Our family went through an unimaginable nightmare that I wouldn't wish on anyone. My sister's…read moreex-boyfriend came home one night drunk and violently attacked her and our entire family. He was arrested, but days later he posted bail and was set free. We believed we had an airtight case: over 20 photos showing the injuries, a video of him admitting guilt, and statements from the children confirming the abuse. We thought the truth would prevail without the need for an attorney. We were wrong.
Just three days before our family court hearing, he maliciously filed a false CPS report claiming my sister abused the children. CPS showed up without a professional sign language interpreter, despite my sister's deafness, and I had to step in to interpret. The children clearly told CPS they felt unsafe with their father and confirmed the abuse. Even though CPS wrote this in their report, in court his attorney twisted the facts, claimed I manipulated the conversation, and had the report thrown out on a technicality. Within five minutes, the judge shockingly awarded full custody to the abuser, who still had pending felony charges.
In the following weeks, CPS reopened the case and we watched helplessly as the children were interrogated under their father's influence. It was the most unjust and painful experience of our lives. That's when we hired Christopher Hernandez in Riverside, thinking legal representation would save us. Unfortunately, Christopher failed us at every turn. We paid nearly $15,000 for constant frustration. He rarely answered calls, forcing me to call multiple times a day just to get any response. He juggled too many cases at once and admitted to it. Worst of all, when it came to court, he repeatedly forgot the facts of our case--facts I had thoroughly gone over with him many times. Every time we appeared before a judge, the opposing attorney ran circles around him, leaving us devastated and without real representation. It was clear he never truly cared about our family or the outcome.
In what felt like our final attempt to save the children, we contacted the office at Laurel Buchanan. From the moment we spoke, Laurel's intelligence, professionalism, and genuine care were evident. She listened carefully as I explained the entire case and, within minutes, repeated back every critical detail with precision. Unlike the first attorney, she immediately identified where the court and CPS had failed and laid out a real legal strategy. Laurel showed us laws and protocols the previous attorney never even mentioned. She made it clear we had a legal path to reverse this injustice.
Laurel and Wendy fought for us like no one else. Her knowledge of family law was unmatched, and she approached the case with both sharp legal skill and sincere compassion. She battled a dishonest opposing attorney and a flawed system with tireless dedication. Thanks to her and Wendy, we won. The custody order was reversed, and the children were returned to my sister. It was such an emotional victory that my sister cried--and Laurel, who had poured her heart into our case, shed tears with us.
Laurel Buchanan didn't treat us like just another file; she treated us like family and fought for us as if it were her own loved ones in danger. She changed our lives. I would recommend her to absolutely anyone who needs an advocate against a broken system or a manipulative opposing party. She is brilliant, fierce, and compassionate--the very definition of what an attorney should be. Thank you Laurel, here I am a year later writing this review and I am still left for words for everything you did for us. When we thought it was almost over for us, you came to save and change our life's forever. We are forever thankful with you and Wendy, and the team. Thank you.
