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10 May, 2017 by Kent
I had very good luck with Rita. She handled my case very well and outclassed the opposing lawyer. I felt very comfortable with her and felt she came to court very prepared. I would gladly use her again if a situation was ever needed again.
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06 Apr, 2017 by Anonymous
not trust worthy. Takes weeks to return calls, does not follow up with questions/concerns. Have had to take multiple unpaid days off from work for court hearings after showing up at court I'm told that the dates have been changed however I have not received any notification from Mrs Raihle. I feel my time is not important to her, I would never recommend her to others!!
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30 Sep, 2016 by Anonymous
Rita appeared to care at our first visit. After I hired her, it would often take several days to a week before she would get back to me, and when she finally did, she did not answer all my questions. Worst of all, she filed paperwork and made appointments without even informing me she was doing so. Even the other party was upset about this. Perhaps she simply wasn't interested in my case; I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt, but this was my experience, and I'm grateful I had other alternatives--as in, an attorney who treats my case with utmost respect and careful attention.
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29 Aug, 2024 by Youtube_johnday
They are very very racist, the judge worth with the DA , I didn’t take this serious because of lack of evidence , hired a public defender out there. Just for the Public defender to work with the DA. What gos around got come back around. Karma is something else what gos up got to comeback down
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02 Jun, 2021 by Jessica brennan
I have spoke with both Amy and Christy and both were incredibly helpful. For a very stressful situation, they went above and beyond to offer more help than all other services (across state lines) combined.
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20 Nov, 2020 by Scott helgert
It's obvious this place rips people off all the time. The district attorney is childish and routinely brings false information into court without consequence. I assume he maintains the attitude of if you can't beat em, cheat em. He's not as smart as he thinks and its time for him to be held accountable for his unquestionably illicit legal tactics and false imprisonments. Any explanation on his behalf is just another scam because he acts without a conscience.
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04 Apr, 2023 by James
I needed a second opinion for a contract and he reviewed my case. The concern did not require much work so there was no formal agreement but he did not charge me anything and imparted reassuring information.
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09 Dec, 2014 by Anonymous
This attorney seemed knowledgeable and eager to help with my case. After retaining, he initially seemed to be somewhat productive in helping my case, however after a couple months, things began to not go in my favor, phone calls were not returned promptly, emails were not returned & I was billed for them anyway. A check payment was lost, and after a month passed, his assistant called for repayment. Overall this attorney did not seem to fight for my best interest. A few months after our pitiful agreement was signed, more problems began, so I reached out to him via email for advise. I NEVER received a response to that specific email, however I did receive a bill for it. I never paid the bill, but continued to receive it a couple more times. This attorney was a waste of retainer, time & do not recommend him to anyone.
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12 Feb, 2014 by Anonymous
At first he seemed extremely knowledgeable, eager to work with me and ready to help me get custody. After hired though I only heard from him about payments for my retainer. Which I had paid when stated I would but somehow they misplaced two checks. Once he got the full retainer he charged me for reading and responding to emails, but never actually responded. Then the final straw was he told me that my case was taken care of, and I didn't hear from him in four months. By then I was assigned a court date for contempt of court. Turns out the court date where he was suppose to take care of everything he cancelled. Once in contempt I went to get a public defender. After this he all of a sudden called me nonstop trying to be my public defender. Has some nerve on that one. I fired him and am now looking for an Atty to fix all this. This time I'm researching and reading reviews. I'm told that the mess he made of my very simple case is deplorable, and professionals I've talked to thus far can not believe how bad he treated me and my case.
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09 Nov, 2022 by Anonymous
She failed to do her job as a lawyer and for a child. No communication and very disrespectful for being a lawyer. Didn't do research or follow-ups. Don't waste your time. You're better off representing yourself
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11 Jan, 2022 by Anonymous
Lori has been our attorney for 10 years. She has always provided exceptional legal services. She is honest and straightforward.
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06 May, 2021 by Anonymous
Put a child back into a hostile environment that she knew was dangerous The child who is under ten tried to end his life 3 times. She was supposed to protect the well being but did the complete opposite. She was responsible for that and people were appalled. Also told various lies during proceedings. Today the child suffers from depression and anxiety.
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14 Jan, 2019 by Darren m
Did an awesome job with my divorce and establishing custody and placement. I would recommend Tim to anybody he is fair and very reasonable. He will definitely put your mind at ease and get the job done for you.
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10 Aug, 2015 by Anonymous
In the valley area there are numerous lawyers who are "divorce shops." They profit from the "numbers" and not the quality. Tim is a revolving door divorce lawyer. He does things only one way, his. If he was a doctor one would say he has no bedside manner. He does not get emotionally involved in a clients life or their situation. What you get is what you get in his opinion. In my case he couldn't have cared less what I lost or the effect on my children. There was no fairness over a division of assets. Again, you get what you get in his opinion. He certainly isn't going to fight for you or your rights. He was also quite condescending to me. Obviously any lawyer would know lay citizens are not legal experts. That's why we look to them for expertise. We don't expect lectures or to be made to feel stupid or inferior just because we don't understand family law or court procedures. Have no fear, Tim will make you feel even worse in an already bad situation. Also, his low up front retainer of 10 hours of services is a joke. He will likely far surpass that low number, and will become more of a debt collector than a representative of you or your best interests. Bills were very high. There were many errors I caught and had to plead with Tim to correct, and of course more billable hours. He mis scheduled hearings and mediations. Missed important court dates that cost me dearly. Never once an apology to me but more than anxious to apologize to the other side. And talk to him on the phone; good luck on that happening. Fire him like I did. He likely won't care as there are an endless stream of new clients behind you. I guess if you are willing to settle for whatever a lawyer tells you, then any lawyer will do. If you expect fairness, someone to fight for you and your interests, and professionalism, then I would strongly encourage you to seek a different lawyer. Tim would not be the one for you.
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11 Feb, 2015 by Anonymous
I went to Tim Young on a recommendation to help me with my divorce that had been going on for close to a year. It was a huge mistake that I would like to warn others against. I wish I could put a phone number on here for people to call me for me to explain the way that my case spiraled out of control due to mistakes made by Tim Young. Less than a month before my trial I was truly forced to find a new attorney - It was at this time that many people informed me of similar issues that they had with him. People who had known of problems that I had been experiencing were so grateful that I had proper representation to help me through the end. My children and I would have paid for his mistakes the rest of my life. I have been told from other people that there have been issues with him for the last couple of years - I am not one to do "reviews" I just truly hope that this review will deter at least one person from using him.
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25 Jan, 2023 by Naimi
In a very complicated paternal dispute, Nina helped guide me through and at the end my son got his well-deserved access to his parent. Thank you, Nina, for your guidance and assistance - Nina was amazing!!
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11 Dec, 2016 by Anonymous
I warned Nina that my divorce would get messy and I gathered all the information that she requested and she did nothing with it. She billed for a lot of hours, but I saw no results of that billing time. She only accompanied me to court one time, but went through $7,000. She has a reputation for being aggressive, but she was anything BUT aggressive on my case. When I questioned that, she then suggested that I find another attorney. Leaving me with no attorney and upcoming court dates.
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03 Jul, 2014 by Anonymous
She has done pretty much nothing for me other than show up to court and take $4,500 of mine. She is not at all worth her hourly rate. I seriously could have done better representing myself. She constantly couldn't remember anything about my case. Shame on you Mrs Vitek :-(
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07 Nov, 2018 by Anonymous
This lawyer only follows her own beliefs, and wants money. Rather than what is really best for the child, she instantly assums 50/50 is best for a child without considering the history over the last three years as my child continues to be taken care of by someone else rather than my sons other parent. Now my child is sick constantly from smoke and who knows what else. Now as a low income parent, I have to fight to save money just to make it right and what makes more realistic scenario for my child and his health.
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09 Feb, 2013 by Anonymous
Ms. Weber was my attorney during my divorce. I found her to be extremely professional and knowledgeable. Many times the clients expectations for an unlikely outcome are nurtured through their lawyer. One of the things I liked about Julie Weber was her honesty. She never led me to believe that things were going to end up a certain way just because I wanted them to. I would recommend her.
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03 May, 2012 by Anonymous
I had Julie Weber in a child custody hearing. I am writing this to let others know so they don't have to go through what i did. She never cared about the well being of the child . She lacks in experience and puts her personal views in front of the well being of the child.
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19 Oct, 2017 by Michael
Paul answered my email very quickly and followed by a brief, very informative phone call. He provided guidance on a simple legal question that I needed confirmation on.
Thanks Paul!
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27 Feb, 2015 by Anonymous
Paul was hired for a child custody case. He failed to have the other party served properly therefore pushing the court date back.
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13 Jul, 2014 by Anonymous
Did not correctly convey the final wishes as stated onto or into the Will. Instead of listening to the final wishes and disposition of property, kept making suggestions and making me feel bad about excluding certain persons.
My will was very simplistic and made even more so on paper. Very old fashioned and not able to see or think outside the "box".
Would not recommend at all!!!
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16 Jun, 2017 by Anonymous
We hired Ann for a very emotionally charged custody case. Ann was driven by money and several times unprepared in the court room and when she did speak she would not even know my child's name as she would call my child by another name. She did NOT represent nor fight for my childs best interests thus in one situation losing the argument that my 7 year old child should be picked up by his mother after school and allowing my child's fathers girlfriend of 3 months to pick my child up. She is completely self absorbed and will charge you outlandish fees and do nothing for you. Theres too many other attorneys out there... run from her or get ready to lose custody and all your money.
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19 Apr, 2015 by Gina
I hired her for a child support dispute. I was not happy with how she handled my case. She did not inform me of my options, and the course she took ended with my child's support being set at $126/mo. The next lawyer I hired was great, and my case ended with my child's support being set at $468. She wasted my time and money.
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09 Apr, 2013 by Daniel
I had a custody case which Ann handled timely and professionally. I really appreciated her help in the past so currently I've requested her services again today. You want her on you're side of the court room!
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02 Mar, 2020 by Anonymous
I hired Mr. Becker and everything seemed to be going well until the day of my hearing. 20 minutes before my hearing Mr. Becker decided to tell me that I was 'getting better' so should only seek back pay and not disability going forward. We had met 2 weeks prior and this should have been brought up at that pre-hearing meeting, not 20 minutes before my hearing where I now have to make a very important decision on the fly. It was and extremely unprofessional and inappropriate thing to do to a client.
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13 Sep, 2017 by Harry
Don is very straight forward. He knows what to ask and though his demeanor is different, he knows his job. I went through hell and he and his staff were there for me. I would recommend him to anyone. My case file was 4 inches thick and i know he read every page. If your case can be won, he will win. Isnt this the outcome we fight for?
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21 Jan, 2015 by Jodi
First, I need to say he WON my disability case. For my initial meeting with him, He called and asked me to come an hour early. When we arrived, I waited 50 min. in the waiting room to see him for 15 min consultation. On the date of the hearing, He told me he wasn't feeling well and in a hurry to go to the DR. after our hearing. He also stated that now he decided to move my disability date to 2 yrs instead of 4 to make things go quickly and insure a win since " winning is how he gets paid" so this " ensures he also receives a paycheck as well" I don't think Mr. Becker had my best interest at heart and I was just another check in the bank to him. Im sad, he seemed like a nice guy on TV.
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16 Oct, 2023 by Michael baumann
I highly recommend Fritz Anderson; He represented me back in 2004 as my public defense attorney and I just recently reached out to him again to overlook that original case for my pardon application. After reviewing it he noticed an error in the filing of paperwork and said that I do not have a felony conviction. He told me who to contact and even wrote to the prosecutor and had the case dismissed. Mr. Anderson is very knowledgeable and will point you in the right direction.
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08 Aug, 2023 by Kimberlee greenly
Very professional. Returns phone calls in a timely manner
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27 May, 2023 by Chris kall
I had fritz years back. Help me out on a simple case, I thought I'd be a good choice too work with him again. Stupid choice
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31 Jul, 2019 by Evelyn
John Murphy is a nice guy but his ethics need some work. He handled my case for almost a year. He never returns phone calls unless you repeatedly call his office. We’re talking weeks not days. Never answers your emails. Tried to get a petition filed right away but due to his poor communication it was filed 4 months later. Told me the filing was done in December, not record with the court house. Wasn’t done till January after I made multiple calls to his office. If you want a lawyer that’s passive, he’s your man.
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09 Jan, 2019 by Anonymous
Even though my case was quite a few years ago, I am still paying fees for extremely poor representation. If I could have seen reviews like this before hiring John Murphy, the outcome and my bills could have been very different. I feel obligated to post to help someone else needing an attorney in the future. This is not the one to hire. Communication did not exist. I made so many phone calls that were not returned, and not provided interrogatories and therefore contempt charges were filed. Luckily the legal secretary called me at the last minute on a Friday asking for them when they were due on Monday. I was still charged with contempt of court, but then cleared when I pointed out my attorney failed to deliver. He was not prepared for court dates, and even failed to notify me of one that was scheduled. This man should not be practicing family law. With so many bad reviews that are consistent stories, I don't understand why he is. I was also charged for things that did not happen at all. Phone calls that were not made, work that was not completed. Very disappointing.
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17 Aug, 2018 by Anonymous
I hired him to represent me in a family matter the initial meeting went over okay however after the first court hearing it became obvious that John Murphy was only in this for a paycheck he's very disorganized and does a very poor job with client follow up during the process it became obvious John Murphy is more focused on building alliances and relationships with his fellow attorneys than looking after the best interest of his client this guy took my money never called me back withdrew motions that I had open in court
John Murphy allows his personal beliefs to guide him through a court case not what the client has hired him for he decides what he wants to do and never consults you additionally he absolutely will never return a phone call I personally called him 15 two 25 times over the span of two months and he never returned my call
Specifically custody and visitation is what I hired him for in addition to child support as it stood Walworth County child support department said that I owed in excess of $25,000 in child support arrears
As it turns out he did nothing and what ultimately happened was on my own after going to court for five years it was proven Walworth County child support have been collecting child support for years and not crediting it to the proper account and I was issued a $25,000 credit for past-due child
Whether or not John Murphy believed me when I retained him and told him I didn't know any past due child support is it relevant clearly he didn't believe me however he still should have provided me at least a rudimentary level of defense for the baseless assertion that I owed this child support and he never did
I had to face a contempt of court hearing on myown
hiring John Murphy was like hiring another attorney to work against me in the process of fighting for custody and try to straighten out the mess of Child Support
John Murphy provided me the worst possible experience a client could get from an attorney I would not recommend him to anyone
I'm so extremely disappointed that I wasted my money my time and my efforts on this attorney
I was nearly put in jail for contempt of court for not paying child support that I never owed he sold me up a creek to the child support attorney and I was left to sort the mess out on my own after I paid him ultimately as stated earlier I did receive a $25,000 credit for past-due child support that I did On My Own by continually going to court and defending myself after I paayed john Murphy
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14 Jun, 2024 by Erica sande
I would never recommend this "guardian" EVER... she was guardian for my kids since 2022 and did absolutely nothing for them. Didn't have a recommendation until the day of court, said she was only give my ex every other weekend, than last minute threw in once a week once a month during summer. My ex is an addict, controlling, manipulative, narcissistic, frantic lunatic, who does nothing but put our kids in the middle, question them until they give him something and can't get past anything.
This "guardian" is no guardian.. she shouldn't have the job she has. She should be flipping burgers at McDonald's. She wasn't there for my kids. Nor did she do anything positive for my children. She has known my ex since he was 5. That should of been conflict of interest. She gave him more than he deserves, now I will spend forever in fear of my kids while in his care because this women didn't do her job..
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22 Oct, 2022 by Chad behm
Takes a long time to get back to you!
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31 Aug, 2022 by Ecl1ps yt
Does not investigate. Does not work with the best interests of children. Refuses to do any sort of due diligence. Biased and hard to get ahold of. Good luck getting a full report, she does not investigate both sides.
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11 Jan, 2024 by Tyler
Round of applause for the this law firm, very unprofessional, and refusing court orders to provide information on a case. Very smug, snobby, hanging up the phone, not helpful, set an appointment two different times to be pushed back less than an hour before the appointment day of, for something that can simply be printed in office, knowing that this needs to be done timely and having it court ordered to be done. This law firm likes to waste people's time and money. Both of which are equally valuable
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18 Apr, 2018 by Anonymous
I hired Lane immediately after our situation. They did an amazing job of keeping us posted. (Revocation hearing 2017). They allowed us a payment plan that worked, he destroyed the parole officer, the persons accusing my spouse of the crime were absolutely destroyed in court (one went to prison for filing a false police report) and even had my spouses parole officer saying "you had a damn good attorney". My spouse was facing many years in prison. Lane even had the judge asking why the parole officer tried to take this to a revocation hearing. Ignore the bad reviews. They are probably from people pissed off things didnt go their way. I have recommended him many times, and I will continue to do so.
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30 Mar, 2018 by Jeanne
I had a terrible experience with this law firm. I reached out to this firm to settle a land contract dispute with someone who was not paying their mortgage. Sadly, due to a lack of knowledge, my attorney prepared a case which was not within my legal rights under Wisconsin law.
To make matter worse, the law office lacked basic communication, which caused the matter to drag out for months. To name a few issues, they did not contact me when the retainer ran out, nor did they contact me when they needed a court filing fee. Instead, they would stop working on the case until I reached out to them inquiring about progress.
After paying to take the case to court, it was immediately thrown out by the judge. In the end I was left without resolution in the case and a request for a much larger retainer to continue legal representation. After being out $1500 in representation costs, fees, a flight and hotel, and months without pay from the land contract, I cannot recommend this law firm.
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26 Dec, 2022 by Dan s
Terrible experience with this law firm. Attorney Zick should be retired, she is so disorganized and heavily relies on her secretary to remind her how to do her job. Secretary has a bad attitude. Took almost a month to handle a simple land contract sale. Would never use this law office again!
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13 Sep, 2020 by Kaycee meracle
Always helpful.
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20 May, 2020 by Jessica ibarra
Attorney gave me the wrong dates to reopen a case and lost out entirely at another chance of having my case looked at. Throughout the duration of my case I kept being asked for my opinion on what I thought we should do instead of being guided by what I thought was a professional and knowledgeable attorney. Do not recommend.
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26 Aug, 2024 by Anonymous
Several calls to her office were rudely answered by her assistant. Did not answer the questions and repeated what I already knew. When I asked what the purpose of her services are _ " to lookout for the best interest of the client" okay please educate me to what the entails. " to look out for the best interest of the client". Great thank you for telling me what I already know. She is the worst attorney and has absolutely no business practicing law NOR being pushed on anyone from the Juneau County Court House. I will be lodging a formal complaint with the State Bar Association.
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23 Jun, 2019 by Anonymous
Rebecca was hired to be a representative and failed to fairly represent both sides. Due to initial bias judgement, was neglectful when provided important information and proof provided by the side she favored less.
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17 Nov, 2018 by John
I hired Rebecca to represent me in my divorce proceedings. It was clear from the beginning that she assumed that my case was, "just like all the others" and from the get go she was more interested in listening to the opposing counsel than me. The next attorney I hired to replace her confirmed that I was being completely under-represented and the differences in how they conducted business were stark. My next attorney helped me navigate the most challenging thing I have ever dealt with and I walked out of court knowing that I had won. Rebecca promised me that I would walk out of court feeling as though I had lost. She was very difficult to work with and my next attorney made things easy. Rebecca misled me and actually misrepresented my position out of spite after I challenged her on her conduct. Hiring her set me back on time and money and could have cost me custody of my children, which proved easy for my next attorney simply because I am a great father and just needed someone to represent me honestly. Rebecca was the wrong choice.
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14 Jan, 2021 by Tammie
I hired Herb to handle my case. The experience was unfortunate. He wouldn't return phone calls. Though many messages were left, it sometimes took weeks. This made everything take so much longer than necessary; the case dragged on and on. Papers needing my signature came with my name misspelled. That was never corrected. For the final, legal, paperwork, I just crossed it out and rewrote it. He made me feel very insignificant . . . he was too busy to take my case seriously.
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03 Dec, 2018 by Lee
I've been working with Attorney Humke for about a year. In all this time, I've found him to be professional and great at putting forth my best interests.
The way I wanted to handle my case was by fighting it standing up instead of getting down in the muck. Attorney Humke has done an outstanding job of being direct and clear, striking hard when necessary, but being cautious and not overplaying his hand.
Also, he reminds me of Sam the Eagle. I recommend him highly.
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23 Aug, 2015 by Faith
My husband hired this attorney because he believed he had the reputation of his father, not the case. He was interested in us in the beginning but that changed during the process. He waited until the last moment to do things which he told us he was going to do the day we met with him,which we have in writing. This caused us to have to file for extensions which we feel we should not have been charged for since they were his mistakes. This happened more than once. He would not return calls, and made us feel as though we were not important clients. We asked for monthly statements, it took many months of asking before we received any. I would not recommend him .
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23 Jul, 2024 by Mark
He is an excellent attorney if he represents your spouse! Riding the fumes of a long undeserved reputation. A vindictive vile petty man.
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20 Apr, 2022 by Anonymous
Bad advice, waste of money. My case was handled by a new lawyer in Peckerman's firm, with him overseeing the case. I got the short end of my divorce, no thanks to Perkerman. Perkerman, of course, made out. He got paid! If I could I wouldn't give him 0 stars.
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20 Sep, 2020 by John
I went to Mr. Peckerman from foolish advice from a friend, first thing he wanted to know was my net worth, then he asked for a 6k retainer, then he flies to ISREAL and has me deal with his assistant who burned thru the 6k in less then 4 weeks... Went nowhere with this guy. ADVISE -- STAY CLEAR! GREEDY
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17 Jun, 2022 by Anonymous
Lynn communicates well, responding to emails promptly, for the most part.
My biggest complaint, she was well aware of past violence. During my divorce, my soon to be ex was constantly tormenting me, covering cameras, banging on my door around 2am, playing music at early hours after drinking at a bar, used my tooth brush to clean the shower. This exasperated my mental health issues. I begged Lynn to get him out. But she didnt. It wasnt until he locked me out that Lynn address the issue with opposing counsel. "High conflict" divorced pay well.
I fired her.
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04 May, 2017 by Anonymous
I had been warned by other attorneys about hiring Lynn's firm because their billing is consistently so exorbitant, but despite the warnings I contacted Lynn for help on a very specific child custody issue because I was willing to pay for an attorney that could get things done. I met with her twice and paid her a very substantial advance fee for the filing of the required motion and legal representation at the subsequent hearing. She never filed the motion or did any of the legal work that I paid the advance fee for, but she charged me $1,000, after the fact, for those "consultations". Be wary of writing her a check for advance fees - she'll deplete those funds with unreasonable billings before she even begins to work your case.
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20 Jun, 2010 by Anonymous
Patricia, was nice but non aggressive. Many of my issuses and evidence she would not bring before the judge. She felt the judge didn't want to hear me "trash talk" the other party. But during the trail the judge didn't have a problem listening to the other party trash me, with hardly an objection from her. She felt the judge had already made his mind up about the outcome and attempt at a defence would only upset the Judge. In short, hire someone with more experience to handle your family court issuses. Don't waste your money or your chance in court by hiring Patricia.
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22 Mar, 2010 by Mary
I hired Mr. Skinner for the probate of my sister's estate. It was a very frustrating experience as I was told I had to spend a great deal of money on depositions and a handwriting expert only to never have the results entered into court because Mr.Skinner said I needed to settled, that was after he demanded another retainer or he would drop me as a client. I was left clueless and helpless because he said he got me to a settlement and would no longer need to represent me unless I now pay his new higher fee. There was still some unforseen situations that occured and I had no representation. For these reasons I would not recommend Mr. Skinner.
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31 Jan, 2022 by Anonymous
I am very interested in using this lawyer for my divorce but am unable to reach her at her phone. Left several messages to her answering service which states her return on the 17th of January and it is now the 31st with no response.
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19 Nov, 2023 by Anonymous
He is not organized and his office isn't organized either, and he doesn't have a secretary to make copies or invoices for you... I had to file 3 or 4 complaints with the State Bar of Wisconsin in order to get him moving with a appeal case which he missed the deadline date for that... and with the lawsuit that he hasn't started like he said he would!? He wouldn't text me or return phone calls unless you file with the State Bar of Wisconsin.. I got the impression from him he was always worrying about his reputation not for his clients...
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17 Sep, 2022 by Anonymous
I had to hired Attorney for appealing a past Court case.. and it's been way over a year now? It looks like i'll be moving forward to the state bar of Wisconsin to get him to work on the appeal Case... I am really upset with all of this I can't believe it...
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13 Feb, 2022 by Anonymous
Worst in the business. I understand he was a public pretender but come on. Wouldn’t answer the phone or make any contact at all. Just went along with the DA. The judge actually made the recommendation of what the sentence should be.
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03 Aug, 2014 by Anonymous
I hired Christopher over 10 years ago for my divorce and had it completed in 4 months with my ex-wife paying me child support . Through out the last 10 years I have re-hired him twice and proved his excellent in knowing the law. He is a little slow at responding but is will worth it. Be patient he has a very busy schedule and is the only one in his office.
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10 Jan, 2014 by Anonymous
this attorney is not prepared.. he sits in the hearings and does not defend me in any way. Tells me to not say anything. yet he dont either. I give him information and he sweeps it under the rug so to speak. Not a good lawyer. All he cares about is money. not the client.
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10 Oct, 2012 by Anonymous
Never updated me on my case. Never even filed a retainer with the court informing them that he is representing me. Cashed my check, and then forgot about me.
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04 Jul, 2024 by Lizzy lahaie
Some of you have the wrong Monroe county. It’s disgusting that you didn’t do your research bc the Monroe county you’re mad at is in New York. You’re essentially giving someone who does their job a 1 star review.
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21 May, 2024 by Heavy130
They don’t review and information given and the judge in branch 3 traffic court said that “ if the officer shows up and has a calibration sheet saying it’s in spec. Then the ticket stands as it is.” I understand the ticket and would pay the fee, but it’s my wife’s first ticket in 24 years of driving. I just want to keep it off her record, if possible. The area she got the ticket off from 94 to industrial ave in Tomah is a bad section. But I would vote out this DA and put someone that cares about people just trying to pay bills to survive.
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29 Apr, 2024 by Patricia brannan
I watched the video of the DA totally disrespecting an officer, violating the law because of who she thinks she is and now making excuses. It is abhorrent to me that an officer of the court so blatantly holds herself above the law. I hope she is at least reported and reprimanded by ARDC and suspended from her duties without pay.
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11 Mar, 2021 by Robert
Genelle was rude, short tempered, and unprofessional. She communicated with me very poorly. I only had three actual phone calls with her, and one one of those was to discuss her fee. She describes herself as a pit bull, and she was- to me! I would definitely not recommend this pit bull, unless you want to get bitten! Thankfully, my case ended satisfactorily, but it was more in spite of Genelle, and not because of her!
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11 Jan, 2020 by Anonymous
She represented me in my divorse and it was horrible how she was more concerned about what was going on in her own life than what my future was going to be and how unprofessional she handled herself. Do not hire her for anything!
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12 Nov, 2018 by Anonymous
I can't say much for the PD case reviews, but as a family law attorney Genelle is exceptional. Her knowledge of parental rights and custody are on point. She will not blindly take her clients side as other attornies do (and waste your money and motions), and provides her client "the whole picture" of possibilities and options. She is reasonable, fair, and always has gotten back to me about my questions. We won our child custody case, had child support adjusted, and have all of our co-parenting issues nearly ironed out.
If you have any cases regarding your child, Genelle is the one to go to. She fights for whats in the child's best interest.
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09 Apr, 2024 by Anonymous
If I could have given zero stars I would have. This man wasted months of my time. All talk and no action. Never replies to emails or returns phone calls. Stay away!
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05 Dec, 2021 by Anonymous
The other reviews are very accurate except the five star one, which was probably made up. My divorce took four years and cost me over $50k. Brian assured me that my ex would be responsible for all attorney fees. When it came time for payment, he told me I’d just have to “eat it”. When I asked him for itemized billing statements he refused to provide them, and filed a motion against me for payment. He was never prepared, and rarely listened to me, or returned my calls. I feel sorry for his assistant, because she has to do most of his work. Brian ended up signing the final court order without my permission. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. He just doesn’t care! Stay away from him if you know what’s good for you!
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15 Jan, 2018 by Joan
1-2018
Brian Mares is a horrible attorney:
1.) Never prepared when we went to court hearings,
2.) Rarely returner my phone calls but always accessible when payments were taken from me.
3.) I always had to do the “homework” like keeping track of all pertinent information involving my case.
4.) Dragged my court case out many months longer than what it should have taken!
Highly reccemmend you look elsewhere if you need a competent attorney.
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23 May, 2014 by Anonymous
She was assigned to me through the court. She doe not have time for you, although she listens she can't be bothered to say what you want known and latches on to something you sort of wanted. She then tries to explain the way things work when she knows nothing about it putting you in a worse position. She will not do anything on her own and if you ask her to do it she will give an explanation as to why she won't.
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15 Aug, 2013 by Jesse
Buyer beware of Gina Bosben. On first impression, Attorney Bosben seems competent and ready to help. She does make sure you understand the CPS process and the likelihood of success at any particular stage in the court process. Unfortunately, you will soon learn that she utilizes none of her legal skills to protect your rights, but rather, assists the State in expediating the process of having your rights violated and taken away. I told another social worker who my attorney was and the FIRST words out of her mouth were, "Get rid of her." I didn't have to ask what she knew about Gina Bosben? I am a product of her sad version of representation.
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31 Jul, 2024 by Kory morgan
I can't disagree with the comments. I left a message asking nicely to return my call and have heard nothing. I realize he has a commitment to his clients. However it's just a return phone call.
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05 Mar, 2024 by Jacob lutz
Horrible absolutely horrible
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12 Jan, 2023 by Todd kading
Never answers phone, nobody at office. Just a professional Bill collector. Nothing good or positive to say about interactions with this being. Look at rating !!!! OMG!!! Have no lower rating just so you know.
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07 Feb, 2017 by Anonymous
I was very disappointed with her performance. She didn't seem to have even listened to what I had told her before court. She was visibility nervous and her hands were shaking during proceedings, she didn't make sense when she spoke. I actually think she made me look worse and negatively impacted my case more than anything. I don't need to pay someone to act confused, disoriented, and talk in circles; I can do that just fine on my own.
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07 Jun, 2012 by Anonymous
She quit as my lawyer because I stood my ground on principle.
Failed to properly argue on my behalf regarding maintenance payments.
Not aggressive enough.
In my case I'm pursuing primary placement of my kids, she did not seem to like the idea of a father getting the kids.
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26 Jul, 2009 by Anonymous
I used Ms. Frantz to handle a divorce. She was nice, but I was disappointed with her creativity, initiative, knowledge and follow through.
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FAQs
Questions? We have answers
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:
-
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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.
