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Prager Jones, APC

7777 Alvarado Avenue, Suite 201

La Mesa, CA 91942

(619) 439-7671

www.pragerjones.com

Uniting Legal Expertise with Genuine Compassion and Transforming Lives in Family Law

"If you don’t care about your client, and I mean genuinely care about your client, how can you possibly expect the judge to care? Our depth of compassion is one of the things that separates Prager Jones, APC from other firms,” says Founding Partner, Steven J. Prager.

The firm’s practice areas are divorce, child custody and visitation, domestic violence and restraining orders, mediation, parentage, and prenuptial agreements. Prager, Jones, and their team’s commitment to client care is reflected in the firm’s holistic approach. Their attorneys have considerable and varied experience in all aspects of family law. They are committed to providing solutions to family law outside of the courtroom whenever possible by encouraging clients to focus on wellness, therapy, mediation, estate, and financial planning.

Clients respond to their genuine care with genuine praise:

“If I could leave more than 5 stars I would! Without this law firm and its secret weapon Mr. Steven Prager my outcome in the court room would have been in favor of the odds we were up against, and not in favor of myself or my son. Without too many details and to keep it short, this was a move away case which can be difficult on paper and emotionally for all parties involved (including the attorneys) Steven Prager is as sharp as the edge on a new blade. As quick as the blink of an eye, and as thoughtful and caring as if he were fighting for his own son. What makes Seven Prager dangerous to the other team, and the ace in your back pocket you can’t wait to show, is his ability to predict and foresee things followed by exercising precise and proper planning against any play to come his way. His mind is a fine chess game, and he is ready to call checkmate before the first pawn is played. However, above all his talents is the one that shines is his ability to excel exceed, and peak while under pressure in the court room. So much so that the judge noticed his closing statement and commented on it as one of if not the best she has ever heard in her time. My odds were slim, and my finances were slimmer, I was nervous. Steven worked with me, every step of the way answered every phone call, every text, during and after hours, around the clock. He earned my trust, and I don’t hand that out easily. I do not write reviews, but I felt it was needed after all dedication this law firm showed me and my family. Simply put, Steven Prager saved my relationship with my son.” 

The current staff includes two attorneys, three paralegals, and one legal assistant.

A Genuine Dynamic Duo

Founding Partner Morgan Nusbaum Jones says that another aspect of their ongoing success is the dynamic between the partners. “We complement each other as attorneys so well and it is incredibly effective, especially in high conflict, high asset, or high stakes cases. I am very meticulous and quite nerdy when it comes to community property law. Steven is an amazing advocate and great at the bigger picture and developing a creative legal strategy. I love finding a tiny detail that helps take a case in a new direction or helps us craft a winning strategy or argument. Our energy collaborating on a case in any capacity is really one of my favorite aspects of my job,” she says.

Prager focuses his practice primarily on a variety of divorce and family law cases. During the past 12 years he has handled more than 750 cases with a better than 90 percent success record. He began his career with the San Diego County Public Defender in 2010. He joined the Marshall Sanders firm in 2012, becoming a partner in 2015 before leaving to form Prager Jones, APC. He is a licensed Divorce Attorney in the State of Texas and admitted to practice law before the U.S. District Court, for the Southern District.

Jones handles a wide variety of family law matters. She is a graduate of Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. She began her family law career at the Law Office of Cynthia A. de Petris in Los Angeles. She then joined the family law divisions of Pacific Litigators, APC, and the Marshall Sanders firm in 2016 before joining Prager in Prager Jones, APC. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Central District.

Hitting the Right Note

In a fascinating way, each partner was drawn to the legal field through a love of music. Prager, a college music major, has been playing guitar for more than 30 years and Jones is a classically trained singer.

Before deciding on a career in law, Prager had a 10-year career in the entertainment industry. He worked for record companies, music management, and handled a lot of producing, especially live music events. In 2007, Ryan Seacrest hired him to help produce a reality show for MTV called Crash My School. 

While working at Ryan Seacrest Productions, he began “flirting” with the idea of going to law school. During a production meeting for a new reality show under development, the discussion turned to the need to get the legal department involved. “At that moment, a light bulb went off in my mind that lawyers had the ultimate authority when it came to actualizing a TV show. That moment inspired me to follow through with law school and return to LA as an entertainment attorney,” he says. The success of the developing reality show would eventually go on to exceed everyone’s expectations, and become titled, Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Prager invested his earnings from his time at Ryan Seacrest Productions to backpack around Europe and the Middle East before coming back to the U.S. to attend law school in San Diego. “I would eventually realize how dreadfully boring the actual work of an entertainment lawyer is and lose interest.” While working at the public defender in law school, he lost interest in transactional law and became fascinated with litigation and trial advocacy.

Jones says, “I think my younger self would be very surprised to learn that I became an attorney, much less a family law attorney.” She spent her youth on stage starring in musicals and playing violin in youth symphony. She did undergraduate studies and the Berklee College of Music as a classical vocalist. She was also a coloratura soprano who loved singing. 

She soon realized that she did not want to pursue music professionally and ended up majoring in Music Business/Management. That led to courses on the legal side of the music and entertainment industry, which led to Loyola Law School Los Angeles with her plans centered on practicing entertainment law. “Like Steven, I did not find the legal subject matter underlying entertainment law interesting. Community property law ended up being one of my favorite subjects and ignited a passion for family law,” she says. The change in “tone” has been welcomed by those in need in the community as illustrated by a recent testimonial.

“I got really lucky when I decided to select a law firm off of Yelp. I had no idea what to expect or how to navigate the divorce process whatsoever. Steven Prager and his partner, Morgan Jones did not disappoint. Filing for a divorce is very scary, especially if your husband is the main source of income and you have two children to care for. Prager Jones always protected our interests, while allowing us to continue our daily lives in the best possible way. Morgan and Steven were diligent, professional, calm, and focused. Steven is incredible at deescalating any situation, he will amaze you in the court room. Morgan is compassionate and she really listens to your concerns. Morgan thought of angles that I didn’t know existed. Morgan will research every detail so that you get the best possible outcome. Both partners have represented me in the court room. Their ability to communicate with the judge during hearings is impeccable. Steven & Morgan are both great at calming your nerves during a high conflict divorce. Today my children and I finally live a peaceful life. I won full custody and my children have never been happier. If you are in an abusive marriage and have a strong desire to protect your children and their future, then Prager Jones is your answer.”

A Rescue Dive

The solution to an emotional and complex case came from a simple, yet unexpected source inspired by one of Prager’s other passions—scuba diving. He is a certified rescue diver and a graduate of shipwreck school where divers are trained to safely explore shipwrecks.

The case involved the firm’s representation of a father who obtained custody of his children due to the mother’s increasing schizophrenia. After losing custody, the woman kidnapped the children and headed for the San Diego International Airport. Prager and Jones immediately obtained a court order for the case to be referred to the District Attorney’s child abduction unit. To their surprise and dismay, they discovered that thirty children were missing in San Diego County with only two police officers assigned to locate them. The unit said they could expect an update in three to four months.

“Law school just doesn’t prepare you for this kind of situation. We had to get really creative in our thinking,” Prager says. He remembered a classmate from shipwreck school who had been with the FBI and the Secret Service. Prager reached out and together they came up with the idea to assemble a privately funded task force consisting of former federal agents now working in the private sector along with high-level private security professionals. Prager and Jones learned about a secretive gray-market network of professionals who work for the government but provide information to the private sector for a handsome fee. These people (aka ghost operatives) do not interact with attorneys directly but insulate themselves and communicate through trusted sources.

Their efforts tracked down the mother through her credit card purchases and triangulated her location through her mobile phone. Within a few days the task force located the mother at a motel on the east coast (location withheld for confidentiality). Their client got on the next flight and flew out to the motel where the mother was staying with the children. The mother refused to open the door or relinquish the children.

The task force developed a plan in which their client created a big ruckus at the motel to draw a response from local law enforcement who was in the know. When several patrol units, with sirens blazing, arrived at the scene, the mother opened the motel room door. Their client grabbed the door and held it open long enough for the two children to run out of the room and into the arms of a former FBI member of the privately funded security task force. The local law enforcement pretended to arrest the client and then escorted him to the airport. At the same time, the FBI agent escorted the two children to the airport where they were reunited with their father. They all got on the next flight back home. The mother was never seen or heard from again. 

“I’d like to tell you that this case was one of a kind—it’s not. This is what we do for a living,” Prager says.