The Men’s Legal Center
San Diego Family Law Attorneys
The Men’s Legal Center is a law firm comprised of San Diego family law attorneys who understand that the foundation of this type of legal practice is the people. This includes the people on our team and the people we serve. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to allow you to get to know the attorneys who have served countless clients in regards to their family law needs.
Craig A. Candelore
Gerald W. Hokstad
Francisco Batara
Melody Grover
Kristen Singh
Thomas Slattery
Kristin Schamel
Craig A. Candelore, CLS-F
Managing Attorney
Mr. Candelore is the founding attorney at the Men’s Legal Center, and he has been providing legal help to clients who have needed assistance in the area of family law for close to 40 years. Mr. Candelore earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree from West Point before earning a Master’s degree in System Management from the University of Southern California. Mr. Candelore earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law, where he graduated Cum Laude.
Mr. Candelore is a Certified Family Law Specialist and a professional mediator trained by National Conflict Resolution Center, San Diego.
Mr. Candelore served in the military, both active and reserves, ultimately earning the rank of Colonel from the United States Army. Mr. Candelore deployed on active duty overseas during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he received a Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge. Some of his duty assignments included working as a presidential level briefer, Regional Senior Law Enforcement and Anti-Terrorist Officer, stateside during and after 9-11; and Iraqi Police Development Project Officer, in Iraq. Mr. Candelore has also served as a translator for French and German at the United Nations. He enjoys writing books in his spare time.
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Gerald W. Hokstad, CLS-F
Senior Attorney
Mr. Hokstad has extensive family law and civil practice experience. He believes that his practice of law should be in pursuit of the truth for his clients in the California legal system. When possible Mr. Hokstad advocates mediation. People do have legitimate disagreements and both parties can have very valid reasons for their contentions and claims. The goal of mediation is to facilitate a meeting of the minds resulting in an agreement.
Mr. Hokstad has been married to his wife for 38 years and they have two adult sons. He likes to relax on the weekends by going fishing. He is an avid world-class fisherman. Mr. Hokstad attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA for his BS, Bethel Theological Seminary for his MA and he received his Juris Doctorate from Western State University.
Francisco Batara
Attorney
Mr. Batara is a native San Diegan. He was raised in Chula Vista and La Mesa and has a passion to help serve his local community. Mr. Batara graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He attended Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where he interned with the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office and volunteered with the Legal Aid of San Diego’s Unlawful Detainer clinic.
Mr. Batara believes that everyone should have access to the justice system and that all voices should be heard. Mr. Batara’s upbringing and background have given him the desire to help those in need of family law help. He understands firsthand the problems and the toll divorce and custody issues can have on children, for this reason, has dedicated his career to helping families find solutions.
Mr. Batara has two children, which give him great understanding of what clients go through in this difficult and emotional family law matters. He is fluent in Spanish, is an avid sports fan, loves the San Diego Padres, and enjoys spending quality time with his family.
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Melody Grover
Attorney
Melody Grover grew up in the California Bay Area prior to attending California State University, Sacramento. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. She obtained a Juris Doctorate from Lincoln Law School in Sacramento, California.
After graduation, Ms. Grover opened a law office in San Diego practicing criminal defense for close to 25 years. She joined Private Conflicts Counsel, and later the Office of Assigned Counsel. Ms. Grover tried many misdemeanor and felony cases, including three strikers and those facing life in prison without the possibility of parole. At the Men’s Legal Center, Ms. Grover’s focus is on representing clients in domestic violence and custody cases.
Domestic violence is often the dominant issue in dissolution and custody cases. Domestic violence claims occur simply to obtain an advantage in the custody of the children. Often these allegations have become a sword to use against another parent which affects their lives, employment, and the future of their children. If a domestic violence claim is true, Melody pursues those claims aggressively and has a party protected immediately.
In custody issues, Ms. Grover believes in fighting for what is in the best interest of the children. She knows that having both parents in their life will ultimately enrich the adult they grow into.
Melody’s favorite pastime is spending time with her 4 children, 3 grandchildren, and Siberian Husky as well as swimming. Her twins are seniors in high school, one a cheerleader and one a La Cross player. She enjoys attending their school events.
Kristen Singh
Attorney
Kristen Singh was born and raised in San Diego, California. After graduating high school, Ms. Singh attended San Diego State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. After graduating, Ms. Singh obtained her Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego.
Ms. Singh is an experienced Civil Litigation attorney and Family Law practitioner who is dedicated to strategically helping clients achieve their legal goals. Ms. Singh has successfully represented clients in a broad range of family law, personal injury, criminal law, bankruptcy law, and immigration law. Ms. Singh regularly appears in court and, as such, is able to offer her clients advice as to the preferences and tendencies of diverse judges. She is proficient in various areas of law and has the oral advocacy skills needed to represent her clients effectively and persuasively.
Ms. Singh is passionate about helping her clients navigate through somewhat stressful and confusing times. Understanding these expected disruptions, she strives for compassionate and effective legal representation to guide each client through the family law process.
In addition, as a dual citizen of Ireland, she is instilled with a sense of global relativism and unique international character. As a complement to Kristen’s extensive studies and real-world law experience, she has an enhanced understanding of the nuances that connect different sectors of society and help form the foundation of familial relationships. Ms. Singh’s experience serves as a testament to her dedication to the compassionate advocacy that is the hallmark of our practice at the Men’s Legal Center.
While a native of San Diego, her interest in world travel has taken her to over 23 countries throughout western, central, and eastern Europe.
Thomas Slattery
Attorney
Thomas Slattery has been a California attorney for 25 years. His background is as varied as it is intense. As well as practicing family law for much of his career, he is a former District Attorney and criminal defense lawyer, and qualified to practice in more than 35 foreign countries, including his native England. He has honed and refined his skills in the courtroom and at the negotiating table during decades of dedicated and determined advocacy on behalf of his clients, whether individuals or the people of California. Given Mr. Slattery’s criminal prosecution and defense background, he is a functional expert in Family Court Domestic Violence and Misdemeanor and Felony Domestic Violence cross-over issues. Mr. Slattery operates on the principle that compassion and understanding are as important as legal acumen and strives to provide whomever he represents with peace of mind and confidence while delivering the best possible results.
Kristin Schamel
Attorney
Kristin Schamel, a proud Chicago native and wife to a retired U.S. Marine, has been a practicing attorney since 1998. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois, where she earned her Bachelors degree, and went on to attend Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles, where she undertook a rigorous 2-year, year-round course of study to earn her law degree in Southwestern’s innovative SCALE program. Ms. Schamel lived in San Diego and practiced in the areas of employment, civil rights, and class action law until her husband’s military retirement. She then relocated to the picturesque Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and spent over a decade teaching business law and paralegal studies at SUNY Corning, while also working in an Estate Planning law firm as she raised her family.
In 2018, Ms. Schamel attended Harvard University Law School’s Negotiation Institute and gained international certification as a Mediator. She also completed nearly 100 hours of additional training at the New York Peace Institute to obtain state certification as a Divorce Mediator, Special Education Mediator, and Conflict Coach. She expanded her practice to include services as a private divorce mediator, and has mediated numerous business, employment, estate, and special education disputes since that time. In addition, she volunteers her time as a community and parent planning mediator for her local Community Dispute Resolution Center as an affiliate member of the New York State Dispute Resolution Association, as well as volunteering as a Parent Advocate for families with special needs children to secure appropriate special education services.
An avid traveler, Ms. Schamel has visited all 50 states, Central and South America, most of Europe, parts of Asia, with Australia and Antarctica remaining on her bucket-list itinerary. She has hiked the Camino de Santiago across France and Portugal to Spain, with plans to complete a third Camino in 2026. When she can be tracked down, she will likely be found enjoying time with her family, including an unspecified number of disreputable rescue cats and a pair of Irish Wolfhounds, with her beloved Chicago Cubs or Bears playing in the background.
Ms. Schamel has returned to San Diego to enjoy the milder winters, and brings years of experience both as a lawyer and mediator to Men’s Legal Center> Her aim is to help clients and their families meet the challenges of divorce with fortitude, and to ease through the transition to post marital life with grace, compassion, and a healthy sense of humor.
How San Diego Family Law Attorneys Can Help
If you are facing the prospect of ending a marriage or any other family law-related issue, you need to seek the help of the San Diego family law attorneys at the Men’s Legal Center as soon as possible. Contact the firm now to schedule an initial consultation so that you can be sure that your rights are being protected.
