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20 Mar, 2024 by Marecki
no good :)
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24 Oct, 2023 by Jay fal
10 Mar, 2023 by Timothy limer
Great law firm and a very nice office building
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20 Mar, 2024 by Marecki
no good :)
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24 Oct, 2023 by Jay fal
10 Mar, 2023 by Timothy limer
Great law firm and a very nice office building
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22 Aug, 2015 by Anonymous
I had an excellent consultation regarding employment law with her and she pointed me in the right direction as to how to handle the situation. She has been very knowledgeable and helpful and is not afraid to speak her mind.
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18 Jun, 2013 by Anonymous
THE ATTORNEY RETURNED FULL RETAINER BACK WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS OF REQUEST AND WITH A EXPLAINATION THAT MADE SENSE TO ME REGARDING WHAT I TOOK TO BE HER UNRESPONSIVENESS. DUE TO HER FAIR PRICES AND HER SUCCESSFUL AND PROMPT REPRESENTATION WITH AN EVICTION AND QUIT CLAIM DEED IN THE PAST I WOULD RECOMMEND HER. I BELIEVE IT IS OFTEN THAT ATTORNEYS ARE REQUESTED TO RETURN THE RETAINER WHEN THEIR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED FOR WHATEVER REASON AND THAT IT IS QUITE RARE FOR FOR THEM TO DO SO PARTICULARLY IN FULL. MY CONCLUSION IS THAT FOR THIS REASON AND IN THIS ASPECT I FIND THIS ATTORNEY TO BE MORE TRUSTWORTHY AND ETHICAL THAN MANY THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH OR HAVE HEARD ABOUT THROUGH MY OWN CLIENTS. IN FACT I WOULD RATE HER MORE HIGLY THAN OTHER ATTORNEYS THAT I HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH THAT ON THIS PARTICULAR WEBSITE HAVE SCORED A TEN.
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15 Jun, 2013 by Anonymous
I am waiting for a refund of the retainer I provided for the creating a trust almost two months ago. I have not received the trust, I was unable to get a commitment on when the trust would be completed. For the last couple of weeks I have received no response to any of my inquiries. Yesterday, I sent an email and certified letter requesting my retainer back and notified this attorney that her services would no longer be required because I have had to hire another attorney to do the job due to her lack of responsiveness and unwillingness or inability to communicate what is going on with this matter. I made it clear that this was very important not only to me but to the others involved as well and for several reasons we needed it done on a timely basis. Based on her response to returning my $1,000.00, which I hope will be professional and mature as well as more timely than her other actions on this matter to date, I will try my best to accurately and fairly update this review. This attorney has in the past on two different occassions handled an eviction and a quit claim deed for transfer of real estate in a professional manner and for a fair price.
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13 Mar, 2023 by Lisa jackson-pope
05 Jan, 2021 by Laura william
21 Feb, 2020 by El jones
Melvin brooks let Bridget Jones forged my signature in a lawsuite and did nothing about it im filing a ARDC complaint against him he is the worst lawyer ever he stated in open court he didn't know me or any of my siblings but he represented us
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27 Jun, 2019 by Anonymous
Custody, negotiating disagreements, and forcing compliance to an agreement, Doug and his firm nailed everything I have given him. He has always told me in advance what the high and low estimates would be for work. In my case he hit the low target on two deals and was in the mid range on one. All fair in my opinion.
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30 May, 2017 by Anonymous
Nothing is a guarantee in the law field but I am confident Mr. Warlick does everything he can to respectfully represent his clients.
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10 Feb, 2016 by Wallace
Doug Warlick was absolutely useless in my divorce. He was never prepared in court every time I met him there. He claimed to know the judge on a personal level but every time we went to court the judge ruled the opposite of what Doug was asking for. He had no idea about the facts of my case when it was finally presented to the judge after continuance upon continuance. And as soon as my funds were running low he asked the court to excuse him from being my attorney. He bills himself as having "Experience with Integrity". Integrity?? We think not. I have never posted any reviews but Doug did such a poor job that I felt responsible to warn others: Do NOT hire this guy as your lawyer.
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21 Apr, 2024 by Carrie t
Thompson is not worth your time and money. He believes the slander from unethical peers rather than the facts and truth of the case and his client's best interests. He will allow you to suffer further due to his negligence, while charging you nonetheless, then drop you due to the damage his negligence caused without accomplishing what he was retained for. He will argue with you, further slandering and damaging you, to defend himself rather than admit any wrong doing. He is not in it to work. He wants easy cases that he will decide what is best for him, not you.
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02 Mar, 2023 by Avinash patel
03 Sep, 2022 by Bryan suh
23 Oct, 2024 by Chris puranen
28 Apr, 2022 by Nicholas kokoris
Jim Branit of Litchfield might be one of the best, toughest and most knowledgeable litigators in Chicago. I've been placing lawyers since 1987 and Branit and Litchfield come very highly recommended by Juristech.
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11 May, 2020 by Eric suarez
28 Jun, 2024 by Divine anj beneit
I definitely appreciate an awesome attorney. Mr. Abrams and his team always answered my text messages, emails, and returned my phone calls. I never felt gaslighted or ignored by anyone. Mr. Abrams took the time to explain everything to me via over the phone or in-person on the process, hold up, or if they had questions of me. I would recommend him to anyone who ask. Thank you Mr. Abrams and Liz (secretary). Appreciate you.
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21 Jun, 2024 by Ronny reel
Please read and take precaution!!!! Terrible he needs to be put out of business!!!!! I hired Howard Abrams over 5 years ago still no results, unanswered phone calls and emails. Howard Abrams is a fraud, he doesn't do anything . I think he takes all clients money paid out and keeps it. He needs to be reported
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25 Feb, 2024 by Reginald clark
09 Jun, 2021 by Ted poplawski
We were clients of EBLG in 2010 when we created our initial estate planning documents. We now live in Arizona and miss the counseling, hand-holding and valuable information EBLG provided to us. Your professionalism and thoroughness spoiled us!
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13 May, 2021 by Anonymous
I retained JPG in a divorce case. She is probably the worst choice ever.
If you can't explain to a judge why there is an emergency when you get get hit with a $100k tax bill and there's $30k in the accounts, you should probably reconsider your profession.
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19 Aug, 2020 by John kruckman
Larry and everyone at EBLG are ultimate professionals. They are very thorough and detail oriented, always putting the best interests of their clients first. All while done in a warm, personal manner.
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11 Mar, 2024 by Capone
Do not hire Anna Bush. She took my money, had no follow through and did not respond to messages. To make things worse, she kept my retainer money for which she did no work!
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25 Jul, 2023 by Adolfo
Professional lawyers, excellent service, would definitely recommend to friends and family
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21 Jun, 2022 by M s
Anna Bush and her team provide strong, effective legal services. The team is very skilled in bringing parties together and working towards equitable solutions. Their guidance and support helped me through a very contentious divorce. I highly recommend this firm.
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28 Dec, 2022 by Jelena markovic
22 Apr, 2020 by Andrew skendrovic
14 Oct, 2019 by Jassidy denero
30 Nov, 2019 by Anonymous
Over a year and several thousands of dollars later and still have yet to get to court and resolve my case. You can expect snail mail communications and never a response from Mr. Bohlen. If you’re lucky, you might get to meet with him to go over your case, but he won’t take notes or remember what your case is about the next time he decides to meet with you again. He never returns calls, never responds to emails and never gets your case to court. Save your money or you’ll be stuck like I am. $2500 retainer! He’ll take your money no problem. You won’t get much from him after that.
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19 Apr, 2013 by Shannon whitson
Mr Bohlen is a great attorney I've had him for 7-8 years for family court he knows what he's doin and is great at his job
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30 Apr, 2020 by Mary
Ms. Hawkins quit on my case the business day before my trial for no reason and cost me a half a million dollars. Then proceeded to bill me. How completely awful and unethical. What kind of person does something like this.
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05 Dec, 2017 by Robert
She listens and doesn't beat around the bush. We have been using her for over 3 years now in coustdy battle.
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07 Dec, 2022 by Sergiy m.
13 Aug, 2020 by Melinda gray
Don't hate, disagree with some of the Attorneys moral.
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15 Aug, 2024 by Bethzaida
Going through this journey was never easy and Angela has amazing since the beginning. She cares so much about my story. I felt heard when I explained my story but only that to feel her compassion and to relate to her journey as well. I knew I wanted her to help me because no other lawyer would connect with you the way she did for me. She has made this journey so much easier for me. She is amazing at responding to all my emails. She has educated, explained and updated me in every hearing or process. No other lawyer would possibly do a quarter of what she has done for me. I appreciate her patience and taking the time to break down and answer all of my questions. I highly recommend her as your lawyer. Thank you so much Angela!
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04 Aug, 2024 by Anonymous
I hired Angela for my divorce in April 2024 and would never recommend her or her law firm. Here’s why:
Misrepresentation of Services: Angela assured me she could handle the creation of a quitclaim deed necessary for my divorce, stating she had done hundreds of these at her practice. However, I later discovered that her fiancé's practice, with whom she shares paralegals, actually manages these deeds. Angela’s draft of the deed incorrectly listed my ex-wife as the "grantee" and me as the "grantor," meaning I would have been giving her the condo instead of retaining it. The opposing counsel pointed out this error, which they said was common in Angela's quitclaim deeds. Angela reacted defensively, launching into a 15-minute tirade and writing a scathing email ridiculing the opposing counsel’s expertise and professionalism.
Defensiveness and Unprofessionalism: Angela is the most defensive person I’ve encountered. In my experience, she never takes responsibility for her actions, instead blaming others. She also lacks professionalism and was verbally abusive to both me and the opposing counsel. When asked several times about filing the quitclaim deed, she assured me the only document needed was the signed and notarized deed. However, the County Recorder’s Office informed me that several documents were missing, preventing the deed's filing. I had to hire another lawyer to complete the process.
Unwarranted Aggressiveness: My divorce was straightforward as my ex-wife and I were amicable and had agreed on asset division. Angela didn’t need to do any discovery work, and the case was resolved in about seven weeks. Despite this, Angela accused me of calling her excessively on weekends and after hours when I reached out once on a Sunday before our court hearing. When I presented invoice statements and phone records showing we never spoke outside business hours, she ignored them and told me to stop emailing her.
Ethics: After the divorce, Angela’s fiancé’s office offered to file my quitclaim deed ONLY IF I promised not to write a negative review. I chose to hire new counsel instead. Angela threatened that if I wrote this review, her paralegals and office staff would respond, claiming I was abusive and defensive.
In conclusion, working with Angela was the worst part of my divorce. I preferred interacting with my ex-wife over her, which shouldn’t be the case. I cannot recommend Angela to anyone.
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07 May, 2024 by Natalie rutherford
Sara Leisner should lose her job. She continuously canceled and rescheduled meetings to discuss a case. Now, I’m being made to look like I was the one who was difficult to get ahold of because I, too, had to reschedule a couple of the times we planned a meeting. The prosecutor and Sara moved forward without my knowledge and settled a harassment case where someone violated an Order of Protection multiple times. One of the times, this person threatened to kill me with a gun that she was going to get from her brother. I was told by Sara and the prosecutor that this person would get a minimum of twelve months probation, plus fines; they settled for much less than that. Lee County is a joke! Judge Draper also has no business handling cases like this.
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20 Dec, 2023 by Shawn j. conway
30 Nov, 2023 by Jadyn hackler
Called 2 days in a row multiple times , still no answer your better off just going in they will never answer. ðŸ‘
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07 Sep, 2023 by Hollis
Actions are those of “the man is always right” Not recommended . Parenting coordinator working with my daughter and ex. Expensive. Unprepared, which has led to at least one court date reschedule, costing additional $$$. Slow to respond. Many issues need a timely response for the good of the child. Appears not to evaluate facts, as keeps changing recommendations. Quick to bill though. Previously daughter and ex used a great parenting coordinator who retired. Often he responded on a weekend. Expected the same level of service and professionalism, that is not the case with Ms. Cunabaugh
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13 Dec, 2017 by Lisa
Divorce is never easy and in the beginning I felt Ms. Cunabaugh was a good attorney for my situation. Unfortunately things quickly went from bad to worse and I had to sever ties with her. The first problem was that she insisted I had to move back into the marital home. This was VERY BAD ADVICE. My husband and I were at that point where separation would have been the best for both of us. And we had to certify that we had been living apart for six months which was not true.
Ms. Cunabaugh would not accept my decisions, would not update the MSA, and overall became a very difficult person to deal with. My ex husband and I both agreed that if we were going to get divorced in 2017, I would need new counsel. It was the best decision for everyone and my new attorney got the job done in lighting speed with MY decisions, not his.
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24 Apr, 2015 by Marie
Having a nasty divorce case is never easy and attorneys are expensive. It was a relief for me to hire Linda because her rates were fair and she took the time to explain to me everything thatb was going on. Her secretary was always nice to me and my calls were always returned pretty quick.
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10 Aug, 2023 by Cynthia
He did exactly what he was hired for and got my revoked Illinois license and California drivers licenses back for me after not having one for years because of a DUI. So friendly and knowledgeable. I definitely recommend him highly!
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12 May, 2021 by Brian
Paid for legal services in the amount of $1500. I haven't been able to get ahold of Mr. Geocaris via cell, email, nor text since mid 2020 on case updates/any type of communication. Very disappointing, especially after sending his firm referrals for nearly a decade.
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03 Sep, 2017 by Paul
He was recommended as a good lawyer. From the very start....he said lies to get you as client. He changed his stories more then 5 times. He failed has a lawyer. Didn't get my driver's licence has he promised. He took $2.500 and ripped me off. Beware....he will tell you all is good and at the end you end up losing with all expenses around $5.000. I highly don't recommend him. There are better lawyers out there. Has a lot of failure's. Lying is the worst thing to do to grab a client and someone that doesn't have money. But what do you expect from lawyers....they lie by nature. Away from him
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11 Jun, 2018 by Anonymous
Have used Ray two different times. I swore after the first time that I would never use again, but after several years...I guess I thought possibly he had gotten better. He never follows up, responds, or thinks pro-actively for your case. I also was told the same excuse as previous reviewer, that somebody in his family had “an emergency” which is why he couldn’t respond for over a week. You will manage your own case. He is poor to fair at best.
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09 Feb, 2018 by Todd
My wife crashed my car on purpose after lying about a pregnancy and he suggested we buy her a new car. I almost had a heart attack thinking my attorney would say this to me. No advocacy. Circumstances of the case also consisted of her obtaining fraudulent credit in my name to gain credit and rack up credit card bills in my name. He also manipulated me in court to give her maintenance payments that were supposedly voluntary to me. I dropped him and hired a different attorney. He owed me a bunch of money from retainer and he consistently blew me off after 25 calls and emails I disputed his charge to my credit card. Within a week he called and offered apology and cited problems with losing a family member. His secretary who took my repeated calls never said he had a family issue, just kept saying he was given the message. He blew me off repeatedly, doesn't care, no compassion, typical.
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15 Nov, 2023 by Andrea defalco
In my opinion, Gail is a threat to the safety of children. Based on the overwhelming number of reviews saying the same, I am sharing how to report her conduct. It is easy to file a report with both regulatory boards/commissions.
Use the link below if you have used her in the capacity as a Psychologist:
https://idfpr.illinois.gov/admin/dpr/complaint.html
Select “Professional Regulation” and fill out the information in the form.
Use the link below if you have used her in the capacity as an Attorney:
https://www.iardc.org/Files/Request_For__Investigation.pdf
In my opinion Gail is a danger to children and families. In my opinion, she puts children at risk of serious harm. In my opinion she must be stopped.
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14 Oct, 2021 by Anonymous
We used Gail for divorce mediation. She was late for every appointment. She clearly hadn't ever review anything prior to our meetings and then never sent us our final documents. She was supposed to connect us with a lawyer at the end who 'she works with' to finalize and file our case, she did not do that, she completely disappeared once our last payment was sent. I called and emailed many times and no one responded. She was slow during meetings and wasn't much help with any questions we had. If it hadn't been during a pandemic we would have changed mediator. Ours was a simple divorce, I would hate someone in the middle of a stressful divorce to have to deal with this unprofessionalism on top of that.
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16 Apr, 2021 by Anonymous
This women will continue to try to convince you that abuse of your children is okay. She as a mandated reporter will hide abuse in order to assure she will receive a paycheck from you as long as possible. She will make excuses for the abuser and lie to Judges/Child representatives/DCFS, because if the children get removed from the abusive home she loses you as a client. Please make sure to report this woman to the state of Illinois if anything like this has happened to you. A hospital Doctor that had to care for our children said that Dr. Gail Petrich’s actions are “disgusting and she should be ashamed of herself”. We cannot let people like Dr. Gail Petrich continue to practice.
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21 Jun, 2022 by Christine
Here it is :
https://law.justia.com/cases/illinois/supreme-court/2017/120763.html
Even the IL AG went after his license. Terrible.
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19 Oct, 2015 by Daniellewc
I told him of the court date coming up that I would not be in town for. I later found out that no one from his office showed up to it. A second court date was made on that date for trial and no on told me of the second court date or showed up from his office so a Judgment was entered against me. I found out all of this over two months later (day before Thanksgiving) when his office was trying to fix this by using a loophole. I had to file a Emergency Motion to Vacate under the grounds that I didn't know I had court dates, no legal presentation (that I paid in full and upfront for) and / or had Judgments entered. Matthew decided that he would stand in front of the Judge on the motion that I entered stating that I had unethical and deficient legal representation (talking about him) at 9am two days later. He showed up to court at 10am with a very angry client and Judge who threatened to hold him in contempt if he was ever late again.
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21 Oct, 2023 by Bigmule
Don’t believe a word the secretaries tell you!So busy with cases at the court house.She has no time to spend with clients!No knowledge of case!Totally disorganized-unprepared and incapable of handling her case load!
No Attorneys available in Vermilion County due to retirements!
NO in OFFICE CONSULTATIONS! MARY MEIS
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15 Jul, 2017 by Anonymous
Ms Hussmann-Rogers represented my spouse in a divorce case. He controlled all of our money, so I could not get an attorney. She claimed she was willing to negotiate a property settlement and told the judge we did not need a mediator. But she was totally inflexible, sticking to his unreasonable demands and pulling tricks like not sending me copies of documents in a timely fashion, yet telling the judge she had mailed them on time (which was disproved by the postmarks when they finally showed up). She is not to be trusted.
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23 Sep, 2019 by Anonymous
Went to him for legal advice and he could not give definitive advice on anything. Basically cost $100 consultation to get advice you would get from your neighbor.
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24 Nov, 2023 by Scott
Was more interested in socializing with the apposing side wasted time and wasted money
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25 Mar, 2023 by Dan the man
Her judging was horrible on my verdict. I hate to see to see her as attorney.
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12 Jul, 2022 by Anonymous
Jennifer should NEVER be in FAMILY law. She is easily paid and foolishly easy. She does MORE DAMAGE to a child. She is close minded about PARENT ALIENATING. She always gets it wrong. As long as you have a big house and look good on Facebook. That is where the most abused children come from. Jennifer speak with the child away from parents. Jennifer be open minded to a bigger picture and for the love of god do not repeat what the child is telling you. As you know now it caused him more abuse at the big house. He suffers from PTSD. She abused him and you with her pictures and name drops. Now you know. She divorced him as soon as she could not play mind control games. He is back HOME safe and happy WITHOUT your help!!
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11 Sep, 2024 by Hernandez
Just be aware before you hire them, otherwise they will charge you for every second you breath in a false time entry statement.
This a complete abuse of legal power. I wish if could upload a copy of the invoice with all false time entries to mostly keep our $2,500 security deposit for Emergency Motion Service court appearance that cost us $2,235. This a complete abuse!
We are in shock!!!.
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29 Jul, 2024 by Anonymous
She leads on young children for years and causes extreme mental anguish
An Israel hating Jew and a Palestinian supporter she should be ashamed of herself and her support of the enemies of Israel
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21 Sep, 2017 by Taylor lindstrom
Do not hire this firm or Josh Friedman in particular. They take all your money, play the game of going around and around, petition after petition with no resolution. He does not have your best interests at hand, I would make settlement agreements with my ex-husband and then the attorneys would disagree to disagree and drag it out for months and years! Charging you for every minute. A simple divorce with a very modest middle income family, cost me alone over $200,000 by the time it was finally over. I had to fire him in the middle of the mess and find another attorney.
Absurd and devastating to say the least! Then they file a lien on your home which crushes your credit report. Its enough to go through the divorce let alone be abused by money hungry attorneys who do not care if they force you into bankruptcy. I have tried to make a settlement agreement with this firm and they do not even respond for 5 months, while they continue to add penalties and interest!
"As a divorce lawyer, I look first at my clients' needs and family values before I get into the financial legalities of their case," that is a joke!
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FAQs
Questions? We have answers
What a Mediation Lawyer Can Do for You
A mediation lawyer specializes in resolving disputes outside of the courtroom through a process called mediation. Mediation involves a neutral third-party mediator who helps the disputing parties reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Mediation lawyers can represent clients in various matters, including divorce, business disputes, employment conflicts, contract issues, personal injury claims, and more.
Unlike litigation, mediation is a less adversarial and more cost-effective way to settle disputes, often leading to faster resolutions and preserving relationships between the parties involved.
When Should I Hire a Mediation Lawyer?
Consider hiring a mediation lawyer when you’re involved in a dispute and want to avoid the time, expense, and stress of going to court. Common reasons to hire a mediation lawyer include:
- Divorce or child custody disputes: A mediation lawyer can help you reach a fair settlement on issues like property division, alimony, and parenting arrangements without going to court.
- Business or contract disputes: For disagreements such as contract disputes, partnership conflicts, or intellectual property issues, a mediation lawyer can assist in resolving the matter through negotiation.
- Employment disputes: Issues like wrongful termination, discrimination, or wage disputes can be addressed through mediation to find common ground and avoid lawsuits.
- Personal injury cases: Mediation can help both parties agree on compensation in cases like car accidents or slip-and-fall claims without a prolonged court battle.
- Property disputes: Disputes over property ownership, landlord-tenant issues, or boundary disagreements can be settled more amicably through mediation.
- Family or inheritance disputes: Mediation can help resolve conflicts over wills or trusts without further dividing the family.
What Does a Mediation Lawyer Do?
A mediation lawyer provides a range of services to help clients resolve disputes through negotiation and mutual agreement. Their responsibilities often include:
- Representing your interests: Acting as your advocate during mediation to ensure your rights are protected and you understand your legal options.
- Preparing for mediation: Reviewing the facts of the case, gathering necessary documents, and advising you on potential resolutions.
- Facilitating communication: Helping to facilitate open and constructive dialogue between parties to clarify points of contention.
- Negotiating settlements: Assisting in negotiating fair and balanced settlement terms that are in your best interest.
- Drafting mediation agreements: Preparing the official mediation agreement that outlines the terms of the settlement, which is often legally binding.
- Avoiding litigation: Aiming to reach a settlement that eliminates the need for a court trial, saving time and resources for both parties.
- Handling complex legal issues: Explaining the legal implications of various settlement terms in cases with complicated legal matters.
How Are Mediation Lawyers Paid?
Mediation lawyers typically charge for their services based on the complexity of the case and the time involved. Common payment methods include:
- Hourly rate: Charging an hourly fee ranging from $150 to $500 or more, depending on experience and case complexity.
- Flat fee: For simpler mediations, some lawyers may offer a flat fee covering all legal work involved in the process.
- Retainer: In ongoing or complex cases, a retainer may be required as an upfront payment billed against as work progresses.
Discuss fees and payment structures with your lawyer during the initial consultation to understand the cost of mediation services.
How Much Does a Mediation Lawyer Cost?
The cost of hiring a mediation lawyer depends on several factors, including the case's complexity, the lawyer’s experience, and the time required to resolve the dispute. General cost estimates include:
- Hourly rates: Typically between $150 and $500 per hour.
- Flat fees: For simple mediations, fees may range from $1,000 to $5,000.
- Total mediation costs: Can vary widely, from $2,000 to $10,000 for straightforward cases, up to $10,000 to $50,000 or more for complex disputes.
Always request a detailed cost estimate during your consultation to understand total expenses.
Top Questions to Ask a Mediation Lawyer
Before hiring a mediation lawyer, consider asking the following questions:
-
What experience do you have with mediation cases like mine?
Ensure the lawyer has relevant experience in handling similar disputes. -
How do you charge for your services?
Clarify the fee structure and request an estimate based on your specific case. -
What is the likelihood of resolving my case through mediation?
Seek an honest assessment of whether mediation is suitable for your situation. -
How long will the mediation process take?
Inquire about the expected timeline and number of sessions required. -
Will you personally handle my case?
Confirm who will manage your mediation and represent your interests. -
Can we pursue alternative dispute resolution (ADR) if necessary?
Ask about other forms of ADR, such as arbitration, if mediation doesn't resolve the conflict.
How to Check the Credibility of a Mediation Lawyer
To ensure you're hiring a reputable mediation lawyer, take the following steps:
- Verify their bar status: Confirm with your state bar association that the lawyer is licensed and has no disciplinary history.
- Look for mediation experience: Review their website or professional profile for specialization in mediation and successful case histories.
- Read client reviews and testimonials: Check platforms like Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, or Google for client feedback.
- Ask for references: Request references from past clients familiar with their mediation skills.
- Check for certifications: Look for certifications from organizations like the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR).
What Should I Prepare for My First Consultation?
To maximize the effectiveness of your initial meeting, bring the following:
- Relevant documents: Any materials related to the dispute, such as contracts, emails, financial records, or court filings.
- List of key issues: A detailed list of the main points of contention that need resolution.
- Timeline of events: A chronological account of events leading up to the dispute, including prior resolution attempts.
- Goals for the mediation: Be prepared to discuss your desired outcomes and areas where you're willing to compromise.
- Questions for the lawyer: Any queries about the mediation process, fees, or their approach to dispute resolution.
Being well-prepared will help the lawyer assess your case effectively and provide the best possible advice for resolving your dispute through mediation.
