The Law Office of Christiana E Samuels is PHENOMENAL. Christiana and every one of her support…read moremembers is uber competent. This makes working with the team seamlessly efficient.  She has trial experience. This is hard to come by for a family law attorney because only about five percent of divorce cases go to trial. She is cost conscious about the divorce process for her clients. This is also difficult to find. An attorney either becomes thoroughly familiar with trial because she's had enough case loads or she's always looking for a fight to increase her revenue. Christiana is definitely NOT the latter but she will put up a good fight when you need it. My story is a long one but it needs to be told to show the experience I've gained to discover and identify an excellent attorney. It is always best to try and settle matters peacefully without involving the Court. It can become insanely expensive and the overall family loses when you want to fight about every little thing. I was the unfortunate five percent that was trapped in the family court for 13 years. My ex-husband's favorite books were Sun Tzu's, "The Art of War" and Hitler's "Mein Kampf". I was not paying enough attention and stupidly entered that marital contract with him. Almost 10 years and a child later, I finally found the courage to exit from the toxic. Upon service of divorce papers, he went to the bank and seized all of our accounts. He was combative and loved the litigation. He had figured out the defects in the family law court- the penalty for perjury is not enforced. He spun his lies so well, a burnt out judge at the end of 8 years into our case ruled that I was not credible. He got to keep most of our assets and only needed to return the money he had taken from me 8 years earlier- with ZERO interest. True to his abusive nature, he wanted more and continued to legally harass me. He wouldn't move on even after remarrying. He wanted me back in Court while he was defaulting on child support and hadn't returned my money. I had 3 attorneys and a dozen more that I was consulting throughout the 13 years. One let the case drag on for seven years. One was not prepared for trial. The third one pretty much took a retainer and disappeared. I hesitated to hire any attorney for a while. Christiana was the fourth attorney. She was one of the dozen that I was consulting while I gathered evidence. She did not pursue my "business". She was fine being there to help with advice and ready to take the case if he wanted trial. After I discovered that he had tucked away $31,000 of our retirement and hidden it from the division, he insisted we go to trial so he can once again flaunt his flagrant dishonesty. Christiana exposed his lies during trial beginning with his whited out bank documents to not "remembering" he had stolen the $31,000. This should have been fraud but we had a new judge and she was too nice. For the first time in 13 years, the family court had finally delivered some relief for me. He was ordered to return my money WITH interest immediately, pay heavy sanctions, part of it being 90% of my legal costs. I am so grateful to this attorney. She was not there to run up the hours and take my money. She worked collaboratively well through all of my concerns. She stayed through the collection of this 13-year debt. Everyone has to get paid for their work and her office was worth every penny! Not for the win in court or the amount of money I was awarded but for the lesson that this bully needed to learn - his criminal behavior was no longer going to be rewarded. Instead, it is now recorded forever in public records in a judgment. Thanks to the Law Office of Christiana E Samuels.

How interesting: I'm one of the only real reviews on here, and I'm one of the only negative ones…read more Huh, I wonder how you get so many fake (good) reviews..... My honest review: I hired the Law Offices of Christiana Samuels to aid in my divorce. I am not an attorney, nor am I a divorce attorney. However, I believe that I have been mistreated as a client, and I am pursuing recourse through the California State Bar. I spent thousands of dollars, and months of my divorce, trying to work with this firm, and, during that time, I actually moved backwards in my divorce. In fact, my attorney never provided one solution or answer to what my ex was doing/arguing. I've now lost privileges to my child, and I'm facing a much more dire financial situation due to the mistreatment I received here. I never imagined I would hire an attorney who would make things worse--and then ask for more money. So, after over 6 months, thousands of dollars, and feeling like I am now in a WORSE place, I cannot recommend that anyone employ this firm. Our legal troubles are too important to be dismissed like this, which is the treatment I got the most from this firm. They won't want anything to with you... until you need to pay more money, of course. In fact, right in the middle of a very intense battle with my ex, my attorney abruptly STOPPED answering my calls and emails because "the retainer was too low." Can you believe that? You will be abandoned by this firm if you are a little low on the retainer. It doesn't matter if you need your attorney in that moment--money comes first for the Law Offices or Christiana Samuels. Please, learn from my mistake and take your challenging, confusing, and painful legal matters somewhere else. Because, at that made-up firm, you might actually find a lawyer who cares about you. You won't find that here.

Absolutely amazing. I had stan who is sadly no longer there but this firmed helped me out so much…read moreduring the worst period of my life. It's expensive but worth every penny. I'm in the coast guard and I would recommend to any one of my fellow coasties.

I thought very hard about writing this review, but I do feel other people ought to be warned. I am…read morea trans woman, and I wanted to hire a lawyer to do my name / gender change forms. I googled and found that Levine Family Law advertises this service. They charged, as I recollect, $3500. The forms went in fine, but then I waited for months for the court order to be entered. At first they said six weeks, but the timeline kept slipping. I started having calls with Levine asking what was happening--they said the SF court was backed up and that it would take time. But it became clear that they did not have a direct line to the courthouse and had a very difficult time getting hold of human beings over there: they were essentially blind. I asked for a call with my lawyer, Stan, but was informed he had left the practice (nobody had told me). I had a call with the office manager Katie, and she basically told me I'd just have to wait. It was very nice and all, but she said I just needed to wait. I live about 20 min drive from the courthouse, so after that call I got so frustrated I got in my car, and I went to the courthouse. There was no line at the records office. They pulled my application, and the clerk said he'd put it on the top of the stack on Monday. By Tuesday, my name/change order was granted, and I had my certified copies. What makes me angry is that I was repeatedly told that the courthouse was busy and, essentially, incompetent, but actually every interaction I've had with them, whether for this or for other records requests, has been prompt and efficient. There is almost never a line; they are very helpful in answering questions. It has become clear to me that Levine Family Law merely scapegoats the courthouse, and that the true issue is their inability to get anyone there on the phone. In the USA, we don't hire lawyers merely to fill out forms--we hire them to shepherd us through the legal process. Levine family law certainly would never be as cavalier about the fate of a child custody or divorce decree--it is only their trans clients that they leave to fend for themselves, twisting in the wind for months. It is unconscionable to charge people $3500 and then be unwilling to take twenty minutes to, say, show up at the courthouse and make sure the decree actually gets entered. If you're not willing to do what it takes to get the decree granted, please don't offer it as a service. As it is, I have no doubt that if I'd filled out the forms myself and gone to the courthouse on my own, I'd have gotten everything done much quicker and more cheaply. I want to reiterate that the forms they filed were apparently fine, but they had absolutely no orientation to actually following up with the court. No doubt they will respond to say that they did their job when they filed the forms. But I was advised by Stan specifically that he was going to be in my corner, following up on these forms. When a firm charges for this service, they are charging for peace of mind--the idea that they will handle everything. If all you want is someone to file forms, maybe this law office is fine, but if you want someone who will make sure the decree actually gets granted, you shouldn't go with them.

I'm sure you see reviews like this all the time, but I'm going to tell you about a very special…read morehuman being: Christina. I had this review saved in my drafts for the longest time, not because of hesitation, but because of how chaotic and dreadful my situation was behind the scenes. I had gone through 2 years of absolute hell with my case, and was in a position where I had to find a new attorney after being scammed by another and being backed into a corner by the slimiest greaseball of an opposing counsel. I was so sure the outlook was as bleak as it could get. Finding Christina was actual kismet. She saw me as more than just a paycheck, and gently made sure I kept my head on. She actually took the time, heard me, and did everything she could to pull me out of what was looking to be a permanent residency in a mental and emotional prison of my ex's making. Soon, my son will be coming here for his first visit, and it's the first time I've felt like there was hope for the future in god knows how long. You can't put a price on that. She said she wasn't a miracle worker, but I'll tell you right now that she's the closest you'll get to one. I look forward to working with her again in the future, and if you know what's good for you, you will too. I can't thank you enough, Christina.

Kimberly has provided me legal counsel a number of times over the years. She's professional,…read morecourteous, and strategic. On topics that were within her focus areas, she provided me with guidance and mediation to resolve issues outside of a courtroom. For topics outside of her specialties, Kimberly referred me out to attorneys. I trust Kimberly and will continue to seek her counsel for future issues. Highly recommended.

Barbara Kuehn isn't just an attorney ; she's someone you can truly trust when it feels like…read moreeveryone else is against you. She has gone above and beyond for me, offering not only legal expertise but genuine compassion and support. Barbara helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life, with my daughter and her school, and later when my partner was dying. She made sure he was protected and that all his legal matters were handled while he was unresponsive. She was there not just as a lawyer, but as a caring human being, offering a hug and a listening ear when I needed it most. If it weren't for her, I don't know where I'd be. This is now my third time turning to Barbara for help, and I can't recommend her enough. Don't try to face things alone in the Bay Area, there's no one better to have on your side than Barbara Kuehn.

Dr. Kuehn is an experienced and knowledgeable attorney who's expertise has successfully guided me…read morethrough some difficult legal issues.  Do not hesitate to hire her and her team to do the same for you, I highly recommend her.

It's rather embarrassing to be back writing another review for Arusyak & Bay Area Law Group 4 years…read morelater. But after my first divorce, Arusyak advised me to get a prenuptial agreement if I ever got married again. 4yrs later the prenuptial agreement was enforced and my divorce was handled with zero dollars exchanged and a simple dissolution. Even though I had the agreement in place it was still a scary process but Arusyak assured me & let me know upfront the worst and best case scenario so I knew what to expect. And in my case, it turned out to be the best-case scenario due to the prenuptial agreement. More of the story is to hire Arusyak and her team at Bay Area Law Group for all your family law issues. I highly recommend her & team. Thanks again Arusyak for your knowledge, wisdom, and experience. Let's all hope I am not back here again in a few years with another update. So stop reading and call or send them a message. Your future self will be much happier you did! Cheers

Great and professional work with clear communication and options …read more Quick turnaround and solid presentation at the family court house . Very grateful for their work and ethics.

I have had the fortunate opportunity to collaborate with Kelly Shindell DeLacey, and found her to…read morebe extremely knowledgeable, patient, compassionate, professional, but fierce, when required. Highly recommend Kelly and her firm if you need strong & measured representation in any family law matter!

This review is mostly for Stacey Schliffer who was the lawyer on my divorce, custody, and DVRO…read morecase. Stacey is an excellent attorney and fought hard for me. She is kind, caring, and really knows her stuff. I could tell she was well respected in SF family court. She forever changed my life with the outcome of my case. The law firm itself seems organized and efficient, although pricey. But the outcome was worth every penny! I can't recommend Stacey enough.

Very good lawyer and is extremely Knowledgeable and…read moreprofessional. She is kind and considerate to a person's needs through these hard and difficult times.

This industry is full of the worse service-providers you can imagine. Crooks, people with agendas,…read morelazy people, and stupid people. Watch the movie Divorce Corp. Valerie is smart, honest, and doesn't churn fees. For best results, work with her on every detail and try to understand both the law and how things really work in the system. Act like her legal assistant. To get out fast is to win. And one last thing: Don't be stupid. Take off your rose-tinted glasses and realize that the system is broken, unfair, and costly to be involved with. Do not allow the ending of a romantic relationship to be adjudicated by these people again. In other words: Don't get married again.

Finding a lawyer who is reliable, prompt, kind, compassionate, dedicated and down-right tough…read moreduring such a pivotal time in your life is not easy. I am so grateful that I had Karen in my corner. She was straight forward, realistic and transparent, which I appreciated and desperately needed at such a confusing time. I never for one second doubted that she wasn't going to fight for me to get me what I was entitled to during my divorce. Meanwhile, my ex partners lawyer was not very diligent and really tried to drag this out, which is both unfortunate & costly (and for people who have kids and businesses I'm sure exhausting) However, Karen was on top of it. Constantly communicating and trying to get the ball rolling. Her services are worth every penny and I would recommend her to anyone going through a divorce. It was a really tough time for me personally, and I broke down in her office several times, however, she extended nothing but kindness & patience in those tough moments. Thank you so much Karen!! You're truly the best.

Karen is amazing! She streamlined a very difficult process and took away all the stress. It's rare…read moreyou meet a professional when you are going through such a difficult time that holds your hand and listens with a kind and caring ear. She listened to what I wanted from my divorce. I hesitated getting an attorney for so long because I was concerned that it would add animosity to an already difficult situation. Thank you Karen for your professionalism, your speed, and your advise! I can now move forward in a healthy and harmonious way! I am so grateful to you and I would highly recommend anyone considering a family law attorney to consider this amazing professional! She's five stars all the way! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I really cannot express in words how great she is!