Thomas Daniel Nares

Thomas Daniel Nares

also known as Thomas D. Nares, Attorney at Law, A.P.C.

4.4
Rating: 9.6

Licensed for 39 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at Carlsbad, CA
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation, Child Custody, Family, Domestic Violence

2794 Gateway Rd., Suite C-5, Carlsbad, CA

About Thomas

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Child Custody 30%

Successfully representing clients in divorce, custody, paternity, and other family law matters for years. Delivering a high level of service at a reasonable rate.

31 years

30%
Divorce and Separation 30%

Divorce disputes can be very difficult for the adults and children involved. We take considerable time to guide clients through the process by explaining the law and helping them understand their rights. Get proper guidance today.

31 years

30%
Domestic Violence 20%

With 30+ years of legal experience Tom fights to find a unique solution for every case. Reach out for free consultation today.

40 years

20%
Family 20%

With Family Law being such a broad term, getting personalized attention is that much more important. Reach out today to get guidance through the confusing legal system.

31 years

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 45 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 39 years

State: California

Acquired: 1986

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Thomas D Nares, Attorney at Law, A.P.C.

2794 Gateway Rd., Suite C-5, Carlsbad, CA, 92009

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Thomas Daniel Nares's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.4 /5.0

14 Client Reviews

Posted by anonymous | April 21, 2025 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

The lawyer you need

I can’t say enough positive things about Mr. Nares and his incredible support during one of the most difficult times of my life. From the very beginning, he has been focused, strategic, and most importantly, deeply committed to protecting my daughter’s well being. Navigating a custody battle is ov...erwhelming especially while trying to shield your child from emotional harm but Mr. Nares made sure I never felt alone in the process. He listened to my concerns with compassion, took every red flag seriously, and built a strong, thoughtful strategy that always prioritized my daughter’s safety and emotional health. What I appreciate most is his clear communication and ability to remain calm and collected, while still being assertive and strong when it mattered most. He never pressured me into anything that didn’t feel right for my child and always took the time to explain the legal process in a way I could understand. I also truly admire how incredibly intelligent and well versed Mr. Nares is in family law and getting me divorced. His deep knowledge and experience have been the foundation of protecting my daughter throughout this entire process. Knowing that he understands every angle of this field has given me so much peace of mind. On top of everything, I recently lost my father, and the grief has made this time in my life even more painful and overwhelming. But because of Mr. Nares , so much of the extra stress has been lifted off my shoulders. He understood how deeply this custody case affected my anxiety and has been incredibly patient with me especially during the moments I felt frustrated or confused. His calm, steady presence has been a true gift in the middle of so much chaos and heartache. I’m very thankful and grateful to have Mr. Nares by my side through all of this. He’s not just a brilliant lawyer he’s a compassionate and steady guide during a time when I truly needed it most

Posted by anonymous | March 23, 2020 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Keep shopping around... Terrible experience / Very costly!

I usually never would take the time to write a negative review as I don't want to hinder someone's business, however this is absolutely necessary to share. I had never had to retain an attorney in my life, however I was in need as I was starting the divorce process. I met with Mr. Nares one time, d...ecided to spend the $3500 to retain him for going forward, and we were scheduled to meet in person within a week. Mr. Nares had to cancel and asked if we could reschedule via phone. That said, we then had a 55 minute phone call to go over my finances so he could put together my finance worksheet that would be used in response for the case. I then received an email from Mr. Nares with the paperwork that would hold everything we discussed... It was with errors on who was the "respondent or petitioner" and he left out pieces of information that would need to be disclosed so it was clear what I was paying out each month. I responded to Mr. Nares about the errors and numbers he left out and also discussed that I would get him another document from my work. His last response was that he would fix errors and resend. Nothing would be resent. A few days post this my wife and I decided to try another course of action by way of either working it out or mediation so I emailed Mr. Nares letting him know the great news and asked if he would be willing to credit me back half of my $3500 given he did bare minimum, not great follow-thru, and mediocre work to be quite honest. To recap, one in-person meeting simply to meet, one phone call for 55 minutes, and one rev of finance work sheet paperwork (keep in mind, he was simply plugging in the data I gave him onto a legal document... again, with errors). We are living thru a hard time relating to Corona Virus and its a time where so many are being kind and finally showing compassion to other humans. Mr. Nares would not even credit me back a dollar. It's wrong. Please do your diligence and shop around, Mr. Nares clearly has a heavy price per hour that far exceeds what he states, and human to human could have cared less about doing the right thing or something at all. To sum it up... sloppy, slow, and very expensive. Keep shopping around if you are in need of legal help.

Thomas Nares

Replied last April 28, 2020

I don't know who this is. In the only case that sounds somewhat factually similar, the unused retainer was returned to the client within 1 week.

Posted by Jennifer | January 31, 2019 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Custody Battle

I found Tom Nares on Avvo and used his services in a custody battle. Tom explain every step has it happened. He is very truthful, trusting and patient. He returned calls and emails when it was necessary. He showed up to all my court cases. He is an excellent attorney, and you receive more personal at...tention than using a big firm. I would highly recommend his services.

Posted by Janel | January 21, 2019 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Very knowledgeable...

Tom went above and beyond for me. He helped me through the most difficult time in my life. He is experienced and understanding! Words cannot express how grateful I am to have found an attorney that truly cares and will fight for you 100%.

Posted by Cherie | March 14, 2017 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Highly recommended

Tom handled the fall out after my ex & I decided to use a paralegal to handle our divorce. The paperwork that the paralegal provided was sloppy and could have cost me a fortune. Tom helped save me from paying alimony & made sure that my ex did not get more than he was entitled to. He remained calm &... professional while I felt like my life was falling apart. I cannot thank him enough for the counseling & advice that he offered. I am now happily remarried, followed Tom's advice by getting a prenup and highly recommend Tom.

See All Client Reviews

Thomas Daniel Nares's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Thomas
Judd S Nemiro headshot
Judd Nemiro

Unknown lawyer | Jan 08

Relationship: Other

"A brilliant attorney, and highly respected in the legal community. I can definitely endorse this lawyer."

Michael S. Waddington headshot
Michael Waddington

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Thomas. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

Carlos Cristobal Ruan headshot
Carlos Ruan

Family lawyer | Jun 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Tom form several years, he is an excellent lawyer in family law and in criminal defense as well. I have had the pleasure of teaching trial skills to other lawyers with him. He is a good communicator, and has excellent trial skills. I recommend this lawyer."

Mark V. Caruana headshot
Mark Caruana

Family lawyer | Mar 22

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work."

John Jimenez headshot
John Jimenez

Divorce and separation lawyer | Mar 20

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer's work. He is the attorney I would go to for my divorce, if I wasn't so happily married! More importantly, Tom is the go to man for almost any family law or criminal case that you may have in San Diego County...and that's why he is the first attorney I recommend to client's who need someone other than myself. He IS my attorney of choice!"

View All Endorsements
Carlos Cristobal Ruan headshot
Carlos Ruan

Criminal defense lawyer

Sean Leslie headshot
Sean Leslie

Criminal defense lawyer

John Jimenez headshot
John Jimenez

Criminal defense lawyer

Mark V. Caruana headshot
Mark Caruana

Personal injury lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.6 (Superb)

Honors

2024

Notable, Martindale-Hubbell

2020

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2019

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2016

Top Lawyer, Palm Springs Life Magazine

2015

Top Lawyer, Palm Springs Life Magazine

2014

Top Lawyer, Palm Springs Life Magazine

2013

Top Lawyer, Palm Springs Life Magazine

2012

Top Lawyer, Palm Springs Life Magazine

Work Experience

2024 - Present

Principal, Thomas D Nares, Attorney at Law, APC

2022 - 2023

Partner, Nares & Levandoski, L.L.P.

1990 - 2022

Principal, Law Offices of Thomas D. Nares

Associations

1986 - Present

State Bar of California

Member

1990 - 1991

San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association

Past Vice President

Education

1986

Thomas Jefferson School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

Speaking Engagements

2016

Oral Trial Skills Legal Ethics

2015

Capacitacion de Juicios Orales

Ethics-Oral Trial

2014

Oral Trials Skills-UNAM

Cross Examination of Expert Witnesses

2013

Destreza para el Juicio Oral Mexico City

Cross Exam of Expert Witness

2013

Conference for Prosecutors and Judges

Oral Trials Practice-Break out Groups Mexico City

2012

Procuraduria del Estado de Mexico

Principals of Direct Examination

2012

Advanced Cross Examination Skills

Cross Exam of Expert Witness (Break out group)

2011

Symposium on Oral Trial Skills, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico

Principals of Cross Examination

2011

Poder Judicial Del Estado de Tabasco-Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

Taller International de Capacitacion en Destrezas de Litigacion Oral

2011

Intermediate Trial Technics, Michoacan, Mexico

Cross Examination Technics and Demonstration

2011

Intermediate Level Trial Technics, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

Oral Trial Technics

2011

CWAG Presents: Capacitacion Para Ministerios Publicos, Mexico City, Mexico

Ethics in Oral Trials for "Ministerios Publicos" (Prosecutors)

2011

CWAG Capacitacion Para Jueces-Mexico City, Mexico

Overview of Cross Examination Skills and Theory

2011

CWAG Alliance Partnership, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Prosecutorial Ethics

2011

ACCESO-Oral Trial Skills for Latin American Lawyers-CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW-San Diego, CA

Direct and Cross Examination; Closing Argument

2010

ACADEMIA DE DESTREZA EN LITIGACION 2010,CALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW- San Diego, CA

Oral Trial Skills for Latin American Lawyers

2010

2010 CWAG ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Oral Trial Advocacy Skills

1987

CCIA Monthly Meeting- Vista, CA

Overview of Criminal Motions for Court Interpreters

1986

CCIA Conference-Vista, CA

Understanding Evidentiary Objections

Languages

Spanish

English

Activity

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