About John M. McDaniel
John McDaniel grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri. He received his BA degree in History from Stanford University in 1973, and graduated summa cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law in 1976.
John joined the firm upon graduation from law school, and for over thirty years, devoted his attention primarily to family law matters, including marital dissolution/divorce proceedings, legal separation proceedings, custody and visitation matters, restraining orders, marital property division, child support and spousal support (alimony), family law tax issues, and negotiation premarital and post marital agreements. He also provides legal consultation and expert witness services to family law attorneys and forensic accounts on complex issues relating to marital property and related financial issues in family law proceedings.
John is certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and is a member of the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists. He has also served as chairman of the Fresno County Bar Association Family Law Section.
John has served as judge pro tem of the Fresno County Superior Court in the Family Law Department, where he presided over child custody trials, child and spousal support hearings, settlement conferences, as well as hearing domestic violence cases. John has been appointed by the Fresno County Superior Court as children's counsel and as special master in complex family law proceedings. He formerly acted as an arbitrator under the Fresno County Bar Association Fee Arbitration program.
John has attained an AV® rating from the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings.
John believes both Divorce Mediation and Collaborative Practice offer healthier and more reasonably ways to resolve marital disputes. John has received extensive training in divorce mediation and in collaborative practice. He is also one of the founding members of Central Valley Collaborative Law Affiliates, having served as its president. He is a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.