About Me

profile picture of kathryn yarnal

Mrs. Yarnal's interest in becoming a family law attorney was sparked at the age of seven, when her parents adopted her younger brother. She remembers her parents' confusion in the process. She recalls meeting a family law attorney who invited her to appear at court. A seven-year old girl wearing a shoulder-padded jacket appeared before the judge and promised to take care of her now-brother. Signing the adoption papers changed her life and established her desire to become an attorney.

Also growing up with a shared parenting plan with her then-teenage (half) brother visiting on weekends and holidays gave Mrs. Yarnal the desire to practice child-centered family law.

Mrs. Yarnal attended University of California, Santa Cruz and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. During her junior year she attended Universidad de Carlos III in Madrid, Spain, where she studied international politics and discovered a love of traveling.

Mrs. Yarnal obtained a Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she graduated cum laude. During law school, Mrs. Yarnal worked as a law clerk and was a volunteer certified law student at Veteran’s Village Family Law Clinic, helping San Diego homeless veteran’s with family law legal matters.

Prior to opening her own firm, Mrs. Yarnal worked at two large Orange County and Riverside law firms.

Mrs. Yarnal has practiced family law exclusively for over 10 years. Kathryn Yarnal has been selected to the Super Lawyers' 2021 Southern California Rising Stars list, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice.

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.

Jim Rohn
kathryn yarnal on cover of orange county lawyer magazine