Areas of Practice
- Collaborative Divorce
- Mediation
- Family Law
- Custody & Visitation
- Child & Spousal Support
- Complex Property, Business, Asset Division
- Paternity
Bar Admissions
- California, 1982
- U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1983
Education
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, 1982 – J.D.
- University of California, Irvine, California, 1979 – B.A., Cum Laude
Honors & Awards
- South Bay Bar Association’s 2018 Lawyer of the Year
- AV rating Martindale-Hubbell
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
- National Register of Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals
- 2014 Eureka Award, recognizing an abiding dedication to establishing and sustaining collaborative practice in California
- The Best Lawyers in America for the practice area of Family Law, 2013-present
- Southern California “Super Lawyer” – LA Magazine, 2005-present
Joseph P. Spirito, Jr.
PARTNER
Born in Westpoint, New York, Joe graduated from University of California at Irvine (B.A., Cum laude 1979) and Loyola Law School (J.D., 1982).
Experience
Joe has been managing family law cases for over 40 years and is a founding partner of McGaughey & Spirito in Redondo Beach, California. He has dedicated his family law practice, leadership, and scholarship to advancing resolution of disputes without court intervention. His experience guiding thousands of parties through negotiated, mediated and collaborative divorces, sets the stage for families to move forward constructively. Joe’s key role in numerous local and statewide family law associations has made him a go-to attorney for challenging cases.
Joe has continuously maintained an AV rating in Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, the National Register’s Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals, Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America for the practice area of Family Law.
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Family Law Attorney Mediators Engaged in Study (FLAMES), 2015 - present
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Executive Committee, Family Law Section- Past Chair (2017-18) and member (2004 – present)
- South Bay Bar Association – Past president (2007) and ongoing member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association – Member
- State Bar of California
- Los Angeles Consensual Dispute Resolution Family Law Association - Past President and ongoing member
- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- A Better Divorce: Collaborative Law Group – Co-Founder and Past President
- Lecturer/Panelist – Continuing Legal Education programs- Family Law
- Qualified as an Expert to testify in Family Law matters in the Superior Courts of California
- Faculty member Los Angeles Collaborative Law Association interdisciplinary training programs
- Collaborative Practice California (CP CAL)
- Board of Directors of Levitt Quinn, a non-profit family law center, from 2019-2021
- Palos Verdes Country Club – former President and Board member
Select Speaking Engagements & Publications
- Adjunct Professor at Loyola Law School, marital property course, 2018 – 2023.
- Los Angeles County Bar Association’s 55th Annual Family Law Symposium: Creating Better Process Pathways for Consensual Divorce, featured speaker; May 18, 2024.
- Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice Training, Loyola Law School- Guest Lecturer and Instructor 2013 – present.
- "Divorce and The Media," Loyola Law School, speaker, November 9, 2022
- Los Angeles County Bar Association- Family Law Advocacy Training Program (“FLAT”) regarding the use of Experts in divorce cases, Moderator April 2022
- Co-authored “Consensual Dispute Resolution- Making Life Better for Judges, Attorneys, and Families” with David Kuroda, published in the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Family Law Symposium Reference Book, 2018-2022.
- Co-authored “Improving the Mental Health of Children in Divorce,” with Alison Spirito, published in the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Family Law Symposium Reference Book, 2017-2022.
- An interview with Joe Spirito by Michael Weinstone of The Divorce Experience: A mediator’s perspective on the importance of selecting an appropriate consulting attorney for the mediation process, March 31, 2019.
- “Divorce Options: Mediation, Collaboration, and Litigation,” USC Law School, speaker, November 8, 2018.
- Basic Interdisciplinary Collaborative Practice Professional Team Training, “Confidentiality, Ethics, Informed Consent,” Presenter, August 16, 2018.
- Los Angeles County Bar Association’s 50th Annual Family Law Symposium, Speaker, May 5, 2018.
- “The History and New Developments in Consensual Dispute Resolution” WZWLH South Bay Study Group, Lecturer, May 14, 2018.
- Continuing Legal Education Seminar Elements of Collaborative Practice for Lawyers , Moderator, September 19, 2017.
- Los Angeles County Bar Association’s 49th Annual Family Law Symposium,Program Chair, May 6, 2017
- Collaborative Divorce in California Podcast, Divorce Magazine – Speaker, 2015
- “Principles and Guidelines For Collaborative Practice,” UCLA Law School – Speaker, November 10, 2015
- “The Devils in the Details: Reimbursements and Credits; Calculating Watts/Epstein & Moore/Marsden,” – Presenter, November 9, 2015
- “Collaborative Divorces Gain Momentum,” Palos Verdes Peninsula News – Author, September 16, 2015
- 47th Annual Family Law Symposium presented by Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section and the Los Angeles Superior Court – Speaker, May 2, 2015
- Los Angeles County Bar Association Program Chair for the 36th Annual Child Custody Colloquium, September 20, 2014
- “Social Work and the Law”, USC Graduate School of Social Work – Guest Lecturer, April 18, 2013
- “Does What Happens in Vegas Stay in Vegas?”, Collaborative Divorce and Disqualification, CP Cal (Collaborative Practice California) Eighth Annual Statewide Conference of Collaborative Professionals – Presenter, April 26-28, 2013
- “Litigation or Mediation: Debate and Discussion,” Drew Hunt Study Group, Providers: White, Zuckerman, Warsavsky, Luna & Hunt – Instructor, December 3, 2012
- “Building a Better Sandbox: Creating and Building a Thriving Practice Group,” International Academy of Collaborative Professionals 12th Annual Networking and Educational Forum – Presenter, October 27, 2011
- “Reaching Successful Settlements in Today’s California Family Law Cases”. Inside the Minds: Strategies for Family Law in California, Aspatore Books, a Thomson Reuters publication – Author, 2012 Edition
- “Managing New Challenges In California Family Law Disputes.” Inside the Minds: Strategies for Family Law in California, Aspatore Books, a Thomson Reuters publication – Author, 2011 Edition
- “Collaborative Law and the Financial Expert,” California Society of CPA’s Family Law Section Meeting – Presenter, May 21, 2010
- “Role of the Lawyer” and “Enrolling the Client,” Los Angeles Collaborative Family Law Association – Presenter, 2009
- 35th Annual Family Law Symposium presented by Los Angeles County Bar Association Family Law Section and the Los Angeles Superior Court, Speaker, May 13, 2003
- In 2001, co-initiated a program with Los Angeles County Supervising Family Law Judge, Aviva Bobb, introducing the collaborative divorce model to approximately 100 attorneys, judges, and mental health professionals in the county.
Areas of Practice
- Collaborative Divorce
- Mediation
- Family Law
- Custody & Visitation
- Child & Spousal Support
- Complex Property, Business, Asset Division
- Paternity
Bar Admissions
- California, 1982
- U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1983
Education
- Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California, 1982 – J.D.
- University of California, Irvine, California, 1979 – B.A., Cum Laude
Honors & Awards
- South Bay Bar Association’s 2018 Lawyer of the Year
- AV rating Martindale-Hubbell
- Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
- National Register of Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals
- 2014 Eureka Award, recognizing an abiding dedication to establishing and sustaining collaborative practice in California
- The Best Lawyers in America for the practice area of Family Law, 2013-present
- Southern California “Super Lawyer” – LA Magazine, 2005-present
