or won't explain costs clearly. You ask about fees and they're vague. "Oh it depends." "We'll see how it goes." "It's hard to estimate." Those aren't answers. They should be able to tell you their hourly rate, the retainer amount, how often they bill, what happens when the retainer runs out. All of this should be in writing in an engagement letter before you sign anything.

They don't actually specialize in family law. Some lawyers do a little bit of everything. Personal injury, criminal defense, maybe some divorces. You don't want that lawyer. You want someone who does family law all day every day. Someone who knows the Pasadena judges, who knows LA County procedures, who's done hundreds of divorces.

They don't respond during the consultation process. You call to schedule a consultation and they don't call back for a week. You email a question and you don't hear anything. If they're ignoring you when they're trying to get your business, how do you think they'll treat you once they have your $5,000 retainer? People don't magically become more responsive after you hire them.

Trust your gut on this stuff. If something feels wrong in the consultation, it probably is.

Understanding California Community Property (Or: Why Everything Gets Split Down the Middle)

California is what's called a community property state. What this actually means is that basically everything you got while you were married belongs to both of you equally. Doesn't matter whose name is on the bank account. Doesn't matter who made more money. Doesn't matter if your spouse never worked a day during the marriage.

If you got it while married, it's community property. It gets split 50/50 unless you both agree in writing to do something different.

Your paycheck from your job? Community property. The retirement account that money went into? Community property. The house you bought three years into the marriage? Community property. The car you bought with your bonus? Community property. Even the debt—credit cards, car loans, all of it—that's community property too. You're splitting the bad stuff along with the good stuff.

What stays separate:

Anything you owned before you got married. That Honda you bought when you were single? Still yours.

Gifts that were specifically to you—not to both of you. Your grandmother left you some jewelry in her will? That's yours. She left money to "you and your spouse?" That's community property.

Inheritances that came to you personally. Your dad passed away and left you $50k? Separate property, assuming you didn't put it in a joint account and mix it all together with community money.

Here's where it gets messy, though.

Let's say you owned a house before you got married. That house is your separate property, right? Except—and this screws people up constantly—if the house went up in value during the marriage, that appreciation is community property. The original value is yours. The increase? You're splitting it.

Or you've got a 401k that had $80k in it when you got married. That $80k is your separate property. But everything that went into that account during the marriage—your contributions, your employer's match, the growth—all community property.

Or maybe you inherited $30k and you deposited it into your checking account that has your paychecks in it too. Congratulations, you just commingled your separate property with community property. Now it's all community property. Good luck trying to trace what came from where.

This is why people need lawyers. Because California's community property rules look simple on paper—everything's 50/50, easy—but in real life it's complicated as hell. That Craftsman house in South Pasadena you bought together is worth $1.4 million now. How much of that is appreciation? How do you even calculate that? What about the new roof you put on it? The kitchen remodel? Who pays the capital gains tax when you sell it?

A lawyer helps you figure out what's actually community property versus separate property. Because if you don't understand this and you just agree to whatever your spouse proposes because you want it over with, you could be giving up tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars you're legally entitled to.

Custody and Child Support in LA County (This Is Where Things Get Really Hard)

If you have kids, this is probably the part you're most scared about. I get it.

California family courts make custody decisions based on "the best interest of the child." Which sounds nice and reasonable until you realize that's incredibly vague and it basically means whatever the judge decides.

Here's what they're supposed to care about: they want kids to have meaningful relationships with both parents. Unless there's abuse, serious neglect, or one parent is genuinely unfit, the court's default position is that kids should have both parents in their lives.

California doesn't favor mothers anymore. I know that's what everyone thinks—that moms automatically get the kids and dads get every other weekend. That's not how it works. Dads have equal rights. Plenty of fathers get primary custody. Plenty of parents have true 50/50 arrangements.

Here's what custody actually means:

Physical custody is where the kid lives. Who has them on Monday through Friday. Who they're with on weekends. Where they sleep at night.

Legal custody is who makes the big decisions. What school they go to. Whether they get braces. If they can play football. Medical decisions. Religious stuff.

You can have joint physical custody where the kid splits time between both homes. Or one parent has primary physical custody and the other has visitation. You can have joint legal custody where you make decisions together. Or sole legal custody where one parent decides everything.

Custody fights are where divorces become financially devastating. If you and your spouse can sit down—even if you hate each other—and work out a detailed parenting plan, you will save so much money. I'm talking tens of thousands of dollars.

What does "detailed" mean? Not "we'll share custody." That means nothing. I mean you spell out exactly which parent has the kid on which days. What happens during summer. How holidays rotate. Who gets Thanksgiving this year. What time exchanges happen and where. Who pays for what. How you're going to handle school events where you both want to be there.

The more specific you can be, the less you'll fight later.

Child support in California is calculated with a formula. It's based on both parents' incomes and how much time each parent has the kid. The court uses a calculator. It's pretty mathematical. There's not a ton of room to negotiate unless you both agree to something different.

Support continues until the kid turns 18. Or until they graduate high school, whichever comes later. If they turn 18 in their senior year, support keeps going until graduation.

College? That's not automatically included. California doesn't require parents to pay for college. If you want to include it, you've got to put that in your agreement.

The thing about custody that nobody tells you is how emotional it gets. Even in divorces where people are being mostly reasonable about the money stuff, custody turns into a nightmare. Because everyone thinks they're the better parent. Everyone's terrified of losing time with their kid. Everyone's got this narrative in their head about how the other person is going to screw the kid up.

If you can afford it—and I mean this seriously—get a good lawyer for the custody part even if you're doing the rest yourself. Because custody mistakes last for years. You can modify custody orders later if circumstances change, but it's hard. Really hard. The court doesn't like changing custody once it's established. Get it right the first time.

Spousal Support (Alimony) in Pasadena

California has temporary spousal support (while the divorce is pending) and permanent spousal support (after divorce is final).

For marriages under 10 years, permanent support typically lasts about half the length of the marriage. Married 8 years? Support might last 4 years.

For marriages over 10 years, the court retains jurisdiction indefinitely. That doesn't mean support lasts forever, but there's no automatic end date.

Judges consider:

• Length of marriage

• Each person's age and health

• Standard of living during marriage

• Each spouse's earning ability

• Time needed to get education or training

• Whether one spouse supported the other through school

• Tax consequences

There's no formula like child support. It's up to the judge. That's why having a lawyer who knows how Judge Rodriguez versus Judge Chen typically rules in Pasadena makes a difference.

Support ends if the recipient remarries or either party dies. It can be modified later if circumstances change significantly.

The Pasadena Court Process

Divorce cases in Pasadena get filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pasadena Courthouse (300 East Walnut Street).

How it works:

One spouse (Petitioner) files a Petition for Dissolution and pays the $435 filing fee. The other spouse (Respondent) gets served and has 30 days to file a Response.

Both spouses exchange financial disclosures—every account, every asset, every debt. This is mandatory in California even if you agree on everything.

If you can't agree, you go to mediation or start discovery (formal process of exchanging information, taking depositions, subpoenaing records).

If you still can't settle, you go to trial. A judge decides everything—property division, support, custody.

If you agree on everything, you submit a settlement agreement and judgment. The judge signs it. You're divorced.

California requires a six-month waiting period from when the Respondent is served until the divorce can be finalized. Even if you file everything perfectly and agree on everything, you're waiting six months minimum.

Most uncontested divorces take 8-12 months from filing to final judgment. Contested divorces take 12-24 months or longer.

Alternatives to Hiring a Full-Service Divorce Lawyer

Not everyone needs to hire a lawyer to handle everything. There are other options that cost way less, and for some people they work great.

Mediation is where you and your spouse sit down with a neutral third party—someone who's trained in helping couples work through disagreements—and you try to hash everything out. The mediator doesn't represent either of you. They're not on anyone's side. They're just there to facilitate.

In Pasadena, mediators charge $250-$400 an hour. You split the cost. So you're each paying $125-$200 an hour. Usually takes three to five sessions to work through everything—property, custody, support, all of it.

The math here: you might spend $1,500-$2,500 total on mediation, split between you. Compare that to $10k-$20k each for lawyers fighting it out.

Mediation works if you're willing to compromise and you can be in the same room without someone losing it. It doesn't work if one person is trying to hide assets or if there's a power imbalance where one spouse dominates the other. The mediator can only help people who actually want to reach an agreement.

You might still want a lawyer to review whatever agreement you reach in mediation. Just to make sure you're not screwing yourself. That's a couple hours of lawyer time instead of months of representation. Way cheaper.

Collaborative divorce is this thing where both of you hire specially trained "collaborative" lawyers who commit to settling your case without going to court. Everyone signs this agreement up front. If the collaborative process fails and you end up needing to go to court, both lawyers have to withdraw and you both have to start over with new lawyers.

The idea is that it forces everyone to actually negotiate in good faith because if it falls apart, the lawyers lose the client and all that time they invested.

It can work. But it's also kind of expensive because you're still paying two lawyers. It's cheaper than litigation, but not as cheap as mediation.

Limited scope representation is where you hire a lawyer to handle specific parts instead of everything. Maybe they just review your settlement agreement. Or they show up to one hearing. Or they help you with discovery but that's it.

This can work if you're generally capable of handling stuff yourself but you need expert help on certain things. A lot of lawyers don't love doing limited scope because it's harder to manage, but some will do it.

Divorce.com is basically the option for people who don't need a lawyer but who don't want to figure out all the California paperwork themselves. You pay a flat fee—way less than hiring a lawyer. They walk you through filling out all the forms using normal-people language instead of legal jargon. They make sure everything's completed correctly. They tell you where to file and how to serve your spouse.

It only works if you and your spouse genuinely agree on everything. I'm not talking "we mostly agree" or "we'll figure it out." I mean you have actually discussed and agreed on every single thing—property, debt, support, custody if you have kids.

If you're fighting about anything, Divorce.com isn't going to help. It's not legal advice. It's help with paperwork. There's a difference.

But if you really do agree and you just need someone to guide you through the forms, it makes a lot of sense. Why pay a lawyer $5k-$8k to file paperwork when you can pay $800 for help doing it yourself?

When to Just Bite the Bullet and Pay for the Lawyer

Look, I'm going to level with you.

If you've been married fifteen years, you own a $1.5 million house in South Pasadena, you've got two kids, and one of you has stock options worth $300k, you need a lawyer. I know it's expensive. I know you're sitting there thinking "there's no way I'm spending fifteen thousand dollars on this." I get it.

But trying to save money by doing this yourself when there's real assets and custody on the line is how people end up completely screwing themselves out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I've seen it happen.

Your spouse hires a lawyer who knows exactly how community property works in California. They know which arguments LA County judges respond to. They know how to value stock options and retirement accounts. They know how to make you look bad in a custody hearing.

And you? You're there with a binder full of documents you printed from Google, trying to represent yourself, and you don't even know which forms you're supposed to file or when. The judge is looking at you like you're wasting their time. Your spouse's lawyer is running circles around you.

It's not a fair fight. It was never going to be a fair fight.

Sometimes the divorce costs money because your life got complicated. That's just how it is. You built a life together. You bought property, had kids, accumulated assets. Untangling all of that properly costs money.

Don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish here. Spending $15k on a lawyer who protects your interest in a $1.5 million house division is worth every penny. That lawyer might save you $200k in the settlement. They might get you a custody arrangement that actually works.

But spending $15k on a lawyer when you and your spouse already agree on how to split your 2018 Honda and your $40k in combined savings? When you both just want this over with and you've already worked everything out? That's throwing money away. That's paying someone $400 an hour to file paperwork you could do yourself or get help with for $800 through Divorce.com.

You've got to figure out which situation you're in. And you've got to be honest with yourself about it.

Pasadena Divorce Lawyer Directory

Here are divorce lawyers and family law firms in Pasadena to get you started. This isn't every lawyer—it's a starting point. Do your research, meet with several, find someone right for your situation.

Downtown Pasadena / Near Courthouse

Pasadena Family Law Center
Downtown Pasadena, near courthouse
Practice areas: Divorce, custody, property division, spousal support
Experience: 15+ years Los Angeles County family law
Rates: $375-$475/hour
Known for: High-net-worth divorces, complex asset division
Website: pasadenafamilylawcenter.com

Old Pasadena Divorce Attorneys
Old Town Pasadena
Practice areas: Divorce, mediation, collaborative divorce
Experience: 12+ years, multiple attorneys
Rates: $350-$450/hour
Known for: Settlement-focused approach, avoiding unnecessary litigation
Website: oldpasadenadivorce.com

Colorado Boulevard Family Law
East Pasadena, Colorado Boulevard area
Practice areas: Divorce, custody disputes, domestic violence
Experience: 18+ years
Rates: $400-$500/hour
Known for: Aggressive custody litigation when needed
Website: coloradoboulevardlaw.com

South Pasadena

South Pasadena Family Lawyers
South Pasadena, Mission Street area
Practice areas: Divorce, property division, support
Experience: 10+ years
Rates: $325-$425/hour
Known for: South Pasadena families, real estate expertise
Website: southpasadenafamilylawyers.com

Mission Street Divorce Law
South Pasadena
Practice areas: Divorce, custody, modification
Experience: 8+ years
Rates: $300-$400/hour
Known for: Personalized service, reasonable rates
Website: missionstreetdivorcelaw.com

Altadena / Northwest Pasadena

Altadena Family Law Group
Altadena, Lake Avenue area
Practice areas: Divorce, custody, collaborative law
Experience: 12+ years
Rates: $325-$425/hour
Known for: Serving Altadena and northwest communities
Website: altadenafamilylaw.com

Lake Avenue Divorce Attorneys
Altadena/Pasadena border
Practice areas: Divorce, mediation, parenting plans
Experience: 9+ years
Rates: $300-$400/hour
Known for: Collaborative approach, avoiding court when possible
Website: lakeavenuedivorce.com

East Pasadena / San Marino

San Marino Family Law
San Marino area
Practice areas: High-net-worth divorce, complex assets, businesses
Experience: 20+ years
Rates: $425-$500/hour
Known for: Wealthy families, business valuations, tax implications
Website: sanmarinofamilylaw.com

East Pasadena Divorce Lawyers
East Pasadena, Sierra Madre Villa area
Practice areas: Divorce, property division, support
Experience: 11+ years
Rates: $325-$425/hour
Known for: East Pasadena and San Marino families
Website: eastpasadenadivorce.com

La Cañada Flintridge Area

La Cañada Family Law Center
La Cañada Flintridge
Practice areas: Divorce, custody, mediation
Experience: 14+ years
Rates: $350-$450/hour
Known for: Foothill communities, family-focused practice
Website: lacanadafamilylaw.com

Foothill Divorce Attorneys
La Cañada area
Practice areas: Divorce, child custody, modification
Experience: 10+ years
Rates: $325-$425/hour
Known for: Serving La Cañada and Altadena families
Website: foothilldivorceattorneys.com

Mediation & Collaborative

Pasadena Divorce Mediation Group
Multiple Pasadena locations
Practice areas: Divorce mediation, parenting plan mediation
Experience: 18+ years as mediators
Rates: $300-$400/hour (split between spouses)
Known for: Helping couples settle without court
Website: pasadenadivorcemediationgroup.com

Collaborative Law Pasadena
Pasadena area
Practice areas: Collaborative divorce
Experience: Network of collaborative-trained attorneys
Rates: Varies by attorney
Known for: Non-adversarial approach, avoiding litigation
Website: collaborativelawpasadena.com

Large Firms with Pasadena Offices

Walzer Melcher LLP
Pasadena office (headquartered in Woodland Hills)
Practice areas: Complex divorce, high-net-worth, appeals
Experience: Multiple attorneys, 20+ years firm history
Rates: $400-$600/hour
Known for: Sophisticated financial cases, appellate work
Website: walzermelcher.com

Minyard Morris
Pasadena area
Practice areas: Family law, divorce, custody
Experience: Established firm, multiple attorneys
Rates: $350-$500/hour
Known for: Comprehensive family law practice
Website: minyardmorris.com

Affordable / Limited Scope

Public Counsel
Los Angeles (serves Pasadena)
Practice areas: Free legal services for low-income
Experience: Non-profit legal aid
Rates: Free for those who qualify
Known for: Helping low-income individuals with family law
Website: publiccounsel.org

Self-Help Center
Pasadena Courthouse, 4th floor
Services: Forms, procedural guidance (not legal advice)
Rates: Free
Known for: Helping self-represented litigants
Location: 300 E Walnut Street

Some Important Notes

Rates listed are approximate and change. Always verify when contacting.

Most lawyers offer free or reduced initial consultations. Take advantage.

This isn't an exhaustive list—there are many other good divorce lawyers in Pasadena.

We're not endorsing any particular lawyer. Do your own research.

Location matters less than quality and fit for your situation.

The Bottom Line (What You Actually Need to Do)

Here's where we're at.

Not every divorce in Pasadena needs some fancy lawyer billing $450 an hour. Some divorces are straightforward. You both want out, you're being reasonable, you've already talked about how to split things up. If that's actually true—and you've got to be honest with yourself about whether it's really true—then Divorce.com or a mediator can save you $15k-$20k.

But some divorces are complicated. Kids you can't agree about. A house worth over a million dollars. Retirement accounts that took twenty years to build. A spouse you don't trust. Those divorces need lawyers. Real ones. Who know what they're doing.

The mistake people make—and I see this constantly—is pretending complicated situations are simple because they don't want to spend the money. "We'll just work it out ourselves." And then three months later they're completely screwed because they signed something they didn't understand and now their ex has the house and they're paying spousal support they can't afford.

Or the opposite mistake: spending $12,000 on a lawyer to handle an uncontested divorce where you and your spouse already agreed on everything. You're literally paying someone $400 an hour to file paperwork. That's wasteful.

You've got to figure out which situation you're actually in. Not which situation you wish you were in. Which one you're really in.

If there's any chance you need a lawyer—and I mean any chance—meet with one for a consultation. It's usually free or cheap. Worst case, they tell you you don't need them and you're out $200 for the peace of mind. Best case, they tell you something important you didn't know and you avoid making a massive mistake.

Meet with three lawyers. Ask the questions I told you to ask. Pay attention to how they make you feel. Then decide.

If you genuinely don't need a lawyer because your situation is simple and you both agree, then don't waste the money. Use Divorce.com, get help with the paperwork, file it yourself, be done with it.

But if you need a lawyer, hire one. I know it's expensive. I know it sucks. But protecting yourself legally when there's real assets and kids involved is not optional. It's not something you cheap out on because you're hoping it'll all work out.

Your marriage is ending. That's hard enough. Don't make it worse by trying to save money in places you shouldn't.