Reviews

If you want a warm and fuzzy attorney to coddle your emotions, John is not your guy. If that is what you are looking for, I suggest that you seek that out in a therapist. The court system is ugly, heart breaking and ridiculous at times. John is the logical and reasonable lawyer to hire to get you through the ugly system. He’s not cheap. You get what you pay for. I spent a fortune in attorney fees from 2014 to 2021 but I would spend every cent again fighting for the best interest of my children. John’s expertise, experience, knowledge and talent is worth it. The peace of mind going into the court room with John’s representation is priceless. He got me the best custody and visitation I could have asked for, within reason. My ex husband is a narcissistic con artist and John did not let him get away with it. Custody was my main focus and what I have no regrets spending everything I had on. If it is child support and spousal support you need representation on, he is also the attorney to hire because his skill, attention to detail and knowledge of the system is exactly what you need. I recommend John with the highest regard. It won’t be cheap and it won’t be easy but the result to protect your kids and self is worth it.

I have expert testimony that Gilligan committed fraud and overcharged me - by more than $1.2 million. During his 2018 deposition, John Gilligan admitted that BGD first became a legal partnership between Gilligan and Dockstader in 2016. This didn't stop him from filing fraudulent contract lawsuits against his former BGD "clients." For more info, see my Facebook group: Divorce Support Network. Contact me at DivSupNet@gmail for documents if you were also defrauded by Gilligan.

I originally hired John Gilligan as an expert witness in a lawsuit against my family law attorney who messed up my case and bankrupted me while giving my ex a multimillion dollar estate. John not only helped me recoup some of those losses, but he helped me enforce and collect on multiple child support court orders by filing writs that other "family law specialists" didn't know how to file. After being in the family law system for so long, John Gilligan is the only attorney I would recommend.

I hired John thinking i would get john in court, but never, I only received his underlings, I told him my ex was an attorney, he took my money and his underling spend more time navigating my ex through the divorce and therefore spending my money after i said he was not allowed to help my ex. my ex is not a divorce attorney but was acting as his own. Basically i learned he does not or will never go up against up against another.

Not a good experience for me at all. Fee's are outrageous and pile up with unnecessary communication and letter writing. He encouraged me to take "peanuts" as final deal or I could end up with nothing but I refused thank goodness. I took over at the end and worked my own deal for 3X more spousal and considerable more assets. I feel he became totally complacent to my needs as a client and when he should of fought gave up. If I would of took the deal he pushed at me and pressured me to sign life would be way different now. I refused to do so and ts from what I knew was entitled to me

ohn Gilligan represented me in my divorce. It was a very difficult case and we needed to go to trial. John did an incredible job in representing me against a very worthy opponent. Not only is John a superb advocate, he had what I was looking for and which most lawyers do not possess: kindness and wisdom. All I could say, is that he got me through a very difficult time in my life - and eased the burden both emotionally and financially. Thank you John! HD

I highly recommend John Gilligan as family law attorney from Brandmeyer, Gilligan & Dockstader, LLP. I found through this experience that Mr. Gilligan is definitely someone you can trust! The moment I entered his office to obtain legal representation for my custody case, Mr. Gilligan has been truly professional, understanding and supportive in such a difficult case in obtaining sole physical and legal custody of my two children ages 12 and 14. Throughout this very difficult ordeal, my children and I experienced a huge amount of emotional distress but having Mr. Gilligan as my attorney made all the difference, I felt confident and assured that the decision would be in our favor. I cannot emphasize how grateful I am to Mr. Gilligan and his staff for all the professional work done in my case. I have a huge sense of relief and peace knowing that my children are now safe under my care.

Before I met John Gilligan, I felt completely overwhelmed. I was fearful that my business savvy ex would walk all over me throughout the divorce process because of my lack of financial knowledge. John, and his amazingly responsive and diligent team, protected my best interests every step of the way. John made sure that all of my real estate and business assets were fairly valued and helped me to stay strong and fight for what is fair. I am extremely grateful for John's wisdom and tenacity for getting me through an incredibly difficult time. I am also especially thankful that we were able to avoid the stress of litigation by going through the collaborative divorce process, an area of John's expertise. I felt a lot safer knowing that my ex and I had agreed to work with our lawyers to reach a fair settlement without going to court.

I was referred to John Gilligan when I wanted to file for divorce in January 2013. Throughout the entire process John was very honest, timely, responsive, and always kept me up to date in the proceedings. All of these things added up to me feeling safe and taken care of as I went through one of the hardest times in my life. Beyond even the above factors, John helped me when I felt out of control with the process, directed me on how to handle custody and co-parenting problems that arose, and answered any and all questions that I had. All of this led to me having my children 80% of the time, getting a fair child support and spousal support judgement, and a wage assignment so that I didn't have to worry about financial abuse or how I was going to take care of my children. Although going through a divorce is rarely pleasant, John made the process the very best that it could be. I've recommended him to several acquaintances and I can't speak highly enough about his services and ability. Heidi

Mr. Gilligan and his office were extremely unprofessional, unresponsive, and rude. I had two attorneys on my case. Mr. Gilligan did not like my original attorney and attempted to keep all of the funds for himself. After I dismissed him and his law firm he continued to perform work even though a clear substitution of attorney was in place, and my original attorney was now the only attorney on the case. He is overpriced and certainly does not live up to his reputation unless you have hundreds of thousand of dollars.

Anyone experiencing legal issues regarding a dissolution of marriage, custody, child support and/or alimony, knows regardless of what part or end you play in the situation it is a difficult one. In my particular case, two of the four aforementioned legal issues were applicable and had to be resolved. During my initial consultation John Gilligan he was forthright and openly honest regarding my opportunities and risks. As it turn out we won on every issue relating to custody and child support, if winning is what you want to call it. My best advice is to be prepared with all supporting documentation to support your case. Any attorney is only as good as the information you provide them with, which will in turn give the attorney a basis for the best legal action and approach to the resolution. It will also save you money throughout the experience! John will control the controllable, but you must understand he cannot control the court calendar! Frankly, no one can, but the court. Remember, the opposition has the same problem! Unfortunately, that can cause unforeseen cost and expenses. Once again, John made me well aware of this issue too. There is a high probability that any projected cost you may consider will be more than anticipated. In addition, John will support you, but will emphasize not to use him as a therapist. Stay on point and remember he is there to go shoulder to shoulder with you in an effort to resolve your legal issues. John is an upfront and honest guy who will have you and your child(ren) best interest at the forefront of the resolution. Great attorney and firm!

I had several meetings with John before we filed. Each time I felt more assured and prepared. After being married 19 years, I wanted to exit my marriage with little fighting and haggling. John was so matter of fact and concise, he laid out the strategy and plan and allowed my three kids and myself to reach the finish line. I would be pleased and I have already recommended him to others.