Hon. Reva G. Goetz (Ret.) began her full-time alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practice in 2015 and has successfully mediated and arbitrated hundreds of estate/probate/trust and family law matters. Her vast experience includes high-value trust, sensitive conservatorship and family matters for high-profile individuals, as well as complex trials as a judge pro tem. She also serves as a discovery referee, parenting plan coordinator and arbitrator.

Previously, Judge Goetz served as a judicial officer for 25 years, which included splitting her time between probate and family law assignments. During her time in probate court, she heard hundreds of contested cases, including those with high-value trusts, high-profile conservatorships, undue influence and capacity issues, elder abuse, highly complex accountings and surcharge petitions. While serving on the family law court, Judge Goetz handled complex dissolutions, addressing issues such as characterization of property; separate and/or community property; high-profile individuals; complex child custody matters, including those involving children with special needs and difficult custodial schedules; business and asset valuations; and support issues.

Judge Goetz worked for many years as an accountant and financial analyst. This background furthers her ability to resolve matters involving complex accounting questions that arise in her ADR practice, including issues concerning business valuation; property division calculation; support calculation, including stock compensation and bonus issues; and surcharge petitions. Her accounting experience is highly valued by practitioners and has contributed greatly to her understanding of complicated issues and her ability to reach creative solutions.

ADR Experience and Qualifications

• Judge Goetz has been a mediator and judge pro tem since 2015. Her experience includes the following:
  
  • Resolved hundreds of contested probate matters, including those involving high-value trusts, sensitive conservatorship matters and everything in between
  • Resolved family law matters for high-profile individuals and families involving complex compensation; e.g., stock compensation and bonus issues, as well as difficult property division calculations and business valuations for business dissolutions
  • Resolved spousal and child support issues involving high-income earners
  • Experienced with finding creative solutions to complex child custody matters, including those involving children with special needs and difficult custodial schedules
  • Serves as discovery referee appointed by judges at multiple courts
  • Handles crossover issues that arise in and between probate and family law cases
• Taught the probate overview for California Judicial Education and Research to judges beginning new assignments in probate
• Frequent lecturer on a variety of family law and probate topics, including crossover issues in conservatorships and family law

• Timothy Whitehouse Award, Beverly Hills Bar Association, 2024
• Judge Goetz frequently speaks on a variety of family law and probate topics, including the following:
  
  • "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What My Will Means to Me," 60th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute
  • “May the Facts Be With You: Perspectives From a Judge and a Doctor on Litigating Capacity and Undue Influence,” Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • “Finding and Recovering Hidden Assets in Family Law Cases,” Family Law Symposium, Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • “Crossover Issues in Conservatorships and Family Law,” Aviva K. Bobb Advanced Court-Appointed Counsel Training, Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • “The Death of Jeffrey Epstein Raises Many Medical, Legal and Ethical Wealth Transfer Considerations,” 56th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute
  • “Review of Recent Cases in Family Law,” Forensic Accountants in Family Law, CalCPA
  • “Divorcing Elders: Crossover Issues Between Family Law and Probate,” Estate Planning and Trust Council of Long Beach
  • “Making the Most of Mediation and Settlement Agreements,” Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • “Minor’s Counsel Training,” Los Angeles Superior Court
  • “Complex Privacy Issues in Family Law Cases: Issues Arising in the Courtroom, in Discovery and in an Ethical Practice,” Beverly Hills Bar Association
  • “Tips on Handling Settlement Conferences With Accounting Issues,” San Fernando Valley Bar Association
  • “Elder Abuse Claims and Challenges to Real Estate Transactions,” Los Angeles County Bar Association
  • “Domestic Violence: Drafting and Enforcing Effective Court Orders to Keep Children and Families Safe,” California Chapter, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
  • “Electronically Stored Information (ESI) and What Attorneys Need to Know,” Estate Planning and Trust Council of Long Beach

• Mediator and Arbitrator, 2015–2025
• Recognized in Doyle’s Guide, 2025 – Leading Family Law Private Judges – California
• Los Angeles Superior Court
  
  • Judge, Family Law, 2014–2015
  • Judge/Commissioner, Probate, 2007–2014
  • Commissioner, Family Law, 2001–2007
• Malibu Municipal Court
  
  • Commissioner, 1991–2001
• Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County, 1984–1991
  
  • Major Fraud Division, 1989–1991
  • Mental Health Division, 1988–1989
• Attorney, Private Practice, 1983–1984
• Various Accounting and Financial Analysis Positions, 1975–1983
• J.D., Whittier College School of Law, 1981
  
  • Editor, Law Review
• B.A., Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1975