I cannot recommend David Monarch highly enough. From the beginning of my case, he has been incredibly attentive, communicative, and genuinely invested in achieving the best possible outcome for me and my family. Family law situations can be extremely stressful and emotional, but David consistently showed up with professionalism, clarity, and compassion. He took the time to explain every step of the process, made sure I understood my options, and was always realistic and honest about what to expect. That transparency gave me a lot of confidence and peace of mind during a very difficult time. What truly stands out about David is that he clearly cares about his clients and their long-term best interests. He is strategic, thoughtful, and works diligently to secure the best outcomes possible in every scenario. I always felt supported and well represented. The other attorneys in his office as well are outstanding. All extremely knowledgeable and professional. If you are looking for a family law attorney who is knowledgeable, responsive, and genuinely committed to helping his clients navigate challenging situations, Monarch family law is the best choice. read more

I am thankful to have Attorney Monarch help me through so tough times. He is a calm and experienced Family Law Attorney. I highly recommend Monarch Family Law. read more

I've used Monarch Family Law several times over the years. The entire team is amazing, and on top of everything. David, Samantha, Hillary and Sarah have always been so helpful and caring. 100% recommend their law firm. read more

If you're looking for a family attorney to handle a simple divorce or settlement, Mr. Monarch may be able to assist you. He is responsive via email and text, which is a positive. However, if you are facing a high-conflict custody case, especially possible of abuse, I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. Over an 11-month period, I was charged approximately $44,000 for three hearings, during which I never even heard Mr. Monarch speak on my behalf. His legal strategy seemed to rely on waiting for the opposing party to make a mistake rather than actively advocating for my child's best interests. From the beginning, he assured me that my case would be straightforward--my daughter, nearly 14 at the time, was fearful of seeing her father and had refused contact. He stated she would only be required to attend reunification therapy once a week. However, this was far from the reality. Instead, I was encouraged to hire a reunification therapist recommended by the minor's counsel--whom I later realized was part of the same professional network. This decision significantly harmed my daughter and reinforced my belief that the family court system is deeply flawed. (Please do not ever hire a reunification therapist or minor counselor/GAL, they won't help). The most alarming moment came right before a short trial when Mr. Monarch rehearsed a statement with me--only to enter the courtroom and, alongside minor's counsel, claim that we had reached an agreement. I was blindsided, as no such agreement had been discussed with me. Even the judge later stated that parts of what Mr. Monarch attempted to add to the agreement were not legally valid. Ultimately, I fired him after that hearing. In hindsight, I believe my case would have been better handled if I had represented myself, sought support groups, or used resources like ChatGPT for legal research. If you are considering hiring Mr. Monarch, I urge you to think carefully--especially if you are dealing with a high-conflict custody case. Legal representation should be about advocacy, not just billing hours, especially when children's life involved. PS - Please note that in any custody case he has won (or any attorney), it is likely that the father was his client. The family court system often favors fathers in custody disputes when claims of parental alienation are made against the mother. read more

Samantha, David and Sarah are rock stars. Words cannot express my gratitude I have for this firm. Samantha was able to get me additional parenting time with my daughter when I didn't think it was possible. she believed in me and I really felt that she was in corner fighting for my daughter and I. Even when I thought were backed into a corner with no end in sight, Samantha pulled through for us. I adore her professionally, I hope she knows how much she impacted my life and my daughters. I am indebted to her. read more

There is a reason David and his firm have five stars from all of his clients. David has been a straight shooter since day 1. He had a difficult case. He and his firm were so amazing to work with. Samantha, Dale, and Sarah are equally amazing to work with. All of them were available and accessible anytime I had a question. Their billing is fair too. My case is now in Northern California and I wish he practiced up there. read more

I am very grateful to Mr. Monarch for representing me and for his hard work and dedication in getting 50/50 2-2-5 custody of my child. As a result of this, quality of life of my child has improved and he is healthier and much happier. I am a dad and my son was about 2 years old when I first met Mr. Monarch in February 2022. This was initially regarding modification of temporary child custody orders but Mr. Monarch ended up finalizing the divorce with 50/50 2-2-5 by August 2022. Mr. Monarch is top attorney for child custody in Orange County and he and his brothers are very well-known and respected in the community. He is Certified Family Law Specialist (CFLS), which further distinguishes him from his peers. Mr. Monarch skillfully litigated all aspects of the case with primary focus being the best interest of child i.e. Frequent and continued contact with both parents (50/50 custody of child). It was only the child that mattered in this case. Due to aggressive litigation on all outstanding issues, the opposing party wanted to settle child custody for 50/50 in exchange for money. During negotiations, opposing party demanded that the opposing party takes all community income and property and that I take all community debt and in addition also demanded $20,000 on top of that in return for 50/50. Mr. Monarch advised me to give her money and said that should this matter go to trial the legal cost will be much higher and that giving her money will ensures that the child is 50/50 immediately. He also told me that if I give opposing party money there is some probability that some of it may be spent on my child. Mr. Monarch discouraged wasting money on litigation. Mr. Monarch also prepared divorce judgement but when opposing attorney wanted to prepare the judgement, Mr. Monarch credited the amount to me. Mr. Monarch also tried to negotiate settlement to keep legal cost low but credited amount spent on negotiation when we decided to proceed with litigation. He is very kind. Mr. Monarch was available via phone and texts. He was also available after hours, which worked well with my work schedule. He is firm, calm, objective, concise, and respectful with the opposing side. These are his strength and it keeps the legal cost low. He is also very organized and knowledgeable about the Family Law. Ms. Hillary is very pleasant, bright, organized, competent, and responsive. I worked with Ms. Sarah on my disclosures and she was wonderful. I strongly recommend Monarch Family Law in divorce case especially if there is child involved. I also strongly recommend Mr. Monarch to all Dads. To Dads - Do not hesitate to litigate for your child's best interest. It is in best interest for child to have frequent and continued contact with both parents. Contact me via yelp if you have any questions regarding retaining this law firm. read more

I highly recommend Monarch Family Law. They made things very easy for me and took the stress off. I appreciate the whole team over at this law office. We were able to accomplish a lot in a short period of time, as I did not want to drag things out. Thank you Sam, David, and team for all your hard work and your patience. I will definitely refer you to anyone looking for a family law attorney. Take care. read more

David and his team were exceptional through out my divorce. Their kindness throughout my difficult divorce was appreciated. The whole office was quick to respond to all my needs and were always sensitive to what I was going through. They worked diligently to come up with a strategy that was best for my children and advocated for them at all times. David's foresight and guiding hand through the whole divorce process made a contiguous divorce a little bit more peaceful. I am grateful for all the hard work that he did to keep me and my kids together. read more

David Monarch is the best attorney! I would highly recommend Mr. Monarch as your attorney for your legal needs. He will do everything in his power to help you. read more

Attorney David Monarch and all the office staff were a pleasure to deal with during my child custody court process. David was able to settle my case outside of court, which I initially thought was very unlikely. He took the time to get to know the specifics of my case and made himself available at odd hours due to my work schedule. David and staff went above and beyond in every way. I highly recommend Monarch Family Law for any child custody disputes. read more

Start (and stay) with Monarch Family Law! David has a casual elevated intelligence that is succinct and to the point. I wish I had reached out to Monarch Law the moment "Divorce" was mentioned. David would have saved me weeks of anxiety and uncertainty. I appreciate his straightforward answers and respect of my time. In an undesirable situation, he shared his knowledge and guidance that gave me confidence moving forward. Thank you David! read more

Best attorney in California. Mr. Monarch and his team were super helpful, very informative, and provided very clear communication. Thank you to you and your team for your great efforts! read more

David Monarch is truly an extraordinary example of compassion, integrity and wisdom. I was involved in a high conflict custody battle and found David while I was being represented by another attorney that I wasn't satisfied with. David's intuitive assessment of things was very grounded and sobering and his strategy set me on a winnable path to achieve the best possible outcome for my daughter. Over the last several months of battling with my co-parent, David has been a source of strength, honesty and viable solutions. He always sets realistic expectations and aims for fair and equitable outcomes. I trust David implicitly with his advice and always feel like I am being treated with respect and consideration. Fighting for your child's future and well-being is one of the most painful processes any parent can face. It's imperative to work with someone who genuinely cares about you and your child's happiness. David's demeanor and confidence gave me so much peace during this excruciating time which was as valuable to me as witnessing him win our case. I am not only thrilled with the outcome, I feel great about how the process was handled by David throughout. I know that no matter what happens in the future with my co-parent, I have someone who will always successfully represent my best interest and be a friend in difficult times. read more

David Monarch is one of the very few superstar level attorneys left in this 'rabbit hole' of family court. I've been in a custody battle for over 8 years and been through 7 attorneys who over-promised under-delivered, double-billed/overcharged, didn't properly file/respond, and just dragged the case to obviously be profit-driven vs. purpose-driven. Having David represent me is the only source of hope that justice will eventually prevail as he is well respected among his peers and judges for a reason. Save yourself the headache, the heartache and financial stress...he is truly the best. He has integrity, honesty, and skills that is hard to find these days. read more

I've been a client for several years, and I really appreciated the up front assessments and solutions David had provided through difficult circumstances. He is direct yet caring to my needs and always places my best interests first. I don't do many of these. But, he has been there for me and my family when I was away fighting for our country, and the least I can do is repay that debt here. I have always had the best of all possible outcomes with David in my corner representing me and fighting for my rights. I don't just think of him as an attorney but as more of a "brother." read more

David is a true professional and he helped me through a difficult custody battle. David really took the time to learn and understand the details of my case and he skillfully convinced the court to award me full physical and legal custody of my daughter. This was a long journey and I was so fortunate to have David by my side. read more

It is very rare these days to be able to find an attorney with a "heart" and I'm not saying this easily and lightly about anyone, especially in law practice, but David Monarch is one of those rare attorneys. I understand this more than anyone else because I was (and still is) involved in a high conflict, ugly, and nasty divorce involving a child for over 6 years. It's utmost important, and sometimes literally, as a matter of life and death, to be able to find an honest and experienced attorney. David is not only certified, experienced, with a vast knowledge in family law, but also compassionate, caring, and most importantly, HONEST. He will not hesitate to give you his most honest expert opinion regarding your legal matter so that you understand where you stand, where your case is heading, and what potential outcome could be if you continue the direction you are going. He is NOT one of those greedy, heartless attorneys who will TELL YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR and sugarcoat things just to bill you. He will tell you what YOU NEED TO HEAR. He will suggest to you the best strategy to end your case with the most benefit to you, and especially your children if you have kid(s). I have to emphasize that if an attorney promises to fight to bring you the most money, stay away from those. You need to end the case as soon as possible to move on with your life because the more you drag it, the more it will ruin your finance, your health, your mental health, and worst of all, ruin your children's future. I may be seen as someone who is hired to write such a nice review but I assure you I AM NOT. David has helped me along the way from the early days of my case until we found out all the ugliness my ex did to me, to herself, and to our daughter. He fought and defended me in every nonsense, money-driven motion brought up against me from 5 different attorneys my ex had hired. I truly owe it to David to write this review not only to tell him how much I appreciate his professionalism and help, but also to share with you, to let you know if you retain his help, you will NEVER regret. read more

Hello folks, my wife hired David to represent her against me in a divorce that I filed. I met David's Associate Attorney Samantha Katinos, that handled my wife's case She was intelligent, warm-hearted, caring for both parties, but don't let looks and kindness fool you she was a bad ass in court and during our conversations. She worked hard day and night to resolve issues since there was a child involved. My wife and I got back together before the divorce was finalized. Samantha has integrity beyond reproach. When I could not reach Samantha, I emailed David and he immediately gave me assistance. David's staff Sarah and Hillary were professional, easy to speak too, and on the ball reminding me of tasks that needed to be completed. I had been involved with other divorce/child custody situations, and there is no doubt David & Samantha are very honest, aggressive, fair, approachable, and most of all they care about outcome of all parties. I was not represented during these proceedings and they never blew me off. Very professional firm. read more

David and his team were so diligent, considerate & knowledgeable about the law. David's great communication skills & compassion was so helpful during a difficult legal process. Best team a client could ever hope for. read more