Service Area · Los Angeles County

Manhattan Beach attorney for the moments that threaten your family

An affluent South Bay beach city known for its schools, its close community, and residents who value discretion. A child-welfare investigation, a criminal charge, or a serious accident rarely stays contained to a single courtroom — and the consequences reach custody, reputation, and livelihood. We serve Manhattan Beach and Los Angeles County from our Beverly Hills office.

Where Manhattan Beach cases are heard

Los Angeles County has its own agency and courts

Child-welfare matters in Manhattan Beach are handled by the county Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) — not the agency you may know from another county. Juvenile dependency cases are heard at the Edmund D. Edelman Children's Court in Monterey Park. Knowing how DCFS builds a detention report, and how the County Counsel who represents it argues a case, is specific to Los Angeles County practice, and it matters from the first contact.

Criminal matters arising in Manhattan Beach are prosecuted through the Los Angeles County District Attorney in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Coordinating a criminal defense with any parallel DCFS matter is often what protects a parent's custody, not just their record.