Reviews

I have had the lucky chance of having Jennifer mentor me concerning my own case, with the corrupted Court-Appointed system in Los Angeles County and am very glad to see how she is effective with her 388 petitions arguing for the return of children to parents. She uses the Constitution, which is very rare for many attorneys, to validate laws before the court and will call DCFS out on their game. She is NOT an attorney that will let DCFS run all over you. That is a fact as i have had 9 attorneys and hope this is my last.

I am pleased to write a review for Jen Ani, my family's attorney in what was an incredibly complicated dependency court case. I came to know Ms. Ani in February 2014 after my children were removed from my care. Our involvement with CPS began with their troubled father and domestic violence. We managed to do as much as we could to keep him away, including a restraining order. But living in rural West Marin County was difficult in its geographical isolation, as well as its notoriously high rental prices, low employment opportunities, and limited childcare. Yet, we did not have the money to move either. Without family in the area, we were really struggling. On top of the dire circumstances, I have struggled with depression and anxiety since I was a teen. Mental health is very overlooked by child welfare workers, the court system and much of society, and when it is micromanaged by social workers in Child Protective Services it is incredibly frustrating. Jennifer Ani acknowledged my mental health by reaching out to my doctors and providers and sought their professional advice and opinions. She was also sensitive to it as we moved forward in our case. Her encouragement and urging me forward when all hope seemed lost was paramount in our relationship. She was not my first attorney. I had been dealing with half-hearted public defenders who were unwilling to look at all sides of my case and see my family as the strong bonded unit that we were. Instead we had been treated like a case number, and I was treated punitively and shamefully by many in the legal system. Ms. Ani on the other hand, looked at and treated me as a woman and mother, with dignity and respect. She examined thoroughly, my children and my past and present circumstances and took the time to learn about our family. With her vast working knowledge of the law, she was able to counsel us based on her taking time to know us, and thus deciding what would be the best strategy. She was always straightforward, realistic and incredibly honest when devising a plan. She knew both my limitations and my strengths. She was able to help our family by keeping their well-being at the forefront of the plan. Her legal advice was sound and based on best practice. If not for her loyalty as a family and her competency as a specialist in family law, our family would not be reunited as it is today. Today, with Ms. Ani and my successful filing of a 388 petition, I have my children back. One unique aspect of my case is that my children became very close to their foster parents. And since they have returned we have maintained continuous contact with the foster parents with weekend visits and family outings. They have become our extended family and my daughters have so benefited from this arrangement. Ms. Ani facilitated this arrangement and it has exceeded all of our expectations. Jennifer Ani has an intuitive and deep understanding of the meaning of family. We went from a single mother family to a three parent family, all with Ms. Ani's suggestion and help! I highly recommend Jennifer Ani to anyone looking for quality representation in a family law/dependency case. She has strong ethical standards and is always willing to fight for children and family's rights. Her reputation is outstanding and her knowledge of the law and personal insight into our family's situation enabled our family to be reunited. I have so much respect and gratitude for this amazing woman, fighter, lawyer and advocate!

We have adopted kids. Adopted kids have their own histories of being in difficult situations before they are adopted, and sometimes act out through role playing as a result of their early childhood experiences. Our kids did this, and one of them spoke about it in school which led to a CPS investigation. Although the investigator said she "completely understands" our situation, she didn't know what her supervisor would do. CPS did not tell us what they had in mind, we found out when Jennifer got the police report for us. CPS decided to push for a prosecution of the older child, who was abused in the birth home and acting out, and to push for a charge of parental neglect against us for not reporting the incident to the police. We were floored! The two children both willingly engaged in the activity, it only happened twice in two years, and the kids are still like any other siblings who fight sometimes, and get along just fine most of the time. Jennifer was ready to fight it out in court! She said this was one of the most ridiculous cases she has seen, and she counseled us in negotiating a settlement without exposing our kids to the intimidating process of going to trial. She is someone you can talk with on a personal level. Thank you Jennifer!

Jennifer Ani is a top-notch attorney. In a situation where I was in danger of losing my kids, she was able to turn my case around and help me earn the recommendation of the mediator. In trial, she was nails. I couldn't ask for a better attorney.

Jennifer Ani is a forceful and stimulating writer- unambiguous and witty. In the courtroom she is tactful, remaining assertive while maintaining respect. Jennifer is always prepared with a strategy, but be flexible because she also thinks on her feet. Also, if you insist that things have to be a certain way, she will let you call the shots. In my case, we worked together on everything. My case was dismissed. In retrospect I realize that except for the gory details of a grueling battle, the outcome of my case was exactly what she described the first day I spoke with her, and I was right to trust her.

I can't say enough about Jennifer Ani. I have one of the most complicated and lengthy custody disputes. From family court to dependency court. Police involvement, DCFS, therapist you name it. Ms. Ani has been beyond professional and her knowledge in the area child custody, family law, dependency is unbelievable. I had my ups and downs with ms. Ani and sometimes questioned myself if she is the right attorney and if she is really fighting for what's important to me. Time has shown me that not only she is compassionate and extremely engaged in her cases, she fights with the right tools. I had to learn to trust her methods and I am beyond satisfied with the results.

It is my pleasure to have met Jennifer Ani. Her experience of the dependency and family courts is second to none. What sets her above other attorneys is the fact that she neither waivers, negotiates or folds when it comes to defending her clients interests, regardless of the opposition. This in itself is such a rare find as many unfortunately have come to discover. When you need a watch dog, you don't choose a Maltese, you choose a Pitbull, who fights till the end.In the same way if you are in jeopardy of losing your children, Jennifer Ani is a Pitbull!

Jen is a force to be reckoned with. She got my case dismissed in a dcfs matter with in the first hearing. In a world where there are many attorneys who will take your money and sell you out Jen will fight for your family like no other.