Call To Schedule a Case Evaluation: 951-339-3826
ABOUT DEREK P. RILEY — ORANGE COUNTY & LOS ANGELES FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY
Derek P. Riley is a Senior Trial Attorney at Reel Fathers Rights APC with 20 years of total legal experience — the last 11 devoted exclusively to family law — and one of the most distinctively credentialed attorneys in the Orange County family law bar. He holds dual graduate degrees from Chapman University: a Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law and a Master of Business Administration from the George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, earned simultaneously through one of the most academically demanding dual-degree programs available to law students. Combined with his undergraduate B.A. in Economics from San Diego State University, his academic preparation spans law, business, and quantitative analysis — a breadth of training that is directly relevant to the financial complexity that defines many Orange County and Los Angeles family law cases.
An Anaheim native and lifelong Orange County resident, Derek spent years managing his own Orange County family law firm before joining Reel Fathers Rights APC — concluding that the firm’s exclusive commitment to fighting for men and fathers aligned more closely with his values and his advocacy than anything he could build independently. He is a military veteran and a dedicated single father of two, bringing personal experience navigating the family court system to every case he handles on behalf of the fathers he represents. That personal dimension — understanding what is at stake for a father in family court not only professionally but experientially — infuses his advocacy with an authenticity and urgency that clients recognize from the first consultation.
DUAL J.D./MBA FROM CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY: FINANCIAL & LEGAL PRECISION
Derek’s concurrent J.D. from Chapman University School of Law and MBA from the George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics give him capabilities that pure-law graduates cannot replicate. When a divorce involves a business, professional practice, real estate holdings, or complex compensation structures, Derek’s MBA provides genuine understanding of financial statements, valuation methodologies, cash flow analysis, and equity structures — not just familiarity with expert testimony, but a practitioner’s grasp of the underlying financial concepts.
HIGH-CONFLICT CUSTODY: MOVE-AWAYS, SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN & PARENTAL ALIENATION
Derek’s core specialty is high-conflict child custody litigation — move-away cases under California Family Code Section 7501 and In re Marriage of LaMusga, psychological evaluations and 730 expert appointments, cases involving children with special needs, and reunification matters where parental alienation has damaged the father-child relationship. His 11 years of exclusive family law practice in these most demanding custody scenarios make him one of the most prepared move-away and high-conflict custody litigators in Orange County.
ORANGE COUNTY & LOS ANGELES FAMILY COURTHOUSES
Derek appears at the Lamoreaux Justice Center at 341 The City Drive South in Orange — the primary Orange County family law venue — the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles, the Long Beach Courthouse at 415 West Ocean Boulevard, and the Pomona Courthouse South at 400 Civic Center Plaza serving the eastern San Gabriel Valley. Fathers in Anaheim, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Orange, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, Long Beach, Pomona, and throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County can contact Reel Fathers Rights APC at 951-339-3826.
