Overview
The Hatherley Firm, Inc. is an Orange County family law firm based in Aliso Viejo, California, focused exclusively on divorce and family law. Every case is led by Certified Family Law Specialist Douglas A. Hatherley, who represents clients throughout Orange County in negotiation, settlement, and contested hearings and trials, including matters heard at the Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange.
Our family law services include:
- Divorce: contested dissolution of marriage and legal separation, from the first filing through final judgment
- Child custody and visitation: legal and physical custody, parenting plans, and visitation schedules built around the child's best interests
- Child support: establishing and enforcing guideline child support under California law
- Spousal support and alimony: temporary and long-term support, based on factors such as the length of the marriage and each party's finances
- Community property division: characterizing and dividing assets and debts, including the family home, retirement accounts and businesses
- Domestic violence restraining orders: requesting or responding to a restraining order to protect you and your family
- Post-judgment modifications: changing custody, visitation and support orders after a significant change in circumstances
- Paternity: establishing parentage, with the custody and support orders that follow
Clients choose the firm for responsive, accessible counsel and a strategy tailored to their circumstances. The firm is ranked in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms® for Family Law, and Mr. Hatherley is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers Southern California, and Doyle's Guide, and holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Preeminent® rating. You can read what past clients say in our client testimonials, and find answers to common questions in our Family Law Guide.
From our Aliso Viejo office we serve communities across Orange County. For local residents, we offer representation as a divorce lawyer in Aliso Viejo and an Aliso Viejo family law attorney close to home.
The Hatherley Firm, Inc., 65 Enterprise, Suite 400, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. Call (949) 441-1225 or contact us to schedule a consultation.
Rankings
Regional
Orange County
Firm Leadership
About Our Clients
Our clients are individuals and parents in every part of Orange County, from South County communities such as Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo to Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and beyond, who are facing divorce or another family law matter. We represent mothers and fathers in contested matters involving child custody, support, and the division of community property, whether the case resolves through settlement or proceeds to trial. The firm has represented business owners, executives, and first responders, as well as their spouses, in cases where a business, executive compensation, or a public-safety career and pension shapes the issues of support and property division.
Many clients come to us at a turning point: ending a marriage, working to protect their relationship with their children, seeking or responding to a domestic violence restraining order, or returning to court years after judgment because their circumstances have changed. Others need an opinion on a proposed settlement, or help after a case has become more complicated than expected.
Whatever brings them to us, our clients receive direct, responsive communication with a Certified Family Law Specialist and a clear explanation of their options at every stage, so they can make informed decisions about their families and their futures.
Rankings
Regional
Orange County
Practice Areas
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Alimony
Requests for and opposition to alimony, called spousal support in California, including temporary support during the case and long-term support after judgment.
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Alimony and Child Support
Spousal and child support are often handled together, since both depend on each party's income and can be decided at the same hearing.
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Alimony/High Asset Divorce
Spousal support in high-income divorces, including bonus and stock compensation, business income, and disputes over the marital standard of living.
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Child Custody
Legal and physical custody disputes in Orange County, including parenting plans, custody evaluations, and hearings focused on the child's best interests.
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Child Relocation
Move-away cases where a parent seeks to relocate with a child or opposes a proposed move, including related requests to modify custody.
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Child Support
Establishing, modifying and enforcing California guideline child support, including cases with bonus, variable or self-employment income.
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Community Property
Characterizing and dividing community property under California law, from the family home and retirement accounts to business interests.
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Complex Divorce Matters
Contested divorces with several disputed issues at once, such as business valuation, income available for support, custody, and separate property claims.
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Complex Matrimonial Matters
Litigation of complicated marital disputes, including tracing of separate property, reimbursement claims, and post-judgment proceedings.
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Division of Marital Property
Dividing assets and debts acquired during marriage, including real estate, 401(k)s, public-safety and other pensions, and businesses, through settlement or trial.
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Divorce
Contested dissolution of marriage and legal separation in Orange County, from the first filing through final judgment.
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Domestic Violence
Requesting or responding to domestic violence restraining orders, and addressing their effect on custody and visitation.
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Family Law
A practice devoted exclusively to California family law, led by a Certified Family Law Specialist and serving clients throughout Orange County.
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High Asset Divorce
Divorces involving substantial assets and income, such as business ownership, executive compensation, and investment and real estate holdings.
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Marital Settlement Agreements
Negotiating and drafting marital settlement agreements that resolve support, custody and property issues and become part of the judgment.
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Marital vs. Nonmarital Assets
Determining whether assets are community or separate property under California law, including tracing, commingled accounts, and reimbursement claims.
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Paternity
Establishing parentage, along with the custody, visitation and support orders that follow.
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Spousal Support
Temporary and long-term spousal support under the Family Code section 4320 factors, including modification and termination of support.
Individuals Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
