John William Kydd

Mine was a parentage case as we were never married. I had regularly paid support but I was not allowed regular visitatin. I was merely looking to pay my fair amount of child support and receive my fair amount of visitation. For years I had not filed legally because her parents were very wealthy and had threatened, on several occasions, to legally destroy me if I asserted my parental rights. I was not looking to get custody, I was only trying to get normal parenting rights. Their threats were real. The mother’s sister forced her husband through a multiyear ordeal accusing him of every form of abuse and neglect and he had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get rights to see his kids. I was scared to do anything but John helped me negotiate an agreement that seemed helpful. When we filed all hell broke loose and they made good on their threats. I was accused of every possible form of abuse and neglect as well a violence and perversion. It was terrifying. The mothers family all worked in concert backing each other up. They hired psychologists to back them up and to repeat what the kids had been coached to say. When I married my present wife they attacked her as well. It was like a perfect storm and I felt ready to give up. I had to keep my job to pay my support and this was drowning me. Their goal was to overwhelm and financially drain-me so I wouldn’t be able to afford to continue, But John paid careful attention to the details and found gaps in their case and weakness in their arguments and slowly opened those gaps with careful and focused discovery which was then shared with the evaluator. He was very truthful and careful with our Judge and discovery rulings went against them and we were awarded more and more fees for their failures to respond. They were accustomed to being successful in the past with these bullying tactics. They were furious that I had accused them of coaching the kids. In the end, the entire case flipped. I was given primary residential time and their time was cut back and the grandparents were put on supervised visits. My four kids who were flailing are now flourishing. I never dreamed this outcome was possible but John just kept at it, mastering the details and slowly and consistently taking their case apart. He stayed steady and professional and did not get into name calling despite the flaming accusations from the other side. He saw a picture I did not see and got us there. At the final settlement conference, when they finally had no choice but to give up(and agreed to pay even more in fees) I can say it was, next to my marriage day, the happiest day of my life. We had saved four kids from a very difficult situation. The culture of lies was defeated. I just do not have the words to say what I felt. John did not just do a great job on the outcome. He set an example of honesty and integrity and humility in his acts that inspired me in my life. He was never arrogant or confidant of any outcome. He just kept at it, day after day and month after month. He is righteous , tireless and and knows the law. The world needs more lawyers like him.

John has been my lawyer since the beginning of my divorce and his expertise and guidance got me through a very difficult situation. John is always very well prepared, and he knows his stuff, both the law and the practical ways to efficient move the case forward in an emotionally- charged situation. He and his paralegal, Linda, were always on top of deadlines and extremely organized. We had a difficult and nasty lawyer on the other side for the first part of the case. John was able to deal with her effectively without ever losing his professionalism. I am a lawyer as well, and I know great legal work from merely good legal work. John just did an excellent job.

I hired John several years ago following a protracted, complicated divorce. Custody, visitation, and support issues were constantly being challenged even after my final decree was signed. Several times a year, for many years, John accompanied me to yet another court hearing. Nothing changed significantly from the original order, however the uncertainty that I felt each time I was served with the newest petition made me appreciate having John as my attorney. Knowing John would respond appropriately and navigate the legal mine field made my frequent trips back to court less daunting. I did refer a friend to John, because of the insightful way John handled my situation. Even after custody was no longer, John has continued to be a great source of legal advice.

I highly recommend John Kydd as a family law attorney. Mr. Kydd has represented me since 2009 for multiple custody issues post-divorce up to current issues in 2013. As my divorce/custody case was very complex, it was very important for me to find an attorney who was knowledgeable about international divorce and custody issues. I also wanted an attorney who was empathetic to my economic situation and who would strive to get the best possible results for me and my children. John is that kind of lawyer. He cares about his clients and seeks to find reasonable and beneficial outcomes. He is a vigorous researcher and keeps up to date on matters of family law. He leaves no stone unturned. From Child Support issues, Parenting Plan/Safety issues to Relocation, John got me results. I would highly recommend John Kydd to any parent seeking an outstanding, trustworthy family lawyer.

Mr. Kydd was very knowledgeable and well prepared. I felt that he truly cared about the case, especially concerning the children, and that he did everything required to get the best outcome for all involved. I was lucky to find him.

John has been not only an attorney, but a friend and an advocate for me and my children through a very tough divorce. His advice and counsel is personal, straight forward, fair, and honest--much of which you don't always expect from an attorney. He is thoughtful, a good person, and plays fair (but isn't weak). I am very thankful to have had him referred to me, and I would refer him to any family or friend in need of a good family attorney.

Mr. Kydd is exceptionally well-qualified in the family law area, being a lawyer, a social worker, and a child advocate. He believes in mediation and self-determination in resolving matters -- which is far superior to having a stranger (judge) decide your matter. He is kind sensitive and thoughtful.

I exhort anyone considering retaining John Kydd for a contested custody case to carefully read my review as a warning. Mr. Kydd represented me in a high conflict, dissolution/custody case. Given the fact he was a seasoned attorney and a MSW, his actions were both inexplicable and unconscionable. He was exceedingly unethical and unprofessional. As a result of his subterfuge, my defenseless young son was needlessly subjected to an extra 1.5 years of child neglect and alienation. Thankfully, the Seattle Police rescued my son before it was too late. My ex wife was subsequently found to be unfit on 4 separate grounds, including for “neglect,” and “the abusive use of conflict by the parent which creates the danger of serious damage to the child’s psychological development.” I was awarded sole custody and my ex wife has had no visitation in nearly 10 years. My contentions are completely substantiated by the case file in the Seattle Court in Case # GD033703. Mr. Kydd knew I was an excellent client and parent and that the Court always ruled in my favor. Conversely, he knew my ex wife was unfit and mentally ill. The case involved her multiple acts of concealment, custodial interference, alienation, false allegations of child abuse and neglect. Mr. Kydd took over 15 depositions when he had no intention of going to court. He does not like to go to court, as can be inferred by the book he co-authored entitled, Divorce in Washington: A Humane Approach—How to Negotiate Your Divorce Settlement Without Tears OrTrial. In it, Mr. Kydd explains the laws for contested custody in Washington based on the Parenting Act of 1987. But he never told me about his book or to read it. When the time came to go to court, Mr. Kydd lamented, “there is nothing I can do for you and I do not want to take your thirty-thousand dollar. He had no problem taking my one-thousand dollars in preparing for court, though. M r. Kydd hoodwinked me into settling on 50/50 custody, which he knew was proscribed by the Parenting Act for high conflict cases. He knew my ex wife was categorically opposed to joint decision making. A study of the Washington State Parenting Act in 1999 concluded, Child development and post-divorce parenting experts agree that 50/50 or shared parenting arrangements are only appropriate where parents have good relations, and they can harm children where parental relations are conflicted. The Parenting Act limits these arrangements to where parental cooperation is high.” Mr. Kydd has no leg to stand on and his trial brief is a “smoking gun.” He never provided it to me until after I settled. He wrote all of the following in it: 1) [My ex] has lost no opportunity to abusively use and generate conflict in her dealing with [myself] to the clear detriment of their child’s welfare and best interests. 2) [My ex] was failing to consistently and adequately meet the needs and best interests of the parties child; She had pursued a haphazard approach to parenting related to supervision, discipline, health care and child safety issues, clearly placing the child at risk. These concerns have exacerbated over time. 3)The testimony will further demonstrate that [my ex] has consistently neglected [my son’s] health and well being. But the coup de grace for John Kydd’s credibility is found in his conclusion. He wrote, “Pursuant to 26.09.187(3) and 26.09.004, [I] should be named [my son’s] primary parent. This is not a case where the parties can continue to share an essentially joint parenting role. In the best interests of their son, [he] will function best in the primary care of the Father. Moreover, the degree of acrimony which exists between the parties makes joint decision-making impossible at the present time. The upshot of this “impossible” arrangement was catastrophic for all parties involved. Mr. Kydd deliberately enabled a parent he knew was unfit. He set up my ex wife for certain failure and she ended up destitute and homeless.