Biography

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Practice Areas

Dara Marias oversees Kainen Law Group's Holistic Divorce practice.  Ms. Marias' practice includes three areas: (1) amicable divorce representation, (2) divorce mediation, and (3) holistic divorce education. As a vetted and approved member of the Amicable Divorce Network, Ms. Marias provides non-litigated divorce representation to clients who, together with their spouses, seek to resolve all their divorce issues outside of the court system. Ms. Marias is also Nevada's only Certified Advanced Practitioner with the Academy of Professional Family Mediators. In this capacity, Ms. Marias serves as a neutral mediator to assist divorcing couples reach an uncontested divorce by resolving all of their divorce issues through mediation. Lastly, Ms. Marias offers education on co-parenting, emotion management, communication skills, and problem-solving strategies. 

Education and Family Law Background

Ms. Marias joined the Nevada Bar in 1994 after graduating with a Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California. Prior to attending USC, Ms. Marias graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Ms. Marias has an extensive background in family law, mediation, and social-emotional skill development.  She served as a judicial law clerk in Family Court, Department E, and was later elected to the Family Law Section’s Executive Council of the Nevada Bar where she was instrumental in developing the Nuts and Bolts of Family Law and authored "Mediation and the Role of the Attorney" for the Nevada Family Law Report. She also facilitated the Contemnor Diversion Program for the Family Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court and has written extensively on co-parent education. 

Specialized Training

Ms. Marias received basic and advanced mediation training from the Los Angeles Superior Court Conciliation and Mediation Services (where she completed a 300-hour internship as a child custody mediator) as well as from the Eighth Judicial District Court’s Family Mediation Center and the Mosten-Guthrie Academy for Mediation and Collaborative Training. Finally, Ms. Marias has co-authored social emotional and service-learning curriculum for high school and elementary students and taught these skills to CCSD students for twelve years.

Awards

Ms. Marias received the Distinguished Student Award for the highest achievement in academics, field work, and creative leadership while at USC.  The Los Angeles County Bar commended Ms. Marias for Outstanding Volunteer Service, and Ms. Marias also received the Wiley M. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services from the State Bar of California for her work at the Maynard Toll Family Law Clinic. In recognition of her extensive community outreach in Las Vegas, Ms. Marias received the Summerlin Council Outstanding Volunteer Award, a Proclamation from the Clark County Commission, and most recently, she was honored as the 2020 Nevada Mother of the Year™.

Philosophy

Whether serving as an amicable divorce advocate, mediator, or educator, Ms. Marias works to enhance the well-being of people and help them divorce in an amicable, efficient, and supported manner without going to court. In the process, she strives to empower clients to navigate their divorce with emotional agility, develop new ways of interacting, and ultimately help people thrive in their post-divorce lives.