John P. O’Malley Partner
jomalley@delfinomadden.com 916.661.5815
Practice Areas
Family Law
John O’Malley is a Certified Family Law Specialist who helps clients navigate this extraordinarily complex and emotionally challenging legal landscape. His practice includes dissolution of marriage, legal separation, domestic partnership dissolutions, child custody, child support, spousal support, domestic violence and guardianship proceedings. He has also negotiated and drafted numerous pre-marital agreements, often in cases involving high incomes and robust estates. John serves clients from all walks of life ranging from surgeons, lawyers, politicians, lobbyists, general contractors and professional athletes to middle-class salaried employees and homemakers.
John is a successful courtroom attorney, having adeptly handled dozens of contested trials and hundreds of short cause non-evidentiary hearings. But as much success as John has had in court, he is particularly proud of the settlements he has reached outside of court through mediation and negotiation. As the father of four children, John approaches every case sensitive to the fact that the decisions his clients make will have an indelible impact on the family unit. And so, while John is an aggressive advocate, he balances his competitive spirit with helping his clients focus on the long-term effect their choices will have on their families’ future.
Before attending law school, John worked in a highly competitive commission sales environment, where he consistently ranked in the top 1% of salespersons for a national electronic sales company. That experience helped John develop communication and negotiation skills that he puts to use as a lawyer, achieving excellent results for clients through carefully planned negotiations.
When John is not working or spending time with his family, he devotes his energy to giving back to his community through activities such as Rotary. John is also an avid runner, having completed 7 marathons including the 2013 and 2015 Boston Marathons. John uses his running time to strategize and focus on his cases.
*Certified Family Law Specialist, California Board of Legal Specialization
Representative Experience
Delfino Madden’s family law practice is sensitive to the privacy of our clients, which prevents our sharing specific case results. However, John has developed a strong reputation in Sacramento as an aggressive and compassionate advocate, who has achieved many favorable case outcomes for clients both through litigation and outside of court. John’s clients and friends often comment that his upbeat demeanor is unusual for a family law attorney. But as he shares, his clients come to him at the worst time of their lives, so they have nowhere to go but up. And John has the unique privilege of helping them start over and regain control over their lives. Family law is emotional and, at times, challenging to all involved. Which is why achieving positive results for clients is all the more rewarding to John.
Professional Affiliations
Professional, Community and Pro Bono Involvement
Member, Woodland Sunrise Rotary Club, 2008 – present
Member, Association of Certified Family Law Specialists, 2003 – present
Member, Sacramento County Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1999 – present
Executive Committee Member, Sacramento County Bar Association, Family Law Section, 2016 – 2019
Chair, Sacramento County Bar Association, Family Law Section, 2018
Board Member, UC Davis School of Law (King Hall) Alumni Board of Director, 2009 – 2013
Former Board Member, Yolo Wayfarer Center, 2008 – 2012
Former Member, Anthony M. Kennedy Inns of Court, 2004 – 2005
Honors and Rankings
Certified Family Law Specialist, California Board of Legal Specialization
Best of the Bar, Family Law, Sacramento Business Journal, 2014 – 2016, 2018, 2019
Northern California Super Lawyers, 2017-2021
Education
J.D., University of California at Davis School of Law, 1998
B.A., summa cum laude, California State University, Fresno, 1993
Bar Admissions
California, 1998
Court Admissions
United States District Court Eastern District of California
Languages
Spanish, conversational
News and Publications
In the News
2013 For Law Students, Health Care is Hot and Real Estate is Not Sacramento Business Journal
Got Work? Law Firms, Schools Adjust as Students Struggle to Find Work Sacramento Business Journal
2011 On Their Own Dime Sacramento Business Journal
Speaking Engagements/Events
2019 Closing Argument, CCP 631.8 Motions and Protecting Your Case for Appeal, September 25, 2019 Sacramento County Association of Certified Family Law Specialists Presenter
Judicial Forum: The Judges Speak: Family Law Do’s and Don’ts, December 6, 2019 National Business Institute Presenter
2018 Drafting Effective Premarital Agreements, August 30, 2018 Sacramento County Bar Association Family Law Section Presenter
Family Court Judicial Forum, December 7, 2018 National Business Institute Moderator
2011 What Judges Want You to Know About Family Court National Business Institute Moderator