team-member

Bernie Johannes Kempen

Castro Valley, CA

Licensed for 28 years

Law Degree

Awards

Primary Practice Area

Divorce and Family

Language

English

About

Humor is the key

Practices Areas

Child custody

Child support

Divorce and separation

Family

Domestic Violence

Language

English

Contact

Bernie Kempen Certified Family Law Specialist19244 Redwood RoadSuite BCastro Valley, CA, 94546

Office: N/A

Website: N/A

Reviews

Julie
March 9, 2020

Bernie is a very strong and "get to the point" attorney. He helped my family with a contested step- parent adoption case in which many others we consulted with were skeptical of. When we consulted with Bernie, he was very personable but was realistic with us and always honest. This steered us to hire him as our attorney. He and his paralegal, Debbie, were both amazing to work with, very patient when we had our worries, and always assured us that they would do the best they could but without making promises. They're confident and very knowledgeable people. Debbie prepared our documents very nicely and is very detailed; you can tell she pays great attention. She was very pleasant to work and communicate with. Bernie was very informative, always on top of the laws and knew exactly what he was doing. As clients of Bernie's, we noticed that he was very well respected by the court. He knew how to communicate with us without sugar coating and was very quick to share any information that came up. We hope that we won't need to contact Bernie and Debbie in the future but if issues or concerns were to come up, we won't hesitate to reach out. Thank you Bernie and Debbie for your amazing work. You're both very well informed, respected, and truly did not fail us.

Stéphane
June 14, 2019

Divorce is definitely a lot of low and high, and quite a roller coaster, especially when your ex wife is just a source of constant problems. I am glad I decided to hire Bernie as my lawyer: Bernie kept me on track and gave me a lot of advices, and explanations to understand the complex process and timelines. Divorce can be extremely frustrating especially with timeline moving really slowly and your lawyer have no control of it, but Bernie was always available to reply to my email when needed. Every court appearances with Bernie went really well, and it was good to see we were both in agreement and didn't need to discuss for a long time while my ex wife and her lawyer were so unprepared. Bernie made sure that we had the time to discuss everything before going to Court so we will be prepared. My divorce has been now finalized, and still need to go through various administrative paperworks: despite the fact that I was hoping for a slightly better outcome, when I step back and look at the agreement Bernie helped negotiate, I am really pleased. I was told that a good agreement doesn't please anyone and this is the case, but really with what's happening for me post divorce, the agreement we ended negotiating is quite good for me. Not only Bernie has been a great lawyer but I want to say that Debbie his paralegal assistant has been truly awesome all along. It's good to work with a solid team when going through such difficult time. So thank you Debbie for all your hard work too. I will definitely recommend Bernie for anyone in need of a good lawyer (and I have already done it for a friend who is going through a painful and long divorce)

Stacey
May 23, 2019

Mr. Kempen knows family law and helped to settle my divorce case. He was professional throughout and the paralegal on his case was also very fast and detail oriented. Everyone working on this case was attentive and responsive to emails and helped me to ensure I understood facets of the law/case.

anonymous
May 6, 2019

Bernie was recommended to me by a trusted friend during a very emotional and tumultuous time when I didn't trust anyone. I know I was not an easy client for Bernie, but he and his paralegal, Debbie, never gave up and did what they could to establish a trusting relationship so that we could move forward as fast as I'd allow. They always had my best interests and if I had listened to Bernie from the very beginning, they probably could have completed the entire divorce process in weeks. Bernie was always a straight shooter with me, and while at times I wished I had a little more "hand holding", in the end, he was always aware of the $$ and did whatever he could to be efficient and make sure I knew what I was entitled to. Debbie was amazing and so responsive. They were able to settle the case for me out of court, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I know they were wanting me to ask for more, but they remained respectful of my needs to complete this process as soon as possible and with as little animosity as possible as well.

M. Allen
May 3, 2019

My experience with Bernie and his firm has been excellent. Kempen & Company is representing me in my Marriage Dissolution. My case has been very challenging, and It was not moving forward until I retained Bernie and his firm. He came to me highly recommended from a close friend who works with in the court system. He is a well-respected and knowledgeable attorney in the field of Family Law. Bernie and his firm have been very understanding, supportive and helpful guiding me through this case and process. I am grateful he is my attorney and is representing me on my case. Bernie is a man of integrity, compassion and ethics. He and his staff always respond quickly, and they will be there for you and support you as a client. He will look out for you and your best interest. I strongly recommend retaining Bernie and his firm to represent you in any Family law matters, big or small or at least speak with him/ firm you will not be disappointed. M. Allen

anonymous
May 1, 2019

I hired Mr. Bernie Kempen to represent me in my recent divorce case. Bernie always had my best interests at heart and did a fabulous job of keeping me honest. Bernie's knowledge of family law is impressive, to say the least. He is also extremely compassionate and sincere. He is great at calming your nerves and is really effective at helping you navigate the ugliness of a divorce gracefully. If you find yourself having to cope with something as unfortunate as a divorce, you need someone on your side who is honest, ethical, composed, compassionate and has thorough knowledge of family law; Bernie is all this and so much more! I cannot thank him enough and will forever be grateful to him for representing me.

Tara
June 17, 2015

Bernie and his staff are A plus! They always answerd any questions I had if not that day then that week. I was so thankful when Bernie sat next to me at the mediation and helped me to reveal other important info that I was not thinking of at the time because I was so nerves from the situation. Bernie was also alert when we were In front of the jude and pointed out things I didn't even think of. His staff was very patient with me as well, even when I wanted them to change things they already worked on. I have gotn the out come I was looking for with Bernie that I haven't been on my own. I wish that I could always have Bernie buy my side to help with my sons situation because he makes a big difference. I am truly thankful for him and his staff. From a mother that needed help when she dosent have any but from Bernie.

anonymous
June 6, 2015

I was lucky to find him during my emergency situation. My ex-spouse and I had, for the most part, gotten along fairly well over the few years we had been divorced. We drew up a MSA together that covered custody of our daughter, division of property, etc. when we divorced. That was all thrown away when she blindsided me with court papers served late in the evening one night. She had not only lawyered up, but her lawyer had done a 'short order' which gave me very little time to find a lawyer and defend myself. She was essentially trying to take me for everything! I found Bernie and described my situation to him; he acted very quickly and was able to delay things in court long enough for me to get my bearings on the situation. Bernie and his staff not only navigated the situation in court, but they also knew how to "deal" with the other lawyer, who was very aggressive and confrontational. He kept doing certain things that, at the time, confused me, but when things finally played out his strategy became obvious. And as a result, her lawyer ended up offering to settle. The ex-spouse didn't get nearly everything she wanted and the blow to me was softened quite a bit by Bernie's actions. One thing I've realized about the court system is that it's anything but fair, especially in my county. If you're the father of a little girl and mom can't be proven unfit, don't expect anything more than 40% custody. Every lawyer I spoke to told me this and that's exactly what ended up happening despite our best efforts. The judge that handles these cases is very gender biased, in my opinion. All in all, Bernie and his staff were always on top of things, they were also reachable and extremely knowledgeable and responsive. I would definitely recommend them to anyone.

anonymous
March 17, 2015

I worked in the legal field for over 10 years and it is rare to find such an honest and ethical attorney like Bernie Kempen. He did an outstanding job for me regarding custody and support.

Diana
February 25, 2015

Very pleased and at felt at ease with Bernie Kempen representing my case in Stanislaus County. I reside almost 5 hours away and my ex tried to claim jurisdiction of our child in his county by false documents and lying about serving me. Bernie Kempen represented me two times in Stanislaus County court which I was not able to be present for and handled everything quickly and professionally. I wish he was in Kern County to represent my case here! Very pleased!!!

Julie
March 9, 2020

Bernie is a very strong and "get to the point" attorney. He helped my family with a contested step- parent adoption case in which many others we consulted with were skeptical of. When we consulted with Bernie, he was very personable but was realistic with us and always honest. This steered us to hire him as our attorney. He and his paralegal, Debbie, were both amazing to work with, very patient when we had our worries, and always assured us that they would do the best they could but without making promises. They're confident and very knowledgeable people. Debbie prepared our documents very nicely and is very detailed; you can tell she pays great attention. She was very pleasant to work and communicate with. Bernie was very informative, always on top of the laws and knew exactly what he was doing. As clients of Bernie's, we noticed that he was very well respected by the court. He knew how to communicate with us without sugar coating and was very quick to share any information that came up. We hope that we won't need to contact Bernie and Debbie in the future but if issues or concerns were to come up, we won't hesitate to reach out. Thank you Bernie and Debbie for your amazing work. You're both very well informed, respected, and truly did not fail us.

Stéphane
June 14, 2019

Divorce is definitely a lot of low and high, and quite a roller coaster, especially when your ex wife is just a source of constant problems. I am glad I decided to hire Bernie as my lawyer: Bernie kept me on track and gave me a lot of advices, and explanations to understand the complex process and timelines. Divorce can be extremely frustrating especially with timeline moving really slowly and your lawyer have no control of it, but Bernie was always available to reply to my email when needed. Every court appearances with Bernie went really well, and it was good to see we were both in agreement and didn't need to discuss for a long time while my ex wife and her lawyer were so unprepared. Bernie made sure that we had the time to discuss everything before going to Court so we will be prepared. My divorce has been now finalized, and still need to go through various administrative paperworks: despite the fact that I was hoping for a slightly better outcome, when I step back and look at the agreement Bernie helped negotiate, I am really pleased. I was told that a good agreement doesn't please anyone and this is the case, but really with what's happening for me post divorce, the agreement we ended negotiating is quite good for me. Not only Bernie has been a great lawyer but I want to say that Debbie his paralegal assistant has been truly awesome all along. It's good to work with a solid team when going through such difficult time. So thank you Debbie for all your hard work too. I will definitely recommend Bernie for anyone in need of a good lawyer (and I have already done it for a friend who is going through a painful and long divorce)

Stacey
May 23, 2019

Mr. Kempen knows family law and helped to settle my divorce case. He was professional throughout and the paralegal on his case was also very fast and detail oriented. Everyone working on this case was attentive and responsive to emails and helped me to ensure I understood facets of the law/case.

anonymous
May 6, 2019

Bernie was recommended to me by a trusted friend during a very emotional and tumultuous time when I didn't trust anyone. I know I was not an easy client for Bernie, but he and his paralegal, Debbie, never gave up and did what they could to establish a trusting relationship so that we could move forward as fast as I'd allow. They always had my best interests and if I had listened to Bernie from the very beginning, they probably could have completed the entire divorce process in weeks. Bernie was always a straight shooter with me, and while at times I wished I had a little more "hand holding", in the end, he was always aware of the $$ and did whatever he could to be efficient and make sure I knew what I was entitled to. Debbie was amazing and so responsive. They were able to settle the case for me out of court, which is exactly what I was hoping for. I know they were wanting me to ask for more, but they remained respectful of my needs to complete this process as soon as possible and with as little animosity as possible as well.

M. Allen
May 3, 2019

My experience with Bernie and his firm has been excellent. Kempen & Company is representing me in my Marriage Dissolution. My case has been very challenging, and It was not moving forward until I retained Bernie and his firm. He came to me highly recommended from a close friend who works with in the court system. He is a well-respected and knowledgeable attorney in the field of Family Law. Bernie and his firm have been very understanding, supportive and helpful guiding me through this case and process. I am grateful he is my attorney and is representing me on my case. Bernie is a man of integrity, compassion and ethics. He and his staff always respond quickly, and they will be there for you and support you as a client. He will look out for you and your best interest. I strongly recommend retaining Bernie and his firm to represent you in any Family law matters, big or small or at least speak with him/ firm you will not be disappointed. M. Allen

anonymous
May 1, 2019

I hired Mr. Bernie Kempen to represent me in my recent divorce case. Bernie always had my best interests at heart and did a fabulous job of keeping me honest. Bernie's knowledge of family law is impressive, to say the least. He is also extremely compassionate and sincere. He is great at calming your nerves and is really effective at helping you navigate the ugliness of a divorce gracefully. If you find yourself having to cope with something as unfortunate as a divorce, you need someone on your side who is honest, ethical, composed, compassionate and has thorough knowledge of family law; Bernie is all this and so much more! I cannot thank him enough and will forever be grateful to him for representing me.

Tara
June 17, 2015

Bernie and his staff are A plus! They always answerd any questions I had if not that day then that week. I was so thankful when Bernie sat next to me at the mediation and helped me to reveal other important info that I was not thinking of at the time because I was so nerves from the situation. Bernie was also alert when we were In front of the jude and pointed out things I didn't even think of. His staff was very patient with me as well, even when I wanted them to change things they already worked on. I have gotn the out come I was looking for with Bernie that I haven't been on my own. I wish that I could always have Bernie buy my side to help with my sons situation because he makes a big difference. I am truly thankful for him and his staff. From a mother that needed help when she dosent have any but from Bernie.

anonymous
June 6, 2015

I was lucky to find him during my emergency situation. My ex-spouse and I had, for the most part, gotten along fairly well over the few years we had been divorced. We drew up a MSA together that covered custody of our daughter, division of property, etc. when we divorced. That was all thrown away when she blindsided me with court papers served late in the evening one night. She had not only lawyered up, but her lawyer had done a 'short order' which gave me very little time to find a lawyer and defend myself. She was essentially trying to take me for everything! I found Bernie and described my situation to him; he acted very quickly and was able to delay things in court long enough for me to get my bearings on the situation. Bernie and his staff not only navigated the situation in court, but they also knew how to "deal" with the other lawyer, who was very aggressive and confrontational. He kept doing certain things that, at the time, confused me, but when things finally played out his strategy became obvious. And as a result, her lawyer ended up offering to settle. The ex-spouse didn't get nearly everything she wanted and the blow to me was softened quite a bit by Bernie's actions. One thing I've realized about the court system is that it's anything but fair, especially in my county. If you're the father of a little girl and mom can't be proven unfit, don't expect anything more than 40% custody. Every lawyer I spoke to told me this and that's exactly what ended up happening despite our best efforts. The judge that handles these cases is very gender biased, in my opinion. All in all, Bernie and his staff were always on top of things, they were also reachable and extremely knowledgeable and responsive. I would definitely recommend them to anyone.

anonymous
March 17, 2015

I worked in the legal field for over 10 years and it is rare to find such an honest and ethical attorney like Bernie Kempen. He did an outstanding job for me regarding custody and support.

Diana
February 25, 2015

Very pleased and at felt at ease with Bernie Kempen representing my case in Stanislaus County. I reside almost 5 hours away and my ex tried to claim jurisdiction of our child in his county by false documents and lying about serving me. Bernie Kempen represented me two times in Stanislaus County court which I was not able to be present for and handled everything quickly and professionally. I wish he was in Kern County to represent my case here! Very pleased!!!