Joseph Lawrence Keiser

Joe Keiser helped me through one of the hardest periods of my life after my husband of 45 years left me, and although the process was terribly stressful for me, Joe's calm competence and willingness to negotiate sensibly made for the best possible outcome. He carefully walked me through every step, e...xplained things carefully, and dealt with tough issues calmly. He was reassuring and kind throughout. It took a year and a half to get to a solution, but that is apparently normal, and Joe was always very careful to make sure he was keeping costs down as much as he could. I was so lucky to find him right here in Alameda, and I highly recommend him as a strong, knowledgeable and supportive advocate for anyone going through this traumatic situation.

I have worked with Joe for over a year now. I initially contacted him for legal advice during a difficult time and ended up retaining him as counsel. Joe explains all the legal jargon in a way that is easy to understand. He is patient, empathetic, and an all-around good guy. I would highly recommend ...Joe Kaiser to anyone seeking quality counsel!

I initially hired Joe to handle my divorce because he advocated for minimizing conflict, and keeping expenses low by staying out of court. I deeply regret my decision to have him to represent me. Joe understands most of the basics of custody however the finer points are lost on him. He can’t tell... you anything about custody evaluations, which are standard practice during divorce, because he advises against them and avoids them at all cost. He advised me to allow my ex wife to have sole custody of our son, despite my telling him I would never agree to that, saying it would cost less and I could easily win it back later. This was a critical mistake that has cost me more than it would have to litigate at the time and years of pain. He told me it could be changed for practically any reason, which is not true, and never told me how difficult it is to change an existing court order. My ex wife’s attorney easily outmaneuvered him. He doesn’t know the difference between a temporary custody order and a permanent one, and incorrectly argued in front of a judge for change in circumstances when the standard is much lower and that argument wasn’t necessary. Because he made that argument and lost that motion, what was a temporary custody order was found to be a permanent order by another judge. When in the courtroom he lacks the commanding presence or quick wit one would hope for. Joe doesn’t know anything about the judges he winds up in front of, for example that the judge we were assigned to has a reputation for not understanding family law and saying no to everything. We had one opportunity to change the assignment to another judge, which would have made all the difference on my first attempt to correct custody, but he didn’t seem to be aware of that process. Every other attorney I spoke with knew this. When we lost he chuckled and offered to appeal the decision for twenty thousand dollars. He skips things with procedural importance, for example didn’t properly serve the motion to modify custody, and didn’t go on record with the court as being my attorney, didn’t keep to the page limit requirement. Because of his lack of knowledge and skill, everything takes more than twice as long and ends up being twice as expensive, versus an attorney who bills $400 an hour. I only know this because I later hired a skilled attorney at $400 an hour, who charged me half what Joe did for the same motion. Joe has ruined my life and charged me for it. You would be better off representing yourself.

Joe assisted me in the process of filing for full custody and a move away order. As anyone in this situation will know it can be a lengthy, drawn out process. Understanding that I was working on limited funds, Joe provided me with the tools to prepare my own declaration (with his assistance of co...urse) and guided me thru what I could expect as my mediation and court dates approached. A few days prior to my court appearance, I realized that having an attorney present would not only alleviate my nervousness but help me to understand any legal “lingo” the courts would be using. One of the best decisions I’ve made for me & my daughter was hiring Joe Keiser and having him represent me in court. He not only helped resolve my dispute, but also provided me with insight on the states family law process.

Joe handled a very difficult dissolution of domestic partnership for me. My ex-partner was quite angry, aggressive and uncooperative throughout the situation, but Joe worked through it with patience and persistence. He also provided me with some very good advice through the process, allowing me to re...ach my goal with the least amount of time and expense.