John P. O'Malley

Partner

621 Capitol Mall
18th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Areas of Law:

Family Law

Admitted to Practice in:

California

John O'Malley is a Certified Family Law Specialist* and is one of two partners in the firm's family law practice. John represents clients in all aspects of family law cases and has handled numerous dissolution of marriage, legal separation, domestic partnership, child custody, child support, spousal support, domestic violence and guardianship proceedings. His practice also includes drafting and reviewing pre-marital and post-marital (transmutation) agreements, step-parent adoption proceedings, name-changes and all other aspects of family law. Many of John's cases involve complex issues, including business valuation, separate property tracing, apportionment of community and separate property interests in businesses, and sophisticated tax issues, among others.

John is passionate about the practice of family law, and that passion has translated to many successful results for his clients. In addition to obtaining positive outcomes during numerous contested hearings, John has successfully tried several multi-day child custody trials in which his clients were able to overcome mediation recommendations adverse to his clients. He has tried “move away” cases, allowing his clients to relocate outside the area with minor children. He has tried a complex business valuation case involving a lucrative veterinary practice, resulting in the court valuing the business eight times higher than the value proffered by the opposing party. And he has successfully tried contempt, domestic violence and pension division issues, all of which resulted in positive results for his clients.

Although John is very comfortable in court, he has four children of his own, and he feels strongly that the best outcomes are those reached outside the courtroom. Before attending law school, John worked in a highly competitive commission sales environment, where he consistently ranked in the top 1% of sales persons nationally for a large electronics sales company. That experience helped John develop communication and negotiating skills that he puts to use as a lawyer. John has participated in countless mediations and private settlement conferences, resulting in many outstanding results for clients. John also serves as a Judge Pro Tem, overseeing settlement conferences in Sacramento and Yolo Counties, which allows him to put his skill to work helping litigants work through issues collaboratively while avoiding trial.

When John is not working or spending time with his family, he devotes his energy to giving back to his community through activities such as Rotary and the Yolo Wayfarer Center, where he serves on the Board of Directors. He is also an avid runner and enjoys using his running time to strategize and focus on his cases.

Many of John's clients and friends comment that his upbeat demeanor is unusual for a family law attorney. But as he sees it, his clients come to him at the worst times of their lives, so they have nowhere to go but up. And John has the unique privilege of helping them start over and regain control over their lives. Family law is emotional and at times, quite difficult. But this is what makes the practice so worthwhile to John.

*Certified Family Law Specialist, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization

Experience

Represented clients in dissolution of marriage, legal separation, paternity, child support, spousal support, child custody, probate guardianships, domestic violence, and adoption cases.

Experienced in negotiating and drafting premarital, post-marital and cohabitation agreements, and analyzing community interests in businesses, tracing issues and probate and tax matters.

Former Judicial Extern for the Honorable David E. Levi of the United States District Court, Eastern District of California

Former Law Clerk for the Office of The Federal Defender in Fresno

MEMBERSHIPS

State Bar of California, Family Law Section, Member

Sacramento County Bar Association, Member

Barristers Club of Sacramento, Member

Anthony M. Kennedy Inns of Court, Former Member

United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Admitted to Practice

EDUCATION

University of California, Davis School of Law (J.D., 1998)
California State University, Fresno (B.A., summa cum laude, 1993 )
Complutense University of Madrid, Spain (Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar)

CHARITABLE

Child & Family Institute, Director