For over 44 years, Peter T. Hermes has excelled to become one of the top family law attorneys in Southern California handling complex family law matters involving high-profile clients, celebrities and professional athletes. Since Mr. Hermes started his own family law practice, Hermes & Glavin, LLP, in 2000, he was appointed in 2001 to the prestigious position of Advisory Committee member for the State of California Fair Employment and Housing Commission.
Early in his career, Mr. Hermes’ high personal standards and exceptional drive shone through. Mr. Hermes then joined a boutique law firm in downtown Los Angeles where he handled the firm’s family law practice.
Over the next 40 years, Mr. Hermes further established his name as a leading family law attorney working for a prominent firm in Westwood (Stephen A. Kolodny), maintaining a private legal consulting practice while creating and managing the family law department at the Los Angeles firm of Stockwell, Harris, Widom and Woolverton. Mr. Hermes was a partner (and senior litigator) in the prominent firm of Kolodny & Anteau in Beverly Hills, CA, handling high-profile, complex, family law matters dealing with prominent clients in the business, entertainment and sports industry, among others, before embarking on the formation of Hermes & Glavin LLP in 2000 and pursuing his own private, family law practice.
Mr. Hermes obtained certification as a family law specialist by the State Bar of California in the first certification program offered by the California State Bar in 1980 (non renouvelé). In 2001, Mr. Hermes was appointed to and served as a member of the State of California, Fair Employment & Housing Commission Advisory Committee. Mr. Hermes has been a long standing mediator for the Los Angeles County Superior Court Family Law Mediation Panel.
FACILITIES & LITIGATION SUPPORT
the Hermes Law Group enhances the quality and reduces the cost of legal services provided to clients with the assistance of a well-trained support staff. In addition to secretarial support, law clerks (Shawn S. Hermes) and paralegals (Linda T. Wright) are used in routine matters to help minimize costs for clients. The Hermes Law Group also has the support of senior lawyer Kathleen Dillon, Esq. of counsel, who has practiced exclusively in the field of family law since her admission to the California State Bar.
The firm has a network of highly qualified experts and forensics who assist them in various aspects of case preparation and presentation. Forensic accountants, business appraisers, appraisers, psychological experts, vocational experts, private investigators and other consultants perform services for and/or collaborate with the firm in bringing about superior results for our clients.
All of these processes allow the Hermes Law Group to provide high quality legal services while minimizing costs to the client.
Mr. Hermes also established and maintains an active family law practice in Palm Desert, California (and the surrounding Desert area).
Peter T. Hermes, Esq.
CONTACT TODAY FOR A FREE PHONE CONSULTATION!
(213) 368-0000
Hermes Law Group
ABOUT THE HERMES LAW GROUP
Family Law continues to evolve into a highly complex field that should be handled by experienced family law lawyers who stay informed of the latest changes to case and statutory law and the new and innovative processes impacting family law.
In addition, since family law encompasses the most personal and intimate aspects of a person’s life, it is important for a potential client involved in a family law case to select a lawyer who can provide her/him with the kind of personal attention that she/he needs and/or the case requires, and who has a personality and demeanor that creates the necessary trust and confidence to establish a successful attorney-client relationship and case results.
Peter T. Hermes and the Hermes Law Group place the utmost importance on client relations and satisfaction. Indeed, the lawyers and staff understand the anxieties and fears clients may experience due to their lack of familiarity with complex family laws and procedures, and the intimidating nature of courtroom litigation. At every step of the family law proceeding, from the initial client interview, through settlement or trial, the Hermes Law Group takes the time to carefully explain how the family court system works, the range of results that can possibly be expected, and what clients should litigate, mediate, and/or settle based on an objective costs/benefits/risk analysis. Clients are always informed and encouraged to be involved, not only on the progress of their case, but also on the risks, alternatives and options for every course of action.
ATTORNEY PROFILES
Free Phone Consultation: (213) 368-0000
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Mr. Hermes’ expertise has been recognized in his lectures and presentations on legal issues involving family law and related matters. Featured on a national television program (KNBC’s Extra, involving a custody move-away case), and appearing as a guest legal analyst/speaker for CBS, NBC and KTLA morning national news programs. Mr. Hermes continues to educate the public on all aspects of family legal matters including but not limited to divorce, child custody, move-away cases, spousal tort actions, civil “Marvin” actions, domestic violence actions, paternity and premarital agreements.
Mr. Hermes continues to channel his efforts and focus in dealing with complex and challenging move-away cases, domestic violence actions and spousal tort actions (usually impacting women and children -- violence in marital and live-in partner situations has reached epidemic levels in California), areas of the law that pose and address unique legal challenges, both in litigation and the educational process.
In addition to his strong conviction to hard work, professional integrity and championing the causes of his clients with a result-oriented focus and approach, Mr. Hermes is active in the community. For several years, Mr. Hermes, through his law firm, Hermes & Glavin, LLP, actively participated in the start-up and organization of an annual charity golf tournament (the “Hula Classic”) to benefit local non-profits. Beneficiaries include, Break The Cycle, an organization whose goal is to prevent violence in teens, 1736 Family Crisis Center, and Haven House (the first home and shelter for battered women and children in the United States), all located in Los Angeles County.
EDUCATION
B.S., Economics, Loyola University, 1970
J.D., Southwestern University School of Law, 1973
(achieving Moot Court Honors)
PROFESSIONAL LICENSING & MEMBERSHIP
Licensed with the Supreme Court of the United States
Licensed with the State Bar of California
Member of the California State Bar Association
Member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association
Member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association
CALIFORNIA APPELLATE COURT CASES
Peter T. Hermes, while a partner (and senior litigator) in the prominent Beverly Hills law firm of Kolodny & Anteau, was co-lead counsel in the trial, post-trial and appellate matters (arguing the case at the Court of Appeals level) involving the landmark California Supreme Court case of In Re Marriage of Pendleton-Fireman (2000) 24 Cal.4th 39.
In Re Marriage of Pendleton-Fireman was the landmark California case involving the enforceability of a waiver of spousal support in pre-marital agreements. The Appellate Court decision in this case affected important issues in California Dissolution cases by creating new law and by clarifying issues which were previously unclear.
Peter T. Hermes, while at the law firm of Kolodny & Anteau, was also involved in the landmark California Appellate case In re Marriage of Dick (1993) 15 Cal.App.4th 144 (18 Cal.Rptr. 2d 743).
In re Marriage of Dick established two important points of law:
- That awards of temporary spousal support do not serve the same purpose, nor are they governed by the same procedures, as awards for permanent spousal support, and thus, temporary Spousal Support could be ordered to be paid retroactive to the date of filing of the Petition for Dissolution, even though an Order to Show Cause (now called a Request for Order) for spousal support was not filed at that time, and
- That a non-immigrant alien is not precluded from establishing residence in California for purposes of the dissolution statute and jurisdictional purposes.
The legal effect of these two landmark California cases remains important today.