Unlike other areas of law I studied in law school, in Family Law I could see the direct impact of my guidance, knowledge, and counsel on someone’s life. Family Law involves so many other legal issues, (tax, corporate, criminal, probate, etc.), that it constantly challenges and interests me and has practical application to day-to-day life.
My goal is to provide the best possible legal and practical advice for my clients as they go through the most difficult time in their lives. Particularly when children are involved, it is important for me to help my clients see the big picture and focus on their own long-term best interests and that of their children rather than the immediate emotional consequences of conflict and litigation.
Matthew K. Purcell is a Shareholder of Purcell Stowell. He has been recognized as a Certified Family Law Specialist by the California State Bar Association’s Board of Legal Specialization since 2011. Matt was the youngest CFLS in California at the time he received this prestigious recognition of expertise in the field.
Matt has more than a decade of experience handling a range of family law issues, as well as guardianships and juvenile dependency. Offering broad expertise to his clients, Matt has handled everything from intricate property and support issues to complex custody issues involving allegations of sexual and physical abuse, domestic violence, parental alienation, and relocations.
With significant experience in the more specialized fields of guardianships, grandparent rights, and juvenile dependency cases, Matt is adept at counseling clients in situations where Child Protective Services (“CPS”) removes children from parents based upon allegations of abuse and/or neglect.
Matt handles all aspects of dissolutions, but is particularly passionate about protecting the well-being of the children who are involved in these contentious adult situations. While he has found that successful outcomes are most often reached through negotiation and settlement, there are some cases where one or both parties simply cannot compromise. He has extensive litigation experience, including arguing in front of the Court of Appeal, if necessary. Matt was the attorney of record both at the trial court and appellate level on the published 2011 precedent-setting relocation case Jacob A. v. C.H. (196 Cal.App.4th 1591). He was also successful as appellate counsel for the biological father in the published, precedent-setting three-parent custody ruling C.A. v C.P. (Cal. Ct. App., 11/13/2018).
A graduate of Folsom High School, Matt attended college at UCLA where he graduated with a degree in History. He then earned his J.D. from the Syracuse University College of Law in New York. After braving three winters in New York, he returned to the Sacramento area where he started his law practice in 2005. Prior to forming Forester Purcell Inc., and then Forester Purcell Stowell PC, Matt worked for more than eight years as the associate attorney to one of Sacramento’s premier family law attorneys, Frank E. Dougherty.
Matt lives in El Dorado County with his family and their beloved poodle George. Beyond his law practice, Matt enjoys playing golf, watching both football and futbol, and playing Minecraft with his son.
Selected for inclusion by rating from attorney peers and/or research team for:
Sacramento County Bar Association
Placer County Bar Association
Continuing Education of the Bar
National Business Institute (“NBI”)
