John Kevork Karanian

What can I say? I had a very unorthodox custody case on my hands; one that I knew was never going to be black and white let alone easy. In other words, we were in for a fight. John never once made me feel like I would have to buckle on what we both knew was right for my children. He used every single piece of information and evidence I had and put it to use. He remained calm under pressure which it turn made it easy for me to do the same. He was always honest, responsive, and just as determined as I was. This was more than a “win” for me, this was vindication and preservation of my children. The only word I have is gratitude. You’re not gonna find a law firm in the greater Richmond area with more competent attorneys or overall staff. Even my co-counsel was amazing. John was empathetic, goal driven, and abundantly knowledgeable for the case he had at hand. He prepped me for every point of legal opposition (and every single one was tried) and he handled every single one with tenacity and knowledge. There is no way I’d ever look to another firm if ever I need one for this in the future.

I am a 29-year-old single mother and new mom that has only been inside of a courtroom for a minor traffic stop, never have I sought out representation from an attorney before, and I until now have had any knowledge of the court system and its processes as it pertained to custody, visitation and child support. I never envisioned giving birth to my first child and spending my entire first year as a mother having a third party/judge dictate my parenting experiences and journey. I gave birth to my daughter in February of 2021, and shortly afterward the father of my child-filled for custody in Henrico. I remember receiving the notice on my door that I was to appear in court, and I panicked. My daughter's father recorded our phone calls, took screenshots of our text messages, had his mother chaperoned our drop-offs and pick-ups at the safe zone, and proceeded to make our experience stereotypical. Before John Karanian represented me, I fired two attorneys who were both referrals. The first filled documents on my behalf incorrectly and had no strategy. I felt that she generalized my circumstances. The second attorney was from a well-known law firm that advertised its services on billboards throughout Midlothian Turnpike. She was fresh out of law school and had zero litigation experience, which is how I ended up with a week-on-week off schedule for a 7-month-old with the father of my child living in Manassas, VA, joint physical custody, and little to no child support. I remember praying to God and asking him to be present inside the courtroom. I felt less than a human and hopeless as I sat and listened to someone take my dignity and joy away from me. I was a new mom, carried my baby for nine months, and had full psychical custody of her until that moment. I filed for an appeal immediately and began searching for a new attorney. I came across Barnes & Diehl and two other law firms. I read each attorney's profile and paid for consultations. At each consultation, I brought two folders with me that included samples of documents to provide a visualization of my scenario and about ten general questions that would provide me with information on their strategies to win the appeal. I say all of this to say that out of all the attorneys that I interviewed, John was the only attorney with a background in Psychology. John also answered my main concern: how will you manage my case and remember the facts about my case, especially being that he is representing me through an appeal? John advised me to provide him with a detailed written summary of the events that occurred over the past couple of months that I felt were important for him to know. John provided more information that would give out the strategy of my entire appeal (Thank you, John!). Every detail that John discussed during the consultation he performed in real life. I was allowed to see John in action. He represented me in the child support case after firing my previous attorney. John had no more than two weeks to prepare. He entered the courtroom; he was articulate, sharp, prepared, prompt, confident, assertive, and knowledgeable. Seeing John in the courtroom brought me peace. I had found the right representation for me, knowing that the wrong order can change the trajectory of my life but my child’s life. John communicated and kept me informed every step as he scheduled the trial date, during the discovery phase, and final negotiations and settlement. Every suggestion or strategy I discussed with my previous attorney that I felt would be beneficial for my case that was not considered. John outlined and executed those strategies and provided additional resources to ensure the presentation of the best case possible to place my child in the best predicament. John was brutally honest with me, kept my expectations reasonable and provided his professional opinion, which made a tremendous difference in my case. John was heaven sent, and I could not have asked for better representation.