Laura Wasser: Education, Career, and Influence on Family Law

Laura Wasser is a highly regarded family law attorney based in Los Angeles, known for her strong reputation across California. With decades of experience, she concentrates solely on family law and is well known for advising both high-profile individuals and private clients. Over her career, Laura has been consistently recognized as one of the best in her field. Laura Wasser remains a key voice in reshaping family law with compassion, experience, and innovation.

Early Life, Education, and Personal Background

Laura Allison Wasser was born in Los Angeles. Her father is divorce attorney Dennis Wasser, and her mother was Bunny Wasser. One could argue that Wasser’s success as an attorney was nearly inevitable. As the daughter of two Los Angeles attorneys, she was named Laura Allison Wasser so her initials would be L.A.W. She told The Times in 2014 that she was conceived the night her dad found out he had passed the bar exam.

Wasser graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1986. She earned a B.A. degree in rhetoric from University of California, Berkeley, and earned a J.D. from Loyola Law School.

After transferring and studying Rhetoric at the University of California, Berkeley, she decided to go to Loyola Law School. After I took my own bar exam, I was getting divorced and I needed the money, so I asked daddy if I could work for him for a little while and he said yes, begrudgingly," she said, referring to prominent family law attorney Dennis Wasser. "And I never left."

Career Beginnings and Rise to Prominence

Wasser joined her father Dennis Wasser's family law firm Wasser Cooperman & Mandles, where she is now managing partner.

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However, older men used the fact that she was the daughter of the boss as an excuse to not take the budding legal star seriously. "They assumed that I only had a job because I was Dennis' daughter. And I used to actually be kind of hot," she said with a laugh, "so I would come in and I was just a cute, little girl that was this other colleague's daughter and they really underestimated me. Recalling one standout exchange, Wasser described a fellow lawyer telling her that, while she might have been prettier and better dressed, he had been in the profession longer and she needed to consider that he was going to win. When we were sitting at a counsel table and the judge was reading his decision-which was in my client's favor-I leaned over to the guy and I said, 'God, how does it feel now?

Laura has been named one of the California Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers and Southern California’s Top 50 Women Attorneys every year from 2012 to 2022. In June 2008, Laura received the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law Zephyr M. Ramsey Award. In 2011, she was the recipient of the Century City Chamber of Commerce Women of Achievement Award. In 2013 St. Martin's Press published and released Laura’s book “It Doesn't Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself.” Laura received the Brady Center Advocate Award and was honored by A Place Called Home at their 2016 Gala For The Children.

Notable Cases and Celebrity Clients

Wasser has handled a number of high-profile, high-net-worth dissolutions, including those for Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum, Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Johnny Depp, Ryan Reynolds, Christina Aguilera, Hilary Duff, Stevie Wonder, Kelis, Patricia Arquette, Kate Walsh, Johnny Knoxville, Jimmy Iovine, Maria Shriver, Olivier Martinez, Kelly Clarkson and Dr. Dre.

Here’s a closer look at Wasser’s roster of high-profile celebrity splits.

Joe Manganiello vs. Sofia Vergara

The dissolution of Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara’s nearly eight-year marriage was announced in July. Manganiello is represented by “Disso Queen” Laura Wasser. The dissolution of Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara’s nearly eight-year marriage went public last month. Manganiello is represented by Wasser, and legal documents obtained by The Times listed the date of separation as July 2. The filing also indicated that he and the “Modern Family” funny woman have a prenuptial agreement allowing them to each keep the respective assets they accumulated during their seven-year union.

Read also: Who is Laura Coates?

Armie Hammer vs. Elizabeth Chambers

After Elizabeth Chambers filed a petition to dissolve her marriage to Armie Hammer in July 2020, Hammer obtained the services of Laura Wasser. The couple reportedly coordinated their divorce paperwork, with Chambers filing the petition in July 2020 and Hammer responding right away. Chambers demanded sole physical custody of their two children while Armie pleaded for joint custody. Hammer obtained the services of Wasser, but who’s to say whether the family lawyer knew about the alarming allegations that her client was about to face?

Hammer and Chambers officially settled their divorce three years after filing in June 2023.

Angelina Jolie vs. Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt after two years of marriage in September 2016, ending Brangelina. She requested sole physical custody and joint legal custody of their six children but indicated she is willing to give her husband visitation rights. And she ultimately hired Wasser to represent her.

Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard

On May 23, 2016, Amber Heard filed for a divorce from “Pirates of the Caribbean” star Johnny Depp. Days later she applied for a restraining order. Depp’s legal team (cue Wasser) told the court in documents at the time that Heard “refuses to produce documents that supposedly support her allegations and she refuses to answer questions under oath … Amber has tried her claims in the media.

Ben Affleck vs. Jennifer Garner

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner announced their split in June 2015, shortly after their 10th anniversary. They hired Wasser to mediate their divorce, opting for an amicable dissolution rather than an acrimonious battle. “She has a talent for fostering empathy rather than enmity,” Affleck said of Wasser in an interview with the New York Times. “Once you get into a fight, I suspect everyone loses. She made that clear from the start.”

Kim Kardashian vs. Kanye West and Kris Humphries

Wasser represented Kim Kardashian during her divorce from Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. The couple married in May 2014 and separated at the end of 2020. Kardashian filed for divorce in February 2021. And while the divorce played out in court, a judge granted Kardashian’s request to be considered legally single and to drop “West” from her name.

Before there was KimYe, there was Kim K and Kris Humphries, the former NBA pro she married in a televised wedding that reportedly cost $10 million in August 2011. Their union famously lasted 72 days and Kardashian filed for divorce in October of the same year. Kardashian hired the famed family law attorney and the couple’s divorce (not annulment) was finalized in June 2013, the day after she had a baby shower gearing up to welcome her daughter North West.

Maria Shriver vs. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s marriage to Maria Shriver officially dissolved in late 2021, nearly a decade after she filed for divorce, hiring Wasser in July 2011 to represent her in the highly publicized split.

Britney Spears vs. Kevin Federline

Britney Spears married Kevin Federline in October 2004, but after two years of marriage Spears hired Wasser when she filed for divorce in November 2006. Spears and Wasser parted ways in late 2007 in the midst of a contentious custody battle over their sons, Sean Preston and Jayden, when a Los Angeles judge ordered the pop star to undergo random drug testing. But as the custody battle raged on, Spears turned to Wasser again in 2008.

Wasser's Firm: Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles

Mr. Wasser is the founding member and CEO of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. He has been practicing family law since 1968 and has represented wealthy, high-profile business owners (several individuals on “Forbes 400”), corporate executives, professional athletes, lawyers, doctors, accountants, actors, motion picture and TV executives and the spouses of such individuals.

Mr. Cooperman has been practicing law since 1977 and is a Certified Family Law Specialist and member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Ms. Mandles has exclusively practiced family law with the firm since passing the bar in 1997. During her years of practice, Ms. Mandles has represented high net worth individuals in many different fields, including the entertainment and sports industry, business executives, innovators in the technology industry, doctors and attorneys, as well as beneficiaries of substantial family wealth and their spouses.

Since graduating from UCLA Law School in 1982, Ms. Landesman has practiced exclusively family law. She has been a Certified Family Law Specialist for over 20 years, and is a “Super Lawyer.”

Ms. Rice is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. Before joining the firm in 2006, Ms. Rice was a partner in a Century City boutique business litigation firm, where she tried cases in state and federal courts, representing corporations, partnerships, and individuals in a broad range of complex business and commercial cases.

Nan Zirafi is a seasoned and highly-esteemed servant of the law who began practicing Family Law in 1997.

Mr. Polstein is a partner at Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. He has been practicing family law exclusively since 2005. Prior to focusing on family law, he was an entertainment lawyer in the music, film and television businesses.

Ms. Pandkhou is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. She has been practicing family law since 2004 undertaking a range of challenging family law matters, including international jurisdictional issues, characterization and valuation of assets, spousal and child support issues, as well as child custody matters.

Mr. Cogan is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. Admitted to practice law by the State Bar of California in 1987, Mr. Cogan spent the first eighteen years of his legal career as a business litigator handling complex business disputes.

Ms. Lubans is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles. She has practiced Family Law exclusively since 2008. Originally from the East Coast, she is also licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and New York.

Ms. Riemer is a partner of Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles and member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. She has practiced family law exclusively since 2008 and is a Certified Family Law Specialist.

Ms. Morra graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2005 with degrees in Psychology and Writing Seminars before attending UCLA School of Law, where she received her law degree with a specialization in Business Law. Ms. Morra joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles in 2017.

Juliana has experience in all aspects of family law, including division of property, determination of spousal and child support, Marvin cases, and resolution of parenting and custody matters. Juliana handles high asset cases involving complex financial issues, venture capital, private equity, privately held companies, real estate, and family trusts.

Ms. Montgomery joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles as an associate in 2017 after practicing business litigation and family law for two years at a boutique law firm.

Ms. Krouner joined Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles in 2021, and has practiced family law exclusively since 2016.

Mr. firm based in Los Angeles/Orange County. Mr. before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.

Ms. Jennie Ponce is a certified paralegal with over 20 years of dedicated experience in family law litigation support. Before joining our firm in 2022, Ms. Ponce honed her expertise with several prestigious family law firms.

"It's Over Easy" and Divorce.com

Wasser was also the founder and CEO of the online divorce service It's Over Easy, which sought to allow people to handle divorces with less professional help. It is a platform that enables divorcing couples to go through the divorce process online quickly and simply, thanks to artificial intelligence, education about the laws in each state via pop-up videos, and mediation. Additionally, the site offers a ton of content regarding dissolution-related issues, custody calendars, and tips on structuring a parenting plan, our own support calculators, and much more. There is a referral wall with recommendations on everything from co-parenting counsellors to financial planners to post-divorce makeover specialists. We hope to become the go-to online divorce resource to assist families transitioning from one household structure to their next chapter in an amicable and cost-effective way.

It's Over Easy was acquired by Divorce.com in 2022, and Wasser was brought on as chief of divorce evolution for the company.

Author and Podcaster

In 2013, Laura authored It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way: How to Divorce Without Destroying Your Family or Bankrupting Yourself, offering practical advice to families navigating separation. She penned the how-to divorce guide “It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way,” published in 2013.

Wasser hosts the podcasts "All's Fair With Laura Wasser" on iHeart Radio and "Divorce Sucks!".

Views on Work-Life Balance

Being a working mom is hard, and it can often feel like "a day late and a dollar short" is the best case scenario: missed deadlines, forgotten dry cleaning, and never, ever seeing friends. But we don't have to reinvent the wheel to figure out a better way through. Just look around at all the super successful moms kicking ass on a daily basis.

- Alarm goes off (groan, it’s dark). - Feed Jethro, the dog. Set out for a run. This is the meditation portion of my day. - Wake up kids again - this time for real and with far less sweetness. - Leave for school. On days when I have to go to court this is where I part way with my kids as I have to leave to head downtown. - Drop off Jack, this includes parking and walking him in (no embarrassment here - yet - he even holds my hand), seeing new classroom projects, getting awesome goodbye hugs, and checking in with teachers and other parents. I love our school. It goes from kindergarten to 12th grade on an upper and lower school campus (hence the double drop off as Luke began upper school in September). - Brave the brutal drive back over the hill to my office. This is difficult as reception is terrible through the canyon. Text boyfriend back. - Generally I will have client meetings, voluntary settlement conferences, strategy reviews, and conference calls between 10:30 and 1. - If possible, I have lunch with the awesome women at my firm. My best friend, Melissa (since second grade at El Rodeo Elementary School in Beverly Hills), is our firm’s office administrator. She and my partners and associates usually head somewhere for lunch. If I can make it, I join. Ask about tests, homework, reptiles (Luke has several pets), dinner plan, etc. Change into jeans (immediately!). Review homework, supervise reptile feeding, read with Jack, and figure out dinner. We will generally either eat something Laney, our nanny, has cooked (we are currently experimenting with slow-cooker recipes), order in, or go for sushi. During the summer months, when it stays light later, I will ask Laney to prep for me, and I will cook one of my three-to-five go-to dishes. This makes my boys happy. It usually makes my hands smell like garlic for the next several days. Get into bed with my Kindle. Go to sleep.

When I get home from my run. It is super quiet in our house and Jethro the dog greets me. We head upstairs for the first kid wake-up call, and they are both so sweet and sleepy and yummy. It is everything I love about being a parent.

I wish I didn’t have to drive so much. The traffic in L.A. is horrific and getting anywhere is a total time suck.

I always worry about TIME. It seems there is never enough of it.

Wow, I have no idea. If someone discovers it, please let me know.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson.

When I had Luke, it felt as if another chamber had grown on my heart. This happened again with Jack. You feel as though you cannot imagine loving or caring or feeling anymore and then, just like that, there is more. Every priority shifted. Things that used to be crucial, no longer were as important. My reason for being became and remains these two little people. Participating in their evolution is the most joyful, wondrous, compelling experience every single day of my life. As they grow and mature, they become more independent and life shifts slightly back to other activities and projects, but they remain the underlying raison d'etre.

I am totally blessed to have two amazing co-parents; one dad for each of my sons. They are absolutely integral to our children’s lives and between the three of us (and the others who will be applauded below) we are raising kind, intelligent, happy, conscious, curious, funny, well-adjusted humans. Our nanny, Laney; weekend babysitter, Samantha (and her awesome boyfriend Mansai); my dear friend and assistant, Erica; and our housekeeper, Irma, are also queens in our village. My mother drives in from Malibu each Monday to pick the boys up and spend the afternoon with them (we call it Gramma Bunny Monday). I also have some amazing friends - some of whom I have known since childhood and some of whom I met through my own children.

Advice for Women in Law

"We don't have to employ the same tactics or mannerisms that men do to get attention," she said. "Another woman attorney older than me once said to me, 'You know, if you speak quietly, they will lean in to hear what you're saying.' And I really always remember that. We don't have to yell or slam on the table. I probably use way too many profanities-it's just who I am-but I see a lot of women do it and I see they're not comfortable with it, but they're doing it because they kind of want to be one of the guys. If you talk quietly, they will lean in and it's okay to do that. It's okay to be a woman. It's okay to dress like a woman. It's okay to wear your hair like a woman. And we still, in this day and age, are lucky enough that we're able to succeed and prevail and that's okay."

"I think it's very, very important that we know our value as a worker," she said. "I don't think your boss wants to know why personally you need extra money," she advised. "What they want to know is: What did you do for me that is going to make me want to make you happy so you will stay working for me? So you need to say, 'These are the things I did, these are the hours I worked, this is the new business that I brought in'-that's the kind of stuff we want to know, because we're not always paying maybe as much attention as either we should or you think we are. You tell us. Make your best case for us as to why we don't want to lose you. And if we don't increase your salary, you're f--king going somewhere else!"

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