Practicing family law since 1997, when she joined forces with Richard Feuerstein after first opposing him as counsel in an early case, California State Bar #179813 attorney Michelle T. Murphy works from Feuerstein, Murphy, Beals & Hackett, LLP at 3033 Fifth Avenue Suite 310 in Hillcrest. Murphy put herself through law school at night while working full time as a legal secretary in a family law firm and started her own practice straight out of the bar exam, building one of the longer-running San Diego family law partnerships contemporary with the long-tail solo practice R Dawn Stahl Law Office still operates. A San Diego native and the daughter of a now-retired local attorney, Murphy concentrates on contested dissolution, custody, support, and the post-judgment modification work that defines a long-arc family practice. The firm offers mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution paths through retired-judge neutrals, an off-court resolution model that contrasts with the litigation-first orientation San Diego Divorce Attorney takes. Collaborative divorce, structured settlement conferences, and private trial alternatives let clients control the pace and confidentiality of resolution where Family Court calendars cannot. The most complex matters Murphy handles are contested high-asset divorces requiring forensic accounting on closely-held businesses, hidden-income tracing through Schedule C and K-1 reconstruction, and custody trials with Family Court Services 730 evaluations.