Kathy A Minella

When I made the decision to divorce my husband of twenty-four years, I was terrified. In this marriage, I fulfilled a traditional role; I married at 18, and was a stay-at-home mom, raising our four children. My husband on the other hand, is college educated with an Engineering degree, and was able to... focus on advancing in his career. Throughout the marriage, my husband was overly controlling, financially and emotionally abusive, as well as emotionally neglectful. The emotional neglect had especially taken a toll on our four children, and this is when I made the decision to start the divorce process. I interviewed six attorneys, but in the end chose Kathy. She was a very attentive listener, as well as empathetic to not only my situation, but that of my children too. I liked that she was straightforward with me on our initial call and gave me realistic expectations. I especially appreciated how well versed she was on the law. Divorce is a very scary process, and more so when dealing with a high conflict personality such as that of my husband. Kathy has helped me win regarding practically every issue we’ve had to go to court on. Early on, when my husband learned of my decision to divorce him, he retaliated against me and our children. When I told Kathy the emotional distress he was causing, especially on the children, she quickly came to our aide. In a week, she served my husband a temporary restraining order, as well as an additional order asking him to vacate the family home. When my husband would not provide regular financial support for the children and myself, Kathy requested the court grant me a wage garnishment— and it was approved. Thanks to her, my husband was also ordered to give me access to a physical credit card. Financial autonomy was something I never thought was achievable considering the severity of abuse in our relationship. As the divorce process continued, the temporary restraining order was about to expire; Kathy explained that I had enough evidence to ask for a Domestic Violence Restraining Order. At first, I was confused because my partner never hit me. Then, Kathy explained coercive control and how my situation fit the description of this part of the domestic violence umbrella. She did an outstanding job representing me during that trial and the court sided with me. Although my case is still outgoing, I recognize the preparation and organization Kathy and her team (Cassidy De Vito, Jasmin Dimson) have put into my case in order to attain these favorable results, which again, I never really thought would be granted. I am very appreciative to her and her team for being compassionate, supportive, understanding, and helping me win on almost every issue we’ve attended court for. As unfortunate as the circumstances are, Kathy has proven herself to be an outstanding lawyer.

Kathy did a superb job during my divorce. She was diligent and organized and mastered all the key legal points of the case. She did not run up the bill but was measured and fair every step of the way. She is connected to many of the family practice judges in San Diego and knows their likes and dis...likes personally, so she can tailor her arguments and strategy appropriately. When the day came for the trial, she absolutely destroyed the other side. They lost on every singe point, and she put our side in the best negotiating position possible with all the leverage. We won. It was not even close. She was worth every dime. I recommend her without reservation.

Kathy and her team are truly top notch! I have to admit that my divorce case was not a walk in the park. I had been representing myself the first few months and no attorney could give me a straight answer on my very complicated case, leaving me feeling unsure of the murky waters ahead and no hope in ...getting a fair settlement. Kathy was open, honest, personable and most important of all, consistent. She didn't tell me what I wanted to hear like the other firms (and I talked to maybe 25+ attorneys)- she told me what I NEEDED to hear based on all the facts and what the most probable outcome would be according to Family Law. Her level-headed approach and "calm cool and collected" demeanor was key in dealing with my ex-husbands aggressive (dare I say, psycho) attorney. Kathy's team worked diligently to prepare my case and put together the most amazing, detailed responses with factual data. Her legal advice and knowledge is outstanding. She remained consistent to the end and I was able to get the outcome we discussed at our very first meeting. As someone who was going through divorce for the 1st time... it is very scary and you don't know what to expect. Kathy and her team put me at ease and treated me like a friend vs. just a client. There was no way I could have done that by myself or with anyone else representing me. Hiring Kathy is the best decision you could make.

Kathy Minella is a brilliant lawyer!!! I'm glad that she handled my case in the Family Court of San Diego in December 2015. During this time, she has done a tremendous job, it is the most difficult case associated with the establishment of parental rights, custody and visitations. Also it includes qu...estions of immigration and international law. When I met Kathy, I was a little nervous because of her young age, I thought whether she has enough knowledge and experience? But I was knocked out by her sincere interest and fast thinking and learning. And I was right by choosing her to represent me! Excellent professional knowledge, ability to remember the smallest details of a huge case, the ability to form a strategy and brilliant conducting of the 6-days of trial!!! That's what Kathy Minella has done for me! She defended the rights of my son, as he was her own. When it became necessary to involve consultants in specialized areas of finances and law - Kathy created a great team in a short time. And for all her merits and hard work, she costed me less than 3 previous attorneys (including the most famous), who only charged me and almost did not do anything. Kathy Minella, remember this name, she has a great future!

It was very difficult to find the right attorney to defend my case. A huge concern of mine was to find a lawyer that not only would represent me, but would also put the best possible effort on my behalf to make sure my rights were protected. Before I met with Kathy I talked to other lawyers and I ...felt that they were promising too much without really knowing anything about my case. She instead gave me a clear picture of the situation and explained to me possible outcomes and more than once she went out of her way to get things done. My custody case was tremendously difficult, it included a move away request that thanks to Kathy's hard work and competency, it was denied and my little one was able to stay with me.