Carla Boyd Terre
Carla's Background:
Carla Boyd Terre is a 2003 graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law, graduating in the top 25% of her class. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with honors, from Mills College in Oakland, California. During her third year in law school, Carla served as an Extern for Justice Maria Rivera of the California Court of Appeal and then as a Law Clerk for the Sonoma County Department of Child Support Services. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Bar Association and is a member of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire, International Association of Collaborative Professionals, and Sonoma County Women in Law. In 2009, she was the President of the Family Law Section of the Sonoma County Bar Association. Carla recently received Super Lawyers' Northern California Rising Star award for 2010.
Carla's Approach to Family Law Practice:
Carla Boyd Terre's practice is dedicated strictly to family law matters. She handles all aspects of family law proceedings, including custody and visitation, property division, registered domestic partnerships, same sex and LGBT family law matters, adoption, domestic violence, child support, spousal support, appeals, pre-nuptial / pre-marital and post-marital agreements, collaborative law and mediation.
Carla has appeared at numerous contested family law proceedings including appearances before the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco. She is experienced in mediation and negotiation, and has helped many clients reach settlements or limit the issues which proceed to litigation. When settlement is not an option, Carla is ready to handle court proceedings and vigorously represent clients in contested matters.
Carla believes that an effective family law attorney stays in close communication with her client, working together to reach appropriate resolutions to the unique situations in each case. Carla is compassionate and understands that clients are often going through one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Carla also believes it is important to stay informed about developments in family law and attends regular trainings and seminars in addition to receiving weekly publications which provide important updates on recent family law cases and legislative changes.
Areas of Practice
- Family Law
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Appeals
- Child Support and Spousal Support (Alimony)
- Collaborative Law and Mediation
- Custody & Visitation
- Divorce
- Registered Domestic Partnerships
- Same Sex / LGBT Family Law
- Adoption
- Litigation & Appeals
- Paternity
- Pre and Post Marital Agreements, Pre and Post Domestic Part Agreements
- Property Division
Certified Legal Specialties
- Certified Family Law Specialist , The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, 2010
Bar Admissions
- California, 2003
Education
- University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
- JD - May, 2003
- Law Review: University of San Francisco Law Review, 2002 - 2003
- Mills College, Oakland, California
- B.A. - May, 2000
- Honors: With Honors
- Major: English
Published Works
- Temporal Severance and Exclusion of Time in Determining the Economic Value of Regulated Property, 36 U.S.F.L.R. 793, Spring, 2002
Honors and Awards
- Northern California Rising Stars, 2010
- CALI Award for Excellence, Family Law, 2003
- CALI Award for Excellence, Community Property, 2002
- CALI Award for Excellence, Children's Rights, 2001
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Sonoma County Bar Association, Board of Directors, Director, 2010 - Present
- Family Law Best Practices Committee, Member, 2009 - Present
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Member, 2009 - Present
- Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire (CCRE), Officer, Board of Directors, 2008 - 2010
- Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire (CCRE), Participating Member, 2007 - Present
- International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Member, 2007 - Present
- Family Law Committee, President, 2009
- Family Law Committee, Vice President, 2008
- Family Law Committee, Secretary, 2007
- Family Law Bench/Bar Committee, Member, Family Law Court and Bar Committee, 2005 - 2009
- Sonoma County Bar Association, Family Law Representative on the Board of Directors, 2008
- Sonoma County Women in Law, Member, 2009 - Present
Past Employment Positions
- Law Offices of Bruce H. Schwartz, October, 2004 - March, 2007 , Associate
- Department of Child Support Services, Law Clerk, 2003
- Justice Maria Rivera, California Court of Appeal, District One, Division Four, Law Clerk, 2002
- Daniel U. Smith, Appellate Specialist, Law Clerk, 2002
- Professor Edith Ho, USF School of Law, Research Assistant, 2001 - 2002

