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17 Sep, 2018 by Luke
Greg Esau represented me in a custody case almost 10 years ago.
Greg would constantly provide me with conflicting advise about what would be a reasonable outcome of my case. Multiple times when preparing for mediation sessions, he would tell me that a reasonable outcome and our goal for the mediation was X, only to tell me that I would be lucky to get Y shortly after the mediation session began. He would then tell me that I was unreasonable to expect X in a way that came across as condescending and gave the impression that the opposing party and their counsel was more reasonable than me or what we had agreed was our desired outcome. This left me feeling off-balance and confused throughout the mediation sessions. Additionally, now being more knowledgeable about family law in Washington state and working with other (better) representation, I recognize that Greg advised me to accept a deal that fell far short of what would have been a reasonable outcome given the circumstances of my case.
He was also severely lacking in motivation. While the opposing representation kept detailed notes and spent considerable time and effort to develop and adjust offers, Greg literally sat back in his chair and let the opposing counsel completely take the lead in all of our mediation sessions.
I only found out years later that Greg had been disciplined multiple times in WA and CA, and ultimately was disbarred in CA.
Selecting excellent representation for your family law case is one of the most important decisions of your life. Please, please, please do what is best for yourself, your children, and your family and steer clear of Greg.
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27 May, 2017 by Anonymous
I hired Mr. Esau and he did an amazing job. The best part about him is that he is a good person who actually cares about the children that his case involves. After dealing with other corrupt lawyers and professionals who were less then moral, Greg was a breathe of fresh air. I hired him in 2013 and he was very knowledgeable and efficient.
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04 Dec, 2016 by Berhane
He fought hard though he didn't get fair time to present my case. Very knowledgeable though more on defending his client than disclosing opponent's mischief. He goes extra miles and is passionate about practice. In brief I found him very generous in his counsel.
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29 Jun, 2024 by Anonymous
Rob advocates for abusers and charges outrageous amounts for filing pretty paperwork courtesy of his staff. He has no idea what is really going on. He manipulates situations to support abusers and potentially puts children in harms way. Money grabber to support his lifestyle.
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27 Sep, 2020 by Anonymous
This lawyer tells stories just like he said. He takes things and twists words to provide a story that the judge likes. He has helped multiple abusers further abuse and does not understand how the abuse cycle works or he would see through it. He takes on clients that have track records of abuse, addiction, and poor behavior and helps them get custody of children. I will never hire him again
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27 Sep, 2020 by Anonymous
This attorney is not for women and is vindictive in his approach. You think he is for you when he is about getting more men custody of children rather than doing what is right
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27 Dec, 2022 by Anonymous
Both myself and my fiancé had the opportunity to work with Holly on child support orders. I have worked with multiple lawyers over the years and Holly has been the best thus far. Holly is extremely well spoken, responsive, fast and highly efficient.
Holly is an incredible writer and presents your case in the most compelling, data driven way. Further, she is top notch in trial! Holly comes across as clear, firm, and articulate. Holly exceeded my expectations on every front, she is the best you can hire! I highly recommend her to anyone I know looking for a lawyer.
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11 Dec, 2021 by Nichole kyrkos
09 Oct, 2020 by Randy
Holly is an amazing attorney. I hired her after my temporary hearing and she made herself very familiar with my case. I was very stressed and depressed about my case, then the moment I consulted with Holly she gave me a great sense of confidence because she familiarizes herself very well with the case, communicates, listens, and knows the law very well. She seems to ACTUALLY care, and is just an all around ethical, professional, knowledgeable, hard working, tentative, appealing and nice person. I would absolutely suggest Holly!
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28 Sep, 2020 by Jump start start jump
19 Nov, 2019 by Cronenwett
Biased. Child support prosecutor for Benton county. Let my ex walk out of court twice with warrants, gave him back his lisence without making him pay any of the child support he is in contempt for:because my ex claimed to have a job interview that never materialized into a job. Let him walk out of court with a criminal warrant in the same court. Told me I can hire an attorney of my own if I don't like it. Asked him why my ex is so special and he pretended to write that down. Told me full disclosure he knows my ex from 1998 wrestling, didn't dismiss himself just used his power to help my ex avoid paying the $8k and growing arrears he owes our children. Told me not to expect to get any child support and to be happy I've gotten a few tiny payments in the year its been in the prosecutors office. Didn't get a garnishment when he knew my ex was working. Won't make my ex sell his Harley or his car. Refuses to uphold the court order. Lazy, biased, horrible prosecutor, has no business working in the child support division of the prosecutors office.
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21 Dec, 2023 by Jd
I was the victim of parental alienation in a state that is known for automatically siding with the mother. By the time I reached out for a consultation, I was feeling quite hopeless. Mr. Miller gave me honest feedback and realistic expectations, making the decision to retain him easy.
Throughout my case, everything was handled promptly, thoroughly, and professionally. I was blown away with how well Mr. Miller presented in court at each hearing. He is direct, fact-based, and articulate with an incredible knack for saying the things that need to be said without being derogatory.
I cannot say enough good things about Mr. Miller. I realize good facts do more for one's case than the attorney, but I firmly believe I would not come away with what I did had I not been represented by him. He handles everything with a precision that leaves the opposing counsel fumbling and stumbling.
- JD
P.S. I have seen several reviews that point out how "little" he does versus how "much" is done by his paralegal. News flash: that's how it works and it's not a bad thing. I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that his paralegal is an absolute rock star and just as much a part of my success as Mr. Miller.
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29 Dec, 2022 by Brenda
I hired Bob after having lackluster results with two other attorneys. He came up to speed quickly and jumped into a complex, long, and very litigious divorce. He brought a concrete strategy and a strong understanding of the law to my case that was lacking. Bob has an amazing courtroom presence and was able to adapt his strategy on the fly.
Most importantly, Bob listened to me, addressed my concerns, and got me the results I wanted. He delivered more that I hoped for, and I would recommend Bob to anyone that needs representation in a divorce.
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14 Nov, 2019 by Anonymous
I would highly recommend Robert Miller "Bob" as a Divorce lawyer. He was very professional, yet personable. It was a very difficult and painful divorce to go thru, and having Bob on my side reassuring me and explaining my rights as a wife was extremely helpful. He's calm and polite, but will definitely go to bat for you when needed! He won't let your spouse intimidate or bully you. He'll call them out on their BS and make them be accountable. Bob's paralegal Abby was also extremely helpful. Not only was she kind and caring, but very informative and helped me understand all the terminology of the paperwork and the process of the divorce. They make a great team!
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05 Mar, 2021 by Susan
Diane is simply the best. My ex-husband filed a lousy lawsuit against me over the holidays, and Diane was recommended to me, and it was the best recommendation I have ever had. Diane accepted that lousy case and took it very seriously. She did a ton of research and even asked for sanctions for me, which we won. Be honest with her, and she will be straight up with you. She will advocate harder for you than you can imagine. She knows her stuff, and she knows it well. If you come to her with a case, and she tells you it is not worth trying, believe her. She is looking out for your best interest and does not want you to waste your money or time. She is professional, reputable, smart, yet also caring and empathetic.
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07 Nov, 2015 by Anonymous
I went to Diane for a dissolution and custody was a major issue. Her office staff was professional and always gave me notice of fees. I was notified when calling for an appoinment that there was a consultation fee (and how it was broken into tenths of an hour so I was only charged for the time that I actually spoke with her) and retainer fees would be discussed at the consultation. I was given a client fee agreement that spelled out all fees and obligations.
Diane was compassionate and ethical. She made time out of her schedule when I really needed her assistance.
She was always prompt to court, meeting me outside the courtroom and going over what would be happening that day, and I always received notice of any court dates and copies of all legal papers that were filed with the court.
She was professional, kind, and to the point (she is not an attorney to waste time in order to charge her clients-) she always let me know where the law stood on issues in a compassionate manner.
I truly appreciated her assistance in my matter and am glad that I had her on my side.
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24 Nov, 2014 by Anonymous
Diane was referred to me by a friend whom I trust. Diane represented me in a variety of family-related matters including custody and child support. We lost both times, despite insurmountable evidence that we should win, including her 75% certainty we would win. She was late to court. She failed to notify me to appear, so we had to request to do one appearance over the phone. I spent 25,000 with her, and as a result my ex-wife receives the maximum allowed by Washington state child support, and I see my kids twice a year. RUN AWAY from Diane Russell. She has no apathy, a cold and bitterness about her, and charges WAY TOO MUCH to lose so hard. My kids have suffered as a result of her services. She won't lose sleep over it, though - she's touring wine country in Europe thanks to my fees.
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12 May, 2023 by Ryan bejna
Do not use! Website says 30 day money back guarantee. Been fighting for that refund and they say since I had access to website they can't give me a full refund. The gave me a partial and then removed access to my answers, so all my work went to waste. Use a different company.
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14 Dec, 2022 by Ron running
My experience with Mr Parnell far exceeded my expectations. I swear he doesn't sleep at all, since I received timely communication at all hours. The process was clear, concise and remarkably cost effective. I would highly recommend his services!!!
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01 Nov, 2022 by Teress kay
Been waiting 2 months for them to send my husband his paper work and they just keep saying 7-10 more business days. This place just wants your money. And you will never get that divorce!
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21 Mar, 2013 by Anonymous
Steve kept me informed, and was always willing to meet with me. He would let me know in advance if I needed to attend scheduled hearings, and I always received an update after the hearing was completed. His staff was friendly, and made me feel very welcomed.
Steve was able to achieve the goals we set for my case in a timely manner. I could not have had a better experience!!
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01 Jan, 2012 by Anonymous
He was lazy. He had no idea what he was doing and kept dragging the case on because he had no idea what he was doing. I think he just took my money and it was wiped out by phone calls with his staff members where I was trying to get answers. The paralegal I worked with was really nice so that is why I stayed with him as long as I did. I tried to change to his partner but Steven said I was not able to so I fired him and found a lawyer that actually did work on my case.
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14 Aug, 2009 by Anonymous
I ended up switching lawyers because I believe he didn't do the best he could for me, I am not sure if he even really knew what he was talking about, my attorney I ended up getting was way more believable and ended up winning with my case.
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09 Jan, 2020 by Fran
My overall experience with Attorney Mark Didrickson has been horrendous. If giving no stars for a rating was an option that is what I would give. I hired Mark over a year ago to take care of ONE very simple matter; Mark took my money but did absolutely nothing. Mark would constantly come up with some really preposterous excuse(s) not to work on my case, not to return my emails and phone calls. If by some miracle Mark did set up an appointment with me--Absolutely nothing ever got. accomplished at any of my appointments. Mark also constantly gave me court hearing dates that never ever happened; as he would always come up with some completely absurd excuse/reason that had absolutely positively
nothing to do with my case and would cancel whatever upcoming court hearing date I thought we had. Mark is a complete waste of money and time.
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11 Apr, 2016 by Brianne
I am mentally ill, and get easily overwhelmed. I could never have gotten my SSI on my own. My therapist referred me 4 years ago. My case was pretty obvious so I got my SSI after the first appeal. Regarding Social Security, Mark does an excellent job of finding the records. He changed my life.
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11 May, 2021 by Anonymous
Thank you Raymond! You helped me during the hardest time in my life and you always gave me full attention and kept all of the information regarding my case organized and in view.
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16 Mar, 2021 by Anonymous
I hired this man to represent me and he was very incompetent
Lost much of my information I gave home
Didn’t even respond to contempt’s on my behalf
I fired him and hired a real attorney
I’m still paying for his lack
Oh yes he still charge me full price
Don’t hire him!!!!!!
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23 Dec, 2023 by Christopher
She charged me $5000 for some email exchanges and when we went to court she didn't fight for or even request any of the requests I had hired her to fight for in my custody case. Her facebook is very unprofessional and she bragged about drinking the night before my case. Bad lawyer bad person.
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20 Aug, 2023 by Kassi
Tarah was assigned to me for a contempt motion but I ended up hiring her to fight an unethical opposing lawyer. Without her I would have been railroaded by opposing council from a big name firm. Tarah knew all the laywer's tricks and fought for me and my kids. It's taken almost 2 years but there's an end in sight and Tarah has been worth EVERY penny!!
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07 Feb, 2023 by Jason
I have been around some bad people throughout my lifetime, but Tara Wagner is the most atrocious human we have ever associated with. She treated my wife like a dog and made her feel awful about herself. She would yell at her and degrade her for asking simple questions. It reminded my wife of the abusive relationship she was in prior to me with her daughters father. Tara has major anger issues and extreme bouts of rage when she doesn't get her way or you annoy her. I am not surprised at all by her negative reviews on here stating that she is a narcissist and that she is being investigated. I do find it astonishing that she has not had her license revoked yet, but I have no doubt in my mind especially with all of these horrendous reviews that she will. Narcissistic people make great attorneys. The one review states that she is a "master of deception". That's exactly why narcissists make great attorney's. Do yourself and your mental health a big favor by avoiding this very horrible human.
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16 Nov, 2021 by Travis
I hired Matthew in February '21 to do my divorce paperwork and be a plan B if things went left with my Ex. Matt said he would try to get me on a $5k retainer but billing asked for $10k.
Matthew seemed empathetic at first. He had a calm demeanor and gave the impression he would be invested in getting me through the process.
I gave my Ex an initial offer. She counter-offered asking for 3x the amount. One that would never be held up in court but I didn't know that. Matt did not tell me that. He told me two things. I couldn't afford to have him negotiate on my behalf and she could make it much worse. My best bet was to stick with him and do the negotiations myself.
I did that, I negotiated a deal I should have never have entertained. I waited on Matthew to provide the final paperwork. This is where his apathy and incompetence saved me. It gave me time to double check and talk to other attorneys.
I didn't get my paperwork when Matthew said I would, so I fired him. Billing let me know that Matthew had spent my $10k in all two months. They hounded me for $500 more as I "overspent" on my services.
I let them know I would cover it if Matthew could explain how his initial estimate of < $5k ended up costing me over double that. Matthew never responded. I recently reached out to him and asked again. I asked for an explanation and a discussion on a refund of any amount.
Matthew does not care about you if he knows he's already sucked you dry. I have never been treated so inhumanly by someone I was paying.
I hired a different lawyer who cut my alimony in half. He did in less than 30 minutes with my exes lawyer and $3k.
If you have millions in property, then Matthew is your guy. If you're reading this and realizing you made a mistake, it is never too late to fire your lawyer.
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03 Jan, 2021 by Anonymous
Matthew represented me in a divorce case for several months until mediation was completed. Having worked with one attorney prior to Matthew (pro-se divorce consultation), and one attorney after (representing me in trial), I can comparatively say I had a very poor experience with Matthew. While Matthew is very warm, empathetic, and agreeable and works at a "big-name" firm (things that brought me to Matthew), I found that he was not a strong advocate for me, was challenging to work with, and was significantly more expensive compared to my other attorneys (even the one who prepared for and spent 3.5 days in trial with me).
Specific issues:
(1) I asked Matthew to simply argue the data - that I couldn't afford what the opposing party wanted. But he didn't share this data or even my budget with the opposing party, and I believe this hurt me. We simply weren't aligned on strategy - to use data and facts (like what I earned and could afford to give) to argue the case, vs using his preferred tactic to let other parties go first w/ no info, then countering lower and then seeing where you land. This strategy had very little effect at moving the opposing party towards realistic numbers.
(2) Matthew didn't advocate against a mediator becoming biased and actively inflating the opposing parties expenses and budget.
(3) Matthew often told me to take bad deals I literally couldn't afford because he thought a court might possibly make a more adverse decision. I really just wanted him to fight for something that even got me to a $0 end of month budget (vs. something that put me in the negative).
(4) Matthew was often not responsive to emails or phone calls for days to weeks at a time. Requests to improve this didn't change his behavior in a lasting way.
(5) I asked to hold meetings to discuss strategy and next steps, but often couldn't schedule these until the day or day before arguments/documents/proposals were due. We were ill-prepared and I was ill-prepared because I didn't know what was coming
(6) Matthew didn't provide clarity into upcoming bills (despite asking for this). I was surprised by how quickly large retainers were spent, and it was frustrating to see how much of the retainer was spent on printing huge binders never used, overhead costs you pre-agree to, and other firm employees I never met.
(7) I eventually let Matthew go (in writing and via voicemail), but was invoiced for activities completed after I let Matthew go. It took months to successfully get the firm to drop the charges.
I had none of these issues with my other attorneys. While I know Matthew couldn't control the outcome of my case, the process of working with him was very frustrating, and the cost was egregious when I compare the efficiency and pleasure I had of working with my other attorneys.
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22 Nov, 2019 by Anonymous
This review is difficult for me to share, but I feel I have to do it so at least others might be able to benefit from it. Matt simply was not a zealous advocate for me in my divorce. I gave him the benefit of the doubt for a while because he had started out well. After a month or so, though, Matt became passive and barely did any work. For a while he wasn't really billing, so initially the expenses weren't very high, but by the end I was paying thousands and seeing little movement on my case.
My divorce was straightforward; no kids, just division of a handful of assets. It dragged on for well over a year though. Opposing counsel, on behalf of my ex, would deliberately obfuscate and stall, and when faced with this, Matt simply accepted it. He did not push for transparency, did not find ways to push opposing counsel toward an end, and also did very little work himself. Weeks would go by with no communication from Matt, and when I'd reach out to check in, he would often times not respond. One time he disappeared for almost a month. I reached out to him three times to check in and ask if there was anything I could do to help move things forward, and he only responded after I told him I'd have to find other representation since my case was obviously not a priority for him. Despite his assurances, his behavior did not change.
A few times, Matt told me he was going to start work on something, then never did it. For example, opposing counsel sent us a settlement proposal and Matt told me he would get working on a counter-proposal right away. After 3 months and several attempts on my part to push or ask if I could help, there was still no counter-proposal from Matt.
Finally, I requested mediation (an extra cost) in an effort to force an end myself. The mediation was a full day. Matt's representation was fair, and we were able to negotiate the high points, although I now wonder if another attorney would have done better for me on those. At the end there were some details still open, and I tried to ask about them. Matt was in a hurry to leave and was dismissive of my questions, packing up while I was talking to him. I was uncomfortable signing the agreement, but I decided to trust that Matt wouldn't leave anything important hanging. It turns out I misunderstood an essential piece that I would not have agreed to if Matt had explained it to me properly. He also left a loophole that my ex exploited, which left me in financial limbo for what turned out to be months after the settlement.
When weeks turned into months after the settlement and there was no end in sight, I had to let Matt go. I retained someone else to finish the divorce (several thousand additional dollars that I really couldn't spare), and my new attorney was able to wrap it up within a few weeks of coming on board, despite encountering the same difficulties with opposing counsel that Matt had. She was just more proactive and wouldn't accept their tactics.
To add insult to injury, Matt's firm charged me interest on my outstanding bill, which took a few months for me to be able to pay due to the loophole Matt had left in my agreement.
Unfortunately, my experience was so frustrating that I can't recommend Matt or McKinley Irvin. Divorce is already one of the worst times in people's lives, and my ordeal with them just compounded it. I hope they're able to offer a better experience to future clients.
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08 Feb, 2024 by Anonymous
I used Wendy for a short period of time during my divorce case, she did not file paperwork on time, was very hard to get ahold of, and advised me to take the first settlement offer my ex proposed which gave him the house, cars, bank accts basically everything and she told me this was the best we could get. I quickly determined she DOES NOT have my best interests in mind and hired another attorney who represented me well and came to a fair settlement splitting everything 50/50
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21 Aug, 2018 by Anonymous
I gave her five thousand dollars for my son's case, which she never did her job. She did not file any paper work with the court, and she is really terrible about returning phone calls. This attorney has moved up to three times without contacting her clients. My advice is not to hire this attorney at all.
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22 Jan, 2016 by Alan
Wendy helped me through the divorce process and was very responsive, attentive and in the end she was able to help me negotiate a settlement that both myself and my X wife could agree to. Wendy was always timely in responses and in filing documents which helped the process move quickly for me. I would recommend Wendy to anyone looking for an attorney they can trust.
Thank you Wendy!
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14 Mar, 2024 by Craig diviney
I was a trial lawyer for 30 years but never thought I would need one myself, until I was injured in a dog attack. After careful research I retained Bill Broughton to represent me. He and his legal assistant Kelly were terrific, and they procured a settlement well beyond what I thought was possible. Bill was diligent, tenacious, caring, and thoroughly professional, and the deft touch with which he negotiated with the insurance adjustor was a thing of beauty. He and Kelly are consummate professionals and kind, decent people. Highest possible recommendation.
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28 Feb, 2024 by Consumer reviews
As a business owner, consumer, politically and socially independent and non-partisan activist, I have hired many attorneys over a period of 50 years. I have sued but never been sued, and I have avoided many situations that could end in legal trouble, such as estate issues, divorce, guardianship, contracts, real estate, by being careful about the law and lawyers. Most lawyers stink, but I hold my nose and consult with them because seemingly everything has connections to law in one way or another. Here is my take on 50 years of damned lawyers:
1. 20% of attorneys are excellent, but most range from mediocre to bad. Most are not good case managers because they are detail-constipated; they pick through the legal wording and have chronic and serious trouble seeing the forest for the trees. One real estate attorney I hired spent months exchanging letters with another attorney, picking endlessly over every letter of every word, and at $500 per letter.
2. Most attorneys slip easily into being rude, contentious, domineering and abrupt, and not infrequently abusive outright. They don't teach respect or courtesy in law school, and the field attracts many bullies, greedy, ill-mannered and argumentative misfits. Unless your case has a fat pay-day for them, like big accident/injury cases, your business won't motivate them to treat you even 1/10 as well as you are treated at a reputable retailer.
3. Law school costs a fortune so, even if they wanted to, they have to charge a lot of money. This is why only the well off can afford lawyers and pursue their interests. Aa for life for the majority, you are well advised to always carry a jar of K-Y, stay out of the big city, and stay home after dark.
4. Most lawyers are cynical and, behind your back or in your face, sneer, discount, or dismiss outright the average person's sense of fair play, integrity or justice.
3. Many lawyers are ignorant. The usual case is like this: Well, Mr. Smith, I will have to research this issue and it will take X-hours. Have another question for your lawyer and that means more hours on your bill. This is usually the case even when they specialize in the area of law your want guidance on. Imagine you go to a car mechanic and he says, well, I will have to study the problem, at $350 an hour for a number of hours--and then decide on a course of action to repair your car. An attorney who claimed to be a HOA expert, a Phil Havers of Silverdale, charged me hundreds of dollars to research whether it was legal for equal members of an HOA to pay different dues. Well, it was right there in the law, plain as day according to another attorney. Havers never did figure it out.
4. Many lawyers are foggy headed drunks who love drinking their lunches. In a law magazine I read, 18% of attorneys admitted to drinking too much. That is triple the rate in the general population.
5. Some attorneys are crooks. When my brother died, his attorney churned and milked his account for YEARS. He knew one of my brother's wills was not legal because it was not witnessed, but he went on robbing from it. His name was Bruce Gardiner of Kirkland. When we got on Bruce, he actually hired another crooked attorney to help him, an Eric Jeppesen of Bellevue.
In conclusion, I found this law firm to be the just more of the same rude, money-wasting, and ill-informed. I found its snooty representative to be as "pleasant" to talk with as I would some guy laying on a sidewalk in Seattle. Trust me, you can do better, although better as a rule means going to the high quality guys in the high-rises in Seattle.
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08 Feb, 2024 by Bryan
Constantly forgets to send you paperwork, puts you behind on all proceedings. He always said "My paralegal never sent that to you?" when asked and than would get the documents 2-3 days later still. He was always on "travel", hard to reach. Simply by the book and willing to give as much to the other person and will do bare bones to support you.
Overall wish I would of hired one that actually cared and would inform me of things.
I had to wait 30 days to even get paperwork that the court case was done and that is cause I asked for them. I was never going to be told or sent any documents on it otherwise.
EDIT: Before he comments. Please take note. I am not the first person to complain about it. It is a business he will claim it doesn't represent fair review. Others said same as i did above.
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22 Mar, 2023 by Brad
I met with Rob in early 2020 , paid a $2000.00 retainer for his help with a legal matter. I received a letter when Covid started saying there would be delays for all clients. This was the last I ever heard from him or his office. I have since called dozens of times for a refund of the remainder of my retainer as the matter I hired him for has become irrelevant in the 3 years that have passed. I have never received a call back. I would just like the retainer returned. I cannot fathom taking money from someone and never providing the service or a return of the money paid. Looking at other reviews, I see I am not alone there are plenty of others who describe similar experiences.
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15 Mar, 2023 by Anonymous
Doing what's best for his pocketbook, not the client. Would not recommend this attorney.
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18 Feb, 2023 by Anonymous
This man will take your money and disappear. Don't expect to ever hear from him again after you've paid his retainer. In any other line of work he'd be a criminal.
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12 Nov, 2023 by Kevin
Yall can fool yourself this guy is pathetic disrespectful and a joke and believe me when i say this i will have his job he bull shits through his teeth constantly cries wolf about being sick and i will be pulling all reviews and video recordings of his representation and taking them in front of the judge and the state governor and representatives as well as posting it all on every social media websites the best thing i got out this guy was the ratings he has and the laughs i got of being better off hiring your own belly button lint. He doesnt deserve his license especially when i who never studied law knows more about rcw and rights than he does.... Hes a pathetic waste of time and human life sorry not sorry.
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06 Dec, 2021 by Jay
At the beginning of my case with Mr. Bougher, he was very helpful, informative, and all around a great guy. Far better than the only other attorney I've had. However, I've made 10-20 attempts between each hearing to contact him and he never responds. He then goes into the hearing and tells the Judge I'm the one who's failing to communicate. It's hard to recommend someone who behaves like this despite my first impression of him being so good.
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15 Jan, 2021 by Anonymous
I hired Scott as my divorce attorney back in April. He sounded like a very promising lawyer and knowledge, dressing was questionable. After the first court hearing which I watched him shake while talking to the judge and other attorney, he went mute and told me he is in the hospital. There was no communication about the case. In November I was tired and ready to move on. I went to present my divorce documents myself. Scott got angry at me when I told him what I did and he send the papers to the other lawyer with words “this document was prepared by my clinical. She is from Somalia and does not know American laws.” I had to correct him and tell him I have never been to Somalia. I was shocked when he told me I am from Nigeria again I had to tell him I am not from Nigeria and he should take me as a client and know what I want and need and stop assigning me countries. I had the feeling he has no clue whom he was presenting. He would also tell me things like “you married your ex deal with it” this happens when I tell him to let my ex’s lawyer know that my ex has not given me his address as the parental plan required .on the last meeting with Scott, he started yelling at me told me he was going to get a lawyer and sue me for putting a review online then after talking about how he will sue me he asked me if that was a treat . Scott would not pick my calls will not return missed calls and even emails. I fired him after the incident. If you want peace of mind do not hire him.
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08 Nov, 2018 by Mandi erickson
I don’t know a single attorney to challenge allegations by Yakima Police Department, State Farm Insurance Associates, Department of Social Health Services licensing Department in both Administrative and Likely Criminal proceedings and negotiate them all down to even receive verbal apologies. If you need a legal advocate this is your guy! He is very intelligent and knows his stuff. Be honest with him and upfront and he will have your back the entire way! Highly recomended!!!
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04 Feb, 2018 by Anonymous
Took my case after representing my child's mother. I told him her name and even showed him pictures. After finding out he had a conflict of interest he dropped me and changed me an outrageous amount for the amount of work that was done.
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27 Jun, 2017 by Anonymous
Contacted Chris Tait to help with a business law issue and he constantly wants more and more money to pad his retainer. After two years of unresponsiveness and getting nothing done I fired him. Still have never seen a statement of charges or the balance of my retainer.
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19 May, 2024 by Tolmie
He work on my case and charged me over and over because his notes were like child writing, he quit my case days before final trial, and I had to pay extra for another attorney to try to catch up, and follow his chicken scratch. What a joke of an attorney, if he is recommended for you case , absolutely deny his service.
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20 Mar, 2020 by Sarah
He listened to what I was trying to succeed and my goals. He made it clear to the other party as well. He would not let me sign unless I was completely satisfied. He listened and understood what i was trying to acheive. He was great at communication for any upcoming scheduling, or cancelations. They would always return messages if the phone was not answered immediatly. I know others who have also had very successful cases. Because of this i would highly recomend him as a lawyer. 2020
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06 Oct, 2017 by Quinn b
I hired Mr. Rank to handle the legalities of a agreed, uncontested divorce for me in May of 2017. He most happily accepted my flat rate payment in full, up front.
June, July, August, and half of September I couldn't get in contact with Mr. Rank after placing 13 calls into his office. I was always told "he is very busy, and will call you back shortly".
After MONTHS of waiting for a reply from my paid attorney, my soon to be ex wife got tired of waiting (as did I) for a response from Mr. Rank. So she then sought out and revived the required paperwork from a legal assistance firm, and was able to get a court date set.
So, fast forward to one week before court. Mr. Ranks secretary calls me to set an appointment, I arrive and have to inform Me. Rank of the pending court date.
So now, with a sense of urgency, my wife and I struggle to get a decree that will be acceptable to the court, and email Mr. Ranks secretary back and forth until we have a "valid" document, with the Guarantee that Mr. Rank will validate it himself.
Now, the day of court. Mr. Rank shows up 45 minutes late, and informs me that the decree isn't acceptable. When I express my shock as to how this can be, on the day of court, he informs me that " I didn't have time to review the decree" and the only reason was " you're not my only client". His position was that I needed to "grow a pair, and just take that BI+@# to trial".
I'm very embarrassed to say that I gave Mr. Rank another $1,000 against what it would cost IF it went to trial.
Following week, my wife and I has over the agreement, completing 4 revisions before I take what we believe to be an acceptable decree to Mr. Ranks office to have it approved.
Another week goes by, then I get the appointment. Mr. Rank at that point hadn't completed ANY work on the agreement, and for some reason didn't have ANY of the information that had been emailed to his office time and time again during the YEAR.
So, being obviously displeased with his lack of progress, I requested that the funds I put up in good faith against the possibility of trial be returned to me. And that's where his complete lack of work ethic and moral showed up clear as day.
He had changed our "flat rate" contract I to an "hourly" contract without my knowledge or consent. Then informed me that my "up front, in full" payment was gone, and my in good faith payment against the possibility of trial was also gone. And that I owed him more money.
Now, up to this point, he had not completed, or even made ANY progress towards validating the decree that he was too busy to even write up. My wife and I had to do it ourselves out of nessesity due to Mr. Ranks complete lack of work ethic.
When I expressed my concerns with his lack of effort to date, his response was " you are annoying me now, you can sit in the waiting room, or leave".
If you are considering hiring Mr. Rank as your attorney, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking stacks of hundred dollars bills out of your bank account, and setting them on fire.
The end result will be the same, but with less headache.
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01 Aug, 2022 by Anonymous
He was appointed to my cases as a child and he was the only voice I had. No back bone. I was abused in one of the facilities after telling him to mention this in court several times he never did and I was replaced and now suffer from PTSD. He did not help me at all.
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25 Sep, 2020 by David
I was given me. Yonko from public defender office, he consolidated two cases and did a superb job, criminal matters , don't hesitate hire me. Yonko he knows what he is doing, besides that fast to establish a good friendship , answer emails andbd messages . Thanks Again Richard . Superb a+
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05 Mar, 2017 by J
This guy is a slime ball. He takes advantage of anyone he can to make a few bucks. He with held evidence in our case and gave legal advice that was completely wrong. This guy shouldn't be allowed to practice, hopefully they will suspend his license for good.
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24 Aug, 2023 by Anonymous
I would not recommend this lawyer to pursue a personal injury case. Thousands of dollars were used up in public disclosure requests without getting any results to pursue my case. He told me he would not pursue a lawsuit against the government when that is exactly what I needed an attorney for because they would not identify the agency personnel involved in my burglaries at the house or at the Republic bank where my safe deposit box was burglarized.
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18 Jun, 2021 by Judie
Ryan was very helpful to me when I needed a will done ASAP (in one day). He came to my house and assisted us in getting the will done. He was very professional, kind, sincere, and extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I would recommend hiring him.
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09 May, 2017 by Cassandra
I definitely do not recommend Ryan Gunn for any sort of family law practices and probably not any other practices for that matter. He fails to treat his clients with any sort of respect or dignity and will continue to ask for money despite having done nothing for months on end. We payed roughly 8000 dollars to Ryan Gunn only for him to keep stringing it out and requiring more money. The receipts we received were predominately charges for him talking to his legal secretary. We ended up terminating our attorney/client relationship and finished our case through the family court facilitator. All in all it's a lesson learned but roughly 8k for divorce paperwork and initial filing with the courts (which we paid that fee out of pocket not out of the 8k) seems a little steep and highly dishonest.
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07 Apr, 2021 by Mary
Neil is the best attorney I have ever worked with.
His attention to detail was impeccable.
I went to him after my previous attorney made a mess of my divorce. He did everything he could to fix it as good as the law and previous court judgements allowed.
I would highly recommend him.
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22 Jul, 2013 by Anonymous
I can honestly say I literally threw away $1,400! Neil did absolutely nothing for me except empty out my savings account. I was trying to get legal advice and guidance to dissolve my marriage, but all I got instead was a headache from all of the confusion. What a waste of time.
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11 Dec, 2008 by Anonymous
He was not prepared when it came time for court. He had to call an associate to bring my files in front of the judge. this was the first court date, I should have known better at that point. the next time I felt that he was cutting a deal with a buddy, meaning the opposing attorney, this was a settlement case and both mr. fuller and the judge were joking about old times. it was definately a lck of professionalism I had not seen during hours of preperation.
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05 May, 2023 by Zacharias
This fool represented me on my child custody case I told him right from the start that wasn't going to just take this line down we'll go to the box basically. Did you call this guy Rich the truck buechell because he totally rolled me under the bus and helped Kittitas County violate my rights.
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03 Jan, 2018 by Anonymous
Richard handled a criminal case for me in which I was wrongly accused. He at first seemed on top of it, but later seemed like he was perpetually annoyed. Case was resolved to a lesser misdemeanor but he was supposed to have at least tried to arrange an Alford plea and he never bothered. There were other HUGE problems with the plea agreement that he should have foresaw and I later had to return to court to fix, and when I tried to meet with him he made me follow him out to the parking lot to speak to him while he chain-smoked and then literally had an aneurysm about my case and was extremely rude.
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20 Jun, 2014 by Lucinda
Rick was extremely helpful to me. He represented me first pro bono, 7 years ago on a DWI charge and got it reduced to a Reckless Driving conviction. I failed to do my probation and a bench warrant was issued. I let it go for 6 yrs and finally did something about it this year. I hired Rick, the cost was reasonable and I knew from memory that Rick had good rapport with the court at the time when he got my charge reduced. We went into court and probation wanted a year of my life in jail for this violation. I was stunned. Rick argued successfully for me and I was given 90 days on electronic home monitoring or jail. No other sanctions, no probation, no new fines, and no evaluations. It was a god shot. I am home now doing my time, no jail. I am extremely grateful to him.
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26 Mar, 2024 by Hayley hanna
If you want a lawyer who does shady business practice and works with direct conflict of interest then here’s your guy. If you want someone who’s going to try to take advantage of you after the death of your loved one then look no further. BUT … if you want a real lawyer who’s going to be a shark and go to battle for you and actually knows how probates and estates work- then go to Seattle and hire a big dog attorney. Sometimes you just need to leave the island to find quality service.
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26 Mar, 2024 by Chantal firman
Save your money. If you want a lawyer who Is condescending, rude, hard to reach, and constantly out of the office then this is your guy. Made my fathers probate a nightmare.
He’s knowledgeable but that’s about it. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else on island
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24 Apr, 2023 by Innocentlee young
Do not waste your time and money. An experienced only in it for the money do not fight for you. They drag things out and don't know what they're doing.
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06 Jul, 2022 by T
I won't even get into the entire list.
The single worst thing Ms. Lancaster did during her representation of me was to completely ignore my written answers submitted to her, and emails and phone calls to her, regarding a deemed admissions request from the opposition in my case. Because she didn't respond, for months, the admissions were accepted by the court, AS PRESENTED! I dare not share the dollar amount this could have simply given away.
Her actions destroyed my case and subsequently cost me well into 5 figures and nearly an additional year of life I'll never get back trying to rectify this after retaining new counsel.
I will not be hiring her again.
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13 Jul, 2021 by Anonymous
Ms. Lancaster did nothing on time with the exception of demanding payment. At one point, she told me that we could finalize by the 10th. When that date came and went she finally responded to one of my emails explaining that she hadn't filed because she wasn't sure that was what I wanted. Since I got no calls or emails asking for guidance, I am fairly certain that she simply forgot. I felt that way regularly with her. I'd recommend self representation before hiring Ms. Lancaster.
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07 May, 2021 by Matt
Ms. Lancaster seems like a nice person, but I regret hiring her. I felt she was likely overbooked as my emails would often not come back a with a response within a reasonable time frame, and often did not come back at all. I entered this process with no knowledge of the legal procedures, and often did not receive guidance or insight as to what to expect and what was common or reasonable. She did not explain to me that it was possible to settle out of court and as a result we took something to court that did not need to go. When filling out the paperwork, I was uncertain about income that needed to be included. Following he'd advise cause the opposition to be able to frame me as being intentionally deceitful. She also advised increasing non ordered support before we went yo court, which set the stage for the opposition to argue that even more was required. I very much wish I had hired a more expensive lawyer, since I ended up having k g yo pay the opposition's bills as well as my own.
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30 Aug, 2022 by King
Asking a monkey to take care of your case would be better than this individual. No responses to any form of communication while hiding behind the receptionist. Don't waste time. money or your effort on this tool.
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07 Mar, 2013 by Anonymous
I hired Angela L Olsen to do my Divorce. It has been a year, and I had to get another attorney to take the case. She did nothing on my case, except collect money from me. She did not keep me inform, she charged for my emails, but would not reply to them. While the case was in her hands it almost got dismissed from the county due to inactivity! She is not on top of her game! If you hire this lawyer you might as well walk into your bathroom and flush your money down the toilet!!
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11 Jul, 2011 by Jeff
Angela Olsen mishandled our case so badly that we were compelled to file a complaint with the Washington State Bar. She was uncaring and unprepared and, as a result, served a contempt motion on the wrong party, and then failed to insist that a waiver be granted because the opposing attorney asked for service on behalf of her client. Any experienced attorney should have known better. In addition she was unable, because of her lack of preparation, to argue the case with the opposing attorney or direct the judge. She bungled the facts badly, and had no case law to support her limited attempts at rebuttal.
Angela Olsen failed/refused to maintain communications with us, claiming that her caseload and personal matters, such as a field trip with her daughter, and a vacation, were more important than the lives and future of our grandchildren, which hung in the balance.
Angela never disclosed to us that her caseload was such that she could not competently handle the case, which was brought before the court as an urgent matter. As a family law attorney she has a moral imperative to protect innocent children who are helpless, and have no other advocate, which was the reason she and her firm were retained.
Further, Angela Olsen failed to file a motion for reconsideration, when the judge refused to appoint a guardian ad litem. This was negligent
and irresponsible, given that there are health issues and child molestation involved. Ms. Olsen also ignored the urgency of the matter to go on vacation and then had the audacity to tell us more than 10 days later that she was too busy to respond to our telephone calls and
e-mail inquiries because "we were not her only client." When I criticized her handling of the case by e-mail her partner responded within 5 minutes, advising us that his firm was withdrawing -- never addressing the issues. As matters now stand Angela Olsen may have completely destroyed our son-in-law's only remaining chance to get his children and our grandchildren out of harm's way.
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31 May, 2020 by Anonymous
My divorce was over 10 years ago. when I met him he looked at our assets and stated "there is not much money here". Very arrogant. I spoke mostly to his assistant, I would call her and tell her what i wanted from the divorce, I expected her to relay that to margullis but when we got to court she or he had nothing with them. Norman was friends with the ex's attorney and didn't fight for me.
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18 Sep, 2014 by Anonymous
Very condescending remarks throughout divorce process, told me to stop acting like a victim.
Did not represent me, sided with my ex's attorney during the process.
Was not knowledgeable about my case at all, only interested in charging fees.
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19 Aug, 2013 by Anonymous
when I first consulted Mr. Margullis I was inclined to think he would do a good job but after he got my money I was handed over to his assistant. He seemed disinterested and didn't fight for me in the divorce and was very friendly with the opposing attorney. I really felt betrayed. Do not hire this guy.
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18 Sep, 2021 by Noo
This attorney literally racked up the charges for every little thing. Even when my ex and I had agreed to everything he continued to draw our case out. He billed us for all the times he couldn’t remember that we had already addressed things. It’s as if he was scared as the opposing counsel. Find someone else seriously. Wish I saw these other reviews before I ever hired him.
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01 Dec, 2017 by Toni
Gave a $2000.00 retainer for divorce June 16th, 2016. After multiple phone calls over a year period nothing (NOTHING) was done! My check was cashed, I have the cancelled check right here. Now it is December 1st, 2017 and now I have to write a letter to get my money back? WTF! Don't ever use this A HOLE and I'll be writing a letter to the bar association.
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23 Apr, 2013 by Dana
I was pulled over for a tail light being out over Memorial Day weekend 2010, as I was pulling in to my apartment driveway.The policemen smelled alcohol, I told him I'd had a couple of beers. Did the field sobriety test, I can't balance on one leg straight or sober, bad hips. He breathalyzed me and I blew a .086. First time I've ever been in trouble and I was mortified. The officer said that I'd crossed a yellow line and was driving on the wrong side of the road, not true! I crossed 2 yellow lines ( the turning lane) to get in to my apartment driveway, that's the only way to get in to the parking lot, it's not an illegal move. The officer lied about that and also said that he would take the tail light charge off of my ticket, as if he were doing me a favor, but later I realized, after reading the ticket, he made it look as if I were driving on the wrong side of the road and that's why he pulled me over, lying SOB! Since this has happened to me, I've heard terrible stories about this cop abusing his power, I'm filing a complaint against him next, didn't know that I could! I was scared, in a new town, didn't know anyone, I've never been in trouble before and I call a local lawyer- Mr. Franz. Big mistake! Should have called a professional DUI lawyer like Steve Bennet. Mr. Franz said "give me $2000 and I'll make it go away on your record, you'll do 2 years probation and that will be it". He also said "not to worry about going to the DMV courts" which was a total misrepresentation on his part to ignore. Stupid me, trusting Mr. Franz with my best interests at heart. I have been in compliance with my probation, I don't drink and drive, I've done all my courses etc... But since Mr. Franz neglected to represent me in the DMV courts, I now have a .08 on my drivers abstract, and that stays on your record FOREVER ! This means that I cannot go to Canada. It also means that I cannot apply for any of the high security background jobs that I once held before I owned a catering company and now my own restaurant. I know that it was wrong of me to drive after drinking. I get it, never again. Over the last 18 months, I've heard story after story of people getting off on DUI charges that have blown twice the limit as I did. One of them used public defenders, which are free, the others have used proper DUI lawyers. Not that I think that this is a good thing. I would have been more accepting of my charges had I been so dangerously over the limit. It's a little scary that these people are getting off and recommitting crimes, even killing people. But I made a bad mistake, and was busted in my driveway. I was already home, and not pulled over for reckless driving, just a tail light. So thank you Mr. Franz, for not doing your job, and ruining my chances of gainful employment in the future. You didn't even want to hear about my side of the story with the cop. So far I've gone all the way through the interviewing process for 2 flight attendant jobs,only to be rejected for having a .08 on my abstract. I'm up for a position now. It's a great job, based in NY, with free apartment and $75k a year, but I'm expecting that once they do my security background check, I won't get that job either because Mr Franz neglected to peruse the DMV courts and I will forever have that .08 on my driver's abstract. Unfortunately, I have to meet with Mr. Franz for my probation hearing in July, and I'm not looking forward to this. I just want to scream at him for not doing his job properly and just taking the $2000 and not thinking about it twice. What an ahole! DO NOT USE MR. FRANZ FOR A DUI, get a professional. Maybe he's better a practicing other types of law but not DUI cases, be warned! Dirt bag lawyers! Greed is the only thing that drives them. Great that he wanted the money up front as well. Using mr. Franz was worse than losing my kidney in 1990. But the BEST advise I can give you is DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!
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21 Feb, 2024 by Anonymous
Rebecca Bernard is the most disrespectful,rude attorney I've ever delt with. She thinks she's a doctor and can say wether or not your able to work based on your disability. I'm sure the state of Washington loves her. But if you're unlucky enough to have her assigned to your case good luck. She has no clue about disability or diagnosis yet she will lie, falsify, conive and talk down and belittle you. Make her own assumptions and make everything difficult on you. Just so she can try and charge the highest amount possible. Rebecca just because you make 140k (public records) screwing people over and making there life hard doesn't mean that they are able to work. It's not up to you to make that call. Your a ugly human
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03 Dec, 2021 by Shane
Rebecca Bernard needs to rethink her 30year profession. She is rude disrespectful and had 0 regards for what happens to a child or a fit parent. In my case with her, it's a paternity/child support case it started off with our first court appearance and she said that I was a P.O.S. and there is no reason why I shouldn't be able to work. (I'm summarizing in my own words) then when I called her out on it in her office she said that I don't look like I am not able to work and I need to do what is best for the child. That being said she also stated that child support would be paid by me whether I lived with the child or not. She has sent out people to Harass my children's mother and call me because she said I'm lying about moving to Arizona with my children because there is no proof of my child being in school in AZ even though I haven't gotten a birth certificate after I had done a paternity test. She then proceeds to continue to state that I'm a liar and that I can pay child support and work 1 to 2 jobs if nessicary to pay for child support even though I have doctors starments saying I'm not able to work. Then telling me crippled people work everyday and that I need to be working. She said I was lazy and just don't want to work and that I was a liar in the court room. She has a history deflimating peoples character and insulting them just to get a paycheck. She sits Here and disrespect men to make them pay for children they are currently taken care of or makes them have a hard time supporting them because "it's the FATHERS job to pay for the children". All in all she is Sexist rude disrespectful judgmental and a liar in her own way. And if these reviews are worth anything she should've been banned and gotten her license taken away a long time ago. She is the type of lawyer that gives other lawyers the basic heartless sneaky liar stereotype. And I didn't hire her she was forcefully appointed to my case
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21 Apr, 2013 by David
Rebecca Bernard need to rethink her profession. I really needed help with child support from my ex-wife who is a drug addict and has been in jail a couple of times.I have two kids and need help finacially.Rebecca's attitude towards me and the case (she was assigned to) was very negative I helped her every way I could with information and documents.Her reply was for me to get a second job and stop wasting the taxes payers money being on welfare.(exact words)Anyway my ex is not ordered to pay any support on her two kids that I raise alone thanks to this bias woman who purposely fumbled the case.
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17 Nov, 2017 by Anonymous
This attorney represented me in a land dispute with my deceased girlfriend’s son. I was under the impression that I could live on her property even after she passed because of a verbal agreement with her. Her son was listed as executor of her will, and she had transferred the deeds to the property and trailer into his name a couple months before she passed away of cancer. This I did not know. I hired this attorney because the son told me he was selling the place and that I had to leave. Joanne Rick assured me that the deed had been improperly filed and that I was legally entitled to the estate because of it. I’m not legally smart, so I believed her council. When it finally went to court, and thousands of dollars later, this attorney was reprimanded for bringing the case in the first place because the deed and will were legally filed and completed properly by my girlfriend and her son’s death and estate attorney. Joann Comins Rick was informed of this by certified mail but she had completely ignored it and kept the case going with continuances and delays, and soaking me the whole ride! I didn’t even know about this until the judge heard the case! The judge, after reviewing the other attorney’s case for the son, agreed and ordered that Joanne Rick and I pay the son’s legal fees for bringing a frivolous lawsuit!! My lawyer should have known better and counseled me the same legally. She was informed the other party legally owned the property and should have not brought the lawsuit. I was then am now livid! I still can’t believe it, and in hind sight, I truly believe she continued the legal proceedings after being informed by the other attorney by certified mail, in order to soak me for more money. DO NOT USE OR HIRE this attorney!! I’m not paying her a dime, because I’m broke, but also because I’m not legally obligated to after the ruling of a frivolous lawsuit. Thank God the son agreed not to extend the case with more court dates and agreed to settle with me leaving the property after losing. Thanks for NOTHING Joanne...
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11 Feb, 2010 by Anonymous
My divorce proceedings were started over 2 years ago. It is still not complete. Joanne has charged me approx $10,000 to handle the dissolution,. There has been no follow through and the settlement attained was far less than it should have been. My savings is gone and I am still struggling to pay for more "misc." charges that keep coming.
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23 Apr, 2009 by Anonymous
This attorney took over 6,000.00 of my money , which was 1,500.00 over the amount she told me would be the MOST it would cost me. Paid in full last July (2008) It is now nine months after the final day in court where I was granted a divorce and STILL no final papers. This attorney will not return a call, or answer an email, and according to her secretary Monica who I spoke to just 1 hour ago, my signed paperwork is STILL just laying on attorney's desk. I became quite fed up over all of this a few months ago and threatened to report her to the bar association. This did get a response from her office in the form of billing me an additional almost 900.00 for (so called) additional services rendered. In my opinion, especially to those people who need a divorce and have limited finances, find someone other than this one to represent you. If this could happen to me it could happen to you too.
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02 Nov, 2022 by Marissaa
This attorney was too afraid to go to trial, after being hired and paid decided it was too much for her and said she didn’t want to go to trial! Like ok?? Who does? As an attorney you have an obligation to serve your clients not screw them over because your too old and can’t handle a touch case! She shouldn’t have took me on as a client if she knew she couldn’t handle it! After taking my money and putting me in a worse situation not thinking once how parents go through so much during this whole situation just to be taken advantage of! I would not recommend her ever, she might as well retire at this point!
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14 Apr, 2016 by Jordan
I was faced with a parenting plan case and Kolleen was the first attorney I consulted. She told me if I was to get an attorney, that I would have to pay for an attorney for my ex and that I didn't need legal representation for my case. Both of those claims were undoubtedly false. I felt like she just pocketed my consultation fee and rushed me out her door. I would not advise anyone to consult with this attorney. I hired a much better attorney and my case went well.
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What a Child Support Lawyer Can Do for You
A child support lawyer specializes in legal issues related to the financial support that one parent provides to another for the upbringing of their children. These lawyers assist with establishing, enforcing, and modifying child support orders, ensuring that the financial needs of the child are met, including housing, food, healthcare, education, and other essentials. A child support lawyer can also represent parents in disputes over the amount of support, ensure fair calculations based on income, and handle legal proceedings if one parent fails to meet their obligations.
Whether you're seeking to establish child support, modify an existing order, or enforce payments, a child support lawyer can help you navigate the legal system and protect your rights and the well-being of your child.
When Should I Hire a Child Support Lawyer?
You should consider hiring a child support lawyer when you need assistance with any of the following child support matters:
- Establishing child support: If you are going through a divorce or separation and need to establish a child support order, a lawyer can help ensure that the support amount is fair and accurately calculated.
- Modifying child support orders: If there has been a significant change in circumstances, such as a job loss, income change, or a child's financial needs, a lawyer can help you request a modification to the existing child support order.
- Enforcing child support payments: If the other parent has failed to make court-ordered child support payments, a lawyer can help enforce the order through legal means such as wage garnishment, property liens, or even legal action.
- Disputing child support calculations: If you believe the child support amount has been incorrectly calculated based on your income or expenses, a lawyer can help you challenge the calculation and seek a fair adjustment.
- Paternity disputes: If paternity needs to be established before child support can be ordered, a lawyer can assist with DNA testing and legal proceedings.
- Interstate child support cases: If the parents live in different states, navigating child support laws can be complex. A lawyer can help ensure the proper jurisdiction is established and that child support is enforced across state lines.
- Child support during custody disputes: If child custody and child support are being determined simultaneously, a lawyer can help ensure that both issues are resolved fairly and in the best interest of the child.
Hiring a lawyer early can help ensure that your child support case is handled effectively and that your child's financial needs are met.
What Does a Child Support Lawyer Do?
A child support lawyer provides a variety of legal services to help parents secure, modify, and enforce child support arrangements. Their responsibilities often include:
- Filing for child support: A lawyer can help you initiate the legal process to obtain a child support order, ensuring that all necessary documentation is submitted and deadlines are met.
- Calculating child support: A lawyer can help ensure that child support is calculated fairly based on both parents' incomes, the needs of the child, and other factors such as healthcare and education costs.
- Negotiating child support agreements: If both parents are willing to negotiate, a lawyer can help facilitate an agreement on child support outside of court, which can then be approved by a judge.
- Representing you in court: If negotiations fail or the other parent contests the child support amount, a lawyer will represent you in family court, presenting evidence and making legal arguments to support your case.
- Modifying support orders: A lawyer can help you file a request for modification if circumstances change, such as a loss of income or an increase in the child’s financial needs.
- Enforcing child support: If the other parent is not making court-ordered payments, a lawyer can take legal steps to enforce the order through wage garnishment, property liens, or other measures.
- Handling complex cases: In cases involving high incomes, self-employment, or complicated financial situations, a lawyer can help ensure that all relevant factors are considered in determining child support.
How Are Child Support Lawyers Paid?
Child support lawyers typically charge for their services based on the complexity of the case and the type of legal work required. Common payment methods include:
- Hourly rate: Most child support lawyers charge by the hour, with rates ranging from $150 to $500 or more, depending on the lawyer’s experience and location. The total cost will depend on how much time the lawyer spends on your case, including preparation, negotiations, and court appearances.
- Flat fee: For more straightforward cases, such as uncontested child support agreements or basic modifications, some lawyers may offer a flat fee that covers all services related to the case.
- Retainer: Many lawyers require a retainer, which is an upfront payment that is billed against as the lawyer works on your case. The amount of the retainer depends on the expected complexity of the case.
- Sliding scale or pro bono services: Some lawyers offer sliding scale fees based on income or provide pro bono (free) services in cases where clients cannot afford to pay full legal fees, especially when children’s needs are at stake.
It’s important to discuss fees with your lawyer during the initial consultation to understand how much you will be charged and what services are covered.
How Much Does a Child Support Lawyer Cost?
The cost of hiring a child support lawyer varies depending on the complexity of the case, whether it's contested or uncontested, and the lawyer’s experience. General cost estimates include:
- Uncontested child support cases: Legal fees may range from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the complexity of the paperwork and the lawyer’s fees.
- Contested child support cases: Legal fees can range from $5,000 to $20,000 or more, especially if the case involves significant court time.
- Hourly rates: Lawyers typically charge between $150 and $500 per hour for child support cases, with higher rates for more experienced attorneys or cases that involve complex financial issues.
- Modification or enforcement: Fees for modifying or enforcing a child support order may range from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the complexity and the need for court intervention.
Always ask for a detailed cost estimate during your consultation so you can plan your budget accordingly.
Top Questions to Ask a Child Support Lawyer
Before hiring a child support lawyer, it’s important to ask questions to ensure they are the right fit for your case. Key questions to ask include:
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What experience do you have with child support cases?
Ensure the lawyer has experience handling cases similar to yours, whether it’s establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support orders. -
How do you charge for your services?
Clarify whether the lawyer charges by the hour, offers flat fees, or requires a retainer, and ask for a detailed estimate of the total cost. -
What is the likelihood of success in my case?
Ask the lawyer for an honest assessment of your case and any potential challenges you may face. -
How long will the process take?
Child support cases can take time, so ask the lawyer how long they expect the process to last and what factors may cause delays. -
Will you personally handle my case?
In larger firms, junior attorneys or paralegals may handle parts of the case. Make sure you know who will be managing your case and representing you in court. -
What documents should I prepare?
Ask the lawyer what financial documents and other information you should bring to help them calculate child support and build your case.
How to Check the Credibility of a Child Support Lawyer
To ensure you are hiring a reputable child support lawyer, take the following steps to verify their credentials and track record:
- Verify their bar status: Check with your state bar association to confirm that the lawyer is licensed to practice and has no history of disciplinary actions.
- Look for family law experience: Review the lawyer’s website or professional profile to ensure they specialize in family law and have successfully handled child support cases similar to yours.
- Read client reviews and testimonials: Look for client reviews on platforms like Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, or Google to see what previous clients have said about the lawyer’s professionalism and success rate.
- Ask for references: A credible lawyer should be able to provide references from past clients who have worked with them on child support matters.
- Check for certifications: Some lawyers may have certifications in family law or membership in organizations like the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), which can indicate their expertise in child support and family law issues.
What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?
To make the most out of your first consultation with a child support lawyer, it’s important to come prepared with relevant documents and information. Here’s what you should bring:
- Income documents: Bring pay stubs, tax returns, W-2s, or any other documentation of your income and the other parent’s income, as this will be used to calculate child support.
- Existing child support orders: If there are any existing child support or custody orders, bring copies for the lawyer to review.
- Child-related expenses: Provide documentation of your child’s medical bills, education expenses, daycare costs, and any other expenses that should be factored into the child support calculation.
- Communication with the other parent: Bring any communication between you and the other parent regarding child support, whether through emails, text messages, or written agreements.
- List of questions: Prepare a list of questions about your case, the legal process, and the lawyer’s fees.
By preparing thoroughly for your consultation, you can help the lawyer assess your case more effectively and provide the best possible legal advice on how to proceed.
