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

Filter Avvo Reviews (14) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by anonymous | April 21, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

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 Jennifer | February 01, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

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 Ken | February 09, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

You can go wrong being represented by Attny Tom Nares

Tom is the best lawyer in town. He has been my lawyer for 7 years. So far he handled my divorce plus after years later he took my few other cases. He is very successful in many different fields like Family law and Criminal so on. I direct any of my friends to Tom if they have any legal issues and hea...r back always good feedback. You will be proud to hire him at the court when he start handling your case. I highly recommend him to anyone...

Posted by Adrianna | September 04, 2012 | Child Custody

Most Recommended Family Law Attorney

I hired Mr. Nares to represent me in a custody/visitation and child support matter. After learning that the father had not been in my child's life for about ten years, Mr. Nares assured me that he would be there for me along the way. His approach was straight forward and honest, yet caring which ma...de me feel comfortable. It can be frustrating to know that you spend thousands of dollars on an attorney that took you nowhere but Mr. Nares is reasonable and will fight for you until the end. He takes pride in his work and to him you're not just another client with a big dollar sign. Not only did I have a knowledgeable attorney but an attorney who actually cared about their client (me) and cared about what was in the best interest of my daughter. Mr. Nares, explained the process . He provided me with legal advice, including citing code sections so that I would have a better understanding of the legal aspect. He educated me throughout the entire process. As client's we all get emotional or angry, especially when its involving our children but Mr. Nares always seemed to have a solution to the problem. He was reachable and available to answer any questions I had. Most importantly, he is a hard worker and devoted attorney. At the end, I was really pleased with the custody/visitation and child support order. My child support order increased. In addition, father was ordered to pay one-half of my daughter's tuition and one-half of her extracurricular activities. I cannot thank him enough for everything that he has done for me and my family. For this reason, I would highly recommend him to friends and family. Thank you, Adrianna

Posted by Gary | April 15, 2010 | Divorce & Separation

Tom Nares helped me & my son

I am honored to share my overwhelmingly positive experience being represented in court by Tom Nares. After successfully representing me during my divorce, I knew exactly who I would want to represent me a second time when I fought for full custody of my son. During what was possibly the most stressf...ul and uncomfortable time of my life, Tom Nares was professional, caring, understanding and above all, incredibly knowledgeable about my case. He was honest with me each time I had difficult questions about my custody case, and understanding about my concerns along the way. His staff was always helpful, easy to reach and approachable. The first time Mr. Nares represented me, I was going through a divorce. I was faced with the daunting task of paying more than half of my salary to my soon to be ex-wife in spousal and child support even though she had a college degree and worked sporadically at various full time jobs during the course of our marriage. Mr. Nares suggested doing a deposition that proved my wife was more than capable of working, which lessened my payments to her considerably. Mr. Nares was also successful in helping me gain 50% custody of my only son, which was the most important issue of the court proceedings, as far as I was concerned. Without Tom’s help, the amount of time I spent raising my son could have been lessened. I have him to thank for this. After several years, and many discussions with my son, it became clear that he wanted to live with me full time, as events in his mother’s home had changed drastically with the arrival of a boyfriend that took up most of her time and left my son feeling unwanted. Now faced with the task of trying to gain more than 50% custody from my ex-wife, I knew exactly who would give me the best legal advice about this case….Tom Nares. My new fiancé and I talked with Tom about our honest chances of gaining full custody of my son, even though we were not yet married. Mr. Nares was honest with us at every turn, and was excellent in asking for the proper documentation to support our case. He coached us very well at every step of the process, and handled the case expertly in court, ultimately winning our case and changing our lives for the better in every way! We can honestly say that we owe Tom a debt of gratitude for helping us navigate the difficult legal proceedings with grace, dignity, knowledge and understanding! Should we ever need to go to court again for any reason, we would happily choose Mr. Nares to be our attorney. Respectfully, Gary and Jodi Gonzales

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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

Avvo Rating

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