Professional Associations and Memberships
  • International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Fellow, 2002 – Present
  • American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Fellow, 2001 – Present
  • Association of Certified Family Law Specialists
  • The American College of Family Trial Lawyers
Certified Legal Specialties

Family Law, California State Bar – Board of Legal Specialization

 Areas of Practice

100% Family Law

 Bar Admissions

California, 1981

 Litigation Percentage

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

 Education

Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, California

Juris Doctor (J.D.), 1981
Moot Court Honor Board
Dean’s List
Magdalen College, Oxford University Law School Exchange Program, Summer 1979

San Diego State University, San Diego, California

B.A., Economics, Magna Cum Laude 1978
National Economics Honor Society
Dean’s List

Honors & Awards

Named “Orange County Family Attorney of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America® in 2017 & 2024

Included in The Best Lawyers in America® list every year since 2009

2017 Family Law Person of the Year Award, Southern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML)

Named to Super Lawyers Southern California list every year since 2004

Bio

Saul Gelbart is a Founding Partner of Stegmeier, Gelbart, Schwartz & Benavente, LLP. He has successfully litigated hundreds of cases, and is known in Orange County for being one of Family Law’s most respected and sought after attorneys. He specializes in litigating family law’s most difficult and complex issues, such as business valuations, cash flow, and custody.

Mr. Gelbart is a Certified Family Law Specialist, and has served as a Judge Pro Tem, a Special Master, and a lecturer for continuing legal education. Most of Mr. Gelbart’s lectures relate to trial tactics, trial presentation, evidence, and the use of math at trial. The audiences for his presentations have included the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, the Orange County Bar Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, the Beverly Hills Bar Association, and the Judicial Continuing Education Program.

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Mr. Gelbart is a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and served as the President of the Southern California Chapter in 2008-2009. He is presently the Southern California representative on the National Board of Governors for the AAML. Mr. Gelbart has served the AAML in a variety of other positions, most notably as a Dean of the 2007 Advanced Trial Advocacy Institute, as a Dean of the 2019 Advanced Trial Advocacy Institute, as Vice-President of Membership from 2005-2007, and as legal counsel from 2009-2011. He has served on the AAML Board of Directors for over seven years.

A personal highlight for Mr. Gelbart was being honored to introduce The Honorable Ronald George, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, at the AAML’s award ceremony for Justice George.

Mr. Gelbart is a Fellow in the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a worldwide association of practicing lawyers who are recognized by their peers as the most experienced and skilled family law specialists in their respective countries.

Mr. Gelbart was awarded the “Family Law Person of the Year” in 2017 by the Southern California Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and  Best Lawyers named Mr. Gelbart the 2017 “Orange County Family Law Attorney of the Year.”

Super Lawyers Magazine has named Mr. Gelbart as one of the Top 50 lawyers (all disciplines) in Orange County and he has been named in the Best Lawyers in America publication every year since 2009.

In October 2019, The American College of Family Trial Lawyers selected Mr. Gelbart to join this select group of 100 of the top family law trial lawyers from across the United States.

Mr. Gelbart enjoys sports and travel.

 Community Involvement

Mr. Gelbart was raised in Orange County and is an active community member. He served on the Board of Directors for Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot for 6 years, on the Board of Education for St. John’s Episcopal School for 4 years, and served as a coach in the Trabuco Canyon Little League for 9 years. He has been married for over 35 years and has three children, one son-in-law, and three grandchildren.