I'm so thankful for this law office. I needed to obtain emergency guardianship of 2 children. They were so accommodating and helped me get it so much faster than anticipated. They guided me through each step with clear communication and professionalism. They were well organized, responsive, and made a anxious time feel less stressful. I appreciate that they were so calm and understanding through my chaos. I went to them so confused on where to start. They made the process straightforward and manageable. I especially appreciated how efficiently they handled the paperwork and court requirements. I would definitely recommend them to anyone needing reliable and effective legal assistance. read more

I received mostly unhelpful service from Mr Les Paredes and the Law Offices of Stephen D Hamilton in my divorce and child custody case. My case was very complex. Your experience may vary. Attorney Les Paredes is a very nice guy and eloquent speaker. I think this law firm may be better at servicing simple, straightforward legal cases that require less attention to detail or effort in order to achieve justice. My children and I needed robust, focused legal service from an attorney who genuinely deeply cared about achieving justice for my children and myself. It was very clear Attorney Paredes decided I wasn't a priority for him, potentially because - "the System" - has loopholes and flaws that were unjustly utilized against my children and their needs by my ex-spouse in dishonest, dirty tactics from the start. I believe achieving justice for my children was more work than it would have been worth for this firm. So, it seemed that my children and I were deemed a waste of time and were neglected. Attorney Paredes went completely dark without a word or response for weeks at a time while my ex-spouse's attorney was asking him for responses or to provide paperwork that he had committed to deliver. The flaws in the paperwork were persistent, even redundant, and frankly at times outright shocking, if they were prepared by Mr Paredes and not by my ex-spouse's attorney. It was embarrassing how badly my ex-spouse's attorney was running circles around Mr Paredes, purely from a fiduciary responsibility and client service perspective. However, I continued to be invoiced monthly as if I were a priority. I don't blame Mr Paredes for systemic flaws in civil law. However, I think Mr Paredes and the staff at The Law Offices at Stephen D. Hamilton do not not put in fair effort for their clients, or at least not for those who are in a contentious divorce or child custody battle like mine. Mr Paredes shouldn't have taken a challenging case if he didn't have the determination to give it commensurate effort. I have extensive, copious notes detailing what I believe any neutral third-party would agree was an ongoing highly unprofessional legal service well below what one should expect to receive when hiring a state licensed family law attorney. There is a very persistent pattern of negligence in services rendered in my detailed notes of phone calls and other correspondence with this law firm while their client. Further, the monthly invoices are difficult to cross-reference with the services rendered. If you need a reliable effort from your attorney and your divorce or child custody battle are very important to you, you will likely be better served by another law firm. read more

Mr Hamilton is one of the best and he goes out of his way to help his clients. I would definitely go to him again.

Worst experience EVER! Doesn't listen to his clients. Told me on several occasions to just "settle" so he, himself, could move on. Drags his feet on everything. Post divorce was even worse. Said he would obtain my maiden name for me through the courts at no cost to me. I have called at least 5 times to get status updates, and this is over the course of 6 years!! Never received calls back. Finally went to the courthouse, they said nothing had been received on their end. Went ahead and did it myself! read more

Hello my name is Abel Castilleja. Kelly F.Roberts, is an amazing lawyer not only did she help in my situation but went above and beyond in this situation. I'm so very fortunate to have her on my side, I wouldn't have made it thru all of this without her and the rest of this firm.Thank you Ms. Roberts and to rest of this firm Abel Castilleja read more

Stephen D Hamilton - Divorce & Family Law Near Me - Arroyo Grande, California

Mr. Hamilton changed our lives for the better. I had gone through divorce 4 years before without representation. I wound up moving to Orange County to be closer to my family. The marriage and settlement agreement gave my ex wife physical custody and me "reasonable visitation." My ex wife decided that meant she could dictate visitation how she saw fit. As she remarried and had another baby, she decided she would only allow me to see my daughters once a year, told me I didn't have a right to phone calls, and if I wanted the girls to visit me during the summers I could wait till they were 18. I hired Mr. Hamilton to represent me and file a request for order changing the custody arrangement. He negotiated with my ex wife's attorney and represented me in court. I now have joint legal and joint physical custody. I get to drive up every other weekend to see them. They now will come down here half the summers and alternate holiday weeks. I was missing out on my daughters' lives. Mr. Hamilton fought for me. My daughters are the most important part of my life. I couldn't be happier, and I owe this all to Mr. Hamilton. Less read more

In my initial meeting with Mr. Hamilton he advised me that I may not even need a lawyer since I had already done so much work myself. The fact that he actually did have the capacity to take on new clients, but told me I would not need his services showed me that he was not "just after my money", as I had to hear as a case against divorce lawyers. A few weeks later I found myself in a situation that didn't really give me a choice in the matter of not using a lawyer, and I hired Stephen as my divorce lawyer. It was the best decision I made as it protected me somewhat from personal altercations, and allowed for a fair (as much as possible) settlement. Let me be clear: NO ONE wins in a divorce, especially not children involved. I didn't choose to be in that situation but I had to deal with it. And I am beyond grateful for having found a compassionate attorney, that also was fair. I want to include his staff in this review. Everyone was very nice, helpful, and compassionate. Especially Jody, who genuinely cares about the clients. read more

I had been through several lawyers that were not giving my case the attention I felt it deserved. I was referred to Mr Hamilton by a friend that used his services and was very happy. Well she was right, he saved me and renewed my confidence in lawyers. With his help everything was reversed in my favor and I can't thank him enough! My only regret was not finding him sooner. More read more

This is without a doubt the attorney you want to use for an amicable divorce as well as someone who will make sure you are fully represented. First of all, Steve was the only divorce attorney between Los Angeles and San Francisco who agreed to represent me other than sharks who would have destroyed both my life and my spouse's life. I was married to a very powerful attorney. I was incredibly damaged, hurt and confused when Stephen met with me. I I was pretty much the most needy and difficult client Stephen has ever had, and yet he persevered for me. He stood up for me. He informed me of my rights, and made sure I got the best possible settlement. Stephen could have encouraged me to go to court for more money just to fill his pockets, but he didn't. Not only is he a licensed attorney, he has a degree in economics. He can look at the financial picture and tell you exactly what you need to do. He might piss you off at times for telling you to stop sending mean text messages to your ex-husband, but other than that, he's a good guy. read more

Mr. Hamilton is an excellent attorney who can turn a would-be disaster of a case right around. I tried representing myself and it wasn't going well at all. Another attorney I hired was intimidated by some aspects of my case but Mr. Hamilton rose to the challenge by working quickly and very hard. I also felt the other attorney gave me false hope about what kind of outcome was attainable. Mr. Hamilton, on the other hand, clearly outlined what I could expect and was even great about helping me save money throughout the process. His office staff is polite, friendly, and helpful. I highly recommend Mr. Hamilton to anyone, no matter how difficult the case! read more

I would highly recommend Stephen Hamilton as an excellent Family Law Attorney. I hired him to represent our daughter in her divorce. Mr. Hamilton is extremely knowledgeable, professional and compassionate. He is articulate and skilled in the courtroom. Mr. Hamilton and his staff are outstanding in their responsive communication with their clients. He represented our daughter with the utmost integrity and his ability to obtain the best outcome for our daughter far exceeded our expectations. read more

Honorable, ethical, moral, professional, experienced, organized, compassionate, and highly knowledgeable in all facets of family law. These are the adjectives that define my experience with Mr. Hamilton and his staff. I am thankful I was directed to his office. read more

Stephen Hamilton's professionalism and expertise were of invaluable help and support to me during my divorce process. Mr. Hamilton provided me with answers to my questions, was consistently accessible and available to me, and brought together excellent ancillary professionals to assist in obtaining the best outcome and support that I needed. During the entire process, his office staff and assistants were welcoming and responsive to my calls and questions in a positive and supportive way. I felt that my divorce was as important to Mr. Hamilton as it was to me. For his attention to detail, professionalism, and dedication to me as the client, I am indeed grateful to have worked with Stephen Hamilton. read more

Save your money!!! This attorney represented me in December 2012 in a Santa Rosa court on a family law matter and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to defend my interests, after I gave him plenty of facts and documents supporting my position. In my opinion, he seemed interested only in ending the proceeding and going home. He mentioned to me that he attended a Raiders game the day before. His wife was there and she chided him and said, "Why did you stop? You were winning." I might as well have just represented myself as I ended up paying the outrageous and unfair plaintiff's claim, in addition to Mr. Hamilton's generous fee. UPDATE 2/19/16 I received a letter in the mail from Stephen Hamilton stating my review is "an outright fabrication and libelous;" and "grossly inaccurate." I have revised the review to remove my assumption that he was partying before the Raiders game. I do not know if he was partying. I apologize for misleading any readers about Mr. Hamilton's weekend activities, and I hope this does not detract from my intent which was to share my experience with other YELPers. read more

Stephen Hamilton is the best Attorney I could have asked to have for my child custody proceedings. He met with me on numerous occasions to make sure that all of the facts of my case were clear and concise, and made me feel comfortable each time I was in his office. His staff is always charming and polite, and the homey feel of the office makes it a warm and easy experience. Mr. Hamilton's presence in the courtroom is palpable and it is easy to see that the other attorneys respect him greatly. Although I was fighting an uphill battle, he never treated my case as though I should expect to lose what I was asking for. From his staff and office to his prowess in the courtroom, I would highly recommend Stephen Hamilton to anyone looking for a family law attorney. read more

Before I hired Mr. Hamilton to represent me, I had a bad experience with a prior greedy, unscrupulous female attorney in North County. Mr. Hamilton has purposely SAVED me money at every turn by providing excellent communication skills & cutting through the normal hour-padding lawyer. I am fully confident in Mr. Hamilton and his first rate staff. He is easily accessible by phone or email and returns correspondence in a timly matter. I would recommend him freely to anyone who finds themselves in need of an attorney. read more

A true fighter. Can't go wrong with this family lawyer. When he says he gots your back he does! I highly recommend him. Thanks Stephen

Eight years ago when my life was consumed by divorce, Steve was there for me. It was a difficult time, those were waters I'd never swam in before. He helped make sense of what was unfolding before me and gave me the confidence that I had someone on my side, championing my needs. Steve fought tenaciously for my rights as a father, ensuring what was best for my daughters and that my time with them was fair. He looked after my financial wellbeing and shepherded me through to the other side of the divorce. I respect Steve for the straight shooter he is; I always got the good, the bad and the ugly from him. Since then I have had to call on Steve multiple times for assistance surrounding my Ex and custody. Recently there was another occasion to do so. Within minutes of sending his staff an email of questions and concerns I received a call with preliminary answers that were confirmed by Steve within hours, free of any charges. On previous occasions he has also been equally magnanimous with his time. I was represented by Steve with the passion and zeal expected when the most important aspects of our life weigh in the balance. I will continue to call on Steve for legal matters and would recommend him to anyone faced with Family Law needs. read more

I was referred to Mr. Hamilton by a friend who said he was the best there is in the county. I had represented myself throughout my divorce and then after several custody modifications later. I finally needed help and the advice of someone who knew what they were doing in a contentious custody battle. Mr. Hamilton was upfront, honest, and provided me with a spectrum of outcomes, never giving me any false hope. I tend to over analyze and prepare for the worst, which he could immediately sense. He reassured me throughout the process to keep me from over analyzing. The end result was a result that I could have never imagined possible on my own and I am entirely thankful for his assistance. He has superb communication skills and by the way he interacts in the court room, you can see how well respected he is in the county as a family law attorney. His staff is friendly and kind; always making you feel welcome. It isn't stuffy and no one makes you feel like your situation is less important than the next client. It was one of the best decisions I ever made when I hired him as my attorney. read more