Lindsay Torgerson

I have been where you are, and I understand complicated family and financial dynamics.

As a young child, I was witness to my parents’ volatile arguments and physical altercations. After my parents separated, I was left with an abusive family member so my father could go out and party. My dad would drive drunk with me in his car. I was put in the uncomfortable position of keeping this from my mother. Without reservation, my mother often disparaged my father to me. And despite my reluctancy, she appointed me as her unofficial child support collection agent when payments did not arrive on time.

After my parents divorced, they could not coexist in the same room. I never experienced a holiday, a sports game, or a birthday party where my parents could both attend for my sake. My father caused a bit of a scene as he left my first wedding early, upset that my mom’s side of the family received too much attention. Needless to say, he did not attend my second wedding!

My parents both remarried when I was a child, and I saw firsthand the intricacies of stepparent and stepsibling relationships. This is a challenging time for everyone, and I understand it must be approached delicately.

The situations I faced as a child of divorce shaped my entire life. As a youngster, I marked up my “Life” boardgame creating a custom space labeled “Get Divorced.” It is as if I was destined to be a divorce lawyer! Fortunately, my dad grew wise with age, and we have a good relationship. And, as it turned out, my collection efforts paid off as my mom gave me some of the money to buy my first car! These experiences made me stronger. But this is not always the case for children of divorce.

Now, as the owner of Wine Country Family Law, P.C., I want to ensure my team does everything possible to reduce the acrimony between divorcing spouses and separated parents. Some attorneys litigate just for the sake of litigating and driving up fees. This is not us. Litigation can have a damaging impact on spouses and children for years. We litigate when it is necessary, not as our default position. Yes, we can be “sharks” when we need to be. But typically, we prefer to be owls, wise and strategic in guiding you through the complexities of your case.

I married young, at age 23. We were married for 10 years and have two sons. We grew apart, argued all the time, and belittled one another. I, like many, thought it was best for the kids to stay together. But things got to a point where I realized that it was causing more harm than good, and I made the difficult decision to separate.

Before I get to my own divorce, another experience in my twenties led me to do what I do today. I was wrongfully terminated from a banking job, so I began researching California unemployment law, ready to represent myself in court. As intimidating as it was to go up against a big bank and their corporate attorneys on my own, I won the case and began to build confidence in my burgeoning legal aptitude.

I worked in the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, then the Sonoma County Department of Child Support Services as a file clerk, then a Child Support Officer, and finally made my way to law school (while pregnant) on a scholarship and became a Certified Law Clerk (akin to an attorney intern.)

I graduated from the William Howard Taft University School of Law and soon after, opened my firm in 2008, right before separating from my husband. It was terrifying. I knew it was a make-or-break situation for me.

Amid a divorce, I worked to build my firm, acting as a solo practitioner, and living off credit cards while I built up my business. I was a single mom of two boys, self-employed (during a recession) and I had no one to rely on but myself. I chose to move out of our family home because someone had to leave, and my finances were uncertain as I embarked on my new career. Throughout this time, I was dealing with constant co-parenting struggles.

During my divorce, my ex-husband and I fought over spices at one point while dividing assets. Spices! The trivial things become big things, and I get it. Those times were not easy and when my clients come to me in similar situations, I can truly empathize.

I remarried (fun fact, we got engaged at a 49’ers game) so my children now have a stepparent. But unlike my own childhood, my sons’ father and I set aside our differences and amicably attend events and functions for our children (and now, grandchildren!)

You, too, will persevere through this challenging time. While this work is hard, I cannot imagine doing anything else. My team and I will guide you to the best possible results without sacrificing your family’s well-being or your own sense of self.

In addition to my work in Family Law, I have extensive knowledge of Bankruptcy Law. This gives me the unparalleled ability to help divorce clients through debt issues and to untangle complicated asset issues. In both areas of law, we must do a deep dive into each parties’ income and assets, including business interests. My investigative skills in this area will ensure no stone is left unturned.

I love educating clients about both the legal process and the laws affecting them, all the while connecting with them on a personal level. It is a joy for me to transcribe complex information into easy-to-understand concepts. It is crucial to me that you feel empowered to make well-informed decisions that can influence your case and your family’s lives.

One of my biggest accomplishments I want to share with you stems from a bankruptcy case I took on in 2015.

I prevailed in erasing a client’s private student loan owed to a for-profit university without showing my client had any “undue hardship.” Since then, this appellate decision has served as case law that has assisted others in wiping out similar debts owed to schools throughout the country. It has also been the subject of several judicial conferences nationwide and is a published case of “first impression” from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel.

People told me I was crazy to take that case because at that time, student loans were considered nearly impossible to wipe out in bankruptcy. Countless hours of legal research reviewing cases and legislative records going back to the 70’s, coupled with fierce determination crafting arguments differentiating my client’s circumstances led me to that win. I share this because I want you to know that I will not give up. I will dig in. I am the queen of research.

We will always work hard for you at Wine Country Family Law, P.C. My entire firm holds themselves to extremely high standards. We are caring professionals who take seriously the impact we have on people’s lives.

On a personal note, I am married (again, and hopefully, for the last time), my two sons are now adults, and I have one young grandson, and two “bonus” grandchildren. After inheriting my mother’s two cats, I am also a self-proclaimed cat lady! I am a living kidney donor (my mother received my ‘spare part’ in 2008—shortly before my divorce, it was a challenging time!) I am happy to share my experience to raise awareness of the importance (and relative ease) of organ donation.

I am learning to play the guitar (and I have played bass since age 11.) I enjoy snowboarding, pickleball, photography, food trucks, spicy Mezcal cocktails, and homemade ice cream. I would like to take up birdwatching (hence the owl reference) when I retire–still many years away.

In my past, I was on a women’s roller-derby team, I was a Harley and ATV enthusiast, a former youth soccer coach, and was vice president of a local soccer league. I look forward to meeting you.

What Working With Our Team Is Like

As a potential client, you will first talk to our intake team to determine if your legal issue is something we can assist you with. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so even if you are reading this at 3 a.m., feel free to call. From there, you will book an initial consultation and pay your consultation fee.

When you are a current client and call the office, our friendly Legal Case Administrator will connect you to your paralegal to discuss next steps, or will schedule an appointment with your attorney. Our goal is to discuss your unique situation, discover solutions moving forward and end your meeting feeling more at ease than when you started.

You can always email your attorney and/or paralegal with questions and concerns. We provide you with a link to your attorney’s calendar to schedule appointments directly. We will text and email appointment reminders to you. If we need you to sign a document, it will typically be provided to you to sign electronically.

You won’t ever have to wait on something important if your attorney is out sick or on vacation. When you work with us, you work with our team. Every week, our attorneys brainstorm cases and discuss solutions and strategies together, harnessing the power of our collective knowledge and experience.

Our fabulous paralegals are also here to help you with any forms or other non-legal questions. Our Legal Case Administrator will assist with any billing questions and scheduling. In addition, you will always have access to your case documents in your secure portal provided to you. You can provide us documents via your portal, as well.

Our Firm Constitution

We keep our clients well-informed, communicate clearly, and are responsive to their needs. We listen with compassion. Our clients feel heard and their needs and objectives identified and understood.

We work with honesty and integrity. We are real with our clients. We support the ongoing health and well-being of our clients and their families. We guide clients to persevere through life’s challenges in a meaningful direction.

We are humble and unpretentious legal professionals. We stay true to our values, never compromising our professionalism or ethics in the face of adversity.

We are bold, exploring unconventional and creative measures to advance our clients’ needs. We are leaders, not followers.

We are open-minded, adaptable, and always learning. We embrace technology to streamline processes, improve efficiency, and to provide convenience to our clients.

We work hard.

We are supportive of our teammates. We are real with each other. We value a sense of humor and foster a friendly, positive work environment.

We maintain a healthy balance between our professional and personal lives. We seek methods to encourage personal wellness to bring our best selves to our clients and our team.

The entire team at Wine Country Family Law, P.C. shares the same core values.

At the end of the day, we give you reasonable advice. We want what is best for your family and your children. We welcome challenging and complex cases. If we are not the right fit, we will do our best to refer you to someone who can help. We care. We will work to earn your trust. We strive to give you as much attention as possible and work toward peaceful resolutions. We want you to walk away from this experience with dignity.

If we sound like the legal team for you, please reach out.