Wayne J. Rice has been designated by the State Bar of California as a Certified Family Law Specialist. A native of Poway, California, he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan, a Master’s Degree from Manhattan School of Music and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was also Executive Editor of Law and Inequality, a Journal of Theory and Practice.
After graduating from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1992, Wayne clerked on the Minnesota Supreme Court and then practiced in Minnesota as an associate in the business litigation department of a 300-attorney law firm, then as an-inhouse attorney at a Fortune 100 corporation, and finally as a sole practitioner practicing plaintiff-side employment law. Wayne returned to California in 2003 and worked on a variety of litigation matters in his own office, including acting as lead counsel in a class action involving more than 1,000 employees and on a real estate dispute involving land worth in excess of $50 million.
Since 2011, Wayne has devoted his practice exclusively to family law. He became a Certified Legal Specialist in Family Law in 2016 and has represented hundreds of clients in a broad range of matters, including complex international child custody cases, domestic violence cases, and matters involving sophisticated financial issues. During his time in family law, Wayne has appeared in more than 30 evidentiary hearings and trials.
In 2018, he began acting as a Mandatory Settlement Conference Judge, and continues to do so today. Wayne has also spoken on family law issues in presentations before the San Diego Family Law Bar Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, as well as to members of the Family Law Facilitator in San Diego, and Marine Corps attorneys at Camp Pendleton.
In 2021, Wayne founded Rice Family Law with the goal of providing support to other family law attorneys. Whether an occasional need or long-term support, Wayne has the experience and expertise to assist lawyers with serving their clients’ family law needs.
