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22 Aug, 2024 by Scott johnson
21 Aug, 2024 by Laís titton
If you are looking for a a well stablished law firm in Crystal Lake and/or McHenry County area, I highly recommend BGL. The attorneys are extremely professional and the staff is amazing, always a pleasure to work with them!
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12 Aug, 2024 by Bernabe aguilar
22 Aug, 2024 by Scott johnson
21 Aug, 2024 by Laís titton
If you are looking for a a well stablished law firm in Crystal Lake and/or McHenry County area, I highly recommend BGL. The attorneys are extremely professional and the staff is amazing, always a pleasure to work with them!
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12 Aug, 2024 by Bernabe aguilar
09 Dec, 2014 by Liz
Hired Rich to handle a case for my wife as her brother passed! He will not return calls or emails have left numerous messages and emails with no response ! this is unreal for he's been paid up front sure wish he would at less call and tell us he is busy, sorry ,doesn't want to handle case,or something
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03 Mar, 2013 by Amy
Rich helped me when my ex took me back to court for a second time. I SOOOOOO wish I had known Rich the first time around! Rich was amazing at making me understand the process, understand what my rights were and what I wasn't entitled to and did a fantastic job and fighting for me for what was right!!! If you're looking for a true consultant in a divorce case, Rich is your man!
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08 Feb, 2013 by Amy
I've been in the real estate business for 11 years and have used Rich for the last 7...it would have been 11 years if I'd met him earlier! He's the ONLY attorney I recommend for my clients. He has a strong knowledge of the real estate industry. He's an advocate for his clients...and that is the best quality you can ask for in any attorney! He fights for what's right and is open, honest and realistic with his clients. He's available whenever I need him...literally. I used to joke that you'll only hear from attorneys from 9-5 Monday through Friday...but Rich does whatever it takes to get the job done for the client. He's communicated with me on weekends, after hours...whenever I needed him!
If you're looking for a real estate attorney, Rich is the ONLY attorney you should call!!!
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02 Feb, 2024 by Andrew lopez
They were all very responsive while I was trying to sell my home! Was very glad I took the recommendation, made selling my home in Chicago a breeze! Thank you!
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05 Apr, 2023 by Jennifer g
After closing on my condo, I had a couple of simple questions. The paralegal told me that since I have already closed, they wouldn't help me. That's funny because the attorney I used for my first home was helpful for questions I had after closing. I would have even been wiling to pay a small fee. I found the information I needed, but I need an attorney to interpret the language for me. I definitely won't use them again. I only used them as a recommendation from a friend.
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21 Feb, 2023 by Hector galvan
I am happy to post that my experience was absolutely great. My wife and I closed our first home together with Brian. He was informative and understanding when it came to all of our doubts. In addition, his team was extremely helpful, especially when it came to last-minute details on closing day.
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08 May, 2024 by Donna ellis
Annie was so personable and professional
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15 Apr, 2024 by Paul lagerquist
Matt did a fantastic job on my closing. Communication was both prompt and efficient. Explanations regarding contractual issues were clearly explained. It was definitely a seamless process. Nicely done Matt!
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28 Dec, 2023 by Tanner fehring
Matt was wonderful and made the experience very easy. We appreciate the direct answers and very well-informed info he shared along the way. I would recommend him. Great price also.
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03 May, 2024 by Ne on g
Always helpful. I had another lawyer that really screwed me over. She picked up the pieces that were done wrong. 1000 percent pick her!
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01 May, 2024 by Brice c
04 Apr, 2024 by Ann gajdur
Chris Haaff is a very responsible lawyer. He took his time to explain everything very carefully. He always responded to my emails and phone calls promptly. He finished my case in a timely manner. I would highly recommend him.
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06 Jul, 2020 by Anonymous
she is knowledgeable. but will only help if she thinks when will make tons of money from you. Had to hire her to help me stop my ex wife broke the parenting agreement. only saw her in person once. never even went to court. Had very little contact with her and somehow she went through the whole retainer in like a 2 week period where i only talked to her maybe 3 times.. so if you are going through a divorce expect to pay roughly 1500 every two weeks and trust that she using her time the way she said she was. but it was what ever 1500 i got my kid off the meds so it was worth it to me at the time this time I went to hire her again cause the ex wife decided to break the parenting agreement and and try to remove the kids to another school 38 miles away. Carols first response was full custody is going to be a lot of money and she recalled i didn't have a ton. well Ive been saving sense the last time i needed her cause i knew it was a matter of time before I would have to go back to court. first off I never told her I wanted full custody i just didnt want my kids to be taking away from me. its 50/50 right now and by going to a new school i would loose that and barely see my kids. I told Carol I I was concerned cause she didnt seemed involve even after i just dropped off a 3000 dollar check and I wanted her to meet my kids so she knew what i was fighting for and I want a lawyer that is passionate about helping kids more than they are about making a lot of money. Not too much to ask for when searching for a FAMILY attorney. She immediately responded that she didn't think we were a good fit. I agreed. So if you want an attorney that actually cares about what they are doing and not treat you like you're a cookie cutter client then you should look elsewhere.
update: This woman deposited the retainer check before I signed an agreement and She told me she would refund my money "once the check clears" but i decided to put a stop check in just in case she wanted to hold it preventing me from hiring a new one or have to wait. I figured if the check clears she would send me a refund or the stop check would take place before it even cleared and i would just be done with her. She asked me a few days after if I wanted "my check" sent by mail or I could pick it up. thinking she meant the check I actually wrote her I said mail it. Like a week later she accused me of trying to steal 3000 from her cause she never checked to see if my check cleared and she was going to send me a refund check of 3000 dollars. You telling me this woman can even check to see if a check clear before sending a refund and then accuse you of trying to steal from her. How using her ignorance against her? This is not the woman you want handling your case if your family is on the line.
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21 Oct, 2015 by Leigh
Carol is the most reliable, professional lawyer there is. She isn't gonna feed you a bunch of garbage you wanna hear, it's the truth according to the law and that's that. She has helped both my husband and I with ex-spouses and we have both been very successful in our cases with her representation. She is a rare find in the lawyer department!
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22 Nov, 2014 by Linda
Carol has represented me during a difficult divorce and child custody case and subsequently retirement benefits division with my ex-spouse. She has been knowledgeable, practical, supportive and helped me gain the best results possible. She has also helped some of my friends with divorces after I recommended her and they have all been very grateful for her diligent defense, experience and caring attitude to her clients. I give her my highest recommendation.
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12 Mar, 2018 by Gary
I hired Chuck to go over contracts with me during a house closing. He went over every page in each document and explained everything in detail. He was very helpful and made sure I was comfortable at every step. He made a very stressful experience more relaxing and enjoyable. He was very knowledgeable with real estate contracts and very flexible with scheduling. This was my first home buying experience and I couldn’t imagine it going better!
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02 Feb, 2018 by Bob
Chuck was really on his client's side, and does not back down. I have found that he brings a lot of energy to resolving his client's conflicts. He has good common sense, and does not waste any time getting to the heart of the matter. He is a straight shooter.
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06 Jul, 2016 by Ann
Mr. Charles Dunlop represented me in a contested probate matter. He was terrific! He returned my phone calls promptly and answered all of my questions. His knowledge of the law was outstanding. I highly recommend Mr. Dunlop.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Brad garman
absolutely horrible, she did nothing for me except quit the day before that last court date. took my money and ran. Now Im completely screwed. DO NOT HIRE
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08 Jul, 2024 by Robert
08 Jul, 2024 by Diane h
Cynthia was professional, patient, understanding, and successful in advocating for me throughout the process of my divorce. She knows the law well and what the judge considers in court. I appreciated her efficiency, quality of work, and consideration of my time and finances. Cynthia was recommended to me by a friend, and I would have no qualms to do the same for someone looking for a high value, high quality lawyer.
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06 Apr, 2024 by Dawn wooten
Steve is very knowledgeable and always very helpful.
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28 Jun, 2023 by Jack irwin
He is the best lawyer I have ever known.
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17 Jun, 2023 by Jerry kennedy
27 Apr, 2022 by Brandy hertel
Professional yet easy to work with and reasonably priced private investigator. Recommend Martin Coonen highly.
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11 Apr, 2019 by A n
Simple, unassuming, but functional law office. The attorney I spoke with was compassionate and seemed skillful. L
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09 Sep, 2017 by Heidi anderson
He was appointed as a mediator in a child custody case. And both parents were at fault of many things, but thought he is god. He can't see when children have been brainwashed by one parent.
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29 Jun, 2024 by Sbeurkwv behxidkq
He took the payment to get a divorce done. FOUR months later he comes back and states that he is referring the case to another attorney. DO NOT WASTE your time with this guy. He does not follow up, he does not keep you notified as to where things are in the process and is terrible at returning your email requests and phone calls.
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20 Nov, 2022 by Emma valerius
20 May, 2022 by Shawn good
23 Aug, 2024 by Stephany martinez
I wish Google would let you leave zero or negative stars. Please please please for the love of God read and pay attention to these reviews!!! I didn’t, and it backfired terribly. This place is a total scam. I was charged nearly 10k for them to do absolutely NOTHING in my case. Ultimately they dropped me as a client (which was fine), I knew very early on I wanted to fire my attorney as it was evident she didn’t know what she was doing. she had no sympathy for my situation. She just kept running up the bill. There are other well known firms to consider. It may seem like they charge more but these people will take EVERYTHING from you and do nothing in return. I’m fighting a child support/ custody case and she wanted me to settle for next to nothing. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!!!
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08 Jul, 2024 by Steve ratzek
Mary Sump recently represented me in a Family Law case. I engaged her as my attorney because I received great feedback from a friend that she had represented.
Working with Mary, I found her to be very professional, ethical and extremely knowledgeable of the law as it applied to my situation. She took time to understand the facts of my case; thoroughly explained my options; proposed strategies and then executed those strategies flawlessly in court.
Also, Mary responded to all of my emails and phone call on a timely basis and I always felt like I was her only client.
Finally, I had Mary establish my Trust, Living Will and Power of Attorney documents. She did an excellent job. She really got to know me my financial goals and was able to structure these documents to protect my Estate.
Finally, and most importantly, Mary did her best to minimize the amount of fees that I had to pay. I know that I received the best value for the services that she provided.
I personally think that Mary is one of the BEST attorneys in McHenry County and Bruning and Associates are fortunate to have her on their team!
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08 Jul, 2024 by Ross lipinski
Had Nathan Reyes represent me and he was fantastic to work with. Had great communication and such an honest guy. I would highly recommend!
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23 Aug, 2024 by Stephany martinez
I wish Google would let you leave zero or negative stars. Please please please for the love of God read and pay attention to these reviews!!! I didn’t, and it backfired terribly. This place is a total scam. I was charged nearly 10k for them to do absolutely NOTHING in my case. Ultimately they dropped me as a client (which was fine), I knew very early on I wanted to fire my attorney as it was evident she didn’t know what she was doing. she had no sympathy for my situation. She just kept running up the bill. There are other well known firms to consider. It may seem like they charge more but these people will take EVERYTHING from you and do nothing in return. I’m fighting a child support/ custody case and she wanted me to settle for next to nothing. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!!!
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08 Jul, 2024 by Pamela lefay
This post should have been done a few months ago I had received the letter from the law firm Bruning and Associates Kevin Bruning to be exact recommending that I come in and have my trust looked at (not realizing that my lawyer had moved on) I never received a letter that he moved on I initially paid $2,500 for a trust that any amendments would be taken care of no charge that was in the 2500. I received the letter from Mr Kevin Bruning regarding a review of my trust. I was charged $1,000.00 for this minor change, I was informed yesterday 2/6/23 that I am the 4th person they did this too. It is a deceptive practice and they know we had our trusts done with his firm. GREED , pure GREED. I had to borrow that money I am mad at myself for paying them. Stay away!
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08 Jul, 2024 by Timothy stevens
I was very impressed at the way attorney Nathan Reyes handled my civil litigation case. He was honest, straightforward, and receptive when discussing my options at all stages of the case. He is incredibly knowledgeable in the area of civil law. I would certainly use him again in the future if I needed legal representation in a civil matter.
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23 Aug, 2024 by Stephany martinez
I wish Google would let you leave zero or negative stars. Please please please for the love of God read and pay attention to these reviews!!! I didn’t, and it backfired terribly. This place is a total scam. I was charged nearly 10k for them to do absolutely NOTHING in my case. Ultimately they dropped me as a client (which was fine), I knew very early on I wanted to fire my attorney as it was evident she didn’t know what she was doing. she had no sympathy for my situation. She just kept running up the bill. There are other well known firms to consider. It may seem like they charge more but these people will take EVERYTHING from you and do nothing in return. I’m fighting a child support/ custody case and she wanted me to settle for next to nothing. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE!!!!
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30 May, 2024 by Google account
Initially, they seemed keen to cherry-pick through my high-value plaintiff matters. However, they soon settled these cases for a mere fraction of what I expected, significantly shortchanging me on the potential value. The situation worsened when they began unilaterally altering my fee agreement on cases they were already handling, which is both unethical and unprofessional.
The final blow came when they dropped me as a client without adequate notice. To add insult to injury, they placed a lien on the cases they abandoned, making it exceedingly difficult for me to secure new representation. This maneuver not only obstructed my pursuit of justice but also reflected a blatant disregard for their clients’ welfare.
I am prepared to collaborate with media outlets, the Attorney General, or the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations to expose these practices. I have meticulously documented evidence to support my claims and am determined to seek accountability for the firm’s actions.
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31 Mar, 2024 by Love life
I had 3 cases with this law firm. 1 there was no payment from me to Bruning, 1 was my father’s estate and one was for creating my estate. The last case was barely started, & Bruning was paid in full. He will not return any portion of my money, which was approximately $3500. He also will not provide me with copies of ANY of my cases.
At the end of October 2022, I left a vm with Bruning’s office stating my BF will pick up my cases. When my BF got there, Mr. Bruning told him, HE LOST MOST OF HIS HELP & must do everything himself. He told my BF he would put the cases on a flash drive & contact me. When I hadn’t received anything from Bruning, I called and left another voicemail with his office. On 11/1 received a voicemail from his staff, stating Mr. Bruning told my BF I would not receive until I paid my balance, but that statement wasn’t true. That prompted another call to his office, & I spoke to a diff employee. I explained there wouldn’t be a balance if someone would review my dispute I emailed 6 weeks earlier. This employee sent an urgent email to Mr. Bruning, the office manager, and me. She also stated she was looking at my dispute while we were talking.
Bruning emailed me 11/1 with inaccuracies. Quoted from an email of his on Bruning stated “We informed you that the flash drive was available at our office for pick-up. You did not come to pick up the flash drive, but instead sent a gentleman who claimed to be your significant other. Unfortunately, you did not provide any authorization to deliver your file material to this gentleman, and I explained that fact to him when he came to the office. I also explained that I would provide the flash drive to him if he was able to bring written authorization from you. I have not heard from you or your significant other since that time.”
My BF called on 11/4/22 to confirm the files were ready, & was told he wouldn't get them because Bruning didn’t feel comfortable. My BF stated he had signed authorization from me to pick the docs up, which was requested by Bruning for him to be able to do so.
It took a week and a half for a response from Kevin Bruning after sending an email regarding my newest frustration with his company. I responded 12/4/22 with shipping information for my cases to be sent to me, but it never arrived.
As of today, 3/31/24, I still have not heard a word about my dispute. A year later, the only emails I’m receiving from this company are to have my estate plan that I barely started with them, completed with Bruning Law Firm.
I also have a dispute about the invoicing done by this firm. Previous employees at Bruning were able to assist in correcting the billing I had constant issues with, but THEY are no longer there. I started noticing, shortly after I hired Bruning’s firm, that Kevin Bruning would charge me to review my case with the attorney who was working on my case. I never agreed to pay for 2 attorneys and that charge happened every month. I also was charged with interest on my invoices while waiting to connect with my lawyer to review my charges. This lawyer would go over my billing from Bruning (after I noticed the review billing charge) each month, to ensure its accuracy, make corrections, and make sure I understood the charges.
After my attorney left Bruning, I received 2 things from Bruning & Associates. One was a hard copy letter stating they saw my estate/will was not done & provided a contact for me to talk to.
I also received an email, with a new invoice.There were charges for Bruning reviewing my father’s estate case with my original attorney’s replacement. No one from Bruning received confirmation I was continuing with them. I had completed doc for a new law firm to move forward with my case & they made Bruning aware.
When I emailed my frustration regarding the newest charges I was told to email my disputes. I did and I sent a follow up email and left several messages. No response. Bruning lost several decent, ethical, empathetic, hardworking attorneys. Please find & look to them for help.
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24 Mar, 2015 by Anonymous
I was referred to this attorney to handle setting up my LLC. I did not have a pleasant experience with this attorney or his staff who on many occasions did not return my calls. Ultimately I found he is not proficient in business law and did not properly guide me in setting up my llc. As a first time property investor with only one property that is not in service yet, he filed an S corp. This makes absolutely no sense for someone in my position and when I asked to discuss, he insists that I be charged a consultation fee. Really? I've spent over 3K with this attorney between setting up the llc and estate planning, but I guess I don't deserve and explanation. I would not recommend this attorney for business law matters.
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20 Oct, 2010 by Donna
Kevin has been my attorney since 1996, when he came to my local business community to start a practice. Over the years, Kevin has handled my real estate transactions, family law, business transactions, collections, negotiations, estate planning, employment law and general legal issues. Kevin is a good listener and has been very supportive of me and my personal interests. He has been an enthusiastic supporter of my interests and an active participant in the local business community. Kevin and I have served on many committees together, and Kevin has always proven himself to be an excellent leader and generous contributor to the local business community.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Cindi meason
Needing legal support and direction at times is difficult. Cynthia made my experience as comfortable as possible and made sure my needs we're met. Her ability to work through the chaos and delivery through court and paperwork needs we're handled very well and professionally and there was no worry on my end.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Jason griffiths
Great information. Great person!
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08 Jul, 2024 by Ne on g
Always helpful. I had another lawyer that really screwed me over. She picked up the pieces that were done wrong. 1000 percent pick her!
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30 May, 2020 by Diane
Cynthia was professional, patient, understanding, and successful in advocating for me throughout the process of my divorce. She knows the law well and what the judge considers in court. I appreciated her efficiency, quality of work, and consideration of my time and finances. Cynthia was recommended to me by a friend, and I would have no qualms to do the same for someone looking for a high-value, high-quality lawyer.
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05 Mar, 2019 by David
I hired Cindy as the State of Illinois (and my ex-wife) said I was delinquent on Child Support.
Cindy took on the State of Illinois and presented them with all of my receipts and check stubs and The Judge not only sided with me, I actually received a credit!
If I did not hire Cindy, the State of Illinois would have garnished everything, that's why you need a good Attorney like Cynthia Briscoe!
Thanks Cindy,
David
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28 Jun, 2018 by Anonymous
Hired Cynthia from a recommendation and very happy we did. Knows the law is very well respected.
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29 Jun, 2023 by Joelle turjanski
If you want someone that’ll fight for what you deserve Randy Jr is the lawyer you want. Dedicated, compassionate and hard working.
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18 Nov, 2019 by Robert peraino
WORST lawyer EVER
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06 Apr, 2019 by Anthony eppolito
The worst lawyer I ever experienced
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07 Sep, 2023 by Hollis
Actions are those of “the man is always right” Not recommended . Parenting coordinator working with my daughter and ex. Expensive. Unprepared, which has led to at least one court date reschedule, costing additional $$$. Slow to respond. Many issues need a timely response for the good of the child. Appears not to evaluate facts, as keeps changing recommendations. Quick to bill though. Previously daughter and ex used a great parenting coordinator who retired. Often he responded on a weekend. Expected the same level of service and professionalism, that is not the case with Ms. Cunabaugh
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13 Dec, 2017 by Lisa
Divorce is never easy and in the beginning I felt Ms. Cunabaugh was a good attorney for my situation. Unfortunately things quickly went from bad to worse and I had to sever ties with her. The first problem was that she insisted I had to move back into the marital home. This was VERY BAD ADVICE. My husband and I were at that point where separation would have been the best for both of us. And we had to certify that we had been living apart for six months which was not true.
Ms. Cunabaugh would not accept my decisions, would not update the MSA, and overall became a very difficult person to deal with. My ex husband and I both agreed that if we were going to get divorced in 2017, I would need new counsel. It was the best decision for everyone and my new attorney got the job done in lighting speed with MY decisions, not his.
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24 Apr, 2015 by Marie
Having a nasty divorce case is never easy and attorneys are expensive. It was a relief for me to hire Linda because her rates were fair and she took the time to explain to me everything thatb was going on. Her secretary was always nice to me and my calls were always returned pretty quick.
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27 Aug, 2019 by Anonymous
Ms. Roth dragged my divorce case on for almost two years. Told me to live on credit cards and she would get me money. Never happened. As soon as I was able to hire another attorney my divorce was done and over in six months. The ink wasn't even dry on my divorce papers when Ms. Roth filed a judgement against me for what she said I owed her. She didn't even do her job! She actually made a deal with my then attorney for a lesser amount but when she filed the judgement it was not what she agreed upon.
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08 Oct, 2018 by Anonymous
I wasted over a year with Dawn Roth as my attorney. She would ignore the things I wanted done. The one and only time her and I and my (still not ex) and his attorney got together, his attorney started slamming me with rude remarks and Dawn did nothing about it. I couldn't believe it! I did defend myself, although, isn't that what I was paying her for. I have since moved on to another attorney whom I love and he has gotten more done for me in two months than she did in over a year! Think twice about hiring this one.
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02 Jul, 2017 by Sherrie
I hired Dawn Roth to represent me for my divorce on Sept 8th 2016 , she said to me that day 'he gets nothing' and nine months later he got 'almost' nothing . I am so happy & at peace now thanks to Dawn & many prayers. She has been my rock , she is also filled with much compassion . she is always there whenever you need her , phone , email etc.... she makes sure everything is in writing & you have copies so nothing slips thru the cracks. She is one hell of a great lawyer .
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07 Feb, 2019 by Anonymous
I hired Mr. Medansky and I regret it. I should have been able to get spousal support I late learned but he didn't write and good decree to include this. My ex-husband was unemployed at the time of our divorce and I was a stay-at-home Mom. I didn't know and it was not explained to me that I could get spousal support after my ex started working. This has seriously affected the course of my life and my child's life also! WE were almost homeless at one point. Mr Medansky was writing the decree in the vestibule of the courthouse! In addition, he was verbally cruel to me to in front of the judge. I regret hiring him as my attorney everyday when I hear other mom's story and how they are financially supported at least for a time period.
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02 Aug, 2017 by Anonymous
If I could go back in time, I would have hired another attorney. Robert did a poor job handling my divorce. He acted as if I was annoying him any time I called or emailed with questions. Left gaping holes in the MSA that my ex takes advantage of. At times it seemed like he was overcharging me (does it really take 1.5 hours to make small edits to a document that has already been drafted?). And since the divorce was final, I get no response or no useful advice when dealing with issues resulting from the document he drafted. Over $20K for a half-hearted, rude, condescending effort.
If I could go back in time, I would have taken $20K, thrown it my fire pit, and burned it. Probably would have enjoyed it a little more. If I could give zero stars, I would.
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24 Aug, 2013 by Anonymous
Robert helped me with my divorce and really protected my family. He made sure I was financially protected and that I received joint custody of my boys, which meant everything to me. I would absolutely hire his law firm again and give him the highest recommendation.
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07 Apr, 2020 by Amanda
Mr. Hellyer agreed to take a difficult employment case against a former employer which was an extremely awkward situation and pleasantly surprised me with a good result. He also handled my mother in law's house estate sale and did an excellent job.
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10 Jan, 2019 by Anonymous
During the sale of our property the secretary addressed me by two other names which aren't my name- I asked if I was getting e-mails meant for someone else several times. Very unorganized- I asked for documents and saw that info was incorrect from our specific communications. Instruction to pick up the closing check from Crystal Lake ended up getting mailed which we specifically did not want and told them not to do. Calls not returned to explain themselves. Careless. Quote for closing was given by someone else in the office initially and ended up being 2.5 times higher and ended up in a different attorney's case load. This attorney's office was referred to us. Will never use either again.
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14 Feb, 2015 by Anonymous
Outrageous prices and was late to almost every one of my court appearances and still charged me the times he was 15 to 20 mins late. Charged me for a half hour appt. Which was basically him telling stories of other cases he is dealing with and little advice for me. So I pay you to tell stories!? He kept pushing my court date back to try to get the best deal and after 6 months came I got nailed for my dui. All the deals he said he would get ..nothing except for I had to pay hisa ton of money on top of court fees. On top of that he said he could get some wiggle room on the 100 hours of community service I had. I talked to him following when my case was done he said would call right back. Never did and I even left a Voicemail a week later and still no response. He sucks! Biggest waste of money ever, I would have been better off with public defender
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07 Mar, 2022 by Sergio f.
this attorney did not show up to court for over 30 days and hearings were being held. As a result of Donald not showing up to court, it cost me my case. I am going over 3 years now trying to correct Donald's negligence. I do not recommend this attorney to anyone.
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Understanding potential challenges helps you prepare and sets realistic expectations. -
Are there alternative ways to solve my legal problem?
Discuss options like mediation, arbitration, or settlement to resolve the issue efficiently.
How to Check the Credibility of a Lawyer
Before hiring a lawyer, it's crucial to verify their credibility and ensure they're qualified to handle your case:
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Verify Their License:
Check with your state's bar association to confirm the lawyer is licensed and in good standing. -
Experience and Specialization:
Ensure the lawyer specializes in the area of law relevant to your case. -
Disciplinary Record:
Look up any history of disciplinary actions or complaints through the state bar association. -
Client Reviews and Testimonials:
Read reviews on legal directories like Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, or Google to gauge client satisfaction. -
Professional Memberships:
Membership in professional organizations or specialty bar associations can indicate a commitment to their field. -
Awards and Recognitions:
Honors from reputable organizations reflect expertise and a positive reputation. -
Consultation Assessment:
Use the initial consultation to evaluate their communication skills, responsiveness, and willingness to address your concerns. -
Ask for References:
A credible lawyer should be willing to provide references from past clients.
What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?
To make the most of your initial meeting with a lawyer, come prepared with:
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Relevant Documents:
Bring all documents related to your case, such as contracts, correspondence, legal notices, court papers, or evidence. -
Written Summary:
Prepare a concise written summary of your situation, including key dates, events, and involved parties. -
List of Questions:
Write down any questions you have about your case, the legal process, or the lawyer's experience. -
Financial Information:
If applicable, bring financial documents like pay stubs, tax returns, or bank statements. -
Contact Information:
Provide details of any witnesses or other parties relevant to your case. -
Personal Identification:
Bring a valid ID for verification purposes. -
Pen and Notebook:
Take notes during the consultation to remember important points. -
Budget Constraints:
Be ready to discuss your budget and any financial limitations.
How Much Does a Lawyer Cost?
The cost of hiring a lawyer varies widely based on several factors:
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Fee Structures:
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Hourly Rate:
Lawyers may charge anywhere from $150 to $500 or more per hour, depending on experience and location. -
Flat Fee:
For routine legal services like drafting a will or handling an uncontested divorce, lawyers might offer a flat fee. -
Retainer Fee:
An upfront payment against which the lawyer bills hourly fees. -
Contingency Fee:
Common in personal injury cases; the lawyer receives a percentage (typically 25% to 40%) of any settlement or award. -
Monthly Retainer:
For ongoing services, businesses might pay a monthly fee for a set number of hours or services.
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Hourly Rate:
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Factors Affecting Cost:
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Complexity of the Case:
More complex cases require more time and resources, increasing costs. -
Lawyer's Experience:
Highly experienced lawyers may charge higher fees. -
Geographic Location:
Legal fees can vary significantly by region or city. -
Additional Expenses:
Court filing fees, expert witness fees, travel expenses, and administrative costs may be extra.
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Complexity of the Case:
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Estimating Total Costs:
Request a detailed fee agreement outlining all potential costs.
Discuss any additional expenses that may arise during the case. -
Negotiating Fees:
Some lawyers may be willing to negotiate fees or offer payment plans, especially for clients with financial constraints. -
Pro Bono Services:
For those who cannot afford legal services, some lawyers or legal aid organizations offer services at reduced rates or for free.
