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.

I had a great experience with Watters & Jacobs in Redwood City. I reached out with questions…read moreregarding a former employee, and they responded quickly with clear, helpful answers. I really appreciated their professionalism and straightforward guidance--it gave me peace of mind. I'll definitely turn to them again for any future legal matters. Highly recommend!

Andrew was super responsive and helped us with a frivolous lawsuit threat online. He didn't even…read morecharge us because he felt so strongly against these scammers preying on whoever will believe them. He wrote them a threatening letter and I haven't heard from them since. If I ever need a litigation lawyer again, I will be sure to contact Andrew.

I don't use the term "life saver" lightly -- Lauren truly is one…read more I was devastated when my husband walked out. I could barely get out of bed, was deep in depression, and after a terrible experience with an overly aggressive lawyer a friend had recommended, I felt completely lost. Finding Lauren from Wanderman Family Law changed everything. Lauren is smart, savvy, compassionate, and absolutely dedicated to her clients. From the first meeting, she was 100% on my side. She explained everything in clear, gentle language at a time when I was in no shape to process anything complicated. My husband hired a so-called "ball-buster," but Lauren handled every step with fairness, strength, strategy, and integrity. I always felt supported, protected, and respected. She negotiated a complex but fair divorce settlement in which my spousal support covered my mortgage -- something that truly saved me. Two years later, I'm back on my feet emotionally and financially, and that is entirely thanks to her. She's still helping me buy out my ex and secure full ownership of my home. Lauren consistently goes above and beyond. One example: late on a Friday, my loan company told me I needed a legal letter by first thing Monday morning. Lauren stayed late, wrote a beautifully crafted letter, and quite literally made it possible for me to keep moving forward. I owe her my stability, my home, and the wonderful new life I have now. My mental and financial health are solid again, and I couldn't have done it without her. To any woman going through a difficult divorce: Lauren is the one you want in your corner. I recommend her wholeheartedly and with immense gratitude.

I am so glad Lauren was recommended by another firm. The mediation she provided for my ex-wife and…read moreI through the divorce was the best. She was thorough, efficient with time, and communicated very well with both of us through the filing process and zoom meetings. I shopped around with many firms from SF and down the peninsula, and she had very reasonable hourly rates. I would absolutely recommend Lauren!

Richard Young was my family law attorney who did help me through my divorce …read more I want to take the opportunity to say , Thank you so much to Richard for being exceptional human being and extremely professional. He had the patience to answer all my questions with full knowledge and efficiency , to fight my rights. I do appreciate and value that any question was answered right away . My respects to his job and law firm .

I was in a panic over being blindsided by divorce papers. Mr. Young answered within hours and…read moreconsulted with me over the phone. Much relief. I was in good hands for the entire process. Very thorough for my very complicated case. I highly recommend him.

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.

Our experience with Mari started out great, but then communication became more and more sparse. We…read morewere SO close to completing paperwork when she simply stopped returning our messages. The last step was for her to send in the completed papers and that was 5 months ago. Very disappointed.

Update: I received…read moreMarizen's private message and her request to edit or remove my review--this request was notably left off her public comment as noted in the screenshot attached. Since the 2 stars (which equates to the "[service] could've been better") were due to the unprofessionalism and inattentiveness shown (not due to her being an LDA), I have no reason to change my rating or delete my review. TL;DR: Marizen is NOT a lawyer. She is a Legal Document Assistant that cannot provide you with legal advice. She is a significantly affordable option for a Living Trust but she is unprofessional and has poor attention to detail-- key characteristics that are paramount to detailing an important document. Details: I left a Living Trust inquiry via her site and Marizen emailed me back within 1 day to "text" her back for a scheduled over-the-phone consult. Upon speaking with Marizen it was clear she did not take the time to review the few questions I had sent her in my initial inquiry as she was confused as to what the consult would primarily be regarding. Her rates were significantly less than what other competing services were offering which raised an orange flag for me. Upon further research, I realized Marizen was NOT a lawyer, but rather a "Legal Document Assistant (LDA)." According to the CA Attorney General, LDAs cannot give legal advice. This was my first encounter with an LDA, which allowed me the opportunity to do the necessary research to make a more educated investment. Had Marizen gotten back to me with the necessary next steps and questionnaire as she had promised (it's been over 1.5 weeks), I may have considered her as a possible option to complete my Living Trust needs. But if you are looking for a more affordable option, perhaps Marizen is a good fit for you.

I didn't feel listened to, sometimes didn't feel respected (such as when she said I sounded like a…read moredomestic violence victim) and often felt pressured. I hired her because I thought I might need an aggressive lawyer. But when my divorce went amicably and I decided that I was financially secure enough not to need spousal support, this very quality worked against our ability to collaborate. The firm "fired" me as a client after 13 months and $42,000 in lawyer fees. I think she is competent, very good about replying quickly, and a good person. However, I found her too rigid in her thinking and overly reliant on protocol. If you are a "Intuitive" personality on the Meyer-Briggs personality test, look for a different lawyer.

Short and Sweet: Initially Kim was great navigating me through the process, until she kicked me out…read moreof her office in review of the judgement. Post judgement I had to return to the court and hire a new attorney, due to the unfinished parenting plan submitted with the judgement, which took additional time and money to complete.

Be aware he is scammer that's why you don't see all the reviews. I gave him $7000 for DVRO he took…read morehis sweet time and never prepared it on time. Consequently I found my self with my kid in street he took my money and left me at disadvantage . It cost me more than $200k to correct this and when I called him To refund me he said you know what a rock is go knock your head with it. Totally unprofessional scam bag lawyer he is more abusive to DV victims low class

I was satisfied with the outcome of my case. All my questions, calls, emails were answered in a…read moreprofessional and timely matter. Thank you very much for representing me in my case.

I originally filled out the forms, filed the petition and paid the court fees for an uncontested…read moredivorce in September 2018. The time I had spent waiting at the courthouse during my first two visits made me decide to use the legal plan from work to complete the process. I was originally referred to an attorney who was conveniently located a couple of miles from my home who told me that my case should take no time at all. Two years later and after multiple rejection letters from the Courts and visits to his office to redo forms that he filed on my behalf, I called the legal plan, explained my situation and asked to be referred to someone who is really well-versed in family law practice. Best decision ever! I called Doris S. Mei's office and got a schedule for consultation right away. Doris called me herself and was very patient and thorough. I forwarded all the forms and letters from the Court and found out that my previous attorney had used up almost all of the hours covered by the plan even though he was never able to make any headway for my case. This also meant that I would end up paying for services out of pocket. Doris helped me explain to my legal plan why I should not lose out on benefits when the previous attorney filed the forms with deficient content that caused the rejections and had cost me 2 years of my time. I was granted additional hours to cover the fees for her services. We basically had to start over to make sure that we complied with the Court's very strict rules for document review. I dealt with Doris personally every step of the way. She was very detailed and took the time to explain things during our phone conversations and followed with emails with specific instructions. It literally took me months to obtain all the required documents from an uncooperative ex who wanted to make things difficult for me, but Doris willingly made an exception to proceed with my case even when they had stopped taking new cases due to their full caseload. Once she was able to file all the forms, we had to deal with the delays caused by the Courts' backlog and Doris regularly checked status and provided me with updates. And did I say that we did everything via email and Google Drive? I only had to use snail mail once...only for forms that needed to be notarized. I never once met Doris in person partly due to the pandemic that forced us to do business differently, but would love to meet her in person someday to thank her properly for helping me move on... divorce case was finalized and closed and I'm now able to put it all behind me. She's also very patient, sympathetic, reliable, and sensible... a REAL PRO in my book! I would definitely recommend her services (not that I would want to see any of my friends go through a divorce ) to anyone!

Due to a bad experience with an attorney in the past, I carefully searched for many attorneys to…read morehelp with my divorce case. After receiving a very quick reply with great info from Attorney Doris Mei, I had a feeling that she is a great lawyer, and she can help my case end successfully. I decided to choose her services, and that was one of the smartest decisions I've ever made. She is a professional in the divorce field. Via phone call, she explained to me the whole process to close my case. She is very well organized. All documents were stored on Google drive and separated by folder so that I can access them anytime. She is very careful and dedicated. After the phone calls, she emailed me in each step with detailed guidance about what I should do. She is also very responsive via email. Emails were replied quickly even that was at night or during weekend. When the other party had questions, she patiently explained with many examples or documents to clarify. I did not know how to start my case for several months; but with her help, my case ended smoothly within less than two months. I really appreciate her help.