I hired Erica Bloom to represent me in a custody matter, and unfortunately my experience was…read moreextremely disappointing. While some of the written paperwork she prepared was acceptable, I did not feel effectively represented in the courtroom. During hearings, there were multiple times when the judge asked questions and she redirected them to me rather than advocating or responding on my behalf. As a client who hired legal representation, I expected my attorney to speak and advocate for my position in court. Communication throughout the case was also frustrating. There were several instances where my emails went unanswered, leaving me unsure about strategy and next steps in my case. At the same time, I was billed for nearly every email or minor interaction, which made communication feel both difficult and expensive. This case involved custody and one of the most stressful periods of my life, as I was fighting for my children and their well-being. During such a critical and emotional time, I expected my attorney to take the matter seriously and provide strong guidance and advocacy. Unfortunately, I often felt that the seriousness of the situation was not reflected in the level of representation I received. Considering the cost of representation--approximately $400 per hour and around $20,000 in total fees--I expected a significantly higher level of advocacy and professionalism. During the last court hearing, she did not appear in person, despite my clear preference to attend a custody hearing in person rather than online. This added to my overall concern about the level of representation and commitment to my case. Overall, I did not feel that the level of representation matched the cost of the services. Legal representation is supposed to provide guidance, advocacy, and support during stressful situations, and unfortunately that was not my experience here. I ultimately felt that I was advocating for myself more than my attorney was advocating for me. For anyone seeking legal representation in a custody case, I would strongly encourage taking the time to find an attorney who is highly communicative, proactive, and fully prepared to advocate on your behalf in court. Based on my experience, I would not recommend her services.

I normally don't write Yelp reviews, but after reading Karen B.'s review of Erica Bloom, I felt…read morecompelled to share my perspective. I am actually the ex-husband Karen referred to in her review, and I want to set the record straight. I hired Erica to represent me in a very difficult family matter, and she did an outstanding job. In fact, thanks to her skill and dedication, we won the case outright. Erica guided me through a complex and emotional process, explained everything clearly, and was a powerful advocate on my behalf. I noticed that Karen's review included a lot of legal jargon -- that is likely because she is an attorney herself. However, from my personal experience, Erica is the professional you want by your side if you are facing a challenging divorce or custody dispute. She is compassionate, thorough, and fights hard for her clients. I highly recommend Erica to anyone who needs an attorney who will protect their rights and help them navigate a difficult situation.

From start to finish, Katie and her team supported me with my dissolution of marriage extremely…read morewell. Not only did she explain things in a direct way, she was very attentive to detail which was important to me. When something like a big, emotional, and life altering transition consumes you, it's essential to have the support of a team who knows the ins and outs of the process. My settlement was reached after consistent efforts to mediate in a fair way and with strategy when dealing with my ex who attempted to cause confusion and delay at every juncture. Her wisdom, patience, experience and professionalism paid off in the courtroom as we worked through the issues with evidentiary hearings time after time. In the end she ensured that I was able to reach every single one of my goals. She reviewed her motions with me ahead of time and was open to feedback, took the time to clarify material facts to get everything exactly right, and counseled me on the essential merits of the case so I did not lose focus or come across unclear. She kept things on track and did not waist time nor money. Together we handled spousal support, child support, retirement, division of assets, and domestic violence that resulted in a restraining order. It was evident early on that Katie is well respected in her field. My ex went through several attorneys and because it went on for so long, a little over two years, (no fault to Katie) we presented before several different Judges who all respected her. I always felt prepared. She and her team are organized, efficient, and outstanding listeners which resulted in efficient progress and ultimately success. Most importantly, my children are safe and are now thriving. Because she protected my home and my retirement, I have a future where I can start to hope, dream and live again. I would without hesitation, highly recommend Anderson Family Law. Thanks to Katie and her team, I have my life back. I could not have done it without her help.

My review is based on the experience I had with Ms. Andersons representation of me to get a…read morereduction in alimony. We filed our motion in May of 2020 and finally got a court date in November 2021, this was due to Covid, not Ms. Anderson. Prior to this court date we had a mediation in October 2021 in an effort to avoid trial. The result was my ex wifes offer to reduce alimony approximately 40% but Ms. Anderson was firm it should be more like 65%. On this advise I chose to go to trial. At this point I felt she was doing a good job, the trial is where she failed. Due to the courts post Covid schedule we ended up needing three separate court dates. I felt the opposing attorney made these appear seamless and this is where I become concerned of Ms. Anderson. Before all three court dates I contacted her office to see when I would meet with her to prepare for trial, each time Ms. Anderson seemed to think a brief phone consultation was sufficient. Due to this lack of preparation much of the important documentation was not presented to the judge, leaving him I'll informed to make his verdict. The most crucial mistake was the substantiation of a trust that validated $36,000 in overhead to my business. The judge asked me on the stand if this trust was registered and when I responded we have a notarized copy the opposing attorney demanded to see it, so we looked to Ms. Anderson to tell us where it was in the court binder. As Ms. Anderson scrambled to find it she basically had the deer in the headlight look on her face being unable to locate it (this document had been emailed to her before our first court date in November and was discussed in our phone conversations ). There was volumes of financial and character information I spent hours researching at Ms Andersons request and during trial when on multiple occasions I prompted her to bring it up, she would respond that the judge doesn't care about this even though the opposing attorney spent several hours on similar issues about me. I'm not sure what happed with Ms. Anderson from November 2021 to March 2022 ( the period of our three court appearances) but I felt like she lost focus on my case resulting in a financially catastrophic outcome for me. The judge ending up ruling that I have No change in alimony, that I pay my ex wife's $30,000 in attorney fees, all the arrears alimony I couldn't afford to pay.This on top of the $30,000 I paid Ms Anderson and $10,000 to her recommended forensic accountant. All these expenses were paid through what little I have left in my retirement account. Needless to say, stay away.

Emily is an asset to all mothers. She was such a great support system and knew exactly what she was…read moredoing when going before our Family Court judge. I always felt heard and understood the pros and cons of our agreed-upon decisions. Ultimately, my ex and I worked out a great compromise. She is worth every penny.

Emily not only meets the highest standards of being an EXCELLENT lawyer, she surpasses them!…read more She has INTEGRITY, COMPASSION, UNDERSTANDING and represents me with the highest degree of PROFESSIONALISM. I greatly value her. I have the highest RESPECT, CONFIDENCE, and TRUST in Emily, and her expertise. Navigating through the legal process is highly stressful and overwhelming. Her PREPAREDNESS along with her COMPETENCE and PRACTICAL APPROACH, provides a sense of security and peace of mind throughout its entirety. Having Emily by my side, supporting and guiding me through all of this, leaves me with PEACE. So far, ALL has resulted in our favor for justice. I have done all under Emily's wise guidance. We have been a solid team working together harmoniously. I could not have been more blessed to have her represent me through and for our daughter. I am forever thankful and grateful! She has my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION and is THE BEST! "Well done, good and faithful" lawyer Emily!

I cannot recommend Josh and his team highly enough…read more In 2022, I was searching for a divorce attorney and consulted with several attorneys before I was referred to Josh. During our very first conversation, he asked me a question that no one else had asked: "Did something happen?" That simple question changed the course of my life. At the time, I was trying to figure out how to safely leave my marriage and protect my children. While other attorneys focused primarily on the divorce itself, Josh immediately recognized that my safety and my children's safety needed to be addressed first. He was the one who suggested pursuing a restraining order and explained my options. Looking back, that conversation completely changed the direction of my case. Unfortunately, I could not afford to hire him right away and ended up hiring two less expensive attorneys. There were also periods where I found myself trying to navigate the legal system on my own. Throughout that time, Josh continued to show genuine concern for my case. More than once, he told me he wished he had my case because he believed he could help. About a year later, I was finally able to hire Josh right before my restraining order trial. Because he had already been following my case, he stepped in fully prepared and immediately took a tremendous amount of stress off my shoulders. Josh and his team handled the legal paperwork, court filings, and procedural requirements that had previously felt overwhelming, allowing me to focus on my children and my case. Josh successfully helped me obtain a three-year restraining order, permanent full custody of my children, supervised visitation orders, restoration of my maiden name, settlement agreements, and assistance with spousal support matters. He consistently worked to move my case forward despite delays and lack of cooperation from my ex-husband. I also appreciated the support of the entire firm. During one hearing, Josh brought a colleague who took the time to explain what was happening and help calm my nerves. Every interaction I have had with his staff has been positive. They are always kind, responsive, professional, and genuinely caring. What impressed me most was not only Josh's legal skill but his compassion. As a single mother facing financial hardship, he significantly reduced what I owed and allowed me to make affordable monthly payments. He has always treated me with patience, respect, and understanding. Josh didn't just handle my legal case--he helped restore stability during one of the most difficult periods of my life. I am incredibly grateful for everything he and his team have done for my family, and I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone looking for a skilled attorney who genuinely cares about his clients.

Very expensive for work I didn't approve of or ask for. Would not recommend. They did not ask if I…read morewanted certain things done but went ahead and reviewed items and charged me. I wish I had not called them.

Mrs. Davison's top notch expertise, focus, and clear communication sets her apart from others in…read moreFamily Law. Her no nonsense approach, and straightforward nature about the laws create a level of professionalism within the family law parameters that is nothing short of excellence. I highly recommend Mrs. Davison for mediation, court representation, trials, restraining orders/DV matters, custody hearings, ex parte hearings, and all other family law matters. You will not be disappointed! A truly grateful client here!

Sara is very good at what she does she helped me navigate through the process with ease. I highly…read morerecommend having her on your side when you're needing smart level of representation to navigate the process. Will definitely use her in the future if needed .

I had the opportunity to meet Kristen Gates and she was incredibly nice. She's been practicing for…read moreover 20 years and you can tell she loves what she does. I would feel 100% comfortable recommending people to her! If you're looking for someone who will have your back, definitely give her a shot.

Kristen represented me in court with ease and confidence. As clients, we don't always see things…read morerationally and instead can make huge faux-pas that can work against you in court. Kristen has a real gift for showing you the bigger picture especially when you are up against an unreasonable and petty ex. Her advise was always spot on. She defended and cleared me against false and made up accusations. Kristen literally made the other party storm out of the courtroom before the judge could really say "court is adjourned". A real PRICELESS moment! THANK YOU KRISTEN!

Cathy Hersh is a highly intelligent, caring, compassionate and knowledgeable attorney and person…read more I have used her services in the past with a BK and a Civil case and am completely satisfied with her work and reasonable fees. She was always available to answer my calls and easy to communicate with.

Trust, Experience, and Know How. If you are going through a…read moredivorce, Look no further. I have been working in LAW (unrelated field from divorce) and had to go through my own divorce. I thought I could handle this but not a chance. The California divorce court system is a peculiar and unbelievably frustrating system. On top of that I was up against a very dishonest and brutally dirty lawyer. I hired one of the top firms in San Diego and lost thousands and thousands of dollars. And got nothing out of it. Then moved on to a few mid level lawyers who drained me of even more money. Again not a single bit of success. 3 years later!!!! (YES- they will drag you down for years of stress and financial ruin) Then by a miracle I met Cathy- right from the start she quickly got up to speed and devised a plan of action. She filed paperwork, and got me divorced in a matter of months.. The other side wanted my blood. Cathy gave them an olive branch. I cannot stress enough- All the other Lawyers wanted my money for nothing. Cathy delivered results!!!! She also will keep you informed and comfortable throughout the entire process. Even though nobody wins in a divorce, You cannot lose with Cathy!!!!

Based on good internet reviews, I wanted to hire Samin to help me with my divorce, but she wasn't…read moretaking new clients. So I worked with her colleague, Elizabeth. Elizabeth provided great service and information in a timely, professional manner. At some point, she announced she was leaving the practice, for reasons I don't know. So I was transferred to Samin. Samin and I met over zoom a few times. She was friendly, informative and helpful. Then we decided that mediation wasn't working and I needed to take my husband to divorce trial. So I hired her to represent me instead of on a consultation basis. That's when things started going wrong. Over the next few months, it became harder to get in touch with her. Email responses would take 3-4 business days. Her paralegal was helping me put together forms to file (FL-150) but edits back and forth would take days to come back for my review, wheras I made sure I always returned my part within 1 business day to them. It took 2 1/2 months for her firm to complete the form and file it!!! All the while I was losing out on having the form filed for the purpose of retro spousal support. More than once when they returned the forms for my review there were errors, some glaring, which required more time on my part, more emails back and forth and -yup- more time billed to me. So one day I called the office to express my anger and frustration at the process and asked for a call back so we could talk live instead of email. I never got a call back!! Four business days later I got a stern email. Never was there an explanation or apology for why I couldn't get them to speed up or attend to my case. At one point, Samin told me it was my fault for changing my mind (for 24 hours) and telling her that I thought I might try mediation again instead of court, but then told her never mind and to proceed. Divorce is messy-it is normal to have doubts and 2nd thoughts. Instead of telling me that it's MY fault that the process is taking so long, maybe guide me through the pros and cons of each option and have a little sympathy. Plus, that mixed message only accounted for 2 business days. Not the 2 1/2 months that it took to get that form finished. After feeling ignored, underserved, overwhelmed and uncared for, I finally pulled the trigger and let Samin go. I hired Honorable Legal Services-DeAnn Salcido, who has been phenomenal. Attentive at every step, incredibly informative, educational. She gives me notes, articles with highlights an annotations for me to read. She explains my options clearly. She responds in 1-2 days every time. We've done multiple zoom calls. And her office has a marvelous online system that organizes my files, forms, correspondence and upcoming dates in a way that is clear to both of us. AND she costs LESS than Samin! If I had had DeAnn from the start instead of Elizabeth and Samin, this process would have gone a LOT smoother and faster.

I would highly recommend this law firm . Samin and all that worked on my case was professional, and…read morecompassionate in every step of the way. They kept me informed throughout the whole process, and answered all my questions and worked hard to protect my interests. I am grateful for all the support I received from the entire team. Looking for knowledgeable attorney, this is the one for you