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Stephanie Kral — founder, Equity Recovery Law Group
Stephanie Kral

Founder and attorney

Stephanie Kral

California Bar No. 323331

Stephanie founded Equity Recovery Law Group after nearly a decade as a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force, where she rose from a first-year JAG officer to one of the Air Force's senior military prosecutors. She brings that same rigor — careful record review, direct communication, and comfort with high-stakes, emotionally difficult matters — to helping former homeowners, heirs, and families recover surplus proceeds after a foreclosure sale.

Clients work with a lawyer who understands that a surplus claim often arrives during a stressful financial or family transition. The goal is a process that is thorough, responsive, and understandable.

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How we work

Legal analysis paired with clear communication.

Surplus matters can involve title history, liens, probate questions, and competing claims. We organize those details around a practical plan.

01

Careful record review

We examine the sale, ownership history, recorded interests, and available court or trustee information.

02

Plain-language advice

We explain what the records show, what remains uncertain, and which steps may be appropriate.

03

Direct advocacy

We prepare the claim, respond to procedural questions, and advocate for the rightful claimant.

Before Equity Recovery

Nearly a decade in military courtrooms, from junior JAG to senior prosecutor.

Stephanie Kral in United States Air Force uniform, 2018
On active duty, 2018

Stephanie commissioned into the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps in 2011 as a First Lieutenant and served until 2018, separating at the rank of Major. Early in her career she became Chief of Military Justice at one of the busiest military justice dockets in the country, supervising the prosecution of 30 criminal trials while personally prosecuting cases and advising federal law enforcement investigations.

She was then competitively selected as a Defense Counsel, representing hundreds of Air Force members in criminal and administrative proceedings across the country — work that required close review of dense factual records and comfort working with medical, forensic, and cross-cultural experts. From 2014 to 2017, she and a colleague defended one of the most complex courts-martial of her career: a client facing a potential life sentence. After two and a half years of litigation, their client was fully acquitted and retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service.

Based on that record, the Judge Advocate General selected Stephanie to become a Senior Trial Counsel — one of the Air Force's elite prosecutors, handling its most complex, high-profile courts-martial, including multi-defendant conspiracy, fraud, and violent crime cases. She also trained more than 100 attorneys as adjunct faculty and was ranked the #1 speaker out of 535 at the Air Force Squadron Officer School.

Career

A career built inside the military justice system.

Every step added a different kind of courtroom experience — prosecution, defense, and senior trial work.

2011–2013

Assistant Staff Judge Advocate

JAG Corps, United States Air Force. Travis AFB, Fairfield, CA.

2013–2015

Area Defense Counsel

JAG Corps, United States Air Force. Altus AFB, Oklahoma.

2015–2018

Senior Trial Counsel

JAG Corps, United States Air Force. Travis AFB, Fairfield, CA.

2019–Present

Founder & Attorney

Equity Recovery Law Group, San Diego, CA. She also owns Kral Military Defense, representing servicemembers nationwide.

Beyond the courtroom

Education, licenses, and background.

A closer look at Stephanie's training and the family history that shaped her path to the law.

Education

UNLV Boyd School of Law

Cum laude graduate, 2010, with the top grade in five classes. B.A. in French Studies and Political Science, Iowa State University, 2007.

Licenses

California & Nevada

Licensed to practice in California and Nevada. Member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States, and eligible to practice in all military courts.

Family

A military family

Stephanie's grandfather served as a B-29 gunner in the Korean War, and her father spent a career in Air Force aircraft maintenance. She lives in the San Diego area with her husband and their three children.

Speak with our office

Tell us about the property and your connection to the former owner.

We will begin with a confidential preliminary review and follow up about possible next steps.

Request a free review