During a really tough time in my life, Conscious Divorce was a godsend. They made the process as easy and stress free as possible, by helping us resolve the tough issues that take some people years to hash out. We were able to process our divorce with compassion and mutual compromise. They were very responsive and helpful throughout the entire process. I've known others who felt their divorce attorneys treated them like just a number, but through working with Conscious Divorce, I felt like my needs, feelings, and individual struggles were treated with personalized care-- not to mention the fact that they made all the complicated "legal stuff" easy for me to understand and process. I have recommended them to numerous friends and family members, and I highly recommend them to anyone who wants their divorce handled with a personal touch, attention to detail, and a caring touch. read more

I recently had prenup service from Mike and Janessa. My experience was nothing but wonderful for several reasons: 1) Fast response time 2) Detailed explanation of the prenup draft 3) Affordable price 4) Quick task completion Overall, I highly recommend them for prenup service! read more

Had the pleasure of consulting with Mike who was very informative and knowledgeable. Mike listened attentively to my concerns and provided clear, honest advice without any attempt to upsell or make me feel inadequate. His professionalism and integrity were truly refreshing, and I left the consultation feeling informed and empowered. If you're seeking a lawyer who values honesty, respect, and genuine client care, Mike is the one. Janessa, the office admin, was also very kind and professional. read more

My divorce was a long drawn out one and I could had gotten a very aggressive litigation attorney but i decided to settle on using mediator. My friend who avoided court used Michael for his divorce and was successful at it. Granted it still is a very long process either way you decide to go especially if the other side has an attorney who doesn't have the client or children in their best interest (my ex's attorney didn't have any interest in the best for my son and was only interested in drawing out the case to milk it). I was fortunate to find Michael who took a different approach and acted not only as a mediator but also an advisor on avoiding the pitfalls of divorce court litigation for the best interest of my son. Divorce can be a quite frustrating and devastating process for anyone or their children to go through. Michael is practicing attorney but specializes in mediation to avoid costly litigation (and because he believes in that it will not only save unnecessary court costs but also lead to a more civilized separation for the not only the partners but also any children involved) I thought my case was not of the norm although after attending the first day in family court I could see that from others that I wasn't the only one in the situation that money hungry lawyers may create knowing all the games to play and levers to pull to milk a divorce. Divorce can be somewhat of a business opportunity for many litigators and all those tied to the industry (family counselors, etc.) Fortunately I had Michael who not only supported me legally to avoid ligation (the cost and the time) but also spiritually and emotionally. He kept me calm and never let my emotions get the best of me. He guided me through the toughest of times. He was also very fair on fees and advised me of my options - and guided me from what could had been a very expensive and emotionally scarring litigation. I would highly recommend Michael if you have children involved in your divorce. I wish we could had worked it out with just him as the mediator (which I highly recommend as the first option before emotions flare as you will save time, money and long term emotional damage). But even if your spouse has an attorney and does not want a single mediator - Michael gives solid advice and is incredibly knowledgeable and ethical in making the best for your kids. I recently referred a friend to Michael in hopes of him being able to mediate before my friend's situation got worse. No better guy I would recommend to keep a small situation from becoming a huge one. read more

I can't say enough about how wonderful it was to have Michael and Janessa Cotugno at Conscious Divorce be the ones to guide my husband and I through the legal process for our separation. They made a difficult time in our lives so much smoother and less painful because of their knowledge, skills, accessibility, responsiveness, trustworthiness, kindness, wisdom and their follow through to completion on everything that needed to be done. Whenever we had a question, they answered promptly through emails or phone calls. We really appreciated that whenever we received an email with legal forms attached to fill out, they outlined in written detail what the forms were for, how to fill them out, and what the next steps would be along with a timeline for those next steps. It was so helpful to know what we needed to do and what would be happening next. I admire Michael and Janessa so much for caring enough about their clients and their clients' finances to set reasonable fees for their services. Their fees are the most fair and reasonable I found, and along with those fair and reasonable fees comes expert mediation, legal paperwork, legal filing and everything needed until the completion of your legal separation or divorce. They were truly amazing and every step of working with them was such a positive experience. I am very grateful that my husband and I choose Conscious Divorce to guide us through our mediation and I highly recommend them! read more

Do not use this service. Absolutely awful experience, they filed paperwork with the courts erroneously and have been terrible at communication. Overall the most dismal experience and we actually are having an amicable divorce. Just ridiculous. read more

I have found through my personal experience that Attorney Cotugno and his staff are the consummate professional in family law practice! Together they operate this firm like a well-oiled machine as they know exactly what's needed to be done and they are always prompt in responding to my questions about my case. Very helpful, very knowledgeable and thorough, Attorney Cotugno is well prepared and handled my divorce case like a champ without any complications! Everything was executed flawlessly and achieved a win-win situation for all parties. It's very comforting to have a highly skilled divorce lawyer in Attorney Cotugno representing you in one of the most stressful moments in life. This is a top/notch firm and I've already recommended his services to my friends and clients!! read more

Kindness. Let's start with that. You will find it at Conscious Divorce. It is an extraordinary event to make the decision to end a marriage. Michael was a referral from a well known physician. I explained to her that I had found an attorney- yet everything seemed to go sideways, and I did not want 17 years of marriage, children, family, and finances to be all for naught. She immediately recommended Michael Cotugno, an amazing Mediator, which was sage advice. In addition to law, he has extensive graduate education in psychology. And yes, he is a graduate of both. I am very grateful that he guided both myself and my former husband through this difficult, sad, and scary process. His prices were reasonable, but what I gained was self compassion. He assisted us in fair and balanced decisions, including referrals for other services such as accounting, investments, and counseling. Divorce is a death, and I could not imagine a better guardian angel to have watched over my entire family. His lovely wife, also a benevolent and caring soul works with him in this business. read more

Not sure if divorces can actually be "won" but you can certainly lose a lot in the divorce process including respect, pride, time, money, and the ability to maintain a healthy relationship with your soon-to-be ex (very important, especially if you have a kid). Michael gets this and did an amazing job creating a structure and environment that allowed my ex-wife and I to move-on with our lives peacefully and with dignity. We explored various options and I am extremely grateful that we chose to work with Michael. Extra points that his office is above Cucina Urbana. read more

I was going through one of the most difficult moments in my life as we all know making the decision of divorce is always a nightmare, having children and being from a different country, i was scared and insecure about finding the right person to help me go through this chapter in my life. i got referred to Michael by my boss and at first I've had spoken to several attorneys before, but as soon as i met Michael and Janessa they both made me feel comfortable, they explain everything clearly to me and left me with no doubt that i was in good hands. They are the most helpful, kind and humble Attorney couple I've ever meet, professionals and more than anything they care about you as a person. i highly recommend them to all my clients, family and friends that are going through a divorce, to me they're one of a kind and am grateful for the resolution of my case and professionalism i received. read more

Let me start by saying I am an attorney, not currently active, but accepted to the California bar in 1989. However, I chose not to represent myself in my divorce because I had no knowledge of Family Law. Family Law and Probate Law are two areas that change A LOT every year and require specialized knowledge. Going through my own divorce, was one of the most stressful times in my life. I cannot imagine the stress other people experience when they are unfamiliar with the legal process. Before I met Michael, I had attorneys that were more interested in perpetuating the conflict between me and my ex, to hike up legal fees. I thought this was an unusual situation until many of my friends and clients described similar experiences. As strange as this sounds, my ex and I were desperate to end our dispute and go on with our lives, but we could not find an honest attorney to draft our divorce agreement and finalize our divorce papers. By sheer chance, I met Michael's mother who introduced me to him. Finding an honest attorney is like trying to find an honest car mechanic...really hard and I was grateful to find him. Even my ex trusted him, and we hired him to draft and file our settlement agreement and final divorce papers. What went into drafting that agreement, were many conversations with Michael in which, based on his many years of Family Law litigation experience, he was able to tell me when my expectations were unreasonable and what likely outcome would happen in court if I chose to fight on certain issues. I was so impressed by his knowledge and work ethic that I have referred many of my own clients to him when and if they are going through divorce. read more

My family hired Mike a second time. He helped me with my child custody situation, so we hired him again to help my wife with her child custody situation. Another fantastic experience that included great results after court. Mike has done so much for our family. We are eternally grateful. He really is the best! read more

In the early decision to get divorced, we consulted a book called Conscious Uncoupling. With that in mind, our research for a divorce mediator led us to hiring Michael Cotugno. This turned out to be the best decision, financially and emotionally for us both. My ex has more life experience with laws, contracts, and finances so it was a big relief to me that Michael could give me layman explanation of anything I was confused about. During mediation (we did two sessions), my ex husband had moments of anger/adrenaline and I had moments of crying/tears, but Michael had a steady, rational way of handling us that got us back on track. What I'm most grateful for is one particular conversation that I had with Michael; I was letting my paranoia get the best of me, Michael was able to translate and explain our judgment, express his opinion of the fairness, and ultimately it was the best plan for us. No regrets, I recommend Conscious Divorce. read more

UPDATE: Michael Contugno is still the worst lawyer in San Diego. If he did his job that he keeps proclaiming there would not be a need for my new attorney to refile paper work that he supposedly should have done. This passive impersonator of a lawyer acts as if he is doing a favor when he received payment for his mediocre services in which any paralegal could have done. Michael you are still and forever in my opinion will be one of the worst, if not the worst litigator, ooopps, he does not litigate but still remains the worst lawyer in San Diego. This guy sends a text message trying to make it seem his help was needed when a message was sent asking in regards to documents he was suppose to file. Do you think he filed them? Of course he didn't. Michael, let me be percectly clear to you when I say this, I do not need your help, what i needed was for you to have done your job you were paid to do. Do not twist your incompetence to sufficiently do a job as a need for help, my new lawyer reached out to you because you failed miserably at doing your job and being a good lawyer. Now Michael, that's the truth!!!!! read more

I had a really good experience here and if I could give more than 5 stars I would. Mediation is the way to go if you can agree on things with your spouse, and I'd definitely recommend going through Michael. He is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, nice, fair, helpful, and just great to work with. He is very generous with his time as well and he answered all of my questions. I never felt confused or out of the loop. He was very specific about all of the steps for the entire process. He was very understanding of my situation and didn't seem to get frustrated with some of the changes and requests that were unfortunately thrown at him. His prices are extremely reasonable and fair as well. His flat fees are easy to understand and I don't think you will find too many mediators (if any) that are equal or lower where you get his experience and knowledge level as well. His wife Janessa works with him and she is very helpful and professional as well. I also had zero issues with any of the paperwork during this process and no issues from the court or anything like that. Everything was done perfectly and my divorce was finalized at 6 months from filing (which is the quickest possible date allowed in California I believe). Just nothing but great things to say and I would highly recommend going through here for mediation. read more

Divorce is a life event that leaves lasting marks on the couple parting ways and their surrounding village of loved ones. That is precisely why I cannot say enough good things about Michael Cotugno!! In fact, prior to engaging with him, I had hired the type of lawyer one might call a "shark with teeth." I learned very quickly that those types of lawyers bite in all directions and only want a fight. That is what causes irreparable pain and massive loss to your bank account. My ex and I have a beautiful little girl. It was paramount to me that I treat this divorce as a temporary situation that is resolved quickly with fairness and as much heart as I could muster. Michael's diverse and unique background in human psychology and law was JUST the magic sauce and heroic action I needed. Now that the divorce is safely behind me, my ex and I enjoy a positive co-parenting relationship that could NOT have been achieved with my prior lawyer!! Please call Michael Cotugno if you want to protect your children from this life-changing event, restore your self-esteem and reclaim your independence!! read more

I was referred to Michael Cotugno by a dear friend when my marriage of nearly 30 years literally disintegrated and sadly was beyond repair. We had three beautiful children together and I wanted as peaceful and loving a resolution as possible. I was not looking for a bulldog attorney who would undoubtedly look to destroy my ex. I had seen and heard first hand what kind of havoc that type of attorney helps to create in an already dysfunctional and potentially drama filled situation. Michael Cotugno was the perfect attorney for me. At first our negotiations seemed to be going along well, but then we hit several seemingly unresolvable snags that landed us in court. Although Mike is more of a mediator, he stuck with me and guided me through this most challenging time in my life. Thankfully, we were able to settle out of court and come to an agreeable compromise. He is without a doubt one of the most knowledgeable, capable, authentic and genuinely kind people (certainly not your typical arrogant attorney type) I have ever met. It was a pleasure to work with him and I have referred other satisfied clients to him as well. As his name "Conscious Divorce" suggests, he works for the highest and best outcome possible. If you are looking for an equitable, peaceful resolution to your divorce, then I couldn't recommend anyone better than Michael Cotugno! read more

Yes! Michael is a 5-Star Divorce Lawyer! My husband and I divorced after 46 years of marriage and Michael guided me step by step in the divorce process, completing all paperwork on time, and patiently answering every little, and big!, question I posed. Michael is as good as it gets, folks, so if you are in need of a lawyer who cares about you and whose work ethic is with utmost INTEGRITY, Michael is your man! read more