WILKINSON & FINKBEINER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Board Member of the San Diego County Family Law Bar Association
- Certified Family Law Specialist
Benjamin Yip is a Certified Family Law Specialist and was named as a Rising Star in San Diego by Super Lawyers for 2023.
Ben is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego and Loyola Law School. After law school, he worked at an international law firm on large class-action defense cases. Ben has practiced family law exclusively for the last 10 years focusing his practice on all aspects of
Ben is currently a Board Member of the San Diego County Family Law Bar Association. He is also a member of the San Diego County Bar Association and the North County Bar Association. He is a recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for his Pro Bono legal work from the State Bar of California. He also serves as a voluntary mandatory settlement conference judge for the North County and Downtown courthouses.
Benjamin Yip is a Certified Family Law Specialist and was named as a Rising Star in San Diego by Super Lawyers for 2023. As a San Diego divorce lawyer, Ben specializes in all aspects of complex family law litigation.
Brian D. Mullen is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego and California Western School of Law. After law school he served as a law clerk to a veteran San Diego attorney whose family law practice deals with primarily heavily contested custody matters before family law and juvenile courts, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders..... View Full Profile
Charlie is seasoned litigator who has more than 10 years of experience in the high-stakes world of class action litigation, where he honed his skills as a meticulous advocate. His experience navigating complex legal battles involving hundreds of millions of dollars at stake ensures he approaches every family matter with precision and dedication. View Full Profile
Christina Milligan is a seasoned litigator who joined Wilkinson & Finkbeiner after nearly 15 years advising and litigating on behalf of public and private clients. Most recently, she worked for the San Diego City Attorney's Office advising... View Full Profile
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the San Diego County Bar Association
David Wilkinson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington, one of the highest ranked undergraduate business schools in the United States, where he was awarded membership to the National Dean's List. Mr. Wilkinson received his Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law School, where he received an honors award for authoring The EGTRRA Estate Tax Sunset Provision, Reform and Politics: A Fungible Alternative To Repeal, received the highest grade in both Contracts II and Arbitration Law, and graduated in the top one-third of his class.
Mr. Wilkinson, co-founder of Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, practices family law for the firm, handling all facets of the practice area, from straightforward negotiation and preparation of pleadings to complex litigation. As a highly experienced San Diego divorce attorney, Mr. Wilkinson has previously represented small and large asset clients in all types family law matters.
While the Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP philosophy adheres to a settlement-as-a-first-option, litigation-as-a-final-option mentality, several recent cases handled by Mr. Wilkinson evidence the broad range of his competence in both regards. In one recent case, Mr. Wilkinson successfully negotiated to allow his client to move with the parties' young child out of the state of California and to another state. "Move-away" cases are inherently complicated, but as a skilled child custody attorney in San Diego, Mr. Wilkinson set his client up for success by preparing a strong case from the outset. In another recent case, Mr. Wilkinson represented a mother as a San Diego guardianship lawyer who was fighting a guardianship action, which if granted by the Court, would have effectively taken the child out of the mother's care. The proceeding had been dragging on for nearly one year. Within one month, Mr. Wilkinson prepared for and won at trial. The child was returned to the custody of the mother immediately.
In several other recent notable cases, Mr. Wilkinson won another "move-away" matter which lasted almost two days in trial, successfully won his client a $20,000 attorney fee award as a sanction against the other party for his egregious conduct, successfully filed and received a judgment on a motion for child support arrears against a father who owed almost $300,000 to the children's mother with accrued interest, successfully defended a domestic violence restraining order filed by the mother in a child custody matter which was intended to gain an advantage in the proceeding, obtained a default annulment (nullity) judgment for a client, and successfully negotiated an amendment to a Marital Settlement Agreement by filing a motion to set aside based on the failure to provide disclosures.
Mr. Wilkinson has also litigated and negotiated division of marital property cases involving millions of dollars in assets. Mr. Wilkinson has extensive experience in dealing with Evidence Code 730 experts that are involved in high-asset cases, including forensic accountants, income evaluators, and business valuation experts as a division of marital property lawyer in San Diego. With more than a decade of experience in family law litigation, Mr. Wilkinson has tried and successfully argued countless family law matters with high-value property valuation and property issues, dealing with multimillion dollar real estate, dividing stock, stock options, and restricted stock units, and dealing with extremely high income levels as it relates to spousal support.*
Mr. Wilkinson is also active in the community. Mr. Wilkinson currently serves as a member of the San Diego County Bar Association, American Bar Association and formerly a volunteer for the San Diego Legal Aid Society. For many years, Mr. Wilkinson has served as a supervising attorney for the California Western School of Law and University of California San Diego joint collaborative legal-medical Community Law Project and recently received the Judge Judy Keep Award from UCSD.
Finally, Mr. Wilkinson recently earned his certificate from the California State Bar as a Family Law Specialist. This means that Mr. Wilkinson is an expert in Family Law matters and is one of approximately 300 family law specialists throughout San Diego and Orange Counties.
David Wilkinson received his Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law School, and his Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington School of Business. David is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and a member of Super Lawyers - Rising Stars. David manages the firm's multiple offices in Southern California, and two offices in Massachusetts... View Full Profile
Hannah J. Engholm received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, as a University of California Regent's Scholar. She assisted in teaching "Introduction to Psychology" and "Psychology of Children in Extreme Circumstances" and was presented the Psychology Teacher of the Year Award in 2008. Hannah graduated Summa Cum Laude and was admitted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. In 2013, Hannah simultaneously earned her Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law as a Trustee's Scholar and her Master in Social Work degree from San Diego State University. She graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Hannah joined Wilkinson & Finkbeiner in 2013 as a certified law student through California Western's clinical internship program. She has experience with all family law issues, including divorce, nullity of marriage, child custody and visitation, move-away requests, child support, spousal support, step-parent adoptions, and pre-marital agreements. Hannah has served as minor's counsel, advocating for children in family law custody disputes. Hannah earned her certificate from the California State Bar as a Family Law Specialist. This means that Hannah is an expert in Family Law matters and is one of approximately 300 family law specialists throughout San Diego and Orange Counties.
Hannah has served on non-profit boards including Southern California Abuse Prevention Services and Valley Center Trails Association. She spent several years volunteering for San Diego's Voices for Children, where she served as a Court Appointed Advocate (CASA), mentoring and advocating for foster youth. Since 2017, Hannah has taught various legal courses at Palomar Community College and California Western School of Law as adjunct faculty. Hannah is a San Diego North County native and spends her time hiking and running in the local mountains.
Hannah Engholm received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, as a University of California Regent's Scholar. She assisted in teaching "Introduction to Psychology" and "Psychology of Children in Extreme Circumstances" and was presented the..... View Full Profile
Jennifer began her legal experience in 2001. Before joining our team at Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, Jennifer was employed at other well-known family law firms in San Diego. Jennifer's 22 years of experience have been exclusively in family law. Jennifer is a native to San Diego and holds her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from San Diego State University. Outside the office she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children and going on walks with her French Bulldog, Boba.
Julia Schneider is the managing attorney for our office in West Los Angeles, which serves all of Los Angeles County. Julia is an expert in Family Law as she is California State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist and brings a compassionate and practical approach to her cases.
Julia understands that clients who need assistance with their family law matters are experiencing a challenging, emotional and stressful time in their lives. She builds a relationship of trust, openness, and respect with her clients, as well as sets realistic goals and expectations based on the unique facts and circumstances of each client's case. Julia's practice is diverse: she represents clients with very few assets or issues to clients who have complex, multi-issue cases. She helps her clients reach resolution to their family matter whether they are in low-conflict, amicable relationships or high-conflict, acrimonious relationships, and everything in between.
Julia ensures clear and direct communication between attorney and client. Her clients feel informed and empowered throughout representation, both with the legal process and with resources and support systems in the community. Julia has significant courtroom experience and will litigate a case when necessary and appropriate. She is also settlement focused and will work with the client and other party (or other party's attorney) to reach agreements outside of court whenever possible. Julia ultimate goal is to help her clients to resolve their family law disputes and move on with their lives as successfully as possible.
She has significant experience in the following areas:
Division of assets and debts, including low, medium, and high-asset cases;
Cases involving pre-marital and post-marital agreements;
Child support and spousal support, including initial and permanent orders, modifications, and determination and/or defense of arrears owed;
Child custody and visitation, including move away cases;
Paternity actions;
Domestic violence restraining orders; and
Enforcement or modification of judgments.
Julia Schneider received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kansas, with a double major in Spanish and Latin American Studies. During her time at KU, she was involved in many campus organizations, studied abroad in Mexico and Costa Rica, and worked as a legal intern at the Douglas County District Court Trustee's Office for three years. View Full Profile
Kristin joins Wilkinson & Finkbeiner with over 13 years of family law experience. Prior to becoming a member of the W&F team, Kristin was employed at other well-known family law firms in San Diego and Boston.
Kyle Siems recently completed a successful negotiation allowing his client to retain the entirety of their retirement savings as reimbursement for the payments made towards the other party's education expenses. During the marriage, the client's spouse left their successful career to return to school, while the client paid the tuition. After completing their education, the spouse's new career paid only a fraction of their prior earnings. To address the situation, Kyle enlisted the assistance of a vocational expert to assess the spouse's earning capability. This strategy proved successful in allowing Mr. Siems' client to retain the entirety of their retirement savings to compensate for the amounts paid toward said education.
In a complex post-judgment case, Kyle recently obtained a six-figure settlement for his client after discovering that the opposing party had failed to disclose significant assets from their divorce several years prior. Although he did not represent the client in her divorce, after reviewing her dissolution judgment documents, he deduced that significant sums were omitted. Utilizing the court's reservation of jurisdiction over omitted assets, he was able to obtain a remarkably favorable settlement with the assistance of his team of expert accountants, etc.
In a recent collections matter, Kyle was able to obtain an injunction on our client's ex-spouse's accounts by filing an ex parte, emergency motion with the court. The ex-spouse owed a substantial amount of support arrears to our client. The complicated matter ended with a negotiated settlement and a significant payout to our client.
In a complex child custody case, Kyle successfully prevented one parent from moving the parties' children across the country upon dissolution. The client was enlisted Navy personnel stationed in San Diego, and after the parties' separation, one parent requested the right to take the children to the East Coast to be closer to family. After a series of hearings, Kyle obtained an order allowing the children to remain in San Diego with our client.
In a highly contested custody matter between enlisted military members, Kyle obtained a 50/50 custody order for his client. The parties were embroiled in a very combative relationship, and one parent wrongfully filed for a restraining order against the other parent to gain an advantage in the custody battle. After several hearings on the matter, the court determined that our client was not a threat and ordered custody to be shared by the parties. After defending several motions and getting sanctions levied against the other party, Kyle was able to obtain a joint custody order on the client's behalf.
Recently, Kyle obtained a move-away order allowing one parent to move the parties' teenage son from San Diego to their residence in Las Vegas. The teenage son had been struggling in school in San Diego and began showing signs of heading down a dangerous path. Kyle filed a motion to modify custody to allow the son to move to Las Vegas to live with our client. After a contested hearing on the matter, the court allowed the child to move to Las Vegas.
In another recent case, Kyle helped a parent gain primary custody of their son after the other parent's actions proved they were unfit to care for the parties' young child. Kyle's client had alleged instances of abuse by the other parent. After putting they other party on the witness stand to testify, Kyle obtained testimony from the other party admitting to their actions and inability to properly care for the child. In large part due to Kyle's strategies and experience, the court ruled in favor of the client and granted them primary custody.
*It is important to note that any case success examples are not indicative of future results. Additionally, our firm and Kyle represent generally equal numbers of husbands, fathers, mothers and wives.
Voted a Semi-Finalist for San Diego's Top Family Law Attorneys According to the San Diego Daily Transcript, Kyle J. Siems received his Bachelor of Arts in History from Loyola University of New Orleans, where he graduated cum laude and was chosen to study at the John Felice Rome Center of Liberal Arts during his junior year. View Full Profile
Nuha received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles with a major in Sociology. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor degree from Chapman University Fowler School of Law, where she received several CALI Excellence for the Future Awards and was a member of the Humanitarian Law Society. View Full Profile
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- California State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist
- Expert San Diego
Scott H. Finkbeiner is a co-founder of Wilkinson & Finkbeiner, LLP and is an expert in Family Law as he is California State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist. Scott is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Scott has dual degrees in accounting and finance from the University of Arizona.
Scott has been appointed as a Temporary Judge San Diego Superior Court - Family Law Division and serves as a Family Law settlement judge and mediator.
Scott prides himself on his mediation skills and is routinely appointed as a private mediator by his fellow family law attorney peers to resolve complex and highly contested family law cases.
As a San Diego divorce lawyer, Scott specializes in all aspects of complex family law litigation. Scott has litigated all issues involved in divorce and paternity cases.
Scott focuses his practice on high asset and complex marital estates. Scott's clientele includes both C-suite executives and self-employed individuals owning multi-million-dollar corporations (both domestic and foreign) to the spouses of such individuals. Scott's background in accounting and finance uniquely qualifies him to quickly identify the issues and propose resolutions to complex business and income-related issues.
In addition to settling division of marital property cases involving over $100M in contested assets, Scott has extensive trial experience as a division of property lawyer in San Diego. Scott has tried cases involving multi-million-dollar business valuations, complex income available for support analysis, breaches of fiduciary duties, characterization of property, direct and indirect tracings, apportionment of stocks, options, restricted stock units, retirement benefits and litigated reimbursements and attorney's fees and sanctions.
Scott is an expert San Diego child support lawyer and has successfully handled child support and spousal support issues whether in family court or department of child support services. Scott has represented numerous self-employed high net worth individuals as well as a party whose spouse operates as a self-employed individual.
Scott has lectured on the law and analysis for determining support related to stock options, restricted stock units, and other executive compensation as well as cryptocurrency.
Scott is also a specialized child custody attorney in San Diego. Scott has litigated many cases involving psychological evaluations, minor's counsel, move-aways (domestic and international), alleged child abuse, interstate child abduction, post-judgment change of custody cases, drug and alcohol abuse and every other issue concerning minor children. Scott has also represented non-parties and grandparents in both child custody matters as well as guardianship matters in the probate courts.
Scott is also frequent lecturer on all aspects of family law, ethics and professional responsibility. Scott has presented on issues of the Fundamentals of Family Law, Stock Options & Executive Compensation for Support, Domestic Violence Restraining Orders, Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege and Its Application to Family Law Custody Cases, Cryptocurrency and Family Law Ethics and Professional Responsibility Rules.
When Scott is not working, he is either spending time with his wife and children or coaching youth baseball or soccer.
Scott Finkbeiner is a California State Bar Certified Family Law Specialist who received his Bachelor of Science degrees in both Accounting and Finance from the University of Arizona. Scott is a Fellow with the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), and received his Juris Doctor degree from California Western School of Law School, where he..... View Full Profile
Victoria Traversi grew up experiencing many different cultures as she spent parts of her youth living in Connecticut, Washington, Mexico, and California where she graduated high school. She attended Trinity University, located in San Antonio, Texas, and spent her junior year studying abroad in Buenos Aires. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Spanish and a Minor in Sociology. Upon graduation, Victoria moved back to California but remains very active with her University as the Young Alumni Programs Chair on the Alumni Board and volunteers as a recruiter at local college fairs.
Victoria joined Wilkinson & Finkbeiner as a Legal Assistant in the beginning of 2021. She is looking forward to pursuing her paralegal certificate to be of further assistance to clients and the firm.