Child Custody & Visitation:

In all child custody cases the superior court makes custody determinations based on " what is in the child‘s best interest."

Child custody disputes can become very emotional and difficult for both the parents and the children, especially when the two parents are competing for their child(ren). The parties can agree to an appropriate time share or the court will order a time share that is in the child(ren) best interest. Custody issues address both physical and legal custody.

Like most issues, the parents can agree to an arrangement, if no arrangement can be reached, the court determines one for them. Courts generally honor any custody agreements that the divorcing parents reach. When custody is contested, most courts will require parents to participate in a mandatory mediation session, if mediation is unsuccessful, the court will determine custody.

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"  I recently found myself in a most horrible situation with regards to custody of two of my children and had the good fortune to stumble across Janet and her staff, when I found myself in desperate need of her services.  I had most recently moved to the state of California with my fiance, my ten year old daughter and our two year old son.  I was also expecting my second child by the man I moved to California with.  We have experienced a very stressful relationship and the move to California was my last great effort at making the relationship work.  In a matter of only a few weeks, I found myself being held against my will.  My car was tampered with and I was even prevented from using the phone to contact my parents back in Ohio.  With no one to turn to and my parents over a thousand miles away, I was alone and terrified in a strange city.  Through internet research my parents came up with a few names of attorneys for me to call.  That is when I found Ms. Nakada.

       Ms. Nakada handled my case with honesty and honor, she truley looked after the best interest of both my children and myself.  Less than three weeks after this whole mess started, thanks to Ms. Nakada I was on my way back to Ohio with an order from the court that my son was to be returned to me in three weeks time.  In most cases that would have been the end of it, but this was not the case here.  My son's father didn't return him as the court ordered and he and his attorney agreed to.  So once again we have found ourselves at the mercy of the California court and legal systems. I attempted several tactics to force the father to return my son, even contacting local autorities where my son was being kept.  We seemed to get nowhere.

        Ms. Nakada has been more than just an attorney through this whole mess, she has been a real friend.  She treated me with respect and decency and even knowing some of my flaws, did not condem me, but fought valiantly to restore my children to me and reunite my family.  I am happy to say that I learned a lot from Ms. Nakada.  She has restored my faith in the legal system.  There are people out there who care and Janet Nakada is definitely one of them.  She and her staff were both compassionate and diligent at a time in my life when I needed that most of all.

       Thanks to Ms. Nakada, my children and I have a new lease on life and a chance to start fresh.  She has helped me to learn that I don't have to spend the rest of my life a victim.  I will always owe that to her most of all." -T.D.        7-25-05