Judge Silbar joined Judicate West following 21 years of service on the Orange County Superior Court almost exclusively in the family law department.
During her time on the bench, she co-created and co-chaired the Remote Voluntary Settlement program and served as Supervising Judge. She has dedicated her judicial career to the family law department and bar association. Deservedly, Judge Silbar was awarded “Judge of the Year” two times by the Orange County Bar Association’s Family Law Section and earned praise for her sound judicial temperament, unparalleled work ethic, and commitment to equal justice.
Passionate about bringing her knowledge garnered from four decades of combined legal experience to the private sector, Judge Silbar states, “I enjoy helping families during this time in their lives when their fears and anxiety over potential loss of the matters most important to them are at their highest point - their children, their money, their home, their business and more, are at stake. Especially since our family law courts are so impacted by the high divorce rate in our county and the lack of adequate resources to be heard timely and efficiently, mediation is a valuable tool to aid in resolving these disputes.”
- All types of Family Law matters
Judge Silbar’s hobbies include walking, hiking, and golfing.
- Full-time Neutral, Judicate West (2023-Present)
- Judge, Orange County Superior Court (2002-2023); Served primarily in the Family Law Department and held the role of Supervising Judge in 2011
- Senior Assistant District Attorney, Orange County District Attorney’s Office (1989-2002); Managed six felony trial units within the Orange County District Attorney’s office.
- Assistant United States Attorney, United States Attorney’s Office (1987-1989); Defended and prosecuted on behalf of the federal government within the Central District of California. Case subjects included personal injury, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, civil rights defense, and asset forfeiture.
- Trial Attorney, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (1986-1987); Civil prosecution of Commodity fraud in Washington D.C.
- Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Commonwealth Attorney’s Office (1984-1986); Prosecution of felony cases for Jefferson County, Kentucky
- J.D., University of Louisville School of Law (1984)
- B.A., University of Kentucky (1980)
- Co-Chair/Co-Creator of the Remote Voluntary Settlement Conference Program (2021-2023)
- Chair of the Temporary Judge Committee (2008-2023)
- Mediation and Arbitration Committee, Orange County Superior Court, Former Member
- Member of the Court Security Committee, Orange County Superior Court, Former Member
- Co-Chair of the Orange County Superior Court Custody Guidelines Committee (2005)
- Former Chair of the Orange County Family Violence Council
- Judge of the Year, Orange County Women Lawyers Association (OCWLA) (2023)
- Judge of the Year, Orange County Bar, Family Law Section (2020)
- Judicial Officer of the Year, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2010)
- Judge of the Year, Orange County Bar, Family Law Section (2007)
Family Law Issues
- Judge Silbar specializes in handling all types of family law matters including child custody and visitation, child and spousal support, determination of income for support, business evaluations, real property evaluations and disposition, transmutation issues including interpretation of trust language, parentage issues including embryo adoption and invitro fertilization
