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Our team
The people who will actually be on your file.
Six attorneys, led by founder John Prescott. One of them owns your matter from the first conversation to the final decree, and you will have their direct line.
Attorneys
John Prescott
Founder & Managing Partner
John founded Prescott's Family Law in 2000 after navigating the adoption process for his own family. With over two decades of courtroom experience across California superior courts, he focuses on complex adoptions, interstate ICPC placements, and contested family proceedings.
- Bar admissions: California State Bar (1998), U.S. District Court (Central District of CA), Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Focus: Complex Adoption, Interstate ICPC & Appellate Advocacy
- Education: J.D., UCLA School of Law (1998); B.A. in Political Science, UC Berkeley (1995)
Jason White
Senior Partner
Jason joined the firm in 2008 and specializes in stepparent adoptions, direct private placements, and independent birth parent representation. He is widely recognized for his calm, methodical approach to sensitive legal transitions.
- Bar admissions: California State Bar (2008)
- Focus: Stepparent & Independent Infant Adoption
- Education: J.D., USC Gould School of Law (2008); B.A., UCLA (2005)
Marie Stevens
Senior Partner
Marie leads the firm's family law and guardianship practice. She guides clients through complex legal separations, child custody determinations, and legal guardianships with clarity, strength, and compassion.
- Bar admissions: California State Bar (2005)
- Focus: Guardianship, Custody & Protective Family Law
- Education: J.D., Loyola Law School (2005); B.A., UC Santa Barbara (2002)
James Whiters
Senior Associate
James concentrates on contested termination of parental rights (TPR) proceedings and adoption litigation. Prior to joining the firm, he clerked with the family division of the California Superior Court.
- Bar admissions: California State Bar (2014)
- Focus: Contested TPR & Adoption Litigation
- Education: J.D., Pepperdine Caruso School of Law (2014); B.A., University of Washington (2011)
Carlos Vinicius
Associate
Carlos works closely with foster parents, kinship caregivers, and extended families to complete county foster-to-adopt transitions and secure California Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) benefits.
- Bar admissions: California State Bar (2016)
- Focus: Foster Care Adoption & Kinship Guardianship
- Education: J.D., UC Berkeley School of Law (2016); B.A., Stanford University (2013)
Donna Whitmore
Attorney
With over 15 years of dedicated experience in Los Angeles County family courts, Donna oversees case coordination, court filings, home study scheduling, and client onboarding.
- Bar admissions: Senior Certified Paralegal (State Bar of California registered)
- Focus: Client Intake & Court Filing Logistics
- Education: B.A. in Legal Studies, California State University, Northridge
Working with us
Who does what on an adoption file.
| Role | Responsible for | You hear from them |
|---|---|---|
| Lead attorney | Strategy, consents, petitions, hearings, the decree | At every decision point |
| Paralegal | Document checklist, filings, court scheduling, records | Weekly, while documents are outstanding |
| Adoption coordinator | Home study liaison, agency and ICPC correspondence | As third parties respond |
| Client care | Appointments, billing questions, portal access | Whenever you call the main line |
Careers
Join the firm
We hire slowly and rarely. If you practise adoption or child welfare law, or you are a paralegal who has run an adoption docket, write to us at careers@prescottsfamilylaw.com.
Next step
Talk it through with someone who does this every day.
Consultations are confidential and there is no obligation to hire us. Bring your questions, your paperwork and your timeline — we will tell you plainly what the process looks like, what it is likely to cost and how long it should take.