John E. Harding, JD, CFLS is an experienced divorce lawyer and mediator with expertise in divorce, post-divorce, parenting, paternity, property division, support, challenging and enforcing pre-nuptial agreements, and all other family law and domestic partnership matters. He is recognized throughout California and the United States as an expert in family law. He regularly writes articles for regional and national legal publications and he frequently presents seminars on complex issues in family law for local, regional, and national legal groups. He has maintained an active family law practice in Northern California since 1989. He is a Fellow in both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He has been accorded Certified Family Law Specialist status by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. In addition to being a family law litigator, he practices collaborative divorce and provides mediation services for couples with and without attorneys, case evaluation mediation, and parenting coordinator services.
John is particularly sensitive to the emotional nature of this type of work and welcomes the opportunity to empower his clients as they experience family transitions. He is also particularly skilled at resolving delicate child custody cases and complex financial issues that arise as his clients divide accumulated assets and debt and look ahead to develop a plan for their financial futures.
John Harding has been repeatedly named to the “Northern California Super Lawyers” list. This list presents Northern California’s top lawyers as chosen by their peers and through the independent research of Law & Politics. The list of Northern California Super Lawyers is based on surveys of more than 56,000 lawyers across the northern part of the state. The Super Lawyers list reflects the top 5 percent of Northern California attorneys. The results are also published in San Francisco Magazine.
John is committed to helping clients find creative solutions to problems within the family context. Whether the issue is child-related, financial, or interpersonal, you will explore different possibilities for settlement. As a trial lawyer with substantial courtroom experience John has no hesitation taking a case to trial when necessary.
John Harding ’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from St. Mary’s College in 1986 and a Juris Doctor from the Golden Gate University School of Law in 1989. John has been certified as a specialist in the practice of family law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. In addition to an active family law litigation practice, he has also received extensive divorce mediation training, and holds a certificate in divorce mediation from the prestigious Northern California Mediation Center. John is a member of the Family Law Sections of the American Bar Association and the California State Bar. He is also a member in good standing of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists. He sits as a judge pro tem with the Alameda County Superior Court.
John was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He fully appreciates the complexity and stress of Bay Area living. In his family law practice he pays attention to extended family dynamics, and the importance of shielding children from their parents’ struggles during separation and afterward. John explains: “I am fascinated by the interpersonal issues that arise in my family law practice. I am honored to witness the profound changes that my clients experience as they transition from family to single life.”
“Our clients are our partners,” says John. “We go out of our way to involve our clients in every phase of their case. We are constantly communicating with our clients, working with them. If our client wins, then we win. If our client loses, then we lose. I don’t want my clients to lose!”
In his spare time John likes to golf very badly, mountain bike very slowly, and faithfully cheer on the Giants, A’s, Warriors and Sharks. He is a fan of travel, wine, food, and reading (e-books and paper).
Education and Certification
- Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Saint Mary’s College
- Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from the Golden Gate University School of Law
- Certified Family Law Specialist, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization
- Certification in Divorce Mediation from the Northern California Mediation Center
- Advocate Certification from the National College of Advocacy
Professional Licenses
Admitted to practice in:
- State of California
- District of Columbia
- State of Wyoming
Professional Affiliations
- Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- National Technology Committee, National Webinar Committee, National Law Practice Management Committee
- Board of Managers, Northern California Chapter
- Fellow, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
- Association of Certified Family Law Specialists (ACFLS)
- Judge Pro Tem with the Alameda County Superior Court
- Alameda County Bar Association (Family Law Section, Executive Committee 2009-2010)
- Contra Costa County Bar Association (Family Law Section)
- Eastern Alameda County Bar Association (Past Board Member, 2006 President)
Upcoming Legal Education Faculty and Speaking Engagements
May 18 – 2012
- 36th Annual Family Law Symposium
- Napa, California, Silverado Resort
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers,
Northern California Chapter
Past Legal Education Faculty and Speaking Engagements
- Introduction to Divorce Law, LawReview CLE, Pasadena, California
- Introduction to Divorce Law, LawReview CLE, Anaheim, California
- Introduction to Divorce Law, LawReview CLE, Oakland, California
- Evidence Bootcamp Webinar, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, National.
- Legal Technology in Family Law Practice, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Northern California Chapter 35th Annual Family Law Symposium, Sonoma, California.
- Offers of Proof, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Northern California Trial Practicum, San Francisco, California.
- Family Law From A to Z, National Business Institute, Santa Clara County, California
- Instructor, Essentials of Family Law, Solo Practice University (www.solopracticeuniversity.com)
- Technology Tips, Including Remote Computing, Case Management, and Other Neat Tricks
Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, Oakland, California
Alameda County Bar Association, Pleasanton, California - Handling California Divorce Cases From Start to Finish, National Business Institute, Oakland, California.
- Utilizing Computerization in the Practice of Law, LegalTech, San Francisco, California
- Trying Your First Civil Case, National Business Institute, Oakland, California
Articles and Publications
- LinkedIn For AAML Fellows, AAML Mid-Year Meeting 2012.
- Dumping The Banker’s Boxes, Family Lawyer Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2011.
- Selling Your Tracing!, ACFLS Newsletter, the newsletter of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists (Fall, 2008)
- Family Law Offers of Proof: A Procedural Enigma, Family Law News, the official publication of the State Bar of California Family Law Section (Vol. 28, No. 2, 2006)
- The Next Generation in Family Law Practice, Family Law News, the official publication of the State Bar of California Family Law Section (Vol. 27)
- Computerization and Telecommuting for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer, ACFLS Newsletter, the newsletter of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists (Spring, 2005)
- Handling California Divorce Cases From Start to Finish (ethics section), Published by the National Business Institute, Oakland, California
- Computerization and Telecommuting for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer, California Litigation, the Journal of the Litigation Section of the State Bar of California
- Ten Ways To Save On Legal Costs In Divorce, originally published by Divorcesource.com
- Computerization and Telecommuting, Forum magazine, the official publication of the Consumer Attorney of California
- Computerization and the Practice of Law, Trial Magazine, the official publication of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America
- How to Litigate Your First Civil Trial in California – Published by the National Business Institute
- Computerization and Telecommuting for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer, Trial magazine
- Auditing and Accountability, Corporate Counsel Magazine
John Harding’s Publications Library
John Harding also publishes the Family Law Lawyer Tech & Practice Blog.
Professional Fees
- $425.00 per hour. $5000 minimum retainer/deposit.