John N Kitta & Associates

Helpful staff and were willing to work with me on a payment plan.

Probably the last thing anyone wants to spend money on is an attorney. Sometimes, however, it’s necessary. When I was faced with divorce in 2002, I contacted John N. Kitta at the recommendation of a neighbor. Mr. Kitta ably represented in me in divorce proceedings in 2002 and again in a modification of support hearing in 2004.
Although representation was costly, it was money well spent. Mr. Kitta and his staff were responsive, timely, and professional. Mr. Kitta was direct and business-​like — and he explained the law clearly and concisely. His negotiation skills and strong advocacy on my behalf resulted in favorable outcomes, including tuition assistance for our son– something not required by California law.
Recently, I was served with a termination of support action and contacted Mr. Kitta for representation once again. Mr. Kitta no longer goes to court. However, he researched my case and conferred with his very capable associate, Mr. Robert Waligore, who took over my case. Mr. Waligore clearly, concisely and realistically assessed my options, focused on what was fair and equitable, estimated the costs of different courses of action, responded deftly to opposing counsel, and expertly argued my case both at settlement conference and at trial. We are awaiting the court’s decision. I am, of course, hoping for a favorable judgment. Regardless of the outcome, however, I am confident I received excellent representation from Mr. Waligore along with excellent service from the staff.

Just when I was about to lose all confidence with attorneys in particular and the California court system in general I was lucky enough to get in touch with John N. Kitta of John N. Kitta & Associates. If I told you that I met an attorney who understood that that the objective is to help people in need, not because of the almighty dollar, but because as a member of the bar he believed his initial obligation was ensuring justice you would probably think I was «drinking the Kool-​Aid.» Not so, a lawyer like this exists and I can prove it. I spoke with him and his name is John Kitta.
I recently experienced what could have turned into a significant legal issue and although I understood the substantive issues I was in desperate need of a procedural roadmap to combat a quintessential «legal bully.» Not only did John answer my inquiries with rapid speed, he provided perceptions of what the future might portend, spent time providing alternatives, and he actually provided moral help and shared similar stories to show me that the light at the end of the tunnel was not a train headed directly at me.
Within fifteen minutes of talking to John I went from what I thought was an underdog position to a position of confidence. If you have a personal injury, family law or business law issue get all the opinions you need and then call John. He is simply a competent, decent man.

BUYER BEWARE!
Please DO NOT make the same mistakes I did.
After being served with divorce papers, it became necessary for me to find an attorney on short notice. Not knowing any Bay Area lawyers, I paid a small fee for a referral, which unfortunately landed me in the hands of John N. Kitta.
I paid his $ 5,000 retainer on good faith without checking around further. The indifferent and disorganized representation I received over the next eleven weeks was almost beyond imagination.
As unprepared as Mr. Kitta demonstrated himself to be in offering competent legal advice, he proved extremely skilled at creative billing. When I later asked around while interviewing for a replacement attorney, the responses I heard from his peers were alarmingly uniform. Of the several I asked, some had not heard of him, but those who did were consistent in their shared negative opinions. Not one had anything positive to say about him. I strongly urge you to ask around yourself about John Kitta.
Luckily, I did find a highly skilled and honest attorney who helped me through the legal process for a small fraction of the fees Mr. Kitta attempted to extract. I also learned about the Mandatory Fee Arbitration Program set up by the California Bar Association to assist clients concerned about being over charged by their attorneys.
The arbitrator who handled our fee dispute, himself a family law attorney, found that only 5 of Mr. Kitta’s 23 entries for billable hours were appropriate. Most of the other 18 entries were found to be inflated 2 to 5 times more than reasonable, and 4 were thrown out in their entirety.
Mr. Kitta double-​billed for the same services, billed for services not rendered, billed for research not necessary to my case, billed attorney fees for services performed by less expensive assistants, and billed for unnecessary services. When I repeatedly asked him to clarify his bills, he refused. Instead, he advised that I would only incur more bills at his regular rate for any time spent clarifying. (This policy alone should give potential clients good reason to reconsider.)
Ultimately, it was found that, instead of owing thousands in additional fees as Mr. Kitta claimed, I was instead due a substantial refund. In his written opinion, the arbitrator regularly criticized not only Kitta’s billing practices, but also the legal services rendered. (If you’re interested, or if you doubt that I’m providing an accurate account, it’s now a matter of public record; Alameda County Fee Arbitration Case No.: 99 – 897.)
The comeuppance is that Mr. Kitta again demonstrated his respect for the legal system he claims to represent by subsequently stopping payment on the refund check he was ordered to pay.
Sadly, there appears to be no penalty system in place for attorneys like Kitta who regularly victimize their unsuspecting clients. He is practiced enough in his deceptions to know how much he can get away with before The California Bar has the jurisdiction to step in. But although it takes additional time and effort, at least there are resources such as the Fee Arbitration Program to help us after we’ve been cheated.
So PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do your homework before signing on with an attorney that you know very little about. There truly are good and honest ones out there — but you have to ask around.
(Finally, to avoid a frivolous defamation suit, I need to point out that while most statements made here are backed up by the public record cited above, any and all others should be viewed solely as my own opinions as his former client, offered here for your consideration.)

Called and asked for RE purchase contract question (not a very complicated one) consultation.
The secretary advised to write email and attach docs and sos I did.
Got to the point email reply from Mr. Kitta the next day. I’m most satisfied with the content of the reply.