Northern California Divorce Lawyer | Arlene D. Kock

I worked with Arlene a few years ago when my custody case first began. At the beginning, I felt very confident hiring her. I believed there was significant evidence supporting my position, and based on our initial conversations, I expected aggressive and effective representation. Unfortunately, my experience was very different. I drained my savings and accumulated credit card debt paying legal fees, but I was extremely disappointed with the representation I received. I understand now, after years of dealing with custody court, that obtaining anything other than 50/50 custody can be extremely difficult. My issue is not simply that I didn’t receive the outcome I wanted. My issue is that the representation I experienced did not match the expectations I felt had been set when I hired her. I was particularly disappointed by her professionalism and preparation during the Zoom court appearance I attended with her. After spending a significant amount of money, I was ultimately told that I should essentially accept the 50/50 arrangement. I ended the attorney-client relationship after only one court date, having accumulated debt that took me years to recover from. That experience made me extremely hesitant to hire another family-law attorney. I eventually did so for a more recent custody matter, and the difference has been night and day. My current attorney is equally, if not more, expensive, but I feel informed, represented, and that meaningful work is being done on my case. That comparison is ultimately what prompted me to come back and write this review. Family-law cases are already emotionally and financially exhausting. Based solely on my own experience, I would not hire Arlene again. What was most upsetting was that I believed I understood the strategy and what she intended to fight for when I retained her. It was only after our court appearance went badly that her position seemed to completely change, and I was suddenly being told I should simply accept 50/50. Had that been the advice and expectation communicated to me from the beginning, I would not have spent the amount of money I did pursuing the case with her.