Gretchen B. Rubel

Gretchen has practiced family law exclusively for more than 25 years, is a Certified Family Law Specialist with the California State Board of Legal Specialization, and a member of the AAML, IAFL, and AFCC. She is a principal of Hersh FamilyLaw Practice and has headed the Firm’s child custody and visitation and domestic violence practice since she joined the Firm in 2007. Her practice includes but is not limited to dissolutions, legal separations, annulments, actions under the Uniform Parentage Act (UPA) and Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA), international family law under The Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (HCCH 1980 Child Abduction Convention) (“Hague Convention”) matters, and all issues related to child custody, child support, spousal support, and property division. She has expanded her practice to include mediation of child custody matters and parent coordination, and serving as an expert witness.

Gretchen possesses particular expertise and knowledge in the area of complex child custody and visitation and domestic violence issues, including but not limited to child custody evaluations, domestic and international parental relocation (“move-away”) litigation, disputes involving the Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction Act (UCCJEA) and Hague Convention, DVPA restraining orders and ancillary orders, substance abuse monitoring, parental mental health monitoring, and other parenting and co-parenting issues.

Gretchen serves regularly as a volunteer settlement conference officer for the San Francisco County Unified Family Court and the Marin County Superior Court, Family Law Division. She also provides domestic violence representation training to attorneys at other law firms and is a member of the State Bar of California, San Francisco Bar Association, Marin County Bar Association, and Queen’s Bench.
 

Education

• University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
  • Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 199

Associations & Memberships

• Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers: Member, 2022 – present; Environmental Impact Group, 2023 – present
• Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers: Northern California Chapter, Member, 2019 – present; Northern California Chapter Mentor-Mentee Committee Co-Chair, 2020 – present; Northern California Chapter Trial Practicum Team Co-Leader, 2021 & 2024; California Chapter Board of Directors & Board of Examiners Committee, 2023-2024; National Domestic Violence Committee, Member, 2019 – 2024
• Certified Family Law Specialist – State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, 2012 – present
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Member 2022 - present
• California Lawyers Association (CLA) (formerly California State Bar Association) – 1998 – present
• Bar Association of San Francisco, Member, Family Law Section
• Marin County Bar Association, Member, Family Law Section
• Queen’s Bench Bar Association, Member
• Center for Domestic Peace, Marin County, Volunteer and Trainer