Attorney Profiles
Ethan Marcus, CFLS – President
Ethan J. Marcus graduated from California Western School of Law in December of 1990 on a merit scholarship. In 1991, after planting the seeds of a practice in San Diego County, he joined forces with his father, David E. Marcus, in Imperial County. Ethan took over management of his father’s firm in 1993, nine months before David E. Marcus passed away. Meanwhile, Ethan continued to oversee his own San Diego cases. Ethan went on to become the first Certified Family Law Specialist in Imperial County in 1996. By then, the Marcus Family Law Center was already one of the busiest Family Law firms in the State of California.
With over 20 years of experience, Ethan Marcus handles as many cases (and as many kinds of cases) as any Family Law practitioner in California. Yet Ethan never strays from his insistence on delivering his personal attention and commitment. Ethan speaks several languages, including fluency in English, Spanish, and Hebrew.
Ethan feels that his greatest value to his clients comes from his prior experience as a teacher. “None of us was born knowing this stuff. We learned it like anyone else. What we can learn, we can teach. I want every client to leave my office understanding his or her case better than I do. I might have studied the law, but as the saying goes, ‘The doctor is the expert, but only the patient knows where it hurts.’ This is the client’s case, not mine, and the client must be well-informed in order to be able to make sound decisions.”
Heather Zavala – Firm’s Managing Associate
Heather Zavala
Heather Zavala joined Marcus Family Law Center, PLC in 2008 as a case manager, eventually becoming Operations Manager for the firm in 2013. Heather earned her bachelors degree in English and a masters degree in Special Education from National University. For over a decade, Heather offered private mediation services for parties facing family law issues. Heather is now the Managing Associate for the firm.
Heather contributes a diverse skill set to the firm developed through her experience with a collaborative, family-centered approach to family law issues. Knowledgeable in the area of special education, Heather also incorporates her expertise to those unique and often challenging cases involving children with special needs.
Christopher McDonough, CFLS – San Diego Litigator
Attorney Christopher McDonough’s legal education began at the University of California, Irvine where he earned his bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in both Humanities and Law. He went on to receive his JD from American University Washington College of Law. In 2025, Christopher earned his Certified Family Law Specialist designation.
As a practicing attorney for Marcus Family Law Center, Christopher specializes in cases involving high-trauma domestic disputes, individuals with special needs, and survivors of spousal abuse. Christopher has lauded MFLC’s distinguished network of attorneys who work with him in order to provide well-rounded and cohesive strategies to his San Diego clients: “There is just such a huge base of knowledge to draw from here, it’s a deep well of specialized knowledge that is just not found anywhere else.”