Daniel Keith Chester

My research and interviews with Family Law attorneys and Family Law facilitators here in Sonoma County indicate Mr. Dan Chester is associated with creating the "Court-Involved Therapist Referral List (CIT)" deemed to constitute a lack of the required judicial neutrality of the Court by his immediate... supervisor. One of the service providers on the CIT list is a three-time convicted felon legally defined as morally depraved who makes his living testifying on behalf of murderers and child molesters. It is my understanding that Dan Chester was making direct referrals to this individual before the State of California came in and told the County Superior Court's Family Court Services to stop making direct referrals. Now this CIT list is sponsored by the Sonoma County Bar Association's Family Law Steering Committee. In my case, Dan Chester recommended to the court that my ex wife and I continue seeing service providers on this CIT list "for the duration and frequency determined by the counselors," - an open checkbook!! Forewarned is fore-armed, this individual is in a position to financially burden you until your child turns eighteen. Of fundamental importance to his impropriety in my case, he fails to cite the specific reasoning for his recommendations, in direct violation of the Elkins Family Law Task Force recommendations. Dan Chester told me "you are going to be sorely disappointed if you think you are ever going to get 50/50 custody," without providing reasoning for his threat. BTW, I have achieved 50/50 custody, you can too. My recommendation is that you ask for a different child custody recommending counselor, in order to avoid Dan Chester's well-established history of collaboration with a convicted felon and his willingness to recommend to the court that you open your checkbook forever to therapists with whom he has prior dealings. In my opinion, Dan Chester is more interested in financially benefiting service providers on the CIT list rather than seeking the best interest of children.