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31 Jul, 2022 by Anthony nicholson
The staff is very helpful and respectful
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17 Oct, 2021 by Carly bauserman
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29 May, 2021 by Alice bennett
Mr. Adams in 1 word. Amazing. I always had an easy, fully understandable, happy, smiling, laughing experience. He helped me with everything I needed for my divorce, he explained everything to me so that I was never confused. I would highty recommend him to anyone needing a great lawyer.
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01 Jun, 2021 by Anonymous
Mr. Kreitzer was hired by me for what I thought would be a short case. However, it’s lasted over a year (not by any fault of his) due to opposition dragging things on and on. Mr. Kreitzer was patient and kind. Absolutely knowledgeable and does not allow the other side to push you around and gave his best advisement regarding the circumstances every step of the way. Would absolutely recommend hiring him and would hire him every time!
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13 Sep, 2020 by Jesse
Mr. Kreitzer demonstrates a very knowledgeable understanding of the law and the court systems in which he practices. In the courtroom, Mr. Kreitzer thought very quickly on his feet and delivered a very intelligent rebuttal against the opposing party’s testimony, where I have seen many other lawyers in the past freeze and fall apart. I Very highly recommend him for any legal purpose.
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03 Apr, 2020 by Anonymous
He examined our documents in a timely manner. He also referred us to another attorney when it was outside of his expertise. He was very kind and patient too.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Carly bauserman
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08 Jul, 2024 by Alice bennett
Mr. Adams in 1 word. Amazing. I always had an easy, fully understandable, happy, smiling, laughing experience. He helped me with everything I needed for my divorce, he explained everything to me so that I was never confused. I would highty recommend him to anyone needing a great lawyer.
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08 Jul, 2024 by Leann cronk
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05 Dec, 2024 by Devin
I can’t express my gratitude enough to Mr. Delgado. Without getting into too much detail, my case with my ex and child in a different state was an absolute mess. Mr. Delgado immediately went to work for me and had my case settled in a matter of days. I can’t even begin to explain the amount of stressI was under, and he made the process painless and because of him, I’m in a much better place in life now. Nothing but great things to say about Mr. Delgado. Highly recommend!
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04 Dec, 2024 by Anonymous
Gerardo helped me get my case dismissed without going to trial and was very supportive and responsive all throughout. I highly recommend him.
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29 Oct, 2024 by Diane
Excellent Attorney, Excellent Communication & Excellent RESULTS! Much appreciation always to Gerardo Delgado
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20 Jul, 2024 by Savannah
I suggest avoiding Charles Billman at all costs. He will take as much money from you and your family as he possibly can (even as a court appointed attorney) and will do as little as he can get away with. He is a horrible lawyer. He gave my partner horrible legal advice, little to no effort/ representation, missed court dates, and this all resulted in my partner going to prison. In my opinion he purposely gave poor legal advice so my partner would be sentenced to prison and Charles Billman would no longer have to work for us (he could turn his attention to scamming other vulnerable people for thousands of dollars and nothing in return.) I personally witnessed and experienced Charles Billman's poor performance in court and his rude attitude towards us for quite some time. He was biased and did not believe in or fight for the innocence of my partner. He is a criminal defense lawyer and acts more like a prosecutor. He put no effort in whatsoever. And was way too friendly towards prosecutors (possible collusion and corruption going on.) He literally did nothing but occasionally show up. He did nothing to defend my partner. He should be ashamed of himself. He is greedy, manipulative, rude, incompetent, a liar, and careless. This law firm should be embarrassed and ashamed for employing him. His legal assistant 'Whitney' is also shockingly rude and offensive. One of the rudest people I've ever met. This law firm, Charles Billman, and his whole team should be investigated for poor performance, bribery, bias, corruption, collusion, incompetence, and fraudulent activities. Shame on you Charles Billman and Harrison & Johnston. My partner and I will never forget how awfully you treated us and failed us and our children. We will never stop fighting for our justice, one way or another.
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29 Apr, 2024 by Melissa miske
My mom has dementia and Ari Sommer did a great job helping me navigate the medicaid process for long-term care. Ari is very responsive and I would highly recommend him for any elder care planning.
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11 Apr, 2024 by Shenan carroll
Matt Bass is a stellar attorney with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Mr. Bass was extremely helpful, walking me through the legal process, promptly answering my questions, and providing a detailed analysis that was instrumental in guiding my decisions. His friendly demeanor and responsiveness is comforting during the most uncomfortable situations. I am grateful to Matt and his firm for the excellent support I received.
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04 Feb, 2021 by Gail
No one ever wants to get divorced. I felt like I was in an abyss. She was wonderful and continues to be wonderful, years after the fact. I recommend her to every friend or family member in the area that needs an attorney for one of her specialties. She's the best!!
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23 Feb, 2019 by Anonymous
Zealous fails to adequately describe the representation. My action was very high profile, but her office never wavered in their discretion. I can only describe the firm as exceeding the benchmark of professional The young secretary I spoke with most often was April, very bright and able-minded (didn't give legal advice), but it was Dale, Marilyn's highly skilled, ambitious associate taking care of the day to day maintenance on my case and Marilyn, as her usual pit viper self, expressing my loss before the court, demanding equity, satisfaction and closure. Faster and less painful than I imagined. This lawyer is expensive, but well worth the money! Her office bills at various rates, which range from $150 an hour to $500 or more per hour, depending on the work being done. Ms. Solomon may not guarantee results, but hiring her was the best decision I could have made during a very difficult time in my life. I am very satisfied with the outcome and I would recommend Marilyn to anyone in the Winchester area seeking an experienced divorce or bankruptcy attorney. Ms. Solomon's office is conveniently located in downtown, Winchester. Ms. Solomon is easy to reach and very responsive. The professionalism and legal expertise of the firm exceeded my expectations in every possible way!
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17 Nov, 2018 by Anonymous
I hired Marilyn to represent me in my divorce and will regret it for the rest of my life. I would have gotten the same result going to court with no representation that I received with her. I lost everything including my kids, my home, partial retirement and most of my marital savings. To date I’ve payed her almost 8,000 (the small and exact amount she was able to get from my savings of 50,000) for her poor service and continue to receive bills for additional payment. She seems to think she is entitled and deserves to be paid an astronomical amount when she failed to even attain the money from my own savings. I hate to leave reviews like this especially because I do think she tries to be fair regarding custody and divorce cases which is all I asked for but it is not helpful when the other party is draining savings accounts and attempting to relocate your children before you step foot in court. My advice would be to save your money and look elsewhere.
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02 Nov, 2024 by Lou ann
I can attest that Mr. Vance is an excellent attorney. Given a brief summation, he was able to regain my visitation with my granddaughter . High praise for Mr Vance!!!
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18 Sep, 2024 by Robert s.
If it were possible to give zero stars, this would be a zero. My daughter hired Ms. Devon Humphreys of this firm to handle a custody issue. During the course of her representation, she gave late and erroneous advice that resulted in serious, negative results in my daughter's case in addition to costing a ridiculous amount of money. On the day of trial, Ms. Humphries withdrew because we wanted an explanation for a late change in advice that she had no explanation for and chose to withdraw instead. After the withdrawal, several attorneys suggested that the conduct in this case could be considered malpractice. Ms. Humphries advised my daughter to compromise her claim for terms that were far less favorable than those eventually achieved by new counsel. Save yourself the time and money and look elsewhere.
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14 May, 2024 by Jason hartsell
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16 Sep, 2024 by Lauren ambrogi
Georgia is absolutely one of the best lawyers I’ve ever worked with. When you’re truly doing right & need help she is your person. She truly fights for what’s right & advises you in the right direction. She’s been available at anytime for me during my case. It really helps when your lawyer takes the time that she does with a case. She will be my go to for anything needed in the future. Cannot recommend enough.
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23 Jul, 2024 by Reyne polk
This attorney was recommended by another attorney to contact for information regarding divorce. I was not able to speak with Ms. Ashby; however, I was consulted by her partner. This attorney answered my questions but informed me it would be a long process and by the time we finished I would owe her $200,000.00 - 400,00.00 US dollars what a crock!!! Then she sent me a bill for our 6 minute conversation over the telephone for $ 400.00. Which they stated she charged $400.00 an hour. How does 6 minutes constitute one hour. STAY CLEAR OF THIS LAW FIRM THEIR OUT FOR YOUR MONEY NOT TO HELP YOU!!
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21 Mar, 2024 by Laura trout
Got my answers that I need
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18 Sep, 2024 by Mariah smith
Howard is a great attorney and deserves more credit , he is very easy to talk to and understanding, he doesn't like a lier when your guilty , and if u have proof of your not guilty plea even when u may be guilty he is happy to present it to the best of his knowledge. And he is close with the D.A and can get you good deals . But if u don't know what your wanting or talking about of course any lawyer can take advantage of a rookie. Anyhow I think very highly of Howard and he has been a great attorney for me since I was 10 and in foster care . Even as a adult.
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04 Sep, 2020 by Erica
Mr. Manheimer was a pleasure to work with. While being a little difficult to get a hold of at times, was genuinely apologetic, and always did get in contact with me in advance of court proceedings to discuss my case and calm my nerves. Felt very comfortable speaking with him, and that he was actually listening to me. He kept my career and ramifications of any pleas in mind when handling my matter to reach the most positive outcome. The first public defender I was assigned, I felt as if I was just another nameless, faceless, file in her stack for the day. She barely made eye contact and did not care about my side of the situation. I highly recommend Mr. Manheimer. He is a strong advocate for his clients and makes your voice feel heard.
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20 Mar, 2017 by Matt
He was all about getting paid! Every meeting was about how much money I had for him. Once he was paid I did hear anything from him about my case! When it started getting closer to my trial I kept trying to meet with him. We set many different times and dates and would cancel the day be for. Sometimes it was even an hour be for the appointment. Final we meet a couples of days be for my trial and was pressing my to take a deal. I didnt want a deal because I knew there was evidence to prove I didn't do what I was being charged with. Comes to find out at my trial he wasn't even ready for it he gathered nothing for it. So because we had no defense I was found guilt and now facing 10 years!! $7000.00 out the window. I'm Appealing It. I talked to a new attorney and he was in such disbelief and couldn't believe that that happened. In one hour this other attorney talk to me more about my case then in the whole year and a half I had Howard. On the bright side I was told I should have no problem having an appeal granted. A court appointed attorney!!!
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What a Family Law Lawyer Can Do for You

A family law lawyer provides legal services related to family relationships, including marriage, divorce, child custody, and adoption. Family lawyers help clients navigate emotionally charged legal issues, providing guidance and representation in disputes that affect spouses, children, and parents. Whether you're going through a divorce, seeking custody of your children, or drafting a prenuptial agreement, a family law lawyer ensures your rights are protected and your interests are represented.

Family law attorneys often handle sensitive matters and offer objective legal advice, helping clients reach fair outcomes either through negotiation, mediation, or litigation.

When Should I Hire a Family Law Lawyer?

Hiring a family law lawyer is beneficial in several situations, especially when legal matters involve close personal relationships. Common reasons to hire a family law lawyer include:

  • Divorce or separation: When ending a marriage, a lawyer can help you navigate issues such as division of assets, spousal support, and child custody arrangements.
  • Child custody and visitation disputes: If you and your co-parent can't agree on custody or visitation, a lawyer can represent your interests and work toward a solution that benefits your children.
  • Child support: Whether you’re seeking child support or defending against a claim, a lawyer can help ensure the appropriate amount is calculated and enforced.
  • Prenuptial or postnuptial agreements: A lawyer can help draft or review agreements that protect your assets in case of divorce.
  • Adoption: Family law lawyers guide you through the legal process of adoption, ensuring that all requirements are met.
  • Domestic violence or restraining orders: If you're a victim of domestic violence or being falsely accused, a lawyer can help you obtain or challenge protective orders.
  • Paternity cases: If there are questions about the paternity of a child, a lawyer can help establish or dispute legal fatherhood.

Hiring a lawyer early can prevent issues from escalating, and they can offer you the best chance of achieving a favorable outcome in emotionally charged situations.

What Does a Family Law Lawyer Do?

A family law lawyer provides a wide range of services depending on your specific legal needs. Their responsibilities may include:

  • Advising on legal rights and options: Helping you understand your legal rights regarding divorce, child custody, support, and other family law issues.
  • Filing legal documents: Drafting and filing petitions, motions, and agreements with the court, such as divorce papers, custody agreements, or support orders.
  • Representing clients in court: Arguing your case in front of a judge if a settlement can’t be reached through negotiation or mediation.
  • Mediation and negotiation: Assisting with alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation, to reach agreements on issues like custody, property division, and support without going to trial.
  • Enforcing court orders: Helping you enforce court orders related to child support, alimony, or custody if the other party fails to comply.
  • Drafting prenuptial or postnuptial agreements: Creating agreements that protect your assets in the event of a divorce.
  • Handling adoption proceedings: Ensuring that the legal process of adoption is followed, from filing paperwork to finalizing the adoption in court.

How Are Family Law Lawyers Paid?

Family law lawyers typically charge clients in one of several ways, depending on the complexity of the case and the lawyer’s experience. Common payment arrangements include:

  • Hourly rates: Most family lawyers charge by the hour, with rates varying based on experience and location. Clients are billed for the time spent working on their case, including consultations, court appearances, and document preparation.
  • Flat fees: For more straightforward legal services, such as drafting a prenuptial agreement or handling an uncontested divorce, some lawyers offer flat-fee arrangements.
  • Retainer fees: In cases that are expected to require significant time and attention, such as contentious custody battles, a lawyer may charge a retainer, which is an upfront payment that covers the initial costs of legal services. The lawyer then bills against the retainer as they work on your case.

The exact cost will depend on the complexity of your case and the lawyer’s fee structure, which should be discussed upfront.

How Much Does a Family Law Lawyer Cost?

The cost of hiring a family law lawyer varies based on factors such as the lawyer's experience, the location, and the complexity of your case. Here are some general cost guidelines:

  • Hourly rates: Family law lawyers typically charge between $150 and $500 per hour, depending on their experience and the complexity of the case.
  • Flat fees: For simpler cases, such as drafting a prenuptial agreement or handling an uncontested divorce, fees may range from $1,000 to $5,000.
  • Retainers: For more complex matters, such as contested divorces or custody battles, lawyers may charge a retainer ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 or more. The lawyer will bill against the retainer for the work they do on your case.
  • Additional costs: You may also be responsible for additional costs, such as filing fees, mediation fees, or expert witness fees.

Always ask for a clear breakdown of the lawyer’s fees and any additional expenses during your consultation.

Top Questions to Ask a Family Law Lawyer

Before hiring a family law lawyer, it's important to ask questions to ensure they're the right fit for your case. Here are key questions to ask during your consultation:

  1. What experience do you have with family law cases like mine?
    Make sure the lawyer has experience handling cases similar to yours, whether it's a contested divorce, child custody dispute, or adoption.
  2. How will you charge for your services?
    Clarify whether the lawyer charges by the hour, a flat fee, or requires a retainer. Ask for an estimate of the total costs involved.
  3. What are the possible outcomes of my case?
    An experienced lawyer should be able to give you a general idea of what to expect based on the facts of your case.
  4. What is your approach to resolving disputes?
    Ask whether the lawyer tends to favor negotiation and mediation or whether they prefer to take cases to court. This can help you determine if their style matches your goals.
  5. How long do you expect my case to take?
    While it’s difficult to predict, the lawyer should give you an estimate based on similar cases.
  6. Who will be handling my case?
    In larger firms, junior attorneys or paralegals may do much of the work, so make sure you understand who will be your main point of contact.

How to Check the Credibility of a Family Law Lawyer

To ensure you're hiring a reputable family law lawyer, follow these steps to verify their credentials and reputation:

  • Check state bar association records: Verify that the lawyer is licensed to practice in your state and is in good standing with no disciplinary actions.
  • Read client reviews and testimonials: Look for reviews on websites like Avvo, Google, or Martindale-Hubbell. Previous clients can give you insight into the lawyer’s professionalism and success in family law cases.
  • Request references: Ask the lawyer for references from past clients who can speak to their experience with the lawyer.
  • Review their website or professional profile: Look at the lawyer’s background, case history, and areas of focus to ensure they have substantial experience in family law.
  • Look for professional memberships: Membership in reputable organizations, such as the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), can indicate a lawyer's expertise and dedication to family law.

What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?

To get the most out of your first consultation with a family law lawyer, it’s important to come prepared. Here’s what you should bring:

  • Relevant documents: Bring any documents related to your case, such as marriage certificates, prenuptial agreements, financial records, custody agreements, or court orders.
  • List of assets and debts: For divorce cases, prepare a detailed list of all assets (e.g., homes, bank accounts, retirement funds) and debts (e.g., mortgages, loans, credit card balances).
  • Details of the family issue: Provide a written summary of the situation, including key dates and facts related to your divorce, custody dispute, or support issue.
  • Questions for the lawyer: Write down any questions you have about the legal process, costs, and potential outcomes.
  • Your goals: Be prepared to discuss your objectives, such as custody arrangements, property division, or spousal support, so the lawyer understands your priorities.

Being organized and clear about your situation will help the lawyer evaluate your case more effectively and offer the best advice for moving forward.

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