Reviews

Wake family Law did a great job representing me and will definitely recommend them to other people. My paralegal Caitlin was super helpful and a pleasure to work with.

Jake Terrell and Wake Family Law were absolute life savers. They helped my family and I when we needed them most. would recommend over and over again.

Melanie Phillips is an amazing attorney/person. She never judged and listened to my concerns without hesitation. She was victorious in my case EVERY time it was presented in court. Melanie is an awesome attorney and she truly cares about her clients. I would recommend her to anyone who is dealing with a toxic custody issue. She won't let you down. Thank you Melanie!

I cannot begin to express how much Zach Underwood helped me (and my boy's) situation. He is truly a professional and looks out for his client's best interest. He went above and beyond with his advice and counsel. With his help, Zach got my life back financially. I highly recommend him. Thank you!

Justin Mauney did nothing as the PC on my case, other than apparently counsel the other party, and collect money for providing no reports or feed back to me about any issues. He refused to recommend a therapist for the boys and did not talk to the children's PCP when he voiced concerns about life at their mother's. He showed bias by talking to her on the phone and refusing to talk to me on the phone. He was not engaged in our case, as he constantly referred to me by her name. My children are worse off for having Justin as our PC.

This review is directly referencing attorney Justin Mauney who served in the role of Parenting Coordinator (PC) from 2019 to 2021 and is currently a partner (principal) with Wake Family Law Group. Based on my personal experience with Mr. Mauney as PC, I cannot recommend Mr. Mauney. Even though Mr. Mauney was a more expensive PC option than others available, both my ex-wife and I chose him, as we believed his stated expertise would be worthy of the elevated hourly rate. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be the case. For those unfamiliar, when a divorced couple with children cannot agree, a judge will appoint a PC to ensure the Court Order is being followed by both parties. To me, it appeared Mr. Mauney was more concerned with making each party remain invested in the process rather than enforcing the order. This was reflected in an uneven and unpredictable set of directives which seemed designed to prevent one party from feeling “picked on,” regardless of the evidence. Because of this, during Mr. Mauney’s oversight, the situation arguably worsened, and rather than diffusing the situation, the result was the opposite. In my experience, I would caution anyone considering a PC appointment to think about the implications of giving up parental authority to a third party. PCs are granted considerable latitude to make parenting decisions and appoint fees as they see fit and to dictate many other things that, in my own case, served to significantly, and unnecessarily, increase the bill. Despite the above, I was able to utilize material evidence to get out from under Mr. Mauney’s term, and to realize the very positive outcome of full custody, although this was not achieved without a considerable mental and financial toll. Per mutual consent by both parties, Mr. Mauney was dismissed before his term expired. This may be the only thing on which my ex-wife and I were in full agreement. Given the way Mr. Mauney handled his appointment, I filed a grievance with the NC bar. Unsurprisingly, the grievance was dismissed by a panel of his peers as insufficient to be classified as a violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct.

I was represented by Wake Family Law starting in 2017. They advised me on items to make things easier for them rather than what was in the best interest of their client (me) and the custodial child. They ignored items that were so large that required a DVPO and since having them write up my separation agreement, I have suffered greatly. They took advantage of my money coming in and only later did I learn all I was actually entitled to. Due to their dismissive behavior I do not feel I was fairly represented and wish I could go back in time to tell myself to go with someone else. They ignored what caused the DVPO, the dangers the child had been placed in, and ignored the needs of their client; all to make a simpler case.

Carly was able to help me close a very difficult chapter in my life. She was amazing at answering any questions I had and made the custody process as painless as possible.

Zach Underwood is the man. Having him as representation made the process of separation SO much easier, and less stressful (not saying it wasn't stressful, because obviously). From the first meeting with Zach, I was able to develop complete confidence in him and his abilities to represent me to the fullest. It was a long road, and Zach was there every step of the way; even on days where I just needed to vent, he was there to listen and provide guidance. I really could not have made it through this process without him, and I can't imagine using anyone else, honestly. He provides a calming, professional presence that instills trust and assuredness. He is down to earth, realistic and relatable. He fought hard for me, holding the opposing counsel accountable and pushed when they needed pushing. I really don't know how it would have turned out if I had went to a different firm and lawyer. Listen, lawyers are not cheap. I know this now more than ever. But you get what you pay for, and to me, the cost of working with Zach paid dividends for me in the long run, both with outcome AND peace of mind. No one PLANS on needing a lawyer in their personal life. However, if you find yourself in this situation, I would recommend Zach every single time. Also want to mention his staff - Caitlin Tatum, and anyone else I had interactions with at Wake Family Law. Caitlin was on top of her game as Paralegal, and the front desk clerk (I am sorry I do not recall name) was always friendly and helpful. Great job and thank you!

Carly was an amazing attorney. She helped me through a difficult process and eased my mind throughout. If you need an attorney Carly should be your top choice. She is kind, honest, hardworking, and most of all she actually cares about what’s best for her client. She is amazing.

I was extremely please with how attorney Carly Baker helped me navigate through what could have been a very painful divorce. She was extremely well versed in NC divorce law and through her expertise, the process went as smoothly and as painlessly as possible. I was very pleased with the outcome and would highly recommend her and Wake Family Law Group!