Cynthia Ann Harris, JD
Member of State Bar of California
San Diego State University, Alumni
University of San Diego School of Law, Alumni
Born and raised in Vista, California, attorney Cynthia Harris graduated from Vista High School as the co-Valedictorian, and graduated from San Diego State as the Salutatorian. She has an undergraduate degree in Political Science and enjoyed being a member of Phi Beta Kappa honor’s society.
While going to University of San Diego, School of Law at night, she worked as a legal secretary for Asedo & McCarthy. She graduated from USD, cume laude, and has been a member of the State Bar of California since 1980. During her early years, attorney Harris focused on the area of business litigation, groundbreaking condominium conversions in the City of Oceanside and some family law. After leaving Asedo & McCarthy, she became self-employed and has been a small business owner ever since. She honed her Trial skills as a young criminal defense attorney including petitioning the Court for compassionate release of a terminally ill client who was incarcerated. In the early 1990’s, she transitioned to Family Law, where she found her true passion.
Attorney Harris has litigated hundreds of cases over her more than 43 years as an attorney involving high net worth clients, complex division of personal property which involved special masters and experts, favorable rulings in the area of Spousal Support/Alimony, both for supported and supporting party, and virtually all areas of Divorce and Family Law. When cases involve children, Cynthia is zealous in the protection of children and what is in the children’s best interest, including legally advising the unique intertwinement of Family Law cases and psychiatric intervention for mental health issues, and legally advisement through CWS involvement and investigation. She thrives in the courtroom and has litigated child custody and child visitation cases with testimony from experts and Child Welfare Services (CWS) in closed hearings. She has also assisted clients who have troubled teens with a hands on approach including a joint meeting with schools officials and law enforcement. She has the ability to assess a client’s case, balancing a client’s goals, wishes and desires into a plan of action for the case. Cynthia is no nonsense, straightforward, and a formidable opponent bringing her decades of experiences as an attorney and vast knowledge of the law. Her greatest strength is her dedication to advocating for and efficiently representing her clients.
Cynthia’s areas of practice include: Mediation, Family Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Law.
Laurel Anne Harris, JD
Member of State Bar of California
California State University San Marcos Alumni
California Western School of Law, Alumni
Laurel attended California State University San Marcos and graduated cum laude with a degree in Psychology. She attended California Western School of Law and was the Vice President of Children’s Legal Society and received awards for her legal research/writing and ethics in law school.
While attending college and law school, Laurel worked as a legal assistant for Cynthia Ann Harris and amassed 10 years of legal experience prior to being being admitted to the California State Bar in 2020. With this experience, she was able to hit the ground running and successfully litigated and presented complex legal arguments at her first trial just months after becoming an attorney in a matter involving breach of fiduciary duty, sanctions and attorney’s fees, division of assets and debts, and spousal support. She has experience in filing and opposing Move-Aways, parenting plans involving three parents, a fairly new concept in California, termination and modification of Spousal Support (Alimony), domestic violence restraining orders, with vast knowledge of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act (DVPA) and the California Family Code, and high conflict Child Custody and Child Visitation. She has successfully negotiated private Civil Agreements between neighbors, advanced and opposed Civil Harassment Restraining Orders, and participated in negotiation with the City of Vista in a residential nuisance/condemnation Action. With her tenacious attitude, up to date knowledge of the law and current case law, and compassion, she is able to effectively and efficiently represent her clients, both in the courtroom and as a tough negotiator. Laurel has successfully assisted clients in expungements of records, which allows clients to advance in their careers, future attorneys in completing their California Moral Character Application, from completion of the process through the Investigation, and was co-counsel for a multiple co-defendant murder case which included gang enhancements.
Laurel Harris was published in the October 2021 Edition of San Diego County Bar Association, For the Record online publication with her article titled: Practitioner’s Perspective: Domestic Violence Laws.
Laurel’s area of practice include: Family Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Law.
