Bio
Family law expert Douglas K. Goldwater combines his expertise handling contentious child custody cases and sifting through complex financial disputes with litigation experience involving business, real property and intellectual property matters. He focuses on both litigation and collaborative cases in Ventura, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara County matters. After being recognized as a Super Lawyers® Rising Star each year between 2013 and 2019, and having been identified as a member of the “Up and Coming” Top 100 Rising Stars in 2015, he was listed among the top family law attorneys in Southern California as a Super Lawyer® in 2020 and 2021. He was also recognized by the Pacific Coast Business Times as a member of its “40 Under 40” top professionals in the region in 2018.
On top of his knowledge of family and business law, Doug has experience in California’s film and media production industry. He studied mass communications and legal studies as an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, where he also helped re-found the first Theta Chi fraternity chapter west of the Mississippi. After briefly working in film production following his graduation from Berkeley, Doug attended law school at the University of Southern California, where he earned his J.D. in 2004. At USC, he was actively involved with the Public Interest Law Foundation and Phi Alpha Delta and was notes editor at the USC Interdisciplinary Law Journal. A long-time board member of the Ventura County Bar Association, Doug served as its president in 2019. He also has served on the executive committee of Ventura County Legal Aid, a local non-profit organization focused on providing free legal assistance to local residents who cannot afford such services. Doug also regularly volunteers his time to serve as a Judge Pro Tem for the Ventura County Superior Court and devotes time each year to the County’s High School Mock Trial Competition.
When not working, Doug enjoys spending time outdoors with his fiancée and their children. He is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kings, who regularly cycles, runs, and plays soccer.