I'm a civil trial attorney and have been in practice for the past 35 years in San Diego…read more The selection of a mediator is critical since mediation can be both costly. The actual mediation hearing is not productive, the clients are never heard, and no active involvement by the mediator. However, Rob Mougin with Blue Sky Mediation has been excellent, diligent, and has conducted very productive mediations in my cases whether the case has settled or not. He has done great work on all my cases. A satisfied litigator. Robert =)

As a 24 year litigator I've participated in hundreds of mediations representing both plaintiffs and…read moredefendants. My experience with Blue Sky and mediator Rob Mougin was simply outstanding. We used Rob to mediate a highly contentious real estate dispute. The applicable contract required mediation but the parties' respective positions were so far apart that my clients and I felt it would be a complete waste of time. We went in with low expectations. Rob carefully read the mediation briefs and impressed everyone during the hearing by reciting key facts from memory. He then rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Rob ultimately identified a path for compromise that nobody had previously considered. To our astonishment, Rob settled our "unresolvable" case. As a North County practitioner I am pleased to know that I need not travel downtown - and pay $30 to park - in order to utilize a top quality mediator. I highly recommend Rob and look forward to working with Blue Sky again.

Laura was incredibly helpful as we parted ways out of court. She helped us create an MSA (marriage…read moresettlement agreement) that we still use to go back to what we legally agreed on. The great thing is that you get a legally binding document that covers most things you might fight about in the future. 2 years later we have still managed to stay out of court and Laura's advice and non-partisan space she held for us were critical in helping to dissolve the marriage. Highly recommend this service for anyone who doesn't want to bankrupt themselves in court. To add on to this, it still took a year for the California courts to legally end the marriage. Had nothing to with this business but it surprised me, even though Laura did say it could take a while.

Laura was very helpful and was able to answer all of my questions about my upcoming divorce and…read morechild custody. She definitely made me feel more relieved!

Vanessa was able to step in quickly and assertively when my ex tried to suddenly move my 2 kids out…read moreof state without my consent. Even though we had little time to act, she came to our rescue and was able to not only keep my kids here, but increase my parental time with them. She even got me consideration for extra expenses I had blindly been paying thru the years. Truth be told, I had gotten into the habit of just caving in to whatever my ex wanted, but Vanessa helped me see that my approach was not only bad for me, it was bad for my kids. This is the 1st time since my divorce I feel like I have an true ally and a fair custody arrangement. My kids and I can't thank her enough.

My experience with Vanessa was excellent. She is professional, efficient, and very personable…read more Without her help I know that I would not have had the successful outcomes that I had with my case both in and out of court. I highly recommend McKinnon Law Firm and I'm so grateful. Paul

Laura was available and responsive in an extremely difficult time in our lives. She provided the…read morecorrect documents, was responsive, by the book, and direct when needed. She was patient when my ex was difficult to work with and continued to push things through the finish line in an amicable and appropriate fashion. Don't hesitate to reach out to Laura!

Laura is a no-nonsense professional who has streamlined the divorce process - invaluable for those…read morelooking to dissolve their marriage with minimal cost and conflict. She utilizes a flat fee that covers the number of sessions needed to complete the process. Following her guidance allowed for the smoothest most conflict-free divorce one could have hoped for. Thank you Laura.

I called this facility last month and had a helpful and informative conversation with Osha. I…read morecalled today to speak to her and proceed with mediation. Amanda told me I probably didnt understand my previous conversation and that they dont help in the ways previously discussed. When I probed further into their services she quickly referred me to an attorney. Not sure why Amanda has such a terrible and non helpful attitude especially during a stressful time. But after reading the reviews about her I can understand what others were complaining about. She has lost her compassion to truly understand the devastation that couples experience. Amanda..you are in the wrong line of work. And btw...never accuse a potential client of not understanding the issues at hand. Totally arrogant!!

I had the pleasure of working with Jen and her team during a very difficult transition in my life…read more I always felt like their team wanted what was best for my wife and I to ensure we parted on good terms. They seemed to be available whenever we had questions. The communication was very impressive, and felt very personal. It was also impressive how fast they would turn the decisions we made and agreed on into legal documents. All the hard work navigating the court system was done on your behalf and included as part of their service. I can't say enough good things about my experience. They really turned something very difficult into something managable. I couln't have done it without them. Highly, highly recommended.

Gabriel and Fabiola were so amazing during such a hard time in my life. I was filing for a divorce…read moreand completely overwhelmed. They met me with such grace I knew I was in good hands. I highly recommend their services. They answered every question and concern I had thoroughly. I would happily reach out to them should I need any more of the services they provide in the future!

The whole experience was made easy thanks to Gabriel and Fabiola! I appreciate all the help and…read moresupport they showed throughout the whole process! Definitely will recommend!

Ugh a divorce! But, Scott made it way less ugly and…read moreactually listened to me. He made this God awful situation less stressful without triggering anything! His calm demeanor and presence made me feel safe. I listened to what he had to say to me and I believed and trusted him. He held my future finances in his hands. I'm very grateful for Scott and what I settled on. He returned every text/email! I sincerely Thank you Scott for being The PeaceKeeper that you are! May you and your family prosper and thrive all the days of your lives!

My ex and I collaborated with Scott for our joint divorce, and we couldn't be more grateful for…read moretheir guidance and professionalism. Divorce is never easy, but Scott helped make the process respectful, fair, and much less stressful than we expected. Scott was detailed and explained everything in clear terms, and made sure we understood the process. His approach was balanced and effective so we could come to agreements without unnecessary conflict. Scott's steady guidance helped us navigate difficult conversations while keeping everything as amicable as possible. I highly recommend this firm to any couple looking for a compassionate, fair, and professional joint divorce lawyer.

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.

Going through a divorce is one of the most painful and overwhelming experiences a person can face,…read moreand mine was especially high-conflict. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten through it without Samin Beringer by my side. From the very beginning, Samin made me feel heard, supported, and protected. Her communication was clear and compassionate, and her professionalism gave me a sense of stability when everything else felt uncertain. She told me the truth, even when it was hard to hear, and helped me face each step with realistic expectations. I always knew she was fighting for me and that meant everything. Samin didn't just represent me, she stood with me. I will forever be grateful for her strength, wisdom, and unwavering support. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone going through a divorce. She made one of the hardest chapters of my life a little easier to bear.

I met Robert Macfarlane at a workshop at Mira Costa College. He absolutely knows his stuff when it…read morecomes to family mediation. He is a straight-forward kind of guy and doesn't mince words with the pros and cons of situations. I was able to speak to him in a one on one phone consultation. We had played telephone tag for a few days, but he didn't give up returning my phone calls, like several other offices. He shared his wealth of knowledge with me and even gave me some recommendations for other professionals. I would absolutely recommend him.

Robert Macfarlane is very knowledgeable and seeks to helps others in difficult situations as much…read moreas he can. He really took time to listen to my situation and gave a wealth of insight. He also provided contacts in the San Diego family law system.

"Amanda is a great mediator/lawyer! At all times I felt like she was giving honest and fair advice…read moreto me and my ex-wife. My ex-wife was very difficult to work with and constantly threatened to take me to "court". Amanda was able to tell my ex and I what might happen if we go to court which gave us a good base line to work with while in mediation. Amanda wrote us an amazing parenting plan that was very specific to include drop off locations/times my ex could call/time sharing schedule/who would pay for kids extra curricular activities/etc. Basically the plan is so detailed it will avoid most fights. If there is any confusion all we have to do is read the agreement Amanda wrote for us which is an actual court order (amanda will get the agreement approved by the court) In all, mediation is so much better than court and should be tried first!! It saves the stess and conflict and its especially important if kids are involved. Call Amanda and let her help you!!

Amanda is a great resource! Everything that needed to be covered prior to us getting married was…read moreexplained in a comfortable setting, where we both felt that we understood the paperwork and responsibilities moving forward. The offices are in a professional setting, with parking, on-site coffee, and confidential rooms to talk in.