Paul D. Toepel Jr.
Senior Counsel
About
Paul Toepel is a skilled and experienced family law attorney that has represented clients in a broad range of family law matters including contested child custody matters, complex support matters, domestic-violence restraining orders, relocations, sister-state judgments and the enforcement and collection of financial orders.
Paul has also advised and represented individuals in appellate matters. He recently secured his first published opinion in the case with an important precedential ruling in the case In re Marriage of Willis & Costa-Willis, (2023) 93 Cal. App. 5th 595. In that case Paul was able to successfully brief and argue that the presumption found in Family Code section 3044 is not automatically triggered upon a finding of domestic violence, but requires at least one of the parties to be formally seeking to change the legal or physical custody orders. Because the presumption of Section 3044(a) did not arise, the trial court erred in awarding the opposing party sole legal and physical custody of their minor child. The appellate court reversed the trial court’s
ruling granting sole physical and legal custody to the opposing party and restored legal and physical custody to Paul’s client.
Prior to joining EPGR, Paul ran his own firm for five years practicing family law and civil litigation throughout Southern California. Prior to that he spent four years as Of Counsel for a well-respected Certified Family Law Specialist in Orange County. Paul practices in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside County. He is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and a resident in our Orange County Office.
Paul received his bachelor’s degree in English from Chapman University with a minor in Business Administration. He received his law degree from California Southern University while working full time as paralegal assisting with fraud and real-estate matters in state and federal courts throughout California. Paul has been recognized for his dedication to providing pro-bono legal services to veterans on behalf of the Veteran’s Legal Institute.
About
Paul Toepel is a skilled and experienced family law attorney that has represented clients in a broad range of family law matters including contested child custody matters, complex support matters, domestic-violence restraining orders, relocations, sister-state judgments and the enforcement and collection of financial orders.
Paul has also advised and represented individuals in appellate matters. He recently secured his first published opinion in the case with an important precedential ruling in the case In re Marriage of Willis & Costa-Willis, (2023) 93 Cal. App. 5th 595. In that case Paul was able to successfully brief and argue that the presumption found in Family Code section 3044 is not automatically triggered upon a finding of domestic violence, but requires at least one of the parties to be formally seeking to change the legal or physical custody orders. Because the presumption of Section 3044(a) did not arise, the trial court erred in awarding the opposing party sole legal and physical custody of their minor child. The appellate court reversed the trial court’s
ruling granting sole physical and legal custody to the opposing party and restored legal and physical custody to Paul’s client.
Prior to joining EPGR, Paul ran his own firm for five years practicing family law and civil litigation throughout Southern California. Prior to that he spent four years as Of Counsel for a well-respected Certified Family Law Specialist in Orange County. Paul practices in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside County. He is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and a resident in our Orange County Office.
Paul received his bachelor’s degree in English from Chapman University with a minor in Business Administration. He received his law degree from California Southern University while working full time as paralegal assisting with fraud and real-estate matters in state and federal courts throughout California. Paul has been recognized for his dedication to providing pro-bono legal services to veterans on behalf of the Veteran’s Legal Institute.