Stephen Kaufman, Partner

Stephen Kaufman joined Dishon & Block in 2011 as a Partner. He adds decades of experience to the firm in areas of family law, including divorce, child custody and support. Mr. Kaufman is extremely sensitive to the needs of families with special needs children and women who have been blindsided by divorce.

Family Law Experience

Mr. Kaufman has been actively practicing family law since 2001, previously as a member of Orange County Family Law Center in Newport Beach. He has extensive experience handling the complex nature of divorce cases, from both the financial and emotional perspectives. Mr. Kaufman has represented clients in divorce, custody matters and support issues.

“When you hire Dishon & Block, we will have a very open and intimate relationship. We want to know everything that is happening in your life, so we can serve you best.”

Client Relationships

Mr. Kaufman prides himself on his compassionate nature. He works hard to help his clients reconstitute their lives after divorce. He knows that clients are fearful and uncertain about how life will continue after divorce, so he strives to put his clients in the proper mindset. Mr. Kaufman always tells his clients the truth regarding their situation, rather than what they might want to hear; he never misleads them, as doing so would create unjust expectations. He listens carefully to his clients’ needs and desires to properly identify the goals and objectives for each case. Mr. Kaufman is a strong advocate for settlement, seeking win-win situations whenever possible. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, Mr. Kaufman is prepared to aggressively represent his clients’ best interests.

“Parents of special needs children face tremendous burdens that are amplified by divorce and I work with these parents to minimize the impact of divorce on the lives of their children.”

Experience with Special Circumstances

In custody cases, Mr. Kaufman’s primary objective is to create a situation where both parents can be good parents after the divorce is final. He seeks to restore relationships, rather than destroy them. To this end, he will not represent parents who use children as weapons against each other.

Mr. Kaufman has years of experience handling divorces for parents with children with special needs, such as autism or ADHD. He recognizes the unique challenges custody matters pose for these families, with issues such diet, medication and routines that are not found in other cases. He specializes in custody cases where some manner of treatment is involved and encourages parents of these children to work together. “Parents of special needs children face tremendous burdens that are amplified by divorce and I work with these parents to minimize the impact of divorce on the lives of their children.”

Mr. Kaufman also has deep experience handling divorces for women who are victims of domestic violence. His compassionate nature makes him uniquely skilled at guiding these clients to a better place. “My greatest satisfaction is creating an environment conducive to the personal growth that victims experience after leaving an abusive spouse.”

Professional Memberships & Accomplishments

Mr. Kaufman is a member of community and legal associations, including:

• Orange County Bar Association – Member
• Orange County Jewish Bar Association - Member
• Beth Jacob of Irvine – Past President
• Jewish Federation of Orange County – Member

Education

Mr. Kaufman graduated second in his class from the University of LaVerne Law School in 1991. He practiced in South Pomona, handling family law, eviction and bankruptcy cases.