I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.

I had the pleasure of having Ms. Johnson assist me in a very difficult time in my life. With a child with behavioral and RAD issues, led to an unfortunate situation. It was probably my darkest period in my life but Ms. Johnson was nothing but fabulous of being caring to my personal concerns but extremely aggressive on resolution options to pursue. Through a well thought out process and plan not only were all legal items dismissed but i was able to reunite with my family and have a second lease on life. Ms. Johnson is caring, very very aggressive and extremely responsive. She is very well known in the CPS circle and has huge influence to drive decisions. I am blessed to be her client and friend forever.

We decided to retain Carin instead of Legal Aid, and feel her work on our case and results were worth the time and extra cost. She held CPS accountable to the law, and even handled our various appellate petitions. Dependency and juvenile court procedures are frighteningly byzantine to those of us on the "outside", and her compassion and knowledge in fighting for us in that court helped change things in that county.

Carin and her associate Jesse were extremely helpful in our successful attempt to secure custody of our 9 mo. old grand daughter. If you are attempting to obtain custody be prepared for the long haul, the system moves slowly so be bring your patience. Carin and Jessie advised us of this in the beginning and were very good at keeping us going forward and not getting bogged down. Both were very professional while being human at the same time and we have no qualms in recommending them to anyone having an issue in the Juvenile arena.

I have hired Carin Johnson to represent clients of mine on several cases. We jointly represented the same client on different aspects of their legal issue. Her specialty is juvenile dependency and she was advising myself and my clients on how to coordinate the juvenile dependency and criminal cases to get the best overall outcomes for our clients. She is intelligent, honest and compassionate. Carin is my "go to" attorney for dependency law cases.

The way I met Carin was kind of serendipitous. I had served on a jury for a drunk driving case several years prior. We were pretty sure the defendant was guilty, but the defense attorney's case was so compelling, we could not follow through with a guilty verdict. I could not but remember his name. Fast forward five years, and I find myself in a situation I would most rather forget. One session between my daughter and her therapist would change all our lives overnight. She opened up about her father, and the verbal abuse that came along with his alcoholism. Although he was the perpetrator, CFS viewed me as failing to protect them, and they were removed from my care without hesitation. My life had turned upside down. If there is a threshold for mental breakdown, I had blown well past it. I hunted down that impressive lawyer I'd seen in court years before, and to my surprise, his wife was also an attorney. And as luck would have it, it was Carin herself that specialized in CFS custody cases. She offered to meet with me that day and upon entering her office, I damn near collapsed at her feet. I could hardly breathe, was verbally jumbled and incomprehensible. She sat right in front of me, let me cry, but she didn't coddle me - she did have to. There is an energy about her that just makes you feel safe. She knew the right questions to ask and listened intently, like she was sussing you and the entire situation out. All the meanwhile, you can palpably hear the wheels in her head turning. She's decisive and has a clear plan of how exactly she is going to take your case on. My proceedings took six months start to finish. There seemed to be more and more unexpected turns as time went on. A lot of holy-sshht moments. She knows how to take a lead and cut right through the weeds, with her confidence in tow. You place a bomb in front of her, and she will defuse it with her bare hands. She's a bad@$$ like that. I would consider myself a high maintenance client. Whatever I threw her way, she would seem to find an accommodation to it before I even finished the sentence. "Carin, I can't handle all these people" - and just like that, she secured a private room for me ahead of each hearing. This woman is unflappable both in and out of court. If people use what they have, then Carin uses her smile, stature, and argumentative style to her (and your!) advantage. Her brain is locked and loaded in the points she wants to make, but her delivery and presentation is done in such a way that captivates the attention of the room. She is disarming and incredibly persuasive. I think a part of that is because you can see that she really believes in her clients. She fights for you with all her heart and all her might, but never comes off abrasive or pitbullish. Carin has it down to an art. All this being said, all my charges were dropped and at the end of it, the judge had only the kindest words to say about Carin and I both. We both sat without gesture, but when we walked out of our last court appearance, gave each other a hug and massive high five. With all due respect, I never want to see her again (HA), but should you ever need an intelligent, strategic lawyer who makes you feel like she REALLY has your back, Carin's your girl.

I think I have stopped and started writing this review, about 500 times. Only because my words and feelings cannot express the amount of gratitude, love and respect, my family and I have for Carin. My court appointed lawyer recommended her, about 2 months into my case with CPS. Having my lawyer give up in the beginning of the fight of my life, was heartbreaking. But I am so thankful she did. The amount of fear and anxiety I had, was unimaginable. Meeting Carin for the first time, talking to her and telling her everything, was easy. It was organic. She provided vital information, that I never knew about. She had a way of telling me like it is, only facts, and never strayed from the truth regardless of how hard it was to hear. She knew how important it was for me, to regain my children. Carin guided me the entire way. I stuck to everything I was advised to do and did it with acceptance and appreciation. Her confidence, knowledge, wit, and heart, gave me hope, strength,and strength to fight a fight I couldn't believe was reality. It hasn't been very long since my case has been closed. I am a changed person from who I was several months ago, but I am stronger and I owe a lot of that to Carin. She didn't just fight for me, she also brought my family closer and we have become a united front for my children. I still and probably forever, will be brought to tears when I look back at what she's done for us. To me, she's more than a lawyer. During the hard times, she was my leader and my protector. Now, she's my hero, and someone I admire. With the unfortunate events, she is apart of my story and my kids', but every time I look at my children, I think of her. We will forever be grateful for the hard work and time, Carin put in. Life may different, and may have took turns I didnt expect. But Carin, brought it back full circle.

I hired Carin for a recent dependency case on the advice of my court appointed attorney, and it was the best advice that I have ever taken. Dependency law is a very specialized and sensitive area of law and Carin is an absolute expert in this area. She made herself available to meet with me after hours the same day that I called her due to the time sensitivity of the case. She carefully explained the entire process to me and made sure that I understood exactly what to expect each step along the way. She stayed in constant contact with me throughout the entire case, including nights and weekends, even on her own birthday. The quality that sets her so high above the rest is her compassion – she took my case personally. I felt that she was more than my attorney, I felt that she was my family. She fought for me and my daughter as if we were her own. She doesn’t take on clients for their money, she takes on clients because she feels strongly about advocating for the reunification of families, especially when the parents are wrongly accused. My case didn’t go to trial, and I am 100% confident that if it weren’t for Carin, we would not have had the same outcome. I owe everything to her – she saved my family!

We were put into an unfortunate situation by an ex spouse who falsely accused a 7 year old living in our household of inappropriate behavior. CPS was called and we had no idea how to handle the situation. After talking to two well known family attorneys in Contra Costa (one of which is very high powered), both highly recommended Carin as a must have attorney to help deal with CPS. It took only the first 5 minutes of my initial conversation with Carin to know that she was exactly the attorney we were looking for. She was very knowledgeable of the process, and each step happened exactly how Carin said it would with CPS. She helped prep us for what was coming and the best way to handle each step. The piece of mind alone knowing we had someone like Carin in our corner was worth every penny in itself. On a side note when Carin shows up with you to the CPS office, you can tell they are somewhat freaking out that they have to deal with her.

Carin represented me in a recent dependency court matter in Sonoma County. Carin was responsive, creative, adaptable, and extremely intelligent in the way she handled my case. Although my case did not go to trial, I have no doubt in my mind it could have if my council was not as skilled and knowledgable as Carin. Dependency law is highly specialized, and Carin is an expert. Carin always took the time to answer my questions and explain the process in detail. She came to all proceedings prepared and having done any applicable research into case law. Carin had a plan and strategy from the very beginning and was prepared for multiple contingencies. Carin's partner Peter Johnson assisted me in minor criminal proceedings, and their coordinated approach was highly beneficial and streamlined communications. Peter was excellent to work with as well. Last but not least the billing was exceptionally fair and her services were worth every cent. I cannot overstate what an exceptional job Carin did on my case.

I hired Carin after I had some issues with CPS. Carin was straight forward and honest. She worked very hard to get the situation resolved. Carin was always available. I never felt lost or helpless. She fought hard for me and my children. And if it wasn't for her and her team. I would not be spending the Holidays with my children. She will always hold a very special place in my heart. I hope one day we can come together to make the world a better place.