Sami Malek Haddad

I retained attorney Sami Haddad to represent me in a California family law matter in June 2025 and had a very negative experience. I paid a flat fee of $3,650 in advance. I am a 20-year U.S. Navy veteran, 100% VA disabled, and at the time was the primary caregiver of two children under three years ol...d. During Mr. Haddad’s representation, his lack of timely communication, calendaring errors, and failure to properly serve dissolution of marriage and DV Temporarily Restraining Orders pleadings jeopardized my case and my parenting time. Although he initially stated he wanted to keep costs low, he later characterized the matter as “high conflict” without being upfront or responsive. I made clear I was willing to discuss additional costs if needed, but instead critical procedural issues were missed. One of many significant issue involved a missed Family Court Services (FCS) Child Custody Recommending Counseling session. I was not provided clear instructions regarding the hearing location or preparation, despite following up. By the time I was directed to the correct location, the session had already concluded. Opposing counsel later documented this as a failure to appear, which negatively impacted my custody case. Additionally, while Mr. Haddad was counsel of record, a Temporary Restraining Order matter was mishandled. He assured me service would be completed through opposing counsel, but service never occurred. I later learned directly from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department Detective that the order had been signed but not served. I ultimately had to return to court myself to arrange proper service through the Sheriff’s Department. After terminating Mr. Haddad’s representation on September 7, 2025, I immediately corrected these issues on my own. Despite this, the same service and mediation failures originating during his representation were later repeated by an opposing counsel in subsequent court filings under different counsel in December 2025, and were used against me procedurally. Because of the seriousness and ongoing impact of these failures, I filed a formal complaint with the California State Bar. I later submitted a supplemental filing with additional court documents demonstrating that the procedural harm caused during Mr. Haddad’s representation continued to materially affect my custody and domestic violence proceedings even after his services ended. I requested a full refund of the flat fee, he never responded. Ultimately, I lost confidence in the representation and was forced to proceed in pro per to protect my parental rights. In my opinion, Mr. Haddad took on more cases than he could adequately manage, and my case was neglected as a result. I strongly encourage anyone—especially parents and veterans in high-stakes family law matters—to proceed with caution and ensure their attorney is actively managing deadlines, service requirements, and client communication. The consequences of these failures can be long-lasting.

I had the privilege of working with Mr. Haddad during a challenging family court matter, where my ex-husband sought to move our children across the country, potentially reducing my parenting time. From the outset, Mr. Haddad demonstrated a high level of professionalism and expertise. As a certified f...amily law attorney, he thoroughly understood the intricacies of the court's requirements and was strategic in his approach to my case. Throughout the process, he was not only a skilled advocate but also compassionate and understanding, knowing how emotionally difficult such matters can be. His responsiveness was remarkable, always available to answer my questions, even after hours. Thanks to his guidance, the judge ruled in my favor, keeping the children in California for the school year and denying the move-away order. Mr. Haddad gave me the confidence to advocate for myself and the kids, and I am immensely grateful for his support. I highly recommend him to anyone in need of an experienced, dedicated, and caring family law attorney.

I HIRE HIM THINKING HE WAS A GOOD LAWYER BECAUSE OF THE REVIEWS BUT I THINK MOST REVIEWS ARE FALSE. HE DID NOTHING ON MY CUSTODY CASE ALL HE DID WAS CHARGE MONEY I CALLED HIM EMAIL AND TEXT AND HE DIDN'T RESPOND. HE WAS NEVER PREPARED FOR MY TWO HEARINGS AND THE LAST ONE HE WAS ON THE COMPUTER VIEW...ING HIS EMAILS AND SENDING BILL. EVEN THE JUDGE TOLD HIM IN ANOTHER WORDS HE WAS NO PREPARED FOR THE HEARING WHEN HE ASKED A QUESTIONS TO THE JUDGE IF HE CAN CROSS THE MINOR ATTORNEY. I FIRED HIM AT THAT MOMENT. THIS LAWYER IS NO GOOD FOR ANYTHING. MY ADVICE IS IF YOU REALLY WANT TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING IN COURT WITH YOUR CASE, RUN FROM THIS LAWYER. CHEAP IS EXPENSIVE.

Sami Haddad is hands-down the best family attorney I have ever had the opportunity to meet and consult with. Not only did he make time to meet with me for a consultation but he did so last minute and before my court date which was only a few days away. He was incredibly knowledgeable and straightfo...rward and at the same time kind and compassionate of the situation. He advised me on how to handle my upcoming court date and what I should expect as well as what I should request of the judge. He help me understand my legal documents and put me at ease and I left feeling confident about how to proceed in court. I would not recommend anyone other than Sami Haddad for any family law Services that you may need and I will only consult with and retain services from Sami for any future proceedings I may have.

Sami Haddad represented me in a child custody hearing from over 2,000 miles away in June 2015. 3 Years ago my daughters and I moved from San Diego, CA to Nashville, TN. My daughter whom I have had Full Physical and Legal Custody of for over 13 years went to visit her father (with my consent) for her ...normal 1 month (1/2 summer) visit. While she was in his care he decided to file an emergency Ex Parte in an effort to keep my child in San Diego permanently, requesting temporary emergency orders to extend her visit until her could file for a move away order and full custody. There were numerous allegations of neglect, and little or no evidence to support his claims. None the less, I was given less than 24hrs notice to appear, impossible for a single mother clear across the country, with 2 other children, other than by telephone. I was scared and uncomfortable representing myself while still reeling from the shock of the sudden filing for custody, and fear of the potential of losing my daughter over false and incredulous claims. Mr. Haddad knowing that I had little time to respond took immediate action, explained my rights as the custodial parent, jurisdiction laws that may apply to my case, what I needed to provide in documentation to negate the false claims, and provided insight for any unexpected changes I may need to be prepared for. Mr. Haddad did not sugarcoat and of the potential issues that could arise, and explained in depth each scenario so that I could understand the legal implications of the Ex Parte. Despite the fact that the law was on my side and the side of my child, he also informed me of the rights of the non-custodial parent. He helped me file the appropriate representation documents, and helped me prepare my response to the Ex Parte. He was quick, filing my documents in less than 24 hours, and was able to physically represent me in my absence with extremely short notice (48 hours). Mr. Haddad is both bright and articulate and was able to review my entire case, our case history, prepare documents, and review all evidence and responses as well as serve the other party in under 48 hours. His quick wit, knowledge of family law, and keen sense of justice allowed him to represent me and the best interests of my child with integrity, speed, accuracy and a true sense of heartfelt urgency. Thanks to Mr. Haddad and his skill set, my daughter was returned home to me as scheduled, and the Ex Parte was ruled in our favor. Beyond the skill level for which Mr. Haddad executed an incredible argument and fight for my child; he paid close attention to and was acutely aware of the pain, shock, and the emotional and financial drain that the situation had created for myself and our family. He helped me separate my emotional responses from the factual evidence needed; allowing for a solid and indisputable argument. This helped ease some of my terror and gave me a great amount of peace, allowing me to focus on the fight in front of me and gathering critical documentation necessary for my case. I could not be more grateful for the legal representation provided by Mr. Haddad, nor the wisdom, advice and guidance he provided. Mr. Haddad is an excellent family law attorney, and I would highly recommend him for anyone facing confusion while needing thorough, well executed, and sincere representation in any family law matter. This Attorney Deserves a 5 Star Review, and has the most heartfelt thanks a mother could give for helping me fight for my daughter and for ensuring her safe return home!