Celeste A. Johansson earned her B.A. in English from Barnard College in 2003 and her J.D. from University of California, College of the Law, San Francisco, in 2009. She has been a California licensed and practicing attorney since 2009, first working as an associate in a family law firm in Alameda before opening a solo practice in Oakland in November of 2013. For many years, Celeste was a busy family law practitioner successfully litigating and/or settling her clients’ family law cases including property division, child custody/visitation, support, attorney fees, and domestic violence issues with most of her practice based in Alameda County, but spanning all Bay Area counties.

             

                 In 2017, recognizing the growing need for expertise in the valuation and division of retirement assets during and after dissolutions, Celeste began taking on new QDRO work in her practice while also doing QDROs for her existing family law cases as she transitioned into doing solely pension and retirement law practice. Celeste now focuses and specializes in QDRO preparation and retirement plan consultancy. She works for family law attorneys and unrepresented parties either in a neutral capacity as a joint expert or as a consultant for one side to give advice about Judgment language, retirement law in California, ERISA, and to draft or review QDROs. Celeste also represents family law litigants in Court for retirement and pension litigation, and in administrative proceedings against retirement plans. Celeste is also a member of the QDRONES, a select national group of attorneys and professionals who specialize in pension and domestic relations law.