Laura Wasser

Laura Wasser – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes


Laura Wasser is one of America’s most high-profile divorce attorneys, famously nicknamed the “Disso Queen.” Explore her background, legal philosophy, notable clients, influence on modern divorce practice, and memorable quotes from her legal journey.

Introduction

Laura Allison Wasser is a renowned American attorney who has built her reputation as a leading divorce and family law specialist, particularly with celebrity and high-net-worth clients. Dubbed the “Disso Queen,” she has become synonymous with discreet, high-stakes divorces in Hollywood and beyond. Her work extends beyond individual cases—she is also a vocal advocate for transforming how divorce is handled in the digital age. Through her legal practice, media presence, and innovations in online divorce services, Laura Wasser has left a distinct mark on both legal culture and popular perception of separation.

Early Life and Family

Laura Wasser was born in 1968 in Los Angeles, California. LAW.

She attended Beverly Hills High School, graduating in 1986. From a young age, she was exposed to the world of family law, legal negotiation, and entertainment industry dynamics. This environment would help shape her future career path.

Youth and Education

After high school, Laura Wasser enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Rhetoric. Her interest in argumentation, persuasion, and communication likely found a natural home in that field.

She then pursued her Juris Doctor degree at Loyola Law School (Los Angeles), graduating in 1994.

During her early legal exploration, Wasser gained exposure to family law and divorce matters. Her father’s firm and her early experiences no doubt played a role in how she directed her practice.

Career and Achievements

Joining the Family Firm & Rise in Family Law

After completing her legal education, Laura Wasser joined her father’s firm, Wasser, Cooperman & Mandles, where she rose to become a managing partner. divorce law, focusing particularly on high-asset cases and celebrity clients.

Her approach often emphasizes mediation, negotiation, and private settlements, rather than public courtroom battles. For many of her clients, that discretion has been a major selling point.

Innovation: “It’s Over Easy” & Digital Divorce

Beyond traditional legal practice, Wasser has shown a forward-looking mindset toward how divorce can adapt in the modern era. In 2018, she founded It’s Over Easy, an online divorce service aiming to streamline and simplify the process of dissolution. which brought Wasser on as Chief of Divorce Evolution—a role in which she helps shape how digital tools can make divorce more accessible.

Her vision is not just for high-profile clients, but for all divorcing couples to have access to better tools and transparency in what is often an opaque process.

Notable Clients & High-Profile Cases

Laura Wasser has been retained by a great many celebrities and public figures. Her client list includes (but is not limited to):

  • Angelina Jolie (in her divorce from Brad Pitt)

  • Kim Kardashian (in her divorce from Kanye West)

  • Johnny Depp (Amber Heard divorce)

  • Heidi Klum, Kris Jenner, Christina Aguilera, Hilary Duff, Ryan Reynolds, Dr. Dre, Kevin Costner, Kelly Clarkson, Olivier Martinez, and more

Her status as a “go-to” for celebrity splits has earned her media attention and the moniker “Disso Queen.”

Awards, Honors, & Recognitions

Over her career, Laura Wasser has received multiple awards and honors:

  • Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law’s Zephyr M. Ramsey Award (2008)

  • Century City Chamber of Commerce Woman of Achievement (2011)

  • Brady Center Advocate Award

  • Justice Award from the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice (2019)

  • She has been consistently selected to Super Lawyers since 2007

  • Featured on The Hollywood Reporter’s Power Lawyer Troubleshooters list

Historical Milestones & Context

To fully appreciate Laura Wasser’s significance, it helps to see her career against the backdrop of evolving legal and social landscapes:

  • Celebrity culture and media: Her rise parallels the increasing public fascination with celebrity relationships. As divorces of high-profile figures become media spectacles, the demand for discreet yet powerful legal counsel grew. Wasser navigated that world adeptly.

  • Digital transformation in legal services: Wasser’s founding of an online divorce platform reflects a broader shift in legal tech, where access, transparency, and convenience are increasingly demanded by clients.

  • Changing family structures: In recent decades, norms around marriage, long-term partnerships, and parenting have shifted. Wasser has spoken about how modern divorces must adapt to blended families, co-parenting, and nontraditional arrangements.

  • Privacy and reputation management: In an era of social media and 24/7 news cycles, clients want to shield personal details from public view. Wasser’s preference for private negotiation rather than courtroom spectacle aligns with that demand.

By combining legal expertise with a media-savvy approach, she has helped reshape how high-stakes family law is perceived and practiced.

Legacy and Influence

Laura Wasser’s legacy is still in formation, but several themes already stand out:

  1. Normalization of better divorce practices
    Her advocacy for more humane, less adversarial divorce processes—especially through digital tools—pushes industry norms toward accessibility and empathy.

  2. Raising the bar for celebrity divorces
    Her client roster and success in managing complex, high-asset splits have set benchmarks for how celebrity divorces are handled, influencing how lawyers, clients, and the public think of these cases.

  3. Mentorship and public education
    Through her media appearances, writing, podcasting, and public commentary, Wasser brings visibility to family law issues, particularly around the emotional and legal challenges of ending a marriage.

  4. Impact on legal tech & access to justice
    Her role in shaping online divorce platforms contributes to efforts aimed at lowering legal barriers for average people, not just for the famous.

Over time, she may be remembered not just as a lawyer to the stars but as a catalyst for rethinking how divorce is practiced in modern society.

Personality and Talents

Laura Wasser combines sharp legal acumen with emotional intelligence, discretion, and a deep understanding of interpersonal conflicts. Some traits and talents that are often noted:

  • Empathy under pressure: She recognizes that divorce often comes with grief, anger, and vulnerability, and she seeks to guide clients through that emotionally fraught terrain.

  • Communication and negotiation: Her rhetorical training and legal experience make her skilled at framing arguments, mediating disputes, and persuading opposing sides.

  • Resilience and independence: She has spoken publicly about her own short-lived marriage and her decision not to remarry.

  • Media-savvy presence: Wasser is comfortable in the spotlight—doing interviews, podcasting, and contributing to public conversations about divorce and family law.

Her personal approach often emphasizes minimizing collateral damage—particularly to children—and helping clients maintain dignity through the process.

Famous Quotes of Laura Wasser

Here are a few memorable quotes that offer insight into her mindset:

“Divorce is difficult because it’s heartbreaking … you’re going through what is probably the most difficult time in your life … and it’s really sad.”

“I want to normalize [divorce] a little. It’s happening, and we need to make it better.”

On prenups and clarity: “Prenups aren’t about planning for divorce. They’re about honest communication.”

“The more we make it transparent and easier, the less daunting it becomes for people to reclaim control of their lives.” (paraphrased from her public commentary)

These lines reflect her dual focus: recognizing the pain of divorce, while also emphasizing the importance of agency, clear communication, and transformation.

Lessons from Laura Wasser

From my research and reflection, here are key lessons one can take away from Laura Wasser’s life and career:

  1. Merge passion with expertise
    Wasser turned her personal exposure to family law into a lifelong specialization. Her deep knowledge of her niche has given her unmatched status.

  2. Be willing to innovate
    Her foray into online divorce services shows that even established professionals can redefine their field by embracing change.

  3. Balance power with empathy
    She demonstrates that being a tough negotiator and being human are not mutually exclusive.

  4. Protect privacy through discretion
    In sensitive legal domains, protecting clients’ dignity is often as important as winning the case.

  5. Use your platform to educate
    Wasser doesn’t just practice law—she teaches, publishes, and shapes public dialogue about divorce and justice.

  6. Stay resilient in personal choices
    Her decision not to remarry and to parent on her own terms reflects a willingness to define life on her own terms, not society’s.

Conclusion

Laura Wasser’s impact reaches far beyond the courtroom. She has carved out a distinctive path as both a master divorce attorney and a pioneer in reimagining how separation can be handled in a more humane, transparent, and accessible way. From high-profile celebrity cases to the push for digital divorce tools, her influence spans both public perception and the legal profession itself.

If you’d like, I can also prepare a timeline of Laura Wasser’s life, or assemble more of her quotes, or contrast her approach with those of other famous family law attorneys. Would you like me to do one of those?