Heidi Simonson began practicing law in 1996, and has over 25 years of experience in family law litigation including domestic violence, property division, support and custody matters. Her first five years in practice were spent working high conflict cases with Defensa de Mujeres, a community based non-profit organization which originated in Watsonville, California, assisting women and children in domestic abuse situations. During her tenure there, she was featured in the Register-Pajaronian as one of the “20 Most Influential People Under 40”. The non-profit’s legal program developed and grew under her leadership. Defensa de Mujeres is now Monarch Services (www.monarchscc.org), with bilingual and culturally-diverse services offered in both Santa Cruz and Watsonville.
Heidi attended University of San Francisco School of Law, then transferred and graduated from Santa Clara University Law School, after being awarded a Merit Scholarship by the wonderful, late Assistant Dean Mary Emory. During this time, she also worked for the Prison Law Office at San Quentin interviewing prisoners on death row, and with the Public Interest Law Firm as a prisoner’s rights advocate for jail inmates in Santa Clara County. Additionally, when volunteering at the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office at Juvenile Hall she worked with youth first entering the system. Heidi, who is also proficient in Spanish, was one of the first law students to work with immigrants seeking suspension of deportation and other immigration relief at the Law School’s East San Jose Community Law Center (now the Katherine and George Alexander Community Law Center). KGACLC is now located at 1030 The Alameda, San Jose (law.scu.edu). Heidi later received the Center’s Commitment Award in 2000 for her ongoing commitment to providing legal counsel to adult and child victims of physical and sexual violence.
In 2000, a reputable general practice firm in Santa Cruz recruited Heidi Simonson as a family law associate. After eight successful years in all aspects of family law litigation, Heidi opened her own office in downtown Santa Cruz in 2008. In 2011, the Law Office of Heidi Simonson relocated to Watsonville, where the Family Court departments are located. We share offices with two attorneys practicing Family and Criminal Law, John Ueberrhein and Cherish Om, on Green Valley Road in Watsonville.
Heidi hasn’t always been a lawyer. She grew up in Decorah, Iowa, finishing high school in Orange County. She attended college at the University of California in Santa Cruz, majoring in Social Psychology. Before attending law school, she taught bilingual preschool in San Francisco, directed a shelter for refugee and immigrant men in the Mission District, and gave birth to three children.
From 2012 until 2020, Heidi volunteered as an Attorney Coach for Aptos High School’s Mock Trial Team. Heidi has been a Member of the Santa Cruz County Trial Lawyers Association Board of Directors for several years, which is a not-for-profit association sponsoring law-related programs in elementary schools, high schools, and continuing education for attorneys. See SCCTLA.com.
Heidi Simonson also volunteered as a Commissioner for about 10 years, was Past-Chair for 3 years representing the Family Law Bar on the County Domestic Violence Commission, and also sat as Trustee and Chair of the Santa Cruz County Law Library Board of Trustees. In 2009, when the Superior Court called for attorney-volunteers to represent children in family court disputes, she was appointed many times as minor’s counsel in disputed divorce and custody matters, and also is appointed as a Guardian ad litem for non-minor dependents and parents in Dependency Court.
Heidi is blessed to have three remarkable children and two grandchildren. Parenting was (is?) her most rewarding and enjoyable endeavor. She adores her two daughters, both passionate, intelligent, well-educated, strong and independent young women (acclaimed artists, managers, active political citizens and brilliant, summa-cum-laude students). Heidi is proud of her determined, remarkable (and decorated) son, presently working as a public prosecutor in New York City, and whose resume includes the U.S. Army, Cabrillo College, UC Berkeley, and Georgetown Law School.
In her free time, Heidi enjoys her dog, traveling, biking, walking, skiing, and stand-up paddling.
Law Office of Heidi Simonson 