Reviews

You have been warned. Jim Lane has no idea what he is doing. My case dragged on for YEARS and he accomplished nothing. My daughter was being abused during the process. His response was to "file motions". He would get very upset anytime I tried asking him simple questions. His firm is now "coincidentally" down to just him and Rosenthal... many of his staffers have left and his former partner. He will not advocate for you. He will play games with the other attorneys intentionally causing you more stress and loss of money. Seriously, you have been warned. If you made the mistake of hiring him, I would drop him ASAP before you screw up your case any more. There is zero possibility the 5 star reviews of him are legitimate.

I called Jim Lane's office seeking an attorney to help with a civil protection order. Not only did Jim exude professionalism throughout our entire time working together, his staff are also highly professional, responsive, and courteous which was so very appreciated during the difficult time I was going through. Jim reviewed all of my evidence and spent a significant amount of time letting me know how the ex-parte and hearing processes for a civil stalking protective order worked. He walked me through potential questions from the opposing attorney, told me what to expect for every step, and in general did a lot to quell my anxieties. When we got to court for the ex-parte hearing, he swiftly spoke with wisdom only acquired over years of practice and was able to get our order granted very quickly. In the full hearing, he worked effectively with the opposing attorney to hammer out exactly what *I*, the victim, wanted in terms of a consent agreement. He went back and forth numerous times advocating for me and ended up getting what I wanted in the full protection order. Something else that stood out to me was the fact that when Jim and I reached the courtroom area and saw my stalker there, he immediately took me to a separate area to protect me from being re-traumatized and too shaken to advocate for myself by sitting in my stalker's vicinity. This was a small act which made a huge difference for me on that very stressful, emotionally intense day. Jim's hard work, steady demeanor, and intelligence has ensured I am now protected for 5 years. I could not be more relieved that I trusted Jim to take my case and I strongly recommend anyone with domestic issues seek his compassionate counsel!

He is only out for your money. He drains your funds and is unable to accomplaish anything worthwhile. Horrible experience. Do not hire him. He also has a secret life he doesn't want you to know about and is extremely difficult not working in the best interest of his clients. Definitely Pass on him.

horrible attorney. Made my life and my family’s horrible. If you want your divorce to last many years and be dragged out and funds drained, please hire!

James Lane took on my complicated custody case. Long story short he not only protected me, but also my daughter during the most difficult time of my life. I will always be grateful. You know you hired the right man when he walks into a courtroom and immediately controls the room.

Jim was willing to take on my case mid-divorce from a messy "ma and pa" attorney. He had some cleaning up to do right off the bat. Motions were filed and we were in court very soon after. Jim is so knowledgeable. His memory is like a steel trap. He remembered details about my ex/found damning evidence I would have overlooked. He turned every stone, even finding counseling records where my ex admitted to the molestation of my bestfriend (something ex denied in deposition). He went through my ex's breathalyzer records (court ordered for a DV case) where he found failed tests, failures to submit, and even a week-long lapse where he didn't test (I randomly provided Jim with a receipt I found in our son's diaper bag for $200 sunglasses in Bethany Beach. Jim then matched the date he didn't submit breathalyzer entries to this trip, where my ex lied and said he was "at home"). He was ready to challenge the custody evaluation psychiatrist, as he took it upon himself to interview and take into consideration my ex's counselor's records, while the evaluator never returned my counselor's call. He at one point was going to challenge the validity of the evaluator, as he submitted a "draft" of his biased evaluation, not following proper protocol (ex's rich aunt paid this guy in cash). Jim is a scary pit bull in court. He brings an energy to the court room that is contagious. He will chew out the opposing attorney one minute, and then calmly ask you how your weekend was the next. While Jim was anxious to take my case to court, I opted not to due to high costs of the proceedings. Jim is calming. He puts things in perspective. Provides you with your options. And then runs for your ex's jugular.

Anyone fortunate enough to have secured Mr. Lane’s services can rest easy knowing their case will be handled with the utmost professionalism. His judgement and articulate manner bring clarity to a chaotic situation. Preparedness, diligence and quality of character are but a few of Mr. Lane’s attributes that I thought did not exist within the legal profession. His foremost concern was making sure I was properly informed so I could act/decide in my family’s best interests. Mr. Lane has not only exceeded my expectations he also restored my faith in the legal profession.

For full disclosure, it has taken me weeks to write this review because it is hard to express the full gratitude I have for Jim and his work on my case. When it was time for me to start seeking counsel for my child custody case, a friend of mine told me that the most important thing I could do was chose the right lawyer. I spent about two weeks researching, and meeting different lawyers throughout Cleveland, and while they all said the right things, something was missing. It was just by chance that I came across Jim. When we talked over the phone and I explained my situation, he just seemed to get it, and I felt like I could trust him. Since that day, Jim has been by my side throughout this very difficult endeavor. His advice, and counsel has been amazing. His predictions of how this case was going to go, and what the other party was going to try and do were dead on, and he had a plan in place for every situation. Every recommendation he has made has been the right one, which just speaks to his expertise in this field. As an unwed father in Ohio, the cards were stacked against me, but with Jim's help, and unbelievable court room experience, I have an opportunity that most fathers in my situation would not. Choosing Jim has made all the difference in this case, and I am so grateful that people like him are out there. I am not sure that anything I write will fully do justice for what he has done for me, and continues to do. All I can say is that it is hard for me to imagine that there are any lawyers more skilled, intelligent, hard working, and empathetic than Jim. He is an excellent lawyer, and amazing individual who genuinely cares about his clients. I would recommend him to anyone.

I hired James Lane about 2 years ago to represent me in an ongoing 6 year old Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court case. The skill and quality of his representation commands the highest respect and admiration, he is in his own class. He makes all other attorneys involved on either side of my case look like lay persons playing in a professional sport with James Lane being the only professional in the game. He does the research necessary to know the case, is always prepared, is superior in performance during depositions, direct and cross examinations of witnesses, trial tactics, motions and briefs. I am now and have been a business owner (national organizations) for 50 years. I, through my businesses, have been through more than I wanted to county and/or state, and one Federal civil litigation, and have employed great representation for those cases. However, I have not ever witnessed or experienced, from either side of said cases, an attorney with the competency of Mr. Lane.

I retained Jim when my previous Attorney was suspended for a year. Jim basically took the case notes in a support case and had to pick up where we left off. He was able to represent me at a high level in a short time line. I was so impressed Jim is currently representing me in a divorce case that is working towards a dissolution. Jim has extensive knowledge in Business ownership and negotiation of distribution of assets.

James Lane is a knowledgeable and dedicated family law attorney. He took the time to listen and provided a comprehensive and well thought out strategy in a complex case involving children and a sociopathic spouse. His plan worked very well and I was able to get significant custody of my children. Jim Lane would be an excellent choice in your divorce.

Jim Lane was positively outstanding in a very complicated and difficult custody case. I would highly recommend him to anyone.