Matthew S. Buttacavoli is a Certified Family Law Specialist, Partner at Minyard Morris, and trial lawyer with more than 25 years of experience litigating complex family law and civil matters. Recognized by Best Lawyers in America® and Super Lawyers®, Matthew represents business owners, executives, professionals, and high-net-worth individuals in sophisticated custody and financial disputes throughout Orange County. He is known for his strategic approach to litigation, financial sophistication, and ability to guide clients through high-conflict and high-stakes matters. Matthew consistently receives high client ratings for his professionalism, responsiveness, strategic thinking, and practical counsel.
Matthew limits his practice exclusively to family law matters in Orange County. He regularly handles complex cases involving business valuation, characterization and tracing of assets, fiduciary duty claims, executive compensation, child custody, child support, spousal support, and complex property division. His experience includes matters involving substantial marital estates and sophisticated financial issues requiring extensive expert analysis and courtroom advocacy.
Prior to focusing exclusively on family law, Matthew maintained a broad civil litigation practice involving business and contract disputes, complex products liability, construction defect litigation, wrongful death actions, real estate, title and escrow matters, mortgage and finance disputes, tort claims, and appeals. This diverse litigation background provides valuable perspective when addressing the intricate legal, business, and financial issues that often arise in family law cases.
A seasoned courtroom advocate, Matthew has spent more than two decades litigating contested matters, evidentiary hearings, and trials. While always exploring opportunities for efficient resolution, Matthew prepares every case as if it will proceed to trial and is committed to protecting his clients’ interests when litigation becomes necessary.
Matthew graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Irvine and cum laude from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he served as Executive Editor of the San Diego Law Review and received the General George W. Hickman, Jr. Award for Excellence in Constitutional Law. He is admitted to practice before the California courts, the United States District Courts for the Central and Southern Districts of California, and the United States Supreme Court.
Matthew is an alumnus of the nationally recognized Family Law Trial Institute and the Family Law Advanced Business Valuation Institute. He has been certified as a Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and has devoted a substantial portion of his career to helping clients navigate some of the most challenging legal and personal issues they will ever face.
Following nomination by the Board of Directors of the Public Law Center, Matthew received the Wiley W. Manuel Certificate for Pro Bono Legal Services from the State Bar of California in recognition of his commitment to improving access to justice through the voluntary provision of legal services to underserved individuals and families.
In addition to his legal practice, Matthew has written and lectured on legal topics affecting practitioners and has presented Continuing Legal Education programs to the family law community. He is the author of Must Post-Termination Procedural Due Process Include a Full, Trial-Like Evidentiary Hearing? A Critique of Townsel v. San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board, published in the San Diego Law Review.
Matthew has long been active in professional and community organizations. He is a longstanding Director and past President of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County, currently co-chairs its Law Day Committee, serves as President of the Orange County Chapter of the University of San Diego School of Law Alumni Association, and is a Founding Fellow of the Orange County Bar Foundation Society of Fellows. Matthew also served on the Orange County Public Law Center’s Volunteers for Justice Dinner Committee and its Silent Auction Committee and previously served as the Silent Auction Committee’s co-chair. Matthew is an Ambassador Member of the National Italian-American Foundation, a member of the Federalist Society, and previously served on the Board of Directors for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), Region 85. Matthew actively volunteers at his church on a regular basis.
Matthew and his wife are approaching their 30th wedding anniversary and are the proud parents of two adult daughters, a forensic toxicologist and a third grade teacher. Outside the office, Matthew enjoys cooking, traveling and spending time with family, friends, and his two miniature poodles.
