Smith Family Law

Attorney Stephen V. Smith

For more than a decade, Stephen V. Smith has exclusively served as a powerful advocate for his clients, guiding both men and women through difficult divorces and complex family issues. Often the best approach for a client is non adversarial which includes mediation and settlement. However, this requires both parties to agree on a compromise. Unfortunately, because emotions run high in this area of the law, many cases must proceed to court to be resolved. 

Stephen's tough, savvy approach to litigation coupled with his dedication to his clients has enabled him to best achieve his clients' goals and safeguard their interests, whether he is dealing with complex matrimonial issues, custody cases, or other family law matters. Stephen's deep commitment to his clients enables him to serve them in a more powerful way, fighting to protect their interests as if each of their cases were about his own family.

During perhaps the most difficult time in a person's life, Stephen's guidance through the divorce process is one of compassion as well as a straight forward legal analysis of each of the issues in a client's case. This allows his clients the opportunity to understand the law as it applies to them and to make well informed decisions about how to best proceed with their case.

Stephen V. Smith is intimately familiar with the divorce process, not only from advocating for clients every day for over 10 years, but also because he himself has been divorced. Attorney Smith represented himself in his own divorce and contentious custody battle before he became an attorney more than 12 years ago. It was during this difficult time that Stephen realized what a dramatic impact a good divorce attorney can have on people's lives, particularly children's lives. His passion for family law was born.

Over a decade later, Stephen has successfully litigated hundreds of contentious divorce, custody, domestic violence, child/spousal support, and high asset division cases in San Diego. He has become familiar with the tendencies of individual judges in each of the county's courthouses and learned to tailor an effective court room presentation accordingly. Stephen's reputation in the community with fellow attorneys and judges in unrivaled. His litigation style has been described as appropriately aggressive and relentless. 

Bar Admissions:

• California, 2005

Education:

• California Western School of Law, San Diego, California
  • J.D. - 2002
• University of California, San Diego, California
  • B.A. - 2000
  • Major: Political Science

Languages Spoken:

• English
• Spanish

Attorney Heather N. Catron

Heather Catron is a senior associate attorney at Smith Family Law, joining the firm in 2018. She is an experienced court room litigator who is dedicated to strategically helping clients achieve their legal goals. Ms. Catron has successful represented clients in a broad range of family law matters, including dissolution of marriage, paternity, custody and visitation, child and spousal support, domestic violence, and modification and enforcement of family law orders and judgments. Ms. Catron regularly appears in Court, and as such, can offer her clients advice as to the preferences and tendencies of the different judges. She is well versed in family law and has the proficient oral advocacy stills needed to effectively and persuasively represent her clients.

Ms. Catron is passionate about helping her clients navigate through what can be a very stressful and confusing time in their lives. Ms. Catron understands that to family law clients this is not just a lawsuit, it's their life. She strives for compassionate and effective legal representation to guide each client through the divorce and custody process.

Ms. Catron also has experience drafting and responding to appeals and has successfully argued to overturn a ruling in front of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Heather Catron is originally from the Seattle area and graduated with honors from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies. She then moved to San Diego where she graduated Cum Laude from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2012

Attorney Caroline Plemmons

Caroline Plemmons is an Associate Attorney at Antonyan Miranda, focusing primarily on family law litigation and litigation support.

Ms. Plemmons has worked exclusively in the area of family law since 2006, most recently as an Associate Attorney for a boutique Certified Family Law Specialist practice. In this role, Ms. Plemmons bolstered her family law repetoire by achieving significant experience in a wide variety of complex family law matters, including high-conflict, and high-asset dissolutions, many of which involved forensic accounting, tracing, business valuations, and enforcement actions. Ms. Plemmons is equally well versed in custody and visitation, support, relocation orders, and pre/post marital agreements.

Ms. Plemmons graduated from Brandeis University in only three years, earning a B.A. in Theater with a minor in Journalism. Ms. Plemmons subsequently graduated from Concord School of Law with honors, having been named as a Distinguished Student on three separate occasions. During law school, Ms. Plemmons worked contemporaneously as an ABA Certified Lead Paralegal for a high volume family law practice.

Bar Admissions:

• California

Education:

• Concord University School of Law, Los Angeles, California
  • Honors: With Honors
  • Honors: Distinguished Student
  • Honors: ABA Certified Lead Paralegal
• Brandeis University
  • B.A.
  • Major: Theater
  • Minor: Journalism

Attorney Mercedes Castro

Bar Admissions:

• California