With over 30 years of legal experience as both a paralegal and then attorney, Certified Family Law Specialist Raquel M. Silva provides legal services to individuals and families throughout California. She practices in all areas of family law, estate planning, probate, and trust administration in all counties in California, including but not limited to, Yolo, Solano, Napa, and Sacramento Counties.

Ms. Silva operates as a sole practitioner with her office in Davis, CA. As such, she is able to provide that “personal touch” on all of her cases.

Before becoming a lawyer, Raquel M. Silva, CFLS*, spent 16 years working as a paralegal on many cases covering areas of the law including: real estate title litigation, business litigation, and corporate law. This breadth of experience allows Ms. Silva and her legal team to provide her clients a level of service that is not found in other law offices. The legal team at the Law Office of Raquel M. Silva, CFLS* is able to approach cases from a multitude of angles — ensuring that clients are provided a detailed picture of their specific situation and the options that are available to them.

Ms. Silva attended UC Davis School of Law, King Hall and graduated with honors in May 2005. During her second year of law school, Ms. Silva became a Certified Law Student for the King Hall Family Protection Clinic. Clinic work enabled her to obtain two years of court and trial experience prior to graduating law school.

In 2012, Ms. Silva became a Certified Family Law Specialist which requires extensive continuing legal education classes in all areas of family law, in addition to the standard California State Bar continuing education requirements. Ms. Silva stays fully informed and up to date in all areas of her practice by attending continuing legal education conferences throughout the year, participating in the continuing education programs offered by theYolo County Bar and Yolo County Family Bar Associations, as well as consulting regularly with financial/tax specialists, divorce coaches, child custody counselors, child custody evaluators, and therapists working with divorcing families.

Areas of Practice

• Family Law Mediation and Collaborative Divorce
  • Divorce/Legal Separation
  • Child Custody, Child Support, and Parenting Time
  • Registered Domestic Partnerships
  • Spousal support
  • Paternity
  • Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements
• Estate Planning: Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Health Care Directives
  • Wills and Revocable Trusts
  • Powers of Attorney
  • Advance Health Care Directives/Living Will
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate & Small Estate Administration

• Divorce/Legal Separation
• Child Custody, Child Support, and Parenting Time
• Registered Domestic Partnerships
• Spousal support
• Paternity
• Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements

• Wills and Revocable Trusts
• Powers of Attorney
• Advance Health Care Directives/Living Will
• Trust Administration
• Probate & Small Estate Administration

Bar Admissions

• California State Bar – Certified Family Law Specialist in 2012
• California State Bar in 2005
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of California in 2006

Education

• University of California at Davis School of Law, Davis, California
  • Honors: Dean’s Honor List
  • Honors: Witkin Award For Academic Excellence
• University of California, Davis, Davis, California, B.A. – Political Science
  • Honors: Pi Sigma Alpha – National Pol. Science Honor Society
  • Honors: Dean’s Honor List

• Honors: Dean’s Honor List
• Honors: Witkin Award For Academic Excellence

• Honors: Pi Sigma Alpha – National Pol. Science Honor Society
• Honors: Dean’s Honor List