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08 Jul, 2022 by Verne malone
Not sure about the other lawyers in this firm but William Hatchett is incompetent, arrogant and brash. Very unprofessional, inconsistent, erratic and bipolar. My brother retained this nut case as a lawyer and was taken on a wild ride...my brother had a very tough case, caught cases on bond, and was totally messing up so I understand the delima William faced. However he would constantly pivot, lie and just be incorporative. When we tried to talk to him he would scoff at us and snap. He would have his receptionist tell us he was busy. He acted like a straight up lil B at times and talk to us like we were garbage. He told my brother the best he could do for him under the circumstances was a 2yr plea deal. We asked for 2 days to think about the offer and when we went to his office to sign off, he told us he never told us that and practically kicked us out his office. We were very professional when interacting with him abut he got upset because we called him out on his lie and he dropped us from the case. Fast forward we got a new lawyer Cecelia Quindongo; she worked the case and got my brother a plea deal -60 days- (40 days county). DO NOT TRUST ANYTHING WILLIAM HATCHET tells you he is the worst lawyer in Oakland county.
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03 Dec, 2021 by Clarence johnson
I was just getting sm information and understanding on details..I'll get back with u.
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16 Oct, 2021 by Aleyciuss ann al-ali
Minority owned family law firm. Experienced in criminal, divorce and other complicated civil matters.
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31 Jul, 2023 by Fred
Attorney Short clearly was only l interested in the retainer and did a very poor job. I felt robbed they really fit the stereotypes of slimey lawyers. Im still looking to file a complaint per my custody/ divorce case. 0 star rating for this firm sincerely!
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20 Apr, 2021 by Anonymous
I hired this attorney for my divorce,I paid her a retainer fee of 3000.00.she file my case , collected all my informations and would not do anything else.Every time i call her office she would be there, she would eventually call back from a private number, very hard to get in touch with her. I had to find out my court date through another attorney .I fired her and hired another attorney who got the done. She never provided me with an invoice or a refund. Please save yourself the heartache, because this attorney uses your emotional needs against you. Not trustworthy at all.
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13 May, 2020 by Jessica
I hired Attorney Lisa Short to represent me for my divorce. It was an ultimate disaster from typos in my divorce claim, to ignoring my reasons for divorce. She drafted a generic divorce and had little contact with me after I paid all of her retainer fee of $2500. I had to check on the status of my divorce by going on Court Explorer and ordering documents. It was very hard to reach her. You don't get her direct number, you have to call the law firm office and they will contact her. She will call you back the first time, but if you have any additional questions and want to contact her it will be days before you hear from her again. I had to eventually fire her and hire another attorney that was able to do more for me in 3 days then what she had done in 5 months. Please go somewhere else, it may be affordable, but you get what you pay for.
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24 May, 2024 by Nathan
Doesn't answer his phone. Literally just suckling off of the judicial system tax dollars. He could care less about right or wrong. Just wants that government cheese.
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20 Apr, 2022 by Anonymous
Mr. Taylor was very negligent with providing information to me as a client. I felt early on I could not trust him. He would rarely respond or even speak to me about my case until the day before. My case could not be lost UNLESS I did not show for court. Of course, he failed to inform me that date of hearing was in person, and I was on zoom as ALL previous court dates had been held. He then calls and stated the Hearing was to be in person. The judge then Dismissed the Case as I could not make it there on time. He NEVER once, informed me that it was in person, even asked me the day before if I receive the meeting notice--- which is usually sent out for Zoom hearings. I believe he made a deal with the defendant in my case, as she was a police officer. Intention and Direct Negligence.
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17 Jan, 2017 by Anonymous
Hired Chris to get Right of First Refusal because my ex decided to put our daughter in latchkey instead of dropping her off at my house in the mornings to get ready as he had been since she started school (we have 50/50 custody). Chris told me that the courts don't recognize Right of First Refusal and we would need to "attack" the father instead. Had a lengthy discussion about everything, emailed Chris all the information he was looking for and then he would call a week later and ask me the same things that we have already discussed. More than once I would have to tell him that we already talked about this or it was in the email which he clearly never read. Before filing the motion had another lengthy discussion going over all the points, and then he informed me that he didn't include all of them after he filed the motion because he had a "strategy". Multiple times throughout this process I asked Chris if we could just ask for Right of First Refusal (even on the day we were in court) and he kept telling me no. When we finally got in front of the judge, Chris looked like a deer in headlights, as if he had never been in court before, and the judge had to prompt him multiple times to present our case until opposing counsel finally spoke up and took off with it. It took the court counselor, referee and judge seconds to deny everything because "dad can make any decision he wants to in regards to childcare during his time". Since this time I have contacted other attorneys and every one of them have said yes, the court not only recognizes Right of First Refusal, it is great for a high conflict case such as mine and I am entitled to it. However, since I was denied this motion it would be unlikely that I would be able to get it now. Unfortunately my daughter and I are left in a situation where she doesn't want to go to latchkey, there is increased conflict with my ex as a result, and no way to fix anything now. When all was said and done, Chris of course charged me for all the conversations we had with information he didn't use, emails he didn't read (and he didn't even bring all of them to court) and then he asked for money beyond the retainer for a case that was not winnable the way it was presented. Save your money.
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19 Jun, 2014 by Andi
wont listen to lawyer's. Bad attitude on her face! Look out! Especially if u r white! Im a sister wanting to speak on behalf of the rason this became a case.. But nope. She didnt want to be corrected. Which she needed. f her! Shes got our case all wrong! She'll F u too!
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When meeting with a lawyer for the first time, it's important to ask the right questions to understand their expertise and determine if they're the right fit for your legal needs. Here are some top questions to consider:

  1. What experience do you have with cases similar to mine?
    Ensure the lawyer has relevant experience in the specific area of law pertaining to your case.
  2. How do you charge for your services, and what are the estimated costs?
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  2. Experience and Specialization:
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  8. Ask for References:
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What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?

To make the most of your initial meeting with a lawyer, come prepared with:

  1. Relevant Documents:
    Bring all documents related to your case, such as contracts, correspondence, legal notices, court papers, or evidence.
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The cost of hiring a lawyer varies widely based on several factors:

  • Fee Structures:
    • 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.
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  • Factors Affecting Cost:
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    Discuss any additional expenses that may arise during the case.
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