Dara L. Marias
Attorney at Law
Dara has been a Nevada attorney since 1994, having obtained her Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work at the University of Southern California.. While at USC, Dara completed a 300-hour internship with the Los Angeles County Family Conciliation Court serving as a child custody mediator. She also designed a Co-Parenting Education program for divorcing families and co-facilitated their Contemptors Group Diversion Program. At graduation, Dara received the Gladys M. Salit Distinguished Student Award in recognition of the highest achievement academically, in field work, and in creative leadership in her class. She was also recognized by the L.A. County Bar for Outstanding Volunteer Service and 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.
Dara served as a judicial law clerk in Family Court and was later elected to the Nevada Bar Family Law Section Executive Council. As an Executive Council member, Dara 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.
From 1999-2021, Dara worked with businesses to oversee their employment, contract, corporate, and litigation needs and served as General Counsel for World Aviation Systems, Inc. and WASINC International. Additionally, Dara co-wrote two service-learning curriculum programs: Inspiring Community Advocates (Grades 3-5) and Inspiring Community Advocates-Leaders (High School) and served as the C.O.O. of EduGiveKids, LLC. In recognition of her extensive community service, Dara received the Summerlin Council Outstanding Volunteer Award and, most recently, was honored as the 2020 Nevada Mother of the Year™.
In January 2022, Dara returned to what she considers her vocation: empowering individuals and families to navigate divorce and emerge strong and healthy. Dara was privileged to join Kainen Law Group in June 2022 where her practice now focuses on holistic divorce mediation, co-parenting education, and helping clients develop emotion management, communication skills, and problem-solving strategies. Holistic divorce is aimed at not only addressing the legal aspects of divorce such as child custody, division of assets and debts, and support issues, but it also aims to enhance personal well-being and reduced conflict during and after the divorce process. In addition to her own clients, Dara is often called upon to work with clients in contested divorce litigation to assist with developing these skills to improve their litigated custody outcomes. Finally, Dara also partners with Kainen Law Group attorneys to provide additional litigation support on an as-needed basis.
