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Headshot of attorney Carla Boyd Terre

Carla Boyd Terre

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Practice Areas

  • Family Law
  • Mediator, Parenting Coordinator, or Individual Representation
  • Private Judge / Judge Pro Tem
  • Adoptions, including Confirmatory Adoption, Second-Parent Adoption, and Stepparent Adoption
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Child Support and Spousal Support (Alimony)
  • Custody & Visitation
  • Divorce
  • Litigation
  • Paternity
  • Pre-Marital Agreements (Prenuptial Agreements) and Post Marital Agreements
  • Pre and Post Domestic Partner Agreements
  • Property Division
  • Registered Domestic Partnerships
  • Same Sex / LGBTQ Family Law

Biography

Carla's Credentials:

  • Certified Family Law Specialist, State Bar Board of Legal Specialization
  • Rated "AV Preeminent" by Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Ratings
  • Named to the exclusive list of Northern California Super Lawyers four years in a row (2020, 2021,2022, and 2023)
  • Named one of Northern California's "Rising Stars" ten years in a row by Super Lawyers Magazine from 2010 to 2019
  • Past President of Sonoma County Bar Association
  • Past Chairperson of the Sonoma County Bar Association, Family Law Section
  • Past Member of the Family Law Advisory Commission of the State Bar of California

Carla's Background:

Carla Boyd Terre, family law attorney and mediator, is a Certified Family Law Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization and is rated an "AV Preeminent" attorney by Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. Carla was the President of the Sonoma County Bar Association (SCBA) in 2015. She was one of the founding members of the Mental Health Liaison Committee, a subcommittee of the Family Law Section of SCBA. She served as a Commissioner on the Family Law Advisory Committee of the California State Bar from 2013 through 2016.

Carla is currently a member of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of California, SCBA, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Women in Law, and the Family Law Section of SCBA. Carla has been named one of Northern California's "Rising Stars" ten years in a row by Super Lawyers from 2010 to 2019. Carla was named to Northern California Super Lawyers for the last four years (2020 through 2023).

Carla 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.

Carla's Approach to Family Law Practice:

Carla Boyd Terre's practice is dedicated strictly to family law matters. She handles most aspects of family law proceedings, including custody and visitation, property division, registered domestic partnerships, same sex and LGBTQ family law matters, adoption, child support, spousal support, pre-nuptial/pre-marital and post-marital agreements, and mediation. Carla attends mediation with clients and serves as a mediator for parties with and without lawyers present. Carla also serves as Parenting Coordinator in custody cases and has served as a Private Judge.

Carla has appeared at numerous contested family law proceedings including appearances before the California Court of Appeal in San Francisco. She has appeared in Sonoma County Superior Court, Marin County Superior Court, Napa County Superior Court, Lake County Superior Court, and Mendocino County Superior Court. Carla is experienced in mediation and negotiation and has helped many clients reach settlements or limit the issues that proceed to litigation.

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 that are working with her 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.

Recently she has been serving more frequently as a Mediator in family law matters.

When Carla is not practicing law, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two young children and their labradoodle, reading, doing Pilates, and hiking.

Education

  • University of San Francisco School of Law, San Francisco, California
    • JD - 05/2003
  • Mills College, Oakland, California
    • B.A. - 05/2000
    • Honors: With Honors
    • Major: English

Bar Admissions

  • California, 2003

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

  • Super Lawyer, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023
  • Sonoma Magazine Lawyers of Distinction 2022
  • The Elite Lawyer Award, Family Law, Excellence in the Legal Profession, 2023
  • CALI Award for Excellence, Community Property, 2002
  • CALI Award for Excellence, Family Law, 2003
  • CALI Award for Excellence, Children's Rights, 2001
  • Rated “AV Preeminent”, Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Ratings
  • Named one of Northern California’s “Rising Stars” ten years in a row by Super Lawyer’s Magazine (2010 to 2019)

Past Positions

  • Law Offices of Bruce H. Schwartz, October, 2004 - March, 2007, Associate Attorney
  • 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 to 2002

Professional Associations

  • Family Law Best Practices Committee, Member, 2009 to 2015
  • Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Member, 2009 to Present
  • Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire (CCRE), Officer, Board of Directors, 2008 to 2010
  • Collaborative Council of the Redwood Empire (CCRE), Participating Member, 2007 to 2011
  • International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP), Member, 2007 to 2011
  • Family Law Bench/Bar Committee, Member, Family Law Court and Bar Committee, 2005 to 2009
  • SCBA, Family Law Representative on the Board of Directors, 2008
  • Sonoma County Women in Law, Member, 2009 to Present
  • SCBA, President, 2015
  • Family Law Advisory Commission of the State Bar of California, Member, Commissioner, 2013 to 2016
  • Family Law Advisory Commission, Commissioner, 2014 to 2016
  • SCBA, Board of Directors, President, 2015
  • SCBA, Board of Directors, Vice-President, 2014
  • SCBA, Board of Directors, Treasurer, 2013
  • SCBA, Board of Directors, Secretary, 2012
  • SCBA, Board of Directors, Director at Large, 2010 to 2011
  • SCBA, Board of Directors, Director, 2010 to 2016

Certified Legal Specialties

  • Certified Family Law Specialist, The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, 2010

Current Employment Position

  • Principal