Family · Boston
Top Family Lawyers in Boston
Family lawyers advise on relationships and children: custody and parenting time, child support, adoption, guardianship and domestic-violence protection. This list compares 31 family lawyers practising in Boston on verified licences, years in this area, focus and sourced reputation.
- Updated 14 Oct 2026
- Ranking v1.0.0
- How we rank
- lawyers considered
- 31
- 24 verified licences
- 77%
- average years in practice
- 10
The ranking
Score out of 100- 1
- 2
- 3
Esther Tanaka
VerifiedFounding Attorney
32 yrs in practice4.2(14)Criminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, French
- 4
- 5
Olivia S. Lindqvist
VerifiedAssociate
Merritt & Holt LLP26 yrs in practice3.7(25)Child CustodyFamilySpeaks English, Urdu
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Andre K. Kearney
PendingAssociate
Merritt & Rowe LLP32 yrs in practice3.6(13)FamilyBusinessSpeaks English, Mandarin
- 10
Anika Dunmore
VerifiedAssociate
Calder & Merritt LLP22 yrs in practice4.4(9)Estate PlanningChild CustodyCriminal Defense+2 more - 11
Vivian L. Adeyemi
VerifiedPartner
Calder & Merritt LLP23 yrs in practice3.9(19)Criminal DefenseChild CustodyFamilySpeaks English, Portuguese
- 12
Ruth Iyer
VerifiedOf Counsel
Holt Law Group27 yrs in practice4.3(16)BusinessCriminal DefenseFamily+1 moreSpeaks English, Russian
- 13
Rafael Zielinski
Out of dateOf Counsel
Vance & Granger LLP14 yrs in practice4.2(6)FamilyCriminal DefenseEmployment - 14
- 15
Olivia Farouk
VerifiedOf Counsel
Granger Law Group16 yrs in practiceChild CustodyFamilyPersonal InjurySpeaks English, Hindi
- 16
Jonah Ellison
VerifiedSenior Associate
Merritt & Holt LLP12 yrs in practice4.8(7)DivorceChild CustodyEstate Planning+1 moreSpeaks English, Mandarin, Spanish
- 17
Benjamin Bennett
VerifiedManaging Partner
Harrow & Rowe LLP35 yrs in practice3.9(23)Criminal DefenseChild CustodyFamily+1 moreSpeaks English, French
- 18
Ines Dunmore
VerifiedManaging Partner
Merritt & Rowe LLP3.8(9)Personal InjuryChild CustodyCriminal Defense+1 more - 19
- 20
Helena L. Yilmaz
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Granger & Hale LLP10 yrs in practice5.0(1)Personal InjuryFamilySpeaks English, Tagalog
- 21
Vivian Lindqvist
VerifiedManaging Partner
Merritt & Holt LLP4 yrs in practice4.7(8)Estate PlanningDivorceFamily - 22
- 23
Priya Okafor
Out of datePrincipal Lawyer
Vance & Granger LLP18 yrs in practice4.8(3)Estate PlanningEmploymentFamilySpeaks English, Arabic
- 24
Sofia R. Delgado
PendingPrincipal Lawyer
Harrow & Rowe LLP23 yrs in practice4.0(22)Child CustodyCriminal DefenseEmployment+2 more - 25
Laura Castellano
VerifiedFounding Attorney
Calder & Merritt LLP3.8(3)Estate PlanningChild CustodyFamily
How we rank
Each lawyer gets nine component scores from 0 to 100. The bar shows how many of the 100 available points each component contributed. Weights are fixed for every lawyer in this list and published in full; payment plays no part.
Expertise50%
- Credentials20%
- Relevant experience15%
- Specialization15%
Standing35%
- Verified reputation15%
- Professional recognition10%
- Relevant track record10%
Service & data15%
- Client experience5%
- Profile & data quality5%
- Data freshness5%
Boston legal resources
- Massachusetts Bar Association
Lawyer referral service.
- Boston Bar Association
Local bar association.
- Board of Bar Overseers
Attorney registration and discipline.
Choosing a family lawyer
Family cases are often decided by local judges with wide discretion, so local courtroom experience matters. Ask whether the lawyer offers mediation or collaborative law, and how they keep children out of the conflict. Confirm who on the team will actually handle your file day to day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a family lawyer and a divorce lawyer?
Divorce is one part of family law. Family lawyers also handle custody between unmarried parents, adoption, guardianship and protection orders.
Can custody arrangements be changed later?
Usually yes, if circumstances change significantly. The court applies the best interests of the child when deciding whether to modify an order.