Joseph P. Crawford

Known for his expert handling of financial issues inherent in complex divorces, Joseph Crawford represents a range of Silicon Valley senior executives and their spouses. Joe has litigated the full spectrum of disputes and legal protections that arise in high-net worth divorces. He combines powerful and effective resolution techniques with an enduring commitment to his clients’ future well-being.

Joe is a Family Law Specialist as Certified by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He guides clients through the financial friction and critical concerns involved in high-value divorces, whether in mediation or litigation. To position clients favorably in negotiations, Joe draws upon his knowledge of the monetary intricacies unique to the Bay Area’s technology and venture capital, private equity, and hedge fund economies. He has resolved conflicts and led settlement discussions involving valuations of privately held companies and the characterization of partnership interests and overall equity compensation. Throughout Joe’s 30-year career in family law, he has supported his clients through both their financial and emotional concerns as they go through a challenging period of their lives. Clients gain access to his network of affiliated professionals, including forensic accountants, estate planners, wealth managers, child custody experts, therapists, and others. Joe’s whole-client perspective helps chart a positive path forward for his clients and their families.

Skilled Litigator, Negotiator and Family Law Leader

Joe advocates for clients in all areas of divorce litigation and mediation, from temporary orders and pre-trial discovery through post-judgment modifications. He encourages negotiated settlements when possible to resolve marital, custodial and dissolution conflicts. Trained in the Harvard Negotiation Project, Joe manages negotiation and settlement to optimize the choices available to his clients. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His legal leadership has included serving as president of the Northern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and the San Mateo County Bar Association, and as chair of the board of directors of the San Mateo County Family Law Section. He is active in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, where he has served as a faculty member of its Trial Practicum and presented on such topics as frozen embryos in divorce and the use of financial experts in divorce. Joe is consistently included in the Best Lawyers in America and as one of Northern California’s “Super Lawyers”. He has served on the board of directors of Kids’ Turn, a workshop group focused on helping children and parents through parental separation and divorce.

Education

• BA, University of California, Berkeley (1988)
• JD, University of Wisconsin Madison (cum laude, 1994)

Awards & Accolades

• Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
• Certified Family Law Specialist
• Consistently listed as a Northern California “Super Lawyer” and as one of the “Best Lawyers in America”

Associations & Memberships

• President of the San Mateo County Bar Association (2017)
• President of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, N. California Chapter (2022)
• Association of Certified Family Law Specialists
• San Mateo County Bar Association
• San Francisco County Bar Association
• Santa Clara County Bar Association