Susan S. Kennedy

Susan was a source of guidance and strength while I went though a lengthy and emotional custody ordeal. She kept me very informed as well as provided realistic expectations for me throughout the whole process. Custody issues with a difficult co-parent at times felt endless and hopeless. Susan fought and made sure to cover every single detail at the same time keep me assured and calm throughout the entire time. Highly recommend Susan and her paralegal Donna.

I hired Susan Kennedy in a high conflict and lengthy Divorce case. I have sought advice and hired attorneys prior to deal with ongoing issues in my Divorce. Susan exceeded my expectation and coached right from get go. Susan is very thoughtful, thorough and understand client's perspective. She is compassionate but firm. During court hearing, I saw her present facts to ensure I was represented well in those court hearing. I can't be happier. I would hire Susan in a blink when needed in future.

Early this year, I left for work and upon my return my family was GONE. My significant other took our 5 yr old autistic son to her birth state of WA, over 3000 miles from our home in FL. A home we shared with my mother. I secured an attorney in FL and we filed a Motion of Paternity and an Emergency Motion for Pickup Order for my son, which would have brought my son back home. A few days after his mother received the order, she filed a Domestic Violence Protection Order against my mother and I in WA, providing her with temporary custody of our son. These DVPOs not only represented serious long term issues for my mother and I as to any future contact with my son, but they also frustrated the FL court as it pertained to the EMPO I had filed earlier. So, I began my search for counsel in WA for both my mother and I. Using the web and having knowledge of the Seattle area, I felt confident navigating for potential legal candidates. The first time I spoke with Susan I was taken aback at how calm and self assured she made me feel. It was such a great conversation that I ended my search there. My mother also loved what she was hearing, and we hired Susan and provided a retainer. My mother and I are realists, and we entered into this agreement knowing that having a good attorney did not guarantee a win for our DVPO cases. Susan and her paralegal, Donna, worked with my mother and I over the next weeks preparing for our cases in WA. I gave permission for both Susan and my FL attorney to confer with each other as I still have cases in FL that would be affected by the WA cases. Hearing day came, my mother and I were obligated to appear so we flew to WA. Susan had explained to us for the final time what her strategy for the hearings would be. In the end, both my mother and I were vindicated with denials on both DVPOs, not just dismissals. Since he was taken and until the day of the hearing, I had not had any communications with my son. But starting that afternoon after the hearing Susan secured for me weekly face time with my son. That same day my son's mother served me with Motion of Paternity in WA. Her MP directly conflicted with mine which forced a UCCJEA, Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act, hearing. For me, it meant two hearings conducted in their respective states over a conference call. Susan represented me on the WA side of this hearing. We won that one as well. FL was determined to have jurisdiction for future cases involving my son and custody. Why should you retain Susan Kennedy and her team??? Ignore her years of employment in the field. Ignore her time as a "Guardian ad Litem", an attorney for the young victims of divorce or separation when neither of parents/guardians are acting in the best interests on their young victims. The former alone should be enough to seriously consider Susan Kennedy. But the following are the reasons why you should want Susan to help you during your difficult time: 1. Although she doesn't waste words, she does make a strong effort to explain everything. 2. She helps you manage your expectations. 3. If you have questions or concerns, she is great about replying in a reasonable amount of time. This has been a major calming factor for me specifically. 4. Susan and Donna made it easy when it came to sharing information and signing documents. If you are cpu savy you will benefit from the systems they have in place. 5. Brass tax, My mother and I are not loaded with disposable income. My mother is retired after 46 years with a major bank. I'm an Army Veteran currently in a civil service job. We live modestly in FL. We knew that hiring a lawyer, any lawyer, was not an inexpensive endeavor; yet Susan worked with us. This was really important because it made us feel that for Susan, we were not just another pay check and that she genuinely was empathetic to our situation and would be doing what she could to provided us with favorable outcomes. If I could clone her and her team, I would.

I hired Susan in 2015 to gide me through a restraining order, divorce, and custody dispute. This was the most painful chapter of my entire life. Susan was amazing. Neither myself or my family was familiar with these types of conflicts. Susan was patient answering our numerous and frequent questions. She was honest and direct when answering questions and explaining potential outcomes. She guided us through the case and helped it come to a peaceful resolution. The education and the parenting plan that Susan helped put in place has helped keep healthy boundaries and respectful communication to this day. I can't thank Susan enough for the outstanding work that she has done.

Susan is a fantastic family law attorney! She has handled multiple family law issues for me dealing with child custody, child support, etc., dating back to 2013. I previously had a 50/50 custody arrangement with my ex-wife. When she wanted to relocate the kids to another part of the state in the summer of 2014, Susan helped me through the process of opposing the move and ultimately getting primary custody of my kids. Susan is straight forward, honest, and a great communicator. I've always felt like she was a great match for my situation and what I ultimately wanted for my kids. She has always been transparent and realistic about possible court outcomes. Most importantly, Susan is a good person that will always have your family and kids' best interests in mind. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.