Gretchen M. Wallacker, Esq.
I have practiced family law for three decades. In that time, I have helped countless families transition out of their marriages, settling a full spectrum of complex family law matters that involve child custody, visitation, child support, spousal support, and property division, including the division of high net worth estates.
Drawing on my geographical focus in San Francisco, the Peninsula, and Silicon Valley, I understand our unique economic climate and the range of related sophisticated financial issues. And when it comes to your children, I understand the highly sensitive nature of any related disputes and do my best to help you reach agreements that prioritize your family.
I focus my practice on Alternative Dispute Resolution processes that include mediation, settlement judging, consulting, coaching, and Collaborative Divorce. Whether as a mediator, settlement judge, consulting attorney, or Collaborative Counsel, I strive to minimize the emotional and financial cost to you and your family. I believe that resolving your matter outside of court allows you both to retain more control of the divorce process and reach a resolution that is specifically tailored to your lives and situation.
And if you are embarking on cohabitation or marriage, I prepare and review premarital, post-marital, and cohabitation agreements. I offer a variety of process options to create these agreements, including more traditional negotiations between counsel, collaborative 4-way meetings with counsel and clients, and mediation with consulting attorneys. (more)
Jeffrey Ward, Paralegal
I have spent my entire legal career in family law and have worked with Gretchen M. Wallacker since 2017. I bring over 8 years of experience managing complex child custody and asset division matters to the team and am well versed in a variety of family law practices, including litigation, mediation, Collaborative Divorce, and private judging.
In 2019, I was the Admin to the Chair of the Family Law Section of the San Mateo County Bar Association. In this role, I helped coordinate and organize monthly continuing legal education events for attorneys, paraprofessionals, financial experts, and mental health professionals. I also helped plan the year-end holiday party, which had over 160 attendees.
I am a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco, the San Mateo County Bar Association, and San Francisco Paralegal Association. I am also a former Director at Large for the San Francisco Paralegal Association, where I took an active role in committee organization and continuing legal education event planning. During my time on the SFPA Board, I sat on the Marketing/Public Relations Committe, keeping current members informed of upcoming events and spreading the word to non-members about the organization’s benefits, and the Pro Bono Committee, a program that offers Paralegals throughout the Bay Area the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and expertise while serving nonprofit organizations.
In 2017, I graduated cum laude from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in General Business.