Tara was born in Los Angeles and raised in the South Bay. Her practice is located in the heart of Torrance. She graduated from Santa Clara University in 1978 and from Southwestern University School of Law in 1981. She was awarded a Master of Laws in Taxation in 1983 from the University of Denver.

Tara was certified as a specialist in family law by the California State Bar in 1993 and she has worked as a arbitrator with the Alternate Dispute Resolutions Services through the Los Angeles County Bar Association since 1988 and as a mediator and Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court since 1994. In additional to her private practice, she has served as an expert in family law malpractice cases.