Ann Cheri Laning

My experience with Ann Laning as Minor's Counsel demonstrates a profound failure to advocate for her client’s best interests, instead contributing to 14 years of vexatious litigation that caused significant emotional distress to the child, the child’s siblings and financial ruin to the family. 1.... Alleged Failure to Maintain Attorney-Client Relationship: Ms. Laning is alleged to have maintained a non-existent or inadequate attorney-client relationship with the minor child. Crucially, Ann Laning maintained zero contact with her client (the minor child) for over a year, yet exchanged countless phone calls and emails with the parent she was supporting. This claim is supported by the fact that the minor child formally terminated Ann Laning's representation on two separate occasions following his emancipation on July 14, 2025. 2. Pattern of Extreme Litigation Bias: Ann Laning demonstrated an extreme, documented pattern of bias throughout the litigation, consistently recommending that the court: • Grant all requests made by the opposing party. • Deny all requests made by my legal counsel. This pattern raises serious concerns that her recommendations were not based on an objective assessment of the minor child's best interests or a thorough investigation of the facts, but on a systematic prejudice against one party. 3. Lack of Factual Familiarity and Due Diligence: Ann Laning formally admitted that she had not read the entire file due to its voluminous nature (over 650 filings). Her orders and recommendations often failed to account for the comprehensive factual record, leading to the court ordering extreme and punitive measures, including: • The involuntary kidnapping and transport of the minor child (known as gooning”, which caused significant emotional distress to a child with an already diagnosed anxiety disorder. • Support for ongoing litigation that resulted in the imposition of unaffordable financial obligations on one party without due process to determine the ability to pay. 4. Post-Emancipation Conduct: Following the minor child's legal emancipation, Ann Laning requested that the court re-appoint her should the emancipation order be "set aside." This request was made despite the court having just dismissed all Requests for Order (RFOs) and the minor child having explicitly rejected her representation and terminated her twice. This suggests a persistent and unwarranted attempt to remain involved in the case against her former client's wishes and in contradiction of the court’s final ruling. Conclusion: Ms. Laning’s conduct demonstrates a failure to serve the best interests of her minor client and a pattern of systemic bias that fueled vexatious litigation, contributing significantly to the over $1,000,000 in costs incurred and the severe emotional harm inflicted upon the minor child and the other siblings.

Avoid at all costs: system failure. Disorganized, neglected case for three years, lied about therapist’s findings in her “recommendation,” lied about billing, improperly admonished special master. Ms Laning was key in driving decisions for our children that are now proving to be devastating. Don’...t allow Napa Family Court to expose your children’s best interests to Ms Lanings incompetence. It is far past the time for Ms Laning to retire.

Ann Laning was our child's counsel for many years. She probably didn't even like us at the start! But she did home interviews, school interviews, briefs, appearances, telephonic interviews, reviewed & filed pleadings, and doggedly kept apprised of all developments in this matter. Every step she went ...the extra step to find out the lay of the land- reviewing grades in the school portal, scheduling in-person meetings and calls with the minor and all concerned. She knew this case inside and out and another attorney would not have gotten the complete picture without a lot of time and effort and wisdom, as displayed by Ann. We had another counsel that was removed that got every detail wrong, displayed bias and was horrible and we had to work hard to undue that mess. Ann is astute, fair, tough, practical. Aware of all the changes and trends in the law and really knew her area expertly. One of the most esteemed family law attorneys in our area with a well earned reputation in the Court and amongst other lawyers and parents in this Valley. Very impressed.

This woman represented my children for years, never protecting them. Their abuse continued and escalated for 8 years. She objected to the testimony of a teacher and a police officer. She threw out testimony of a therapist. She shut down a police investigation and a CPS investigation. She threatened f...oster care if the children weren’t forced to go to their abuser. All while sending invoices and collecting money for work that was never done. She absolutely abuses her position in the court system. How many children’s lives need be forever affected by this woman? I hope not one ❤️