Reviews

Zach Markham at AWD law was amazing. He and Ann helped me through a very challenging divorce. They were available, kept me focused on what I needed to do to be successful, highly competent, had my best interests in mind, treated me with kindness and respect, had my back, and helped me keep costs down as much as possible. They helped keep me out of a costly courtroom and settle amicably. I feel very grateful to have been represented by Zach and feel the positive outcome is owed greatly due to his hard work. Thank you Zach and thank you Ann… I appreciate you so much.

Divorce is heart-wrenching, time consuming, emotional and scary. In my case, a lawyer was essential. I am so glad I made the right choice with Zach Markham at Aspey, Watkins and DIesel in Flagstaff. I am a real person, resident of Flagstaff for nearly 8 years, married for four years. Arizona’s community property laws are confusing and frankly put those who provide the majority of the household income at a serious disadvantage. I was right there on the wrong end of the situation. Zach genuinely understood what i was going through and the financial pressure I was under. Being a local attorney, Zach knows the court system here because he is local and has been practicing in this area for many years. I believe that local experience made a big difference in this case. Although my divorce was fairly simple, there was a real risk I could lose my Flagstaff home and my ex was making serious demands. AWD Law has the same resources as an expensive Phoenix law firm. This includes CPA and legal Paraprofessional Jenny Staskey, who was able to provide forensic accounting service to deliver the defensible evidence regarding marital assets so I could make a fair offer. In the end the case didn’t wind up going to court as we settled after a few hours of tough negotiation. I am very grateful to Zach and his team for bringing this matter to a close quickly, and efficiently. The cost was fair, and could have been much worse if we weren’t so well prepared for the settlement conference. Zach’s advice was consistently right. I highly recommend AWD Law.

The representation I received from Mike and Cait did not meet my expectations. It’s been a few months since I’ve accepted a plea deal that I feel like I was pressured into. My case was said to be very strong and straight forward in my favor. I spoke to an attorney and was made to feel very confident in hiring said firm and paid my retainer fee up front of 3,000$. My attorney gathered up all of the information that was available and I thought I was in good hands. Time passes and my hearing is getting closer, my attorney gives me a call and says I’ve been offered a plea deal and it was presented to me so grandly like it was super rare and practically Scott free. I was initially excited until I did my own research and reached out and expressed I wasn’t fully comfortable accepting it after all. The tone immediately changed and it felt as though my attorney was immediately frustrated with me not wanting to accept, and after multiple calls it was apparent I was a head ache but I out right apologized for not being familiar with legal terms and what a plea deal entices. But in the end I was very poorly explained what accepting a plea deal meant. The hearing comes , but the night before my attorney calls and says that she won’t be there because she is busy and will substitute another attorney in. She had mentioned he would be there early because I still had uncertainty and we could discuss it. But the day of Mike arrives late, bushy hair and wrinkly clothes and very unorganized. He skims the report and also brings a copy of the plea and once again makes it out to be the better option. I express once again I’m not comfortable with the plea and he asks the judge to postpone which we did. Once again I say I would prefer a trial and I was told okay a trial it is Mike and Cait both said they were confident in a trial. A short time passes and they call me into their office in person to reconsider the plea deal. Once again they say it’s practically a guarantee and it’ll save me so much money and how a trial should be avoided and they kept saying how not just anyone gets my plea deal and I only had received it because I have no criminal record and no history of causing any trouble and because the accusations against me held little to no weight. Every time I expressed I’d prefer a trial they’d promote the plea and finish each sentence with “but it’s up to you”. I later found out the person I had accusations against with solid evidence and testimonies had received the exact same plea deal and that individual indeed does have a brief criminal record and a history of similar incidents. I eventually accepted the plea deal, and that was the key for them to stop reaching out to me. I did not hear from them anymore till the hearing and after that I was sent on my way. Reflecting on it now I still would have preferred a trial, I’m still very confident in my truth and my case. I paid 3,000$ but definitely did not receive 3,000$ worth of representation. My case was treated with little to no urgency. Since then I still had to pay court fees because obviously accepting a plea isn’t free, cheaper than a trial but not free. And I had to do a drug and alcohol screening which was uncomfortable because I don’t associate with neither at all. And now I got to complete counseling twice a week with multiple months still remaining to fulfill for my plea deal. Counseling isn’t cheap, it costs money for each session and I’ve had to miss work to attend the screenings. I have a full time job , 2 children and am in school so adding counseling to my schedule was nearly impossible but I have to make it work. It’s upsetting because I could have just accepted a plea deal myself for free. I do not belong in jail or counseling, nor do I deserve to be on probation for 9 months all while paying for my “treatment” out of pocket. But nearly 4,000$ later apparently Aspey Watkins says otherwise. In the long run accepting a trial may have costed less and would have saved so much of my time. That is my experience with the Aspey Watkins firm. I do not recommend at all.

I was required to hire'An Attorney'.. thru a mutual acquaintance, I found "Aspey, Watkins & Diesel". My Attorney, Dr. Zachary Markham, handled my matter with utmost professionalism, integrity and diligence. I easily defeated my opponent. I would hire this firm again, should any legal matter arise. You can TRUST Aspey, Watkins, Diesel AND Markam.,

Zach Markham and his team has been a life saver for me. 33 years of marriage and to get divorced is the hardest thing I have ever gone thru. I'm not divorced as of yet thanks to Zach and his patience.

Markham was more than a professional he became a friend. Always made me feel listened to and cared for my issues in my custody case. I appreciate all the efforts made! If you are ever in a situation would hands down recommend awd law!

She helped me get my money back fast with just an email. She does great work!

I cannot say enough good about my experience with Jennifer Staskey representing me in a divorce . Her knowledge, skills and overwhelming ability to help me feel confident made such a difference in this difficult time. She is very personable, confident, and efficient. The entire staff there have also been excellent to deal with. She comes with my highest respect. I would recommend her to anyone with highest remarks.

KATHRYN MAHADY and EMMA PERKINS.....THANK YOU! THANK YOU! AWD is the VERY BEST! Kathryn Mahady, and her legal assistant Emma Perkins could not be more thorough, efficient and beyond kind. If you need legal guidance, AWD is where you will find it!

From start to finish all my questions and concerns were answered in a professional and timely manner. Definitely recommend.

Jenny Staskey was very organized and extremely patient in helping me understand the divorce process. Her decades of experience as a CPA facilitated the extensive gathering of financial information, and later, the visualization of the division of assets into a clear equalization spreadsheet. She and her efficient supportive staff really helped me navigate these challenging times. To top it off, Jenny is caring and compassionate, which made me feel even more grateful for her counsel and better equipped to face this new chapter in my life. Thank you Jenny and the whole AWD team! Most sincerely, Michele