FRANKLIN R. GARFIELD
A Professional Corporation
1801 Century Park East, Suite 2400
Los Angeles CA 90067-2326
310/450-1808; 310/277-1980 Facsimile
Email: frgarfield@gmail.com
Education and Honors
University of California, Berkeley, California (1964-1967)
Phi Beta Kappa (1966)
A.B. (American History) With Distinction
University of California School of Law (Boalt Hall), Berkeley, California (1967-70)
American Jurisprudence Prize (Contracts) (1968)
Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye Scholarship (1967-68)
Major Walter Dinkelspiel Scholarship (1968-69)
Research Assistant, Professor Albert A. Ehrenzweig (1968-70)
Projects Editor, California Law Review (1968-70)
J.D. (1970)
Employment History
Teaching Fellow, Stanford Law School
Palo Alto, California
(1970-71)
Law Clerk, Hon. Alfonso J. Zirpoli
United States District Court for the Northern District of California
San Francisco, California
(1971-72)
Associate, Howard, Prim, Rice, Nemerovski, Canady & Pollak
San Francisco, California
(1972-75)
Principal, Garfield & Tepper, A Partnership of Professional Corporations
Los Angeles, California
(1975-2018)
Principal, Franklin R. Garfield, A Professional Corporation
Los Angeles, California
(2019-Present)
Selected Publications
“Divorce Mediation: Getting It Done and Getting It Right,”
Los Angeles Lawyer, March 2021
“Determining Permanent Spousal Support,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, January 19, 2021
“Ruling Shows the Perils of Creative Solutions in Divorce Mediations,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, January 6, 2021
“The Line Between Zealous Advocacy and Sanctionable Conduct,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, December 31, 2020
“Mediating Custody Disputes,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, October 9, 2020
Ruling Weighs in on Determining Gross Income Available for Child Support,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, July 24, 2020
“Mitigating the Unintended Consequences of Divorce Laws,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, July 16, 2020
“Keeping Accurate Time Records,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 19, 2020
“Court Closures and Consensual Dispute Resolution,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 9, 2020
“Premarital Agreements May Be Challenged by Third Parties,“
Los Angeles Daily Journal, April 2, 2019
“Deposing Witnesses: Who's Lying Now“
Los Angeles Lawyer, July-August 2018
“The Role of the Law in Divorce Mediation“
Los Angeles Daily Journal, April 6, 2018
“The Role of the Law in Divorce Mediation“
Los Angeles Daily Journal, April 6, 2018
Book review, Common Sense, Legal Sense and Nonsense About Divorce by Lenard Marlow,
Academy of Professional Family Mediators Newsletter, Fall, 2013
“Budget Cuts Lead to Dysfunctional Family Law Departments,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, April 9, 2013
“Decision Weakens Enforceability of Spousal Support Waivers,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, February 4, 2013
“Story Time,”
California Lawyer, August, 2012
“The Role of Consultants,”
The Recorder, May 14, 2012
“Prenuptial Practice,”
Los Angeles Lawyer, November, 2011
“Mediating Prenuptial Agreements,”
Family Law News, Vol. 32, No. 3, Issue 3, 2010
“Can Divorce Mediators Be Sued?”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, February 26, 2010
“When Going to Trial Would Be a Train Wreck, Can You Settle Your Case?”
Family Law News, Vol. 31, No. 4, Winter 2009
“Mediation Confidentiality Should Be Inviolate,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 25, 2009
“Settling the Score,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 17, 2008
“Point/Counterpoint Regarding Provisions for Payments at the Time of Marital Dissolution in Prenuptial Agreements,”
Family Law News, Vol. 29, No. 4, Winter, 2007
“Settling Divorces,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 28, 2007
“Split Ends,”
Los Angeles Magazine, April 2007
“Settling With Boilerplate,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, December 19, 2006
“Computer Programs Can Help Determine Spousal Support,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 27, 2006
“Parties in Divorce, Custody Cases Crave Perception of Fairness,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 4, 2004
“Avoiding Three Pitfalls of Family-Law Mediations,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, March 18, 2004
“ADR Buzzwords Create Unrealistic Expectations for Divorcing Parties,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 6, 2003
“Unite to Divide?”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 11, 2003
“Family Mediators Should Know the Law,”
SCMA News (Southern California Mediation Association), Vol. 11, No. 4, December, 2002
“Mediators Should Provide the Parties with Basic Information,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 19, 2002
“Unbundling Legal Services in Mediation,”
40 Family Court Review 1, January, 2002
“Speed Mediation,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 25, 1999
“Signing Off,”
Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 30, 1998
“Should a Mediator Switch Hats?”
SCMA News (Southern California Mediation Association), Vol. 8, No. 5, June, 1998
"Demilitarized Zone,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 27, 1997
"The Family Way,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, May 28, 1997
"Side Effects,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, November 27, 1996
"Family Law Troubles,"
California Law Business, April 15, 1996
"In the Beginning,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, February 14, 1996
"Mediators Should Take Responsibility for the Outcome,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, July 21, 1995
"Nonlawyers Should Stay Out of Family Law Mediation,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, March 21, 1995
"Arbitrators Can Write Their Own Rules,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, September 8, 1994
"The Trouble With Ethics Experts,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, August 26, 1994
"The Trouble with Family Law,"
Los Angeles Daily Journal, March 24, 1994
"How Much Support is Reasonable?"
National Law Journal, May 23, 1988
"It's Tough Being a Divorce Lawyer,"
National Law Journal, October 12, 1987
"Collecting Attorneys' Fees,"
Los Angeles Lawyer, July/August, 1987
"When Marriages Fail,"
California Lawyer, January, 1987
Professional Activities
Arbitrator, LACBA and BHBA Fee Arbitration Programs
Member, The Best Lawyers of America, 2008
The Best Lawyers of America, Southern California Family Mediator of the Year, 2013