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07 Jun, 2022 by Anonymous
I hired this attorney for a consult regarding my mother's care (or lack thereof) in a skilled nursing facility in Santa Barbara. She asked several questions but seemed to have trouble focusing and often sighed or said "I don't understand". Professional advice was not forthcoming, and I eventually had to terminate the consult as it was becoming more and more a waste of time. The cost was high, but that is not the complaint. This attorney was recommended to me by Senior Planning Services but it appears that these recommendations are part of a small group of business that loyally recommend each other rather than prioritize what is best for the client. I would not recommend this attorney for pursuing solution based advice.
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19 Oct, 2018 by Gwen
Dallas is an extremely skilled elder law expert and has 20+ years of experience specifically with Medi-Cal. This extends far beyond the preparation of the application: she understands the inherent nuances of a very complicated program and is able to analyze and advise you as a client based upon your personal profile. I would not have been able to apply on behalf of my father without her guidance and help! We hired Dallas to help us file an application and she did so much more: She worked with us on a thorough strategy, took us through the process and went above and beyond to work directly with my fathers' nursing home and other entities that needed to provide us with back up documentation. She understands the system and the loopholes. She is a lifesaver and so incredibly knowledgeable in her field. I am so thankful that we started the process with a professional expert. She will save you money and bring you great benefit and peace of mind. I don't know how we could have done it without her! Thank you so much Dallas, we mean it! I would highly recommend her services to anyone needing assistance in the Elder Law field.
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06 Dec, 2017 by Megan
Ms. Atkins is a very special type of attorney. She took the time to explain the process and applicable laws so that I could make informed and safe decisions. Even though it was possibly not the most cost-effective manner of proceeding from her point of view, Ms. Atkins worked to connect with me on a personal level. She took the time to listen to me as I walked through the background of my experiences, and treated me as though my feelings and needs were of utmost importance. She helped me to set up complex and varied health care documents (including advanced health care directives, HIPAA documents, and others) while avoiding pitfalls I would never have been able to identify on my own. She was honest and forthright, but also kind and compassionate...truly the perfect blend of humanity and skill.
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02 Feb, 2011 by Anonymous
She made us wait for twenty minutes and was unempathtic.
When we left her office we felt like we had completely wasted our time and money.
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30 Mar, 2009 by Anonymous
Bente Millard has been my real estate lawyer and the lawyer for the majority of my clients for the last 7 years. In a nutshell, she does excellent work in the areas of real estate transactions especially in negotiating contracts and in reviewing due diligence matters associated with real estate transactions.
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20 Nov, 2021 by Anonymous
It was a waste of time and money. I got the previlege of paying hundreds of dollars extra on top of full speeding ticket fine which I could have done on my own. No communication. He would provide no update or status unless asked.
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02 Mar, 2017 by Atul singh
Michael has got me dismissed a $490 ticket with possible 2 points on my driving record. I can't thank him enough for his professionalism and work ethics.
I got this speeding ticket in Bakersfield while on my way back from Yosemite to LA.
I hope no one gets speeding ticket, but if you do then do not hesitate to get in touch with Michael. He will surely help you out.
Drive safe guys!
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13 Sep, 2023 by Anonymous
Drew did an excellent job at helping me get through my divorce and stayed focus on closing out all issues related to the divorce to help finalize everything as quickly and amicably as possible. I'm very grateful for his attention to detail and insights based on his years of experience. Divorce is a very tough process to go through for some, yet it was extremely helpful to have his experience, guidance and assistance during this challenging time. I would absolutely recommend Drew.
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16 Dec, 2021 by Anonymous
Unreliable. Lack of communication. He was always late, charged a ton and got nothing done.
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02 Jun, 2021 by Anonymous
Maley never prioritized the case, inexplicable time delays, then he quit the case, and put a lien on my property.
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11 Mar, 2012 by Anonymous
Represented us on a local real estate transaction. Although ultimately things worked out, there was not much insight or follow through. Perhaps this is where the legal profession is these days . Seems to be more like fast food.
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24 Sep, 2024 by Jalal ebrahim
This attorney is a very bad attorney. She misrepresents us in court. She has lied to the Judge. She has lied to us. She has lied to my grandchildren. This attorney is racism, discriminative and prejudice. This attorney has ruined our lives by her lying, false accusations and her false representation and discrimination against us in court. We don’t trust this attorney at all.
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30 Sep, 2020 by Anonymous
I hired Beatriz Flores as my lawyer for an emergency custody order involving my 4yr old son with autism and severe ADHD. I had 5 days to prepare a formal declaration and file paperwork to the courts of which I didn't know how. I explained to her that I am attending school and would be receiving money through loans and financial aid. I told her I had $500 now but I would receive more money in one week. She stated that she needed $2000 but she would work with me for now until I could get the rest of the money. She agreed to be my attorney took my $500 and wrote me a receipt. She then stopped answering my calls. . She finally answered one of my calls about 36hrs after my first call. She stated that in order to continue working she needed more payment. I stated that I would have her money in by the end of the next week and she again agreed to work with me and wait until the end of the week. She had me sign her payment contract and told me she would finish some work I needed done before the next Monday. She again stopped responding to my calls. I had until Tuesday morning at 8:15am to file my paperwork and she wouldn't respond. I ended up staying up literally all night Monday night filling out legal paperwork and writing my declaration to the courts. I managed to serve the other parent by myself end up doing her entire job. I spoke to her again on Tuesday after my deadline and she said she didn't we think we had enough time to file. I told her I had already filed. At this point she said she no longer wanted to represent me because I was rushing things too much. I said that was fine but I wanted my $500 back. She proceeded to keep my $500 and write me a bill for another $725... long story short I've contacted the California Bar Association as well as my local arbitration office. I wasn't granted my emergency order because of this lawyers lack of professionalism. She could have rejected my case and let me find another lawyer but instead she strung me a long in order to keep my measly $500. Save your money.
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14 Sep, 2020 by David lemmons
Amazing defense attorney.
She believes in what she does.
She stands by your side..
Trust and Believe...
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07 Jul, 2015 by Anonymous
Penny Clemmons is really expensive, but I felt like I got my money's worth when I met with her for our first session. We spoke at the end of that conversation about how I might continue to get support from her, and that included emailing her for references and so forth before moving on to mediation. Except that when I emailed her, she didn't respond. At all. (Which was consistent with some of the non-responsiveness hassle I experienced in trying to get the meeting in the first place.) I'm working with another lawyer right now, and I'm not sorry about the money I spent, but if you imagine that she might work with you in an ongoing, reliable way, you might be frustrated.
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26 Sep, 2009 by Marlene
Ms. Clemmons does not know family law or California requirements for child support. After wasting tens of thousands on mediation, I learned from the Ca Dept of Child Support that all of Ms. Clemmons recommendations were not enforceable. My children forever will suffer because Ms. Clemmons lacks the professional integrity to advice prospective clients that she lacks expertise. Her shingle's out, she bills regularly and charges interest. I wish my two minor children who are not getting support could do the same. Shame on you, Ms. Clemmons.
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01 Mar, 2014 by Anonymous
I went to him for a family law issue. After spending about $15,000.00 I was not closer to having the legal agreement I needed for myself and my children. He boasted that he was well liked by the judge and the other attorney was afraid of him. Being emotionally fragile from the divorce situation, I felt taken advantage of in the respect that he knew my most important issue was my child custody and even after all that money I did not have a custody agreement, just a bunch of papers saying he did this and she did that. Worthless. Come to find out he's not so well respected or even that bright for that matter. Do your self a favor and stay clear of this person.
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27 May, 2014 by Toni
Settled malpractice case but still hasn't paid his court ordered costs to us after one year. He advertises himself as an expert in legal ethics and "specializing in legal malpractice cases." He also has a "virtual" office he lists as his business location in Beverly Hills, which is just a front-not an actual office.
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01 Apr, 2014 by Anonymous
This lawyer represented me in a medical malpractice case. He was the most unprofessional attorney and appeared to side with the other side during our depositions. He was unsupportive of me and was always late to appointments or wouldn't show up at all. He was negligent to the point that he neglected to file papers on my behalf and missed a deadline which made me lose my case. I ended up suing him and his legal malpractice carrier settled with me. I would never. Working with him was one of the most frustrating and negative experiences of my life.
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22 Oct, 2013 by Anonymous
Dave represented my husband and myself in a litigation over the view ordinance. It has been going on for over 7 years. He was very disorganized and in the end, failed to oppose an argument leaving the judge without anyhting to go on and therefore siding with the opposition on an important matter. My rating of him is an accurate appraisal after much money and time spent with him. We fired him.
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30 Aug, 2014 by Margie
Ken failed to stop the pro-tem judge from using the divorce court as a vehicle to try me a second time. Divorce is not a trial. It must be focused on an equitable splitting of property.
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19 Mar, 2014 by Anonymous
Does not follow the agreed upon procedures. Does not prepare documents properly. We paid him to appeal on a procedure, for which we had 90 days to appeal and he never did it. His time is more valuable than yours, so he will not return phone calls. Everything is strictly filtered through his secretary. Recently through another attorney, we learned that we could have demanded our money back from the whole case, since he did not accomplished any of what he was hired for. This happened about 8+ years ago, so it may be too late to request money back. Mediocre attorney, but he thinks he’s great along with hid secretary.
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13 Oct, 2022 by Anonymous
My 23 yr old daughter was involved in an automobile accident with another 65-year-old woman. This woman had major knee problems five or six years prior to the accident and have seen doctors at least 30 times within those years if not more and was a candidate for knee replacement but was unable to go through with doctors advice due to cost as she has zero health insurance . John hunter represented this woman who spoke very little English and my daughter was the defendant . He not only tried to track my daughter down to find out her insurance limit when she had moved out of Santa Barbara but he started to harass me come to my place of business call me incessantly. finally I told him that if he contacted me one more time I will file a harassment suit against him. He eventually stopped . Defendants lawyer determines that plaintive had purjured herself over and over again. My guess is that she was guided by her attorney-John Hunter - since she has an education of a first grader and seemed very confused during her deposition. I see from his history that he has lost his license during a period of time and my hope is that he never will be able to practice again. Do not hire this man!!!
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01 Jul, 2013 by Anonymous
I paid him $10,000 and he went though it in 4 weeks with NOTHING to show for it other than having someone served which I could have done myself.
Beware of this guy - his first priority is your money.
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12 May, 2016 by Kimberly
This is the third time I have had to write this review; she was a hired attorney and this is a real and actual review.
Avvo notified me when a review was pending, but did not when denied, is this normal?
Gail Hodes acted in her own interest when ignoring our intent to file Tort Claims against our school district. In our case our seven year old child was restrained, locked in classrooms alone while being videotaped, suspended with false allegations and experienced harassment by police. (Most of the incidents taking place on the first day of First Grade).
Our issue was that she lied about language in our settlement, and hindered us by failing to inform of us statutes that effected our right to pursue Tort Claims, while knowing (documented) our intent was to address them. It is clear (emails) this was intentional and that we intended to file claims, but she ignored this in favor of assisting on her case with regard to FAPE. We understand they are separate, but she was aware that we intended to file and did not inform us of the limited time which is shorter with governments or municipalities.
She has not addressed any of the complaints in writing, only via phone and has ignored requests to have the insurance information needed to file a malpractice suit. This is also illegal. We are still awaiting the information needed.
Gail Hodes was insistent on speaking on the the phone ONLY and refused to put most things in writing, despite clear request to do so. I have emails detailing the accuracy of this complaint, and can provide them if AVVO necessitates.
I would never recommend this attorney.
People have a right to be warned.
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28 Mar, 2015 by Anonymous
I hired this lawyer a couple years ago for my criminal case. He charged over $50,000 to provide my defense through trial and sentencing. He did absolutely nothing. He never even looked at the evidence in my case. All he did was try to push me into a shitty deal. He is probably the worst negotiator I have ever seen. Very inexperienced! The District Attorney ran him over every time we went to court. It was very embarrassing. When I informed him that I would not plea and that I wanted to go to trial, he created a conflict of interest and motioned the court to be removed from the case. He kept all the money even though he only worked half of the hours he was supposed to. I had to be appointed a public defender after spending all my money. It was DEVASTATING! He is extremely expensive and not worth the money. You can get the same defense from a public defender for free. He has no ethics, is a liar and should not be practicing law. There are plenty of good lawyers out there. Don't make the same mistake I did.
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30 Dec, 2024 by Anonymous
Perjurer who "forgets" to pay his bar dues.
Works with tiny Patrick Adams also a perjurer. It is unfortunate they are are so lazy and targeting the vulnerable keeps them employed. It is also unfortunate the County of Santa Barbara indulges such behavior. He'll never be hired as "DDA" is the best he can do. We can thank Joyce Dudley for this legacy. There is much more.
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04 Feb, 2025 by Anonymous
Dan Murphy is an incompetent buffoon. He is a danger to the families in our community. Causing more harm than good. One day soon he’s going to need a criminal lawyer himself. Bank on it Dan!
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Top Questions to Ask a Lawyer
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:
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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. -
How do you charge for your services, and what are the estimated costs?
Understand the fee structure, including hourly rates, flat fees, retainer fees, and any additional expenses. -
What potential outcomes can I expect from my case?
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What is your approach to handling cases like mine?
Learn about their strategy, whether they prefer negotiation, mediation, or litigation. -
Who will be working on my case?
Find out if the lawyer will handle your case personally or delegate tasks to other attorneys or paralegals. -
How will you communicate with me throughout the process?
Establish expectations for updates, preferred communication methods, and response times. -
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Get an estimate of how long the process may take from start to finish. -
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Testimonials or references can provide insight into the lawyer's professionalism and effectiveness. -
What are the strengths and weaknesses of my case?
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
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Verify Their License:
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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:
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Consultation Assessment:
Use the initial consultation to evaluate their communication skills, responsiveness, and willingness to address your concerns. -
Ask for References:
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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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