Maria Spear
Meet Maria
As a Certified Family Law Specialist with a decade of experience, Maria Spear guides clients through the full spectrum of family law matters, from straightforward divorces to complex, high-conflict custody cases and high-asset disputes. She is committed to providing clear, direct, and efficient representation that protects clients’ interests and empowers them to move forward with confidence. Clients appreciate working with Maria because she takes pride in educating them through every step of the process, ensuring they have the clear guidance and information necessary to make informed decisions about their case and their future.
Attorney Specialties: Adoption, High Conflict Child Custody/Support, Divorce, Guardianship, Legal Separation, Mediation, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
For the past ten years, Maria has dedicated her career exclusively to family law, beginning as a support attorney before advancing to a lead attorney role managing her own caseload. Maria’s path to family law was shaped by her early experiences and commitment to education. The first in her family to attend college, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from San Diego State University before discovering her passion for law while working as a legal assistant. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor, Magna Cum Laude, from Western State College of Law. Since becoming licensed, Maria has represented clients in a wide range of family law matters, with particular experience in complex custody and visitation issues, including reunification therapy, Child Custody Recommending Counseling, and matters involving custody evaluators, minor’s counsel, and mental health professionals. She is also a trained mediator and draws on her litigation and mediation experience to help clients navigate difficult family law matters both inside and outside the courtroom.
Today, she leverages her comprehensive experience to serve as the firm’s Legal Support Services Manager and Supervising Attorney for the Riverside County office, where she combines her experience as a practicing attorney with her leadership of legal support operations and attorney strategy. As a fully bilingual English and Spanish speaking attorney, Maria is passionate about serving families throughout Riverside County and approaches each matter with both zealous advocacy and genuine compassion.
Maria's approach to representing clients is highly strategic and efficient, focusing on expertly managing the legal complexities of their case to successfully achieve their overarching goals. Representative matters include:
- Represented a client facing a disputed paternity action and a concurrent Domestic Violence Restraining Order (DVRO). Secured a complete denial of the restraining order, established the client's parentage rights, and obtained joint custody orders.
- Assisted a client through the intricate legal requirements involved in finalizing the adoption of children with Native American ancestry
- Successfully resolved a complex, high-net-worth divorce through mediation. This efficient approach protected the client's privacy, kept decision-making control in their hands, and preserved their wealth by avoiding costly and protracted litigation.
- Member, Riverside County Family Law Bar Association
- Member, San Diego County Family Law Bar Association
- The Honorable Angel M. Bermudez American Inn of Court
- Supervising Attorney: Lead and oversee legal operations and attorney strategy for the firm’s Riverside County office.
- Professional Mentorship: Actively train and mentor associate attorneys and legal support staff, fostering their professional development and ensuring the highest standards of legal practice across the firm.
- Actively engage and collaborate with the local family law bench and bar to improve legal practice.
Outside of the office, Maria is a sports enthusiast who spends most weekends traveling across Southern California to support her son's travel basketball team. When she is not cheering on the sidelines, she enjoys recharging by reading, hiking, and spending time in nature. She is also passionate about giving back to her community and volunteering with local food distribution initiatives during the holiday season.
Speak with a Family Law Specialist
Schedule a confidential, no-obligation conversation with our team. We’ll discuss your unique situation and match you with the attorney best suited to help you move forward.
