Re-Elected Judge Ami Sagel on Guiding Families Through Court

Serving in family court often requires judicial officers to navigate parents through some of the most vulnerable of circumstances.

And with Orange County having one of the highest divorce rates in the state, Orange County Superior Court Judge Ami Sagel is consistently focused on one family or another.

“For the past two and a half years, I have served as a family law judge, helping Orange County families navigate some of the most difficult transitions in their lives, including divorce, child custody disputes, the division of households, and domestic violence matters,” she said.

RM Law Group estimates that some 33 new divorce petitions are filed every day in Orange County.

Sagel’s legal career also spans commercial litigation, federal prosecution, and private practice

“My legal experience has strengthened my understanding of the challenges faced by individuals and families during times of crisis, as well as the lasting impact that trauma can have on children,” Sagel told OrangeCountyLawyers.com.

After being raised in Southern California by immigrant parents, Sagel was educated at Claremont McKenna College in Los Angeles County and received her law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

She began as a civil litigator at Kirkland & Ellis law firm in New York then served as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California and operated her own practice focusing on family law, adoptions, guardianships, dependency matters, and helping victims of sex trafficking seek civil relief.

“My background as a federal prosecutor handling cases involving vulnerable children, as well as my work as an adoption attorney representing birth parents, minors, and adoptive parents, prepared me well for many of the matters I now see in Family Court,” Sagel said.

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Southern California & Surrogacy

Orange County Superior Court has long been a hub for adoption, IVF, and surrogacy cases because Southern California is considered a surrogacy epicenter. That’s largely due to the amount of surrogacy agencies and fertility clinics that are located in Orange County.

The National Institutes of Health estimates there are some 15 to 20 Orange County medical fertility practices and more than 40 surrogacy and egg donation agencies.

Adoption laws statewide fall under the California Family Code.

“Since taking the oath and being sworn in as a judge in 2023, I have remained dedicated to faithfully upholding the United States and California Constitutions,” Sagel said in an exclusive interview. “I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Orange County with integrity, justice, and empathy.”

The married mother two children and a dog was appointed to the bench in 2023 by Gov. Gavin Newsom and re-elected on June 2 after securing 68.38 percent of the vote against challenger Charles Pell’s 31.62 percent.

The race was nonpartisan.

She will continue serving on the Family Law panel at the Lamoreaux Justice Center.

“As a judge, my goal is to always uphold the values of an independent bench officer without bias or outside influence,” Sagel said. “I am proud of the campaign we ran and grateful to all of the people and organizations who supported these efforts and helped bring this race to a successful end.”

Photo Credit: Judge Sabel provided and edited with ChatGPT.