Cristin is a true professional in the family law business. She’s on the expensive side, but specializes in the field and was totally worth the fees paid. Prompt answers to phone and email messages.
Please remember attorneys can not guarantee results, and they’re not responsible for the circumstances of the case. All they can do is act within the law and advocate your position in a court hearing. Family law judges have a lot of discretion, it’s not always the attorney’s fault if it doesn’t go your way.
A native of the Bay Area, Ms. Lowe attended college at Sacramento State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies, with an emphasis in small group and interpersonal communications and a minor in Music. After graduating summa cum laude, she entered law school at UC Davis, where she was selected as a member of the Trial Court Honor Board.
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While in law school, Ms. Lowe spent one summer as an extern for the Solano County Counsel's office, working closely with the Court staff and assisting with pro per litigants applying for domestic violence restraining orders. During this time, she was also able to learn about family law from the Court staff's perspective and become acquainted with the family law bench. Additionally, she found the time she spent helping the litigants themselves to be very rewarding.
Ms. Lowe also interned for Hawaii State Representative David Pendleton while in law school. One of her proudest achievements during her internship was organizing a domestic violence awareness day. The experience only fueled her desire to practice family law.
Upon graduation, she returned to Solano County, and based on the recommendation of one of the family law judges, she began practicing family law as an associate attorney. Working in a small and friendly county allowed her to gain invaluable and extensive courtroom experience not only in Solano County, but also in Napa and Yolo counties. She eventually relocated to the San Ramon firm of Cummins, Holmes & Geraldi, honing her legal research and writing skills and familiarizing herself with Contra Costa, Alameda, and San Francisco counties.
After gaining enough experience, Ms. Lowe set out to open her own firm and practice law her own way. Practicing law is more than a job for her. She loves having the privilege of being able to help others through some of the most difficult times of their lives. One of the most common comments she hears about her profession is that it is stressful and difficult. While this is true at times, Ms. Lowe's job also consists of assisting with adoptions, protecting children from domestic violence, and helping good people start over with their lives. One of her most memorable cases was reuniting a father with his daughter after her mother illegally moved her out of state. While cases like that don't come along every day, it's always rewarding when she is able to help anybody, especially children, and better their lives.
Ms. Lowe is a member of the California Bar Association and the Contra Costa Bar Association. She regularly volunteers for Contra Costa County's Pro Per Clinic, assisting self-represented litigants with their dissolutions and is active in various organizations in her community.
Outside of work, Ms. Lowe enjoys snowboarding, wakeboarding, cooking, baking, and training her Golden Retriever Murphy in Rally and Obedience.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent
Cristin is a true professional in the family law business. She’s on the expensive side, but specializes in the field and was totally worth the fees paid. Prompt answers to phone and email messages.
Please remember attorneys can not guarantee results, and they’re not responsible for the circumstances of the case. All they can do is act within the law and advocate your position in a court hearing. Family law judges have a lot of discretion, it’s not always the attorney’s fault if it doesn’t go your way.
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Posted by anonymous | February 16, 2020
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Chelsea is awesome!
She knows family laws and will go the extra mile to help out! She’s very accommodating, thorough , and
Efficient! I HIGHLY recommend her !
Posted by Marvin | August 26, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Super Smart, Perfessional, 100% Representing you!
Thank you so much!!! There is no way I could have even showed up without Cristin's support! It was like a world-wind effect! I swear, I couldn't help it but I was holding my breath for a majority of time while in court, she (the EX) brought my two kids to court for what reason I don't know. She said they have a right to know what is going on. She knows I always wanted to keep them out of this. But I'm sure it was to stress me, it worked. I was a basket case. She made sure to sit by me and discuss her version of case with my kids, every once in awhile I would hear her giggle. I just sat in the court room with my head down praying. Then Cristin walks in and it was all about game on! The relief I felt just seeing her enter the court room could not be measured. The ex presented the role on non-English speak poor ex-wife, tried to submit documentation without disclosure and a host of other things, neither the Judge or Cristin was allowing it, by now I was ready to pass-out, Cristin kept reassuring me everything was going to be ok and to just trust her and I did. Before you know it was over, no long delays or stalling the case like in previous hearings.
I am so serious when I say that my thinking in life before meeting Cristin and her team was, there was no life for me, I had simple made too many mistakes in life. I couldn't even imagine a future without this case hanging over my head. I owe Cristin and her team so much, thank you for giving me hope and being there when I needed you most. What Cristin and her team does is so much more than just practicing law, you cant put a price tag on all she does. The whole team's dedication and professionalism is just simply amazing, THANK YOU!!!
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Posted by Nila | July 14, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Law Offices of Cristin Lowe - Stellar Legal Counsel
Divorce is one of the worst experiences anyone can go through in life. The most important element to survival of divorce is representation by competent legal counsel. The Law Offices of Cristin Lowe and her firm of professionals is the right choice. Cristin and her team are compassionate, caring, and cost conscience while providing specialized legal expertise in family law. I would not have been able to endure the numerous challenges of my divorce without the stellar representation of Cristin Lowe, Traci Holian, associate, and her law office team, and wholeheartedly recommend them to everyone.
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Posted by anonymous | August 15, 2014
Excellent Family Law attorney and seasoned child custody expert
I highly recommend Cristin. She truly is all of the above: trustworthy, very responsive, knowledgeable and kept me informed throughout the process. She is also very kind and personable, which is a great plus! Cristin was always well prepared, listened to me, represented me well at hearings and at trial and overall was very professional. Prior to hiring Cristin I had retained 4 different attorneys and I would not be willing to say any of the above about any of the other lawyers. Cristin really stands out. If you need a seasoned family law attorney and child custody expert, I highly recommend her.
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Posted by anonymous | June 12, 2014
Awesome!
Not only is Cristin an awesome attorney and runs a tight firm. She is truly a good person. From the first visit we were on a first name basis. She took my case very serious and guided me all the way. My personal well being was always protected. She is extremely versed in family law. A budget cost was set for the case and it stayed within 1%. Thank you Cristin!.
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Posted by GQ | August 22, 2012
CONTRA COSTA'S BEST DIVORCE LAWYER
By the time I came to Cristin Lowe’s Office, I was so convinced that lawyers are like leeches who suck the blood out of you until you’re drained. How can you blame me for thinking this way? My former lawyers were bloodsuckers MICHAEL AMTHOR and DAVID LEDERMAN. Cristin Lowe changed all that and restored my faith in the law profession. As they say, the third time’s a charm. I approached Cristin Lowe about a month before my divorce trial and she, together with Alexcis Wichtowski, immediately jumped into my case, thoroughly reviewed my files, and was prepared for trial in such a short time. They’re very sharp, detailed and thorough, and really gave their focus and attention to my case. They explained very clearly to me the applicable laws and discussed various outcome scenarios. I was also treated with respect and compassion. Hire Cristin Lowe and Alexcis Wichtowski and you will never be in the dark, you will get your money’s worth and a fast resolution to your divorce case.
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Posted by Evan | May 30, 2011
I found an honest and caring lawyer...
I asked Cristin a question from her webpage and she not only gave me a really good answer, she offered to take a quick look at my forms before I turned them in. I took her up on the offer and a few weeks later dropped by her office. She works incredibly fast! In what seemed to be no more than a few seconds, she caught several errors and mentioned she wanted to review a few of my choices with me. I won’t get into the specifics, but her catch saved me a serious amount of money in tax implications. Best part about the whole thing was when she was done, she refused to take any type of payment! Why? She said “You are a good parent, put in an unfortunate situation. Going over these forms is the least I can do.”
I thought I’d see a unicorn or a flying pig before finding an honest lawyer, but I found her.
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Posted by anonymous | May 2, 2011
The BEST
From the beginning to the end, throughout the entire process, Cristin was truly a helper I could depend on without worrying. She's knowledgeable, considerate, detail-oriented, clear, timely, and very comfortable to work with. She is the BEST.
Posted by Gretchen | April 14, 2011
Amazing...
Cristin is amazing! From the start to the finish of my case, she did everything she could to accommodate me. When I came in for my consult, I brought my daughter because I couldn’t get a sitter. Cristin mentioned I would get more out of the consult if my daughter was not in the room so we could speak candidly. I wasn’t sure what to do, but one of her staff brought out a laptop and offered a few movies for her to watch. Normally I’d never leave my daughter out of my site, but I felt really comfortable with Cristin and her staff. They set her up in a cube where she happily watched Princess and the Frog. My one hour consult lasted almost as long as the movie and from it I gained a wealth of information. She gave sound advice, and not once did I pick up that she was trying to sell herself. Her main focus was on my daughter and the best outcome for her. Needless to say, I was very happy, and my daughter was begging to go back.
Cristin managed to keep my case out of the courtroom which saved a lot on costs. Most of our communication was done electronically and saved me from taking time off work and time away from my daughter. Although my case isn’t completely finished, I can say without hesitation that I there is no one I’d rather have on my side through this ordeal. Cristin is one a million.
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Posted by anonymous | November 15, 2010
Best attorney in the county?
I'm currently in the middle of my divorce, and we were recently in court on a custody and visitation motion. I was so frustrated by the other attorney. We had an agreement and then my soon to be ex backed out at the last second. I was close to losing it, but Cristin kept me focused and calm. We were standing in the law library talking while my ex and his attorney were out in the hall "discussing strategy", and then another attorney approached Cristin. They exchanged pleasantries and then moved on. When Cristin and my ex's attorney went outside to talk, the other attorney came back up to me and whispered "You got really lucky with your attorney. She's one of the best in the county." wow! You just don't hear things like that. But just like the attorney said, when we went in front of the judge, Cristin stuck to our plan and calmly addressed the issues. The Judge agreed with her, and we were done. I felt very well taken care of and represented. We have a long road ahead of us, but I know I'm in the hands of one of the best lawyers in the county! Just ask her peers. :-)
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Posted by Matthew | January 22, 2010
Excellent advice in a difficult time
I chose Cristine on a friends advice. I had been struggling with another divorce lawyer and working with Cristine was such a refreshing experience in such a difficult time. Cristine knew exactly what I needed to do to protect myself and prevented me from making a number of very costly mistakes. I would recommend her to anyone in this unfortunate position.
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Posted by anonymous | March 17, 2014
Not Impressed
Maybe it was just a bad day but I was not impressed. She was very short with me and hesitant to provide any useful advice regarding my concern. I was prepared to hire her but the consultation was a waste of money already and I didn't want to risk wasting more.
Response from Cristin LoweMay 8, 2014
I'm very sorry you had a negative experience with me. I very much try to provide you with useful advice because I value our clients, and I want to make things right with you. Please contact me for a full refund and allow me to provide you whatever additional information or advice you do not feel you received at our first meeting. If I can't personally help you, I will refer you to someone who can.
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Posted by anonymous | April 6, 2011
Did not fight for ANYTHING!
I hired Ms. Lowe to represent me in 2006. I think she was very green. I was stressed and had mixed feelings about my divorce and child custody. Instead of my lawyer helping me get what I wanted and what my child needed, she basically left me to do it myself with a very laissez-faire attitude. It was almost like she didn't want to work for me. Basically all she did was file paperwork. She did not advise me in ANY way. She actually seemed to be friends with my ex-husband's lawyer! Now because of how the paperwork was written up...I have to fight for custody again from another state! Unless she has gotten more experience, I would not recommend her.
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Response from Cristin LoweApril 27, 2011
Back in 2006, I was a very new attorney who did have a lot to learn. While I certainly don't know everything now, I am at a completely different level of experience now after having practiced solely family law for over five years. I am sincerely sorry that you had a negative experience while I was with my old firm and would like to offer you any assistance you might be willing to accept. As awkward as it might seem, even if all I can do is speak with your new attorney by providing him or her with what happened during your divorce, I hope that I can help you now with your custody battle.
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Posted by Amanda | August 1, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Unconscionable fees per solano judge
Attorney's fees were found to be unconscionable so much as the judge wrote it in herself and initialed it on the FAOH. Once the request for fees were dismissed by the court, Cristin's office got busy and started calling me daily to collect. I paid them for every overcharged penny they billed for. They even billed me for time spent to attempt to remove the "unconscionable" note from the judge from the FAOH in which they were unsuccessful. Also, they were constantly changing staff and charging me hourly to update them on my case. Please run from the offices of Cristin Lowe, they are crooks and she couldn't care less about you and the vulnerable situation you are in.
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Posted by Sarah | June 1, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
HORRIBLE ATTORNEY
DO NOT USE CRISTIN LOWE...EVER!
I hired her in March 2021 for an extremely simple, non-contested, EASY Legal Separation from my husband. (We're still married but not "been together" for over a decade but live part time. get along, vacation together, raised our boys, and a fantastic platonic fun relationship).
She did an initial consult for 400 an hour. I hired her. I literally NEVER HEARD from her again! Not even being exaggerated.
She filed the initial separation in S.F. Superior Court and there is a 6 month wait period in CA. Early November 2021 (6 month wait period ended). Did I get my Legal Separation Agreement that I needed so I could then get the QDRO's done and all filed to Superior Court? NO. Mind you this was a NON CONTESTED, AGREEABLE Legal Separation. All we needed was the Agreement so then QDROs could be completed by a QDRO Attorney I already consulted with.
Tick Tock...month rolls on....I tried contacting her. She committed CLIENT ABANDONMENT!
December. 2021...January 2022...still NOTHING.
February 2022...nope...March 2022...nil.
In meantime, my Separation Agreement could've been done MONTHS ago.
I would've already been paid out by the retirement 401/457 of my husband as my settlement for 21 years of marriage. I wasn't going after any spouse support, there's no custody issue, no CALPERS pension so this was quick.
My husband is getting more impatient as months pass because of the legal separation, there is "hold" on the accounts so he can't contribute to his retirement accounts which brings his "net" TAXABLE income bracket higher. Her long delay not doing anything, we both have lost THOUSANDS (15k combined) in our accounts which impacts me greatly since its MY FINAL SETTLEMENT with my husband and I would've had the cash before all the losses if she DID HER JOB I HIRED HER FOR!
She NEVER RESPONDED to ANY email after initial hiring. Her paralegal kept saying I have it on her calendar to "catch up" and hopefully you'll get your agreement soon.
March 2022 rolls by and I had enough! It's already been a YEAR since the initial filing of our separation in Superior Court. All I need is the Legal Separation Agreement. This isn't rocket science! There aren't lawyers involved on both sides, there's no arguments with my spouse. VERY AMICABLE.
I waited 5 MONTHS for a simple painless, non-complicated Legal Separation Agreement. I terminated her at end of March 2022. Did she apologize? NO. Did she even bother to try to explain herself? NO. Just crickets as usual from her.
I hired another attorney April 1, 2022 who completed my Legal Separation Agreement in 3 DAYS! Got my QDRO's done right after and within a week I had everything needed.
Cristin Lowe didn't even KNOW that my husband's 401/457 company Mission Square are managers just like Fidelity or TRowe. They aren't even CALPERS or have anything to do with CALPERS which I already told her I wasn't going to touch his pension, so her filing a joinder in Superior Court for CALPERS in 2021 was stupid and unnecessary and cost me fees I didn't have to pay to begin with.
She will initially give "great advice" and be good in the consultation but after that? You'll never hear from her again.
NOT ONE UPDATE about your case, not one email to let you know the progress or next step. She should've had my Legal Separation Agreement READY TO GO and COMPLETED right when the 6 month wait period was over.
I had to call her office to make an appointment just to discuss the financial arrangement my husband I agreed upon. That is HER JOB TO CONTACT ME TO GET THE DETAILS so she could FINISH the legal separation agreement she didn't even bother to start. Junk attorney.
Cristin Lowe is the absolute worst and too expensive for the little she did. Charging for every email or phone call that you're forced to make to try to get any answer on the progress of your case. Horrid. DO NOT HIRE HER. YOU WILL REGRET IT.
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Posted by anonymous | July 27, 2014
Extremely Disappointed
I am not impressed with Cristin at all. She is not very empathetic at all. I been seeing her for almost a year. She never responds on time and very rarely answer my questions or concerns. . She made me look bad in front of my ex and his attorney by talking down to me. She was not prepared for my 4 way. She made me do all the talking. On her website sh gives suggestions on how a case should be handled at different stages of a divorce by both the client and his/her attorney. However, she never follows her own advice. She is very rude to me. My case is very complicated and my ex' s attorney is very aggressive and attacks me every opportunity she gets. Cristin never defends me and is not aggressive in handling my case. I am extremely disappointed. If I had known this, I would have never taken her on as my attorney. I don't understand why she is getting so many great reviews. It seems like some of these positive reviews are fake.
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Posted by anonymous | February 11, 2014
Disappointed
She doesn't handle all her cases. Cristine hands it off to her other lawyers who work for her. These lawyers are not very aggressive. They don't take the time to understand your case and charge way too much. They are not very sympathetic towards your case. The hourly charge is $400. Every email costs $30 or more. Even when you're asking one simple question and the question only requires a yes or no answer. Cristine never handles my case and I rarely ever get a response back from her. I went to her because she received such high ratings. I have spent close to $20,000 and nothing really got accomplished so far. I am very disappointed.
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Response from Cristin LoweMay 8, 2014
It is true that I do not handle every aspect of my cases, as I believe that a team of legal professionals is stronger than just me. As a firm, we are able to help our clients much more effectively when we work together in distinct roles, rather than on our own. That being said, I understand that clients may prefer to work with me or another attorney in the firm over other individuals for a variety of reasons, and that is more than a reasonable request. Please call me to make arrangements for me to take over the primary responsibility of your family law matter. We will schedule a meeting so you can personally update me on what your concerns are regarding your case, and that will of course not be at your cost. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.
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Divorce and separation Attorney | Oct 21
Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter
"Cristin’s expert knowledge of statutory and case law related to family matters is impressive. Her comprehensive understanding of ever-evolving case precedent offers her clients a distinct advantage in the courtroom."
Divorce and separation Attorney | Oct 02
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Lowe is an outstanding attorney with an exceptional reputation. She is a strong and zealous advocate for her clients and a credit to the legal profession. I highly endorse her."
"I posted a family law question on this website and Christin was kind enough to answer it and follow up with me via email. Christin's willingness to provide me with complimentary advice was not only much appreciated on my end, but she also made suggestions for my pending law matter that my current attorney had not yet suggested to me. Given how amazing Christin was in helping me on a complimentary level, I can only imagine how strong an advocate she must be for her clients. Without any reservation whatsoever, I strongly endorse Christin's work and abitlities as a family lawyer."