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Meredith Gilbert Lewis
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4.5
Avvo rating
13 Reviews
5.0
Google reviews rating
1 Reviews
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Cons
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31 Dec, 2023 by Anonymous
Meredith was my attorney during a long and expensive case with a high conflict spouse. I had never been involved in a legal case before my divorce. I interviewed eight attorneys, and Meredith was one of the most expensive. However, I liked her, and in the beginning I was hopeful for an amicable divorce. That hope quickly evaporated and I found myself engulfed in a case where my spouse and his attorney would manipulate the legal system and outright lie to intimidate me. They didn't cooperate with turning over documents. It was a case that cost well over six figures, just my portion alone.
Meredith is responsive and far from lazy. She kept me aware of what was going on and responded quickly to email. I was constantly threatened by my spouse and living in an intensely emotionally abusive environment for both me and my child, and receiving a quick response meant a great deal to me and kept me sane. I still appreciate her for this.
I wanted to file for temporary support immediately, when it became obvious mediation wouldn't work. She delayed filing temporary support, and it opened the door to me being financially cut off. This turned my case in a very bad direction that resulted in litigation.
High conflict people hire attorneys who are sharks because they look at the case black and white and want the other party, no matter who it is or the circumstances, to have nothing. The last attorney my ex-spouse hired came to mediation prepared. She effectively used leverage to get a better deal for her client and to intimidate me. She threatened and was sharp tongued. I wanted to be defended the same way. I was in constant angst and knew, at one point, I wasn't represented that way. I couldn't get another attorney because of funds. I did not feel prepared for mediation or the abrasiveness of the private judge Meredith recommended, who although effective in settling the case, was unnecessarily rude.
I was in a long marriage to a high earner. I did not get a good settlement. This has been confirmed by another attorney who was surprised at how stacked the deal was in my spouses favor for the length of marriage and our income, and how little my support was overall. I thought I should always take my attorneys advice. They're the expert, right? That's what I'm paying them for, right? I've also had a women who works in finance specifically with divorced women, tell me I should have done better. As she said, "I would have at least wanted my attorney fees paid."
No one should pay nearly $1,000 an hour to have their attorney and forensic accountant attend mediation and be led by them to believe, "Hey, this is good enough." I found myself defending my position with the private judge throughout the very long mediation. It seemed it was a matter of taking what was on offer. Period.
I am sharing my personal experience if it can help someone else, but others may have a different experience with her office. In the end, I was disillusioned and felt my fear had been exploited to some extent. It's been a long time since my mediation, and I can say, it's hard to live with the consequences. Don't abdicate your decision making and don't throw in the towel, no matter how exhausted.
You may also benefit from a larger firm to handle a high conflict case. This is a small office.
17 Mar, 2021 by Anonymous
Meredith is professional and caring. She has a deep and accessible knowledge of the law and is sharply accurate with numbers. One of the many things I appreciated about her was her stance on unnecessary drama from opposition. Her sound advice to deal directly with real legal matters and not engage with baseless accusation or matters that a court would not hear was fantastic. She forfeited thousands of dollars in billable hours by guiding me in this way. She is great at sticking to the big picture and fighting for what is legally possible. While my ex was being billed plenty of hours for calls and emails on things he and his representation (Procopio) crafted up to cause strife and stalling (and billable hours), Meredith paved the way forward in a contentious divorce by dealing solely with true legal matters. She was kind in her explanations about what a court would or would not get involved with. Meredith is a sound, respectable, excellent choice for representation. She is money well spent.
15 Mar, 2021 by Dj
My ex and I decided to mediate our divorce, but it involved some very complicated financial questions/issues. I sought an attorney who was experienced in the court room, should we end up in litigation, but one who also understood how to mediate to help avoid litigation. Further, I needed an attorney who could quickly comprehend complex finances so as to ensure a fair settlement. I received a few referrals, but Meredith stood out as most qualified and she did an excellent job. She really knows the law and even, on a couple of occasions, had to correct and educate the mediator on the law, but in a kind and professional way. I was very impressed. I highly recommend Meredith.
12 Mar, 2021 by Anita
Meredith Lewis is not only an expert in the law, she's a highly skilled negotiator - and when that fails, an excellent litigator. Unfortunately, my ex and I went through three failed mediations, the last one with Meredith. At that last mediation, the commissioner who heard our case acknowledged that Meredith had prepared and presented a very good case. Most of the work was done for trial, and to trial we went. My ex was unhappy with the court's decision, and threatened to appeal. I consulted with the top family law appeals attorney in San Diego, and he affirmed that Meredith did an excellent job.
Not only was I confident in her expertise throughout the entire agonising process, I was treated like a person - not just a client or a case.
Highly recommended.
12 Mar, 2021 by Estee
Meredith Lewis is fair, caring, relentless and brilliant. Her knowledge of family law is thorough and she is quick in retrieving the details she needs. I feel fortunate to have met her and made and knoe I've made the right decision to hire her, after interviewing other attorneys.
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12 Nov, 2014 by Robert
She's kept me well informed .Has-been there every step of the way for me fighting hard for me . Sticking to principles and ethics at the same time which are very important to me . And the ladies at the office Jody and Rihanna and the rest of the girls will be there to help you every step of the way also. Truly a team effort !
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27 Aug, 2014 by Jp - san diego
My spouse and I did a mediated divorce with another attorney. A year later, my ex-spouse hauled me back to court for what was essentially a divorce "do-over". Julie and another attorney (at a different firm) were recommended to me by someone in the legal profession. I interviewed the other attorney and Julie Mack. For my situation, Julie Mack was a better fit. She provided me with excellent advice and guidance on how to move forward in a stressful, and contested situation, while being rational with a long range view. She was also efficient, and did not bill me for excessive hours.
In the first consult with Julie, I was very clear in stating I did not have significant $$$ to spend on this round two litigation as I was still paying off the mediation attorney fees. As result, she was clear that I needed to as much work as possible, and it was my job to provide her with clearly organized and concise information about my case, so that she did not need to spend excess time doing research, or doing back and forth questons/phone calls, emails with me, and bill me at lawyer rates. She put ME to work with clear directives as to what she needed. As result, this kept the billings down, and I feel I got my $$$ worth from her.
My over-all impression is that she is a rational lawyer, not a shark out to rake your spouse over the coals, or milk your bank-account. Her advise was spot-on, and her knowledge of California divorce law, and the bias of the local court, excellent. Most important, she helped to lower my stress levels throughout the process, and helped to craft an agreement that I was happy with, and remain happy with years later.
In my divorce I worked with 4 attorneys. In this round two, I interviewed Julie and one other attorney. If I had it all to do over again, I would have hired Julie outright in round one. In contrast to the negative review here, the crafted round two agreement is water-tight, clear, and correct. If you are not out for blood, but want to craft an agreement you can live with for the rest of your life and look yourself in the mirror (and your children in the eye), I highly recommend Julie Mack.
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04 Dec, 2013 by Andrew
Julie has been our lawyer for nearly a decade after we had a bad first-time experience with another family law attorney. She is very fair and very understanding. She takes her clients' matters to heart as does her staff. Her goal is in the best interest of the children, which is what a GOOD family law attorney strives for. After we moved up to Riverside County, we were going to transfer the child custody case up there but decided against it just so we could retain her services in San Diego.
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21 Jul, 2023 by Reymond vazquez
02 Apr, 2023 by Willliam stein
Harley is the best! He really helped us through some tough times. Always available when I had a question. Patiently walked us through each step. So glad we went with Harley.
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03 Dec, 2022 by Henry matting
The overall process with Harley was smooth, despite the normal pains of filing for bankruptcy.
I’d imagine for most going through a difficult situation such as a bankruptcy that it’s important who you choose to represent you.
Harley was transparent, easy to get in contact with consistently, and an all around professional. I ended up speaking with a few attorneys and he seemed to explain most of the more varied legal talk in easy to understand plain English.
Not only that but he charged a very reasonable price and was even willing to work with me when I told him I had been offered a lower price from someone who didn’t seem as competent as he after speaking with them.
My only regret was not calling him sooner.. LOL.. seriously..
After speaking with him and learning the law, I found out that you are allowed to have up to 30K that’s exempt in most cases. Would have saved me quite a bit had I not used that trying to pay down my debt and those crazy rates.
If you want someone straightforward & no nonsense, I’d recommend him to friends and family.
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