Law Offices of Deborah Dubroff

Deborah is brilliant and kind. She went above and beyond for me during a very rough divorce. I have referred her to friends and continue to do so. It’s hard to find a compassionate attorney who really knows her sh*t. But Deborah is both.

Going to court, navigating the system, and not being knowledgeable of legal discourse can be terrifying and frankly alienating. Twice over the past four years I have found myself entrenched in custody «battles», and twice I have wisely hired Deborah Dubroff. I pride myself on my personal integrity and she assisted me in always taking the higher road, keeping all our documentation about the interests of my children, and successfully coached me to be excellently prepared in mediation sessions. Deborah is always peaceful, supportive and candidly realistic. Additionally, she helped me internalize and assess what was most important for positive outcomes and saved me money and precious time with her wisdom and experience. You will be in good hands!

People who are divorcing are in a great deal of pain, and I couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to be a divorce attorney. I remember asking her once why she liked family law and she said she liked bringing some sense of peace to people who are in turmoil. Not the answer I expected, but exactly what someone needs in an attorney when you’re going through a life-​changing event that will impact your financial, emotional, and spiritual well-​being for years to come. I needed someone who was mindful of the fact that I loved the man I was divorcing at one time and didn’t want to do him harm, but a part of me didn’t want to lose everything I had simply to get my freedom.
Deborah understands the human and the legal impacts of divorce. She helped make an awful process as best as it could be. While my family was urging me to wage World War III and my own voice was telling me to just give him whatever it took to get out, Deborah was a voice of reason. Together, we decided what was worth fighting for and what wasn’t. When I didn’t have the energy to fight, I felt like she fought for me but not with intent to harm or with malice. When we had court appearances, it was clear that she was well respected by the other attorneys in the room. This is more important than you might think when trying to negotiate a settlement. Additionally, I always felt like Deborah was mindful of legal expenses and did everything she could to make things as cost-​effective as possible. When I wasn’t right-​minded, she was frank with me and I appreciated that.
Beyond the human/​humane parts of the divorce, Deborah is a strategist and she is brilliant. She pays attention to how judges and other attorneys respond to different scenarios and approaches. She formulates her approach based on what she knows about all the people who will be a part of the process. We had an issue that had very little legal precedent in California, and when we couldn’t resolve it outside of court, she researched everything. She did everything in her power to make sure that we got in front of a judge who wouldn’t immediately throw it out of court. While the judge was not happy that we were in court and he called both attorneys to his chambers to register his discontent, Deborah handled it gracefully. I always felt like Deborah gave my case thorough and complete attention – even though it may not have been the most lucrative case for her. She was always responsive, thoughtful, and thorough in her communication. Most importantly, she was a kind and calm source of compassion and a steadfast anchor during a time when everything I had methodically built my life to be felt like it was flying in the air – and where it would land, I had no idea.

Ms. Deborah Dubroff is amazing. In an extremely unpleasant and volatile situation, her advice and support was an anchor. Her advice is also immensely practical and realistic, so you don’t waste money going down avenues that will likely deadend. However, if you want to possibly waste your money she won’t stop you, simply advises against it. And if you do your research, you will see she is right.
I deeply appreciate her candor and strength. Thank you, Deborah.

This review has been a long overdue.
I never thought I would have a need for any type of attorney, let alone a Divorce Attorney. Deborah took over my long festering case and made things happen. She knew how to push me to get the information she needed and she was terrific at articulating were we stand and determining the most effective method of ending this nightmare.
She put together a settlement proposal that was more than fair, with discussion and documentation that accurately and fairly presented my position on each issue. Positions that were arrived at after discussions with Deborah along the lines of… If you ask for this, she’ll want that… If you go for it this way, the judge will see that you are being fair… etc. She guided me with her experience and knowledge to help her arrive at a proposal that would most ensure a settlement.
To everyone’s surprise (Judge included) the settlement was not accepted and we set a court date. (In a Unilocal review of another divorce attorney by a family member of my ex, they complain of how this was his biggest mistake.)
So we prepared for court, but for Deborah, it was more than that.
It was an offensive.
She researched the judge (who was rather new), she researched the opposing attorney, his law firm, his habits, my ex, her questionable financial dealings, her education, her profession… I think she may have even interviewed her auto mechanic.
She gave me a large list of documentation she would need, which got a lot larger after we received the discovery document from the opposing party. I mean a whole case of copy paper, plus a few reams worth of mostly ridiculous documentation demanded by the evil ex’s team!
Deborah and her staff put all this information together in a multitude of binders with indexes, references, highlights, photos with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one. No strike that last one… but you know what I mean! The organization was top-​notch, in fact it was so good the judge actually thanked her in open court for her fine work and that of her staff. Her documentation was the primer for the court case. Not just for us, but opposing counsel put his crap away in favor of the «Deborah’s Binders» as they came to be referred.
Well, the case dragged on and Deborah’s Sabbatical came along. When she told me I felt like I was kicked in the stomach, the same feeling I had when I heard «I want a divorce.» But Deborah had a solution to this as well. She hooked me up with a colleague that was already up to speed on my case. She told me that this attorney was better than her in trial, which turned out to be true. Tracey Wapnick is very impressive. (Look for separate Unilocal review) She has an incredible memory, articulate, and very very smart. Exactly like Deborah.
It ended up that I had the best tag-​team any poor bastard going through a divorce could wish for. If I had to do this again, this is exactly the way I would contract it.
Deborah is the best. She’s back, rested and refreshed. If you are perusing reviews, like I was, looking for the right attorney… you just found her. She’s smart, a great and accurate communicator, extremely organized, honest, fair and yeah, a little pushy when needed.
Exactly what I needed!

My divorce experience is well is behind me now… I am writing this review to protect other couples and parents to fell in Deborah’s trap!
My first impression of Deborah after meeting and talking to her is that she is experimented, knowledgeable and confident yet very approachable. I hired her immediately thinking she will be a perfect fit for what I was looking for in a lawyer… experimented and strong but not over aggressive to avoid escalating the already exciting conflicts between my ex and I during the divorce process and most importantly keeping my kid safety and interest my main focus and priority.
Well Deborah is all but that !!!
The only «knowledge» I received from her is that she is the «expert» on drilling a hole in her client’s pocket, her «focus» was dragging the process, requesting all kind of costly procedures and aiming for court rather than settlement (again hoping to get more money… and I am talking thousands rather than hundreds). Deborah’s lack of availability when needed was extremely frustrating and disrespectful for both parties and her response/​excuse for that «I have deadlines or more urgent cases»!!!
The worst part in my dealings with Deborah is that she dropped my case (and I am sure many others) like a used sock in the middle of my divorce process.
She knew and was planning since day one for a «long sabbatical leave» but only announced to me less than a month before she closes her office. I was forced not only to find another attorney ASAP but also endure the financial burden of the transfer and also extra fees for many legal procedures that Deborah filed «wrong» … soooo amateurish from someone who claims they are the best at what they do and refers to the younger lawyers as «rookies»!
Looking back now I am glad Deborah didn’t continue representing me. I end up hiring an amazing attorney who was able to fix all Deborah’s legal mistakes and finalize my Divorce in less time and for a fraction of the cost.
All I want to say to Deborah: Please go back to your sabbatical leave.

Divorce is never EVER easy. I am forever grateful to Deborah for her clarity, her expertise, her calm perspective, and her deep experience in matters such as these.
She is a consummate professional, everything I needed she was there for, and then some. Every question, every idea I wanted to share or get some perspective on, she was patient and was a completely reliable guide for me.
And, despite any personal challenges she may have had, they never entered at all into the work we did together. The divorce is final, I’m moving on, and the work Deborah did to make that possible was second to none.
Don’t get divorced. It sucks and it’s emotional and it’s painful. And expensive. But if you do, call Deborah. She’ll walk you through the minefield, guiding you safely to the other side. And yes, there IS the other side.

Deborah is a sharp strategist who can be tough as nails when needed as well as being a great collaborator. She provided excellent advice, made me aware of what my choices were and allowed me to manage the process. She did not mince her words when advising me which I found totally refreshing.
She was able to hear my moaning and gave a compassionate ear for the minute that I needed it but also gave me the needed kick in the pants when I needed it as well. She kept the process on track. She helped me focus on my needs and came up with solutions that satisfied both parties. Even my ex commented about Deborah’s expertise after our settlement meeting.
I felt that she and I had our own collaborative and creative process, so it was great to work with someone who is very smart and open minded. While Deborah can be «all about business», she has a great sense of humor which was much appreciated through out.
While we were able to negotiate a settlement out of court, I felt totally comfortable had we needed to go to court entrusting my case in Deborah’s gifted hands.
If you need representation you will be lucky to have Deborah in your corner!!!

Deborah Dubroff Is what I believe a divorce attorney should be like.
One of the first things she had me do was to make a list of my wants and my fears. On my first visit we went over those, she explained California law as far as my wants and she quelled my fears. she kept it realistic and didn’t fan the flames. She talks in terms of trying to mediate out and keeping your costs down. Yet if need be she will fight like hell for you!
Deborah is Super organized. She was the attorney who kept my divorce on track. Unfortunately my Ex turned into a man who was determined to punish me through the California courts. Shame on him. In my situation my ex vowed to drag it out as long as possible and force me to spend as much as he possibly could. I’m sure he instructed his attorney to do nothing or the minimum he had to. Thus forcing my costs up and keeping his at a minimum. Deborah and I were aware of this and acted accordingly. Hate to disappoint him, but I hired Deborah who is conscious of what my fees were adding up to. By the way Deborah was worth every cent.
Deborah was always there to protect me and my interests as much as possible.
Keep in mind, you need to be part of a team, she can only help if you are providing documents that back up the facts, she isn’t a mind reader. nor is the judge.
She always told me what to expect and gave me basic guidelines as to how California divorce law works, what the law says, and what latitude a judge has.
Observing her and how organized she was helped me get my divorce documents organized and allowed me to be able to present them to her in a clear and organized way. Therefore enabling her to represent me in the best way possible.
When ever we went to court Deborah was On Time, super organized, had a plan of action and ready to go.
I have recommended her to 2 aquaintences already and will continue to recommend her in the future.

I’ll keep this short.
Deborah is my ex-wife’s lawyer. She was very effective.
Make of that what you will.

Deborah was recommended to me by a friend of mine who had benefitted greatly from her counsel. Going through mediation, I didn’t need a full time attorney but rather someone to look at my situation and tell me what my rights were, what was worth fighting for and what wasn’t. In our 2 hour session I found Deborah to be thoughtful, understanding, caring, funny and incredibly knowledgeable. She was straight forward without being pushy, honest without being mean or cold. I left her office feeling well armed to handle whatever came up in mediation. And I was. Thank you Deborah!

UPDATE:
11÷11÷13
I have now been through the whole divorce process and have a MUCH different view of Deborah that I wanted to share.
Deborah is clearly a talented family lawyer and one of the absolute best out there. There are many mediocre or worse family lawyers in Oakland/​Alameda; Deborah is NOT one of them.
I did have a communication issue with Deborah. She is reserved. I am not. I would have liked a lawyer who expressed more empathy in the situation. She didn’t. In reality, I was a newly separated man who needed lots of emotional support, but in hindsight it wasn’t really appropriate to expect it from my lawyer. I just didn’t understand it at the time.
The reason I had trouble working with Deborah is that she had had past dealings with someone on the other side, and that made ME distrustful of her (irrationally so). That queered our working relationship from my perspective, and it caused me to add friction into the situation which led to us parting ways. In hindsight, I should not have retained Deborah in the first place, as she had disclosed the conflict in the first meeting and I glossed over it and said I was «fine» with it. It turned out I was not. It was my lack of experience in being represented in divorce proceedings that caused the problem.
Finally — the lawyer I referenced below with whom I had initial good conversations turned out to be a terrible lawyer who is, in my opinion, incompetent. So just because a divorce lawyer seems nice and empathetic in the initial meetings does not mean they will provide quality legal services when you actually need them.
I’m sorry, Deborah, for writing such a negative review initially. It was unfair and I apologize.
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I had a much different experience with Deborah than others reviewers.
I found Deborah very hard to communicate with. She seemed to prefer clients who are docile and allow her to operate like a legal processing service. I never got useful strategic guidance from her even when I begged for it. We have now parted ways because I wanted an attorney who I could trust to give me both competent counsel and ideas about how to handle the case since I am, as most people are, new to divorce. i am already communicating better with my new attorney than i did with deborah. bottom line: ymmv.

Going through a divorce was a very difficult time for me. Deborah was very understanding, but didn’t sugar coat anything. I needed the honesty and it helped me pull through to finalize the divorce. I appreciated how fair she was. Her services were invaluable. I would highly recommend her if you are in need of a divorce attorney.

I met Deborah last year and got some great advice on my situation. She is fair, honest and upfront. I appreciated her advise about coming to the consultation prepared which cut down our time, and her tips and attention to detail were awesome. Thanks.

I accidentally, ended up with Deborah as a voluntary mediator, during a status conference
In a nut shell, she was able to accomplish in a couple hrs, what my other mediator was not able to do in several months, and several thousands of dollars
She explained the process, and cost of litigation, the possible outcome of each issue, explained things in a way that was sensitive to personal feelings, but with a sense of lets get to work and get it done
I will always be grateful, and will highly encourage anyone going in to the stressful process of divorce, to work with her

I went to Deborah based on the reviews from Unilocal… I think it is a very useful service to see what others think of an individual before seeking their services. First, the consultation was expected to be about an hour… at $ 275 an hour. She was upfront about cost at the beginning. She provided a 10 minute free consult prior to going to the paid consult. She spent an hour and a half with me and after reviewing the case extensively told me that the case was «a mess’ already and there was basically nothing to be done. At this point all she could do was advise me on hopefully having to pay the least amount of child support possible. She went over the form and gave me the worse and best case scenerio. $ 385 later, I’m not sure the advise helped much. I ended up paying a lot in child support to my ex husband. I must say that she is honest and informed me that it would not be worth the expense for her to go to court because there was not much more she could do for me… Probably if I could have afforded it, I should have retained her from the beginning and maybe things would not have gone this way for me, but that did not happen. She did help me with the forms, asking me to fax over the form for her review… she made sure to tell me that she usually charges for that service (althought I had just paid $ 385 for the cons) and when I tried to clear up one thing I did not understand on the form afterwards… her advise was to «just do the best you can» basically ending her assistance to me. I understand that she must get paid for her services. so I left it at that.

To add to my previous review — — my case was settled, but I still had a few niggling issues — — Deborah took care of them immediately and quickly — — and I have a hunch she didn’t charge me for as much time as it took her, because it was really reasonable. I just love her!!!

Deborah handled my divorce and I couldn’t be more pleased. I felt that she really cared about me and my children. She also kept a constant eye on the costs that I was incurring and made recommendations accordingly given my budget and goals. While it was a miserable period of my life, it was so comforting to have her on my side. Her analysis and understanding of the law seemed impeccable. She made finalizing the process a priority. I’m so grateful to have worked with her.

Deborah is a fantastic lawyer. She is smart, thorough, and explains everything in «regular» language so it is easy to understand. She is a good listener, and then clearly goes over all the options for your case so you feel fully informed in making decisions. I felt I had a true ally in navigating through the complexities of my divorce.
I can’t tell you how much I appreciated Deborah’s guidance through this tough period in my life. I would not hesitate to highly recommend her to anyone needing a family law attorney.

Where do I begin to rave about Deborah? She was amazing during a terribly difficult time in my life. She is über-​organized, exceedingly thorough, and so helpful!
If you are in need of family law services, I highly recommend Deborah. She presented information clearly, helped me understand my options, and worked on my case with the same level of attention as if it was her personal life situation. I appreciated that she didn’t sugar-​coat any information and gave me the entire picture of what could be expected. I knew at every step of the way that she was on my side, in my corner.
She is everything you want in a family law attorney!