Atty. Lorilee DeSantis, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA

Lorilee DeSantis is an attorney whose passion for helping families protect their loved ones and their assets shines through to all who work with her. Lorilee?s clients often comment that her ability to deeply listen and understand their concerns makes it very easy for them to talk to her about difficult subjects. Her clients also appreciate that Lorilee explains complex legal concepts in ways that are easy to digest so that clients fully understand their legal options. Lorilee?s dedication to helping people with family-oriented legal issues stems from personal experiences. When Lorilee was growing up, she saw numerous extended family members tear each other apart while arguing over money and sibling rivalries. She felt this was a terrible thing to happen to a family, and relationships might have been saved if proper estate planning had been done to prevent such arguments. Lorilee is also keenly aware of the emotions people feel when they go through a divorce ? such as anger, regret, resentment, shame, relief, and fear ? because she experienced a divorce before she attended law school. These experiences motivated her to practice family law and estate planning because these legal fields are where Lorilee feels she can most effectively empower her clients to move forward in life, confident that their children and their assets will be protected to the best of their abilities. Lorilee is a strong believer in giving back to the community. She has volunteered at the Family Law Facilitator?s Office where she has helped under-privileged, self-represented individuals prepare pleadings for divorces and legal separations. In honor of her dedication, the Sonoma County Superior Court presented Lorilee with the Pro Bono Award in 2012. Through her Rotary club, Lorilee has also helped feed local homeless children and raise money for breast cancer research. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Lorilee worked in the financial services industry. View More ?

Divorce

Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce

Credit Cards Accepted

Golden Gate University School of Law

J.D. (2007) | Law

2004 - 2007

Honors: Graduated in top 5% of class with High Honors, Dean's List, Merit Scholar

Activities: Honors Lawyering Program; law clerk at California Attorney General's Office defending against appeals filed by convicted felons; law clerk at San Francisco District Attorney's Office where Lorilee responded to motions and assisted in a misdemeanor trial.

University of California - Davis

B.A. (1999) | International Relations

1995 - 1999

Awarded the Outstanding Performance Citation in International Relations for ranking top in the class of students majoring in International Relations; awarded the U.C. Davis Washington Center Undergraduate Research Award for analysis of the economic and political causes of the Mexican currency crisis of the mid 1990s; published "The Hong Kong Triangle: An Assessment of Sino-British Relations Concerning Hong Kong" in Prized Writing Journal for analysis of the economic and political history between China, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong and the anticipated changes the world can expect to see in Hong Kong after the 1997 transition back to Chinese control.

Honors: Graduated in top 4% of class with High Honors, Dean's List

Activities: Research clerk at the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration in Washington, D.C. in 1998.

13 years of experience