Christopher Banuelos

Christopher Banuelos, CFLS


Certified Family Law Specialist | Complex Litigation Strategist 

Over 17 years of family law litigation experience with a focus on high-net-worth and complex financial and custody cases.

  • Super Lawyers® honoree (2024, 2025, 2026); Super Lawyers® Rising Star honoree (2019–2022); Board Member of the San Diego Family Law Bar Association.

  • Skilled in complex financial issues, business valuation, custody, and domestic violence matters for clients across tech and professional sectors

Christopher Banuelos is a Certified Family Law Specialist with nearly 17 years of exclusive experience in family law litigation. Since being admitted to the California State Bar in 2008, he has built a strong reputation for handling complex and high-asset cases with precision and care.

Mr. Banuelos earned his Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University School of Law and has served as a Senior Associate Attorney for leading family law firms in both San Jose and San Diego. Prior to co-founding PLBK, his practice focused on high-net-worth clients, including tech executives and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley.

His legal expertise spans a wide range of family law matters, including business valuation, complex financial issues, stock analysis and division, child custody, visitation, and domestic violence cases. He is known for his strong analytical skills and his ability to provide practical, strategic guidance in emotionally charged situations.

Mr. Banuelos is now a three-time Super Lawyers® honoree (2024, 2025, 2026) and four-time Super Lawyers® Rising Star honoree (2019–2022).  He previously served on the Board of Directors for the San Diego Family Law Bar Association (2023–2025). He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.

Outside of his legal practice, Chris enjoys golf, outdoor adventures, and spending time with his daughter—who may soon be his newest golfing partner.

  • Suzanne T.
    Chris Banuelos represented me in my divorce and custody proceedings. Chris is the best. He thoroughly explained everything to me and we planned ahead as much as possible, which made hard things, like writing my declaration to the judge regarding custody, easier to manage. My ex husband is a very high conflict person and Chris helped me with many of the crazy and stressful situations my ex put me and my children through over the past few years. Chris was also able to help me get a fair judgement on both my divorce and custody arrangements. Chris was very honest with me with every situation in which I was facing, and that helped me make decisions regarding my divorce and custody arrangements easier. I've referred friends to Chris because I truly believe he is one of the best attorneys in San Diego. If you are looking for an attorney to assist you with your divorce and/or custody issues, I highly recommend you contact Chris, especially if you have a high conflict ex to deal with.
    Suzanne T.
  • Katherine S.
    Recently, I finished divorce proceedings.  Chris Banuelos was my attorney, and I cannot recommend him enough.  He was thorough, patient, supportive, meticulous, and extremely professional as was the entire PLBK firm.  Chris looked out for my interests while providing terrific advice for me to land in the best possible place.  He's very financially savvy as well as having a deep understanding of the intricacies of family law.  He was also able to explain to me in understandable terms what and why each step of the process was happening.  From our very first meet and greet, Chris understood my situation and priorities and immediately started guiding me on options and next steps.  He was proactive and made sure we met all deadlines on filings and was viewed very positively by the court based on his reputation and professionalism.  When facing any family law situation, Chris will be a trusted advisor and guide for you.
    Katherine S.
  • Juliet G.
    I can give the highest endorsement and recommendation to Christopher Banuelos. He did an amazing job with my divorce, guiding me knowledgeably and informatively at every step of the way. I switched to him midway through when I was not satisfied with my previous attorney, and he quickly remedied some (major!) mistakes that the previous counsel had made. This resulted in me receiving the fair amount of spousal and child support that I was entitled to. My divorce was in Riverside County and I was a little nervous hiring someone from outside the immediate area but that was never an issue and he handled everything perfectly. You can hire Mr. Banuelos and this firm with absolute confidence.
    Juliet G.