Reviews

Cheryl was very professional and helpful in addressing my issue. With her help, my matter was resolved within two weeks. She responded quickly to communications, which was important as the matter was time sensitive. Her fees were reasonable and were well-worth it to have this matter solved. I would recommend her to others looking to address matters within her areas of practice.

Calling Jocelyn was the second best thing I did after being ambushed by a CID agent, the first thing being smart enough to refuse to speak with them at all. She quickly responded to an afterhours cell phone call and due to her working knowledge and experience in the field, was able to explain to me the most likely circumstances surrounding my situation. The process of being the subject of an investigation and the subsequent actions WILL mean that A. you will get no support from your COC or other elements of the US Army, and B. you WILL feel absolutely alone during the duration – no matter the outcome. Having Jocelyn in my corner was my most valuable asset to answer my many questions, communicate with L.E. and others involved on my behalf, and she was absolutely the deciding factor in my one hundred percent positive outcome. My biggest take away from the entire experience is that the military’s legal system is definitely not set up for the accused to have any support, this means you will need to get your own - and you will need to do it quick!

The Van Ackeren team did amazing job with my divorce, it could have turned really bad, she made it look easy. Thank you Cheryl and your team

Cheryl and her team do amazing work. The team truly cares about the client and the outcome of the case. When you invest in this law firm, they invest in you. The most enlightening thing about this firm is their straight-forward approach to the situation. They will give sound legal advice, while teaching you why at the same time. Thank you for all you have done for my family and I!!

They have a $100 consultation fee that is not divulged upfront. When I arrived, I was informed of the fee. I explained that I was not told about this upfront. I then apologized and took responsibility for assuming it was free and not asking myself. There was no acknowledgment, apology, or responsibility taken on their end. It was just a very cold, "Well this is how it is" response. It is not about the money, although there are many firms out there who offer free consultations, it was their inability to handle the conflict in fair, honest, and compassionate manner that really turned me off. I was very disappointed in the way I was treated by this firm. I would not recommend them.

I hired Ms. Stewart to represent me during a separation board. I had received an Article 15 for wrongful use that I didn’t commit, and since I didn’t meet the seven criteria for a waiver, my commander served me discharge paperwork. Originally the USAF ADC represented me, but after the first defense counsel PCS’d and the second one made a comment “If our luck holds out we will win” I decided to seek civilian counsel. Ms. Stewart was highly recommended and respected. I gave her a call and scheduled a meeting to see what she was all about. My first impression was that she was very professional and extremely passionate about what she does. This was the same type of passion I found in myself and I decided to hire her. I had found myself in a tight spot when I had woken up with memory loss and vague recollection of events from the day prior. What I knew for sure was that I had two drinks before everything went foggy. The next day I started to feel ill and went to the military hospital. They drew blood, urine, and came to the conclusion that I was dehydrated and sent me home on 24hr quarters. I continued to feel different and decided to seek a second opinion from a civilian hospital. By this point I though I might have been drugged and asked the civilian hospital to run more extensive testing. The hospital told me that they found a substance in my system. I immediately notified my chain of command that then called OSI. I found myself under investigation for wrongful use. After the investigation was complete, I received an Article 15, demoted and issued separation paperwork. The thing was they never did a thorough investigation. All they had was a failed UA, which I had notified my chain of command to begin with. The first thing that Ms. Stewart did was to conduct an investigation into the allegation against me. During the separation board all the evidence that we had acquired during our investigation was presented to the board members. Ms. Stewart proved to be the most knowledgeable in the room and repeatedly took control of the courtroom. She picked apart everything the government was throwing at me, even using the government’s witnesses as witnesses for our defense. In the end, the board members found that there was no finding for discharge and that I did not commit the offense brought against me in the Article 15. I will always be grateful for the tenacity of Ms. Stewart and how she honorably represented me. She had never lost faith in me, and I could never repay her. My only regret is that I didn’t hire her sooner. Anyone who finds themselves in a jam and has the full weight of the government coming down on them would be a fool to not hire Ms. Stewart.

What started out as the need for a "simple" Parenting plan, quickly turned into a nasty custody battle. Mrs. Van Ackeren was there every step of the way to help me get through one of the most stressful times in my life. She kept me in the loop of what was going on, advised me on what the positive and negative outcomes would be on any of the decisions i made and quickly answered any questions i had. When i first reached out for Mrs. Van Ackeren's help, I hadn't been able to see my two sons for months. Within a few weeks I had them 3 weekends a month. After 6 months, they were both living with me!! I couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out. I would definitely recommend her services (and have) to anyone. I know that if anything else comes up, Mrs. Van Ackeren will be there to help me and my family again.

Ms. Van Ackeren is an outstanding attorney with impeccable character. She was crucial to helping me through an exceedingly difficult and contested divorce with the custody of a child as the main issue. She listened to my predicament after my first attorney didn't work out, worked with me to correct the course and focus of my case, and stood by me and the facts through the final proceedings. Ms. Van Ackeren does an outstanding job taking care of military members and their dependents. She will listen to all aspects of your case, examine the facts and come to her own sound, informed and legally reasoned conclusions. She does not back off from telling you straight what the circumstances are, and the reality of your choices. Every step of the way she helps you to make the best informed decision possible for your case, even if it may not be the choice you would like, but still has the best benefits for everyone involved. When your case may venture into unchartered waters, Ms. Van Ackeren has a wealth of knowledge to help correct matters. She is also more than willing to seek out the correct information from trusted expert professionals in the necessary fields. As former military, Ms. Van Ackeren understands the issues affecting military members and their families. She trusts in the character of her clients, and your faith in her character will be constantly validated. If you need legal representation in military matters or military related family law, I highly recommend you seek out Ms. Van Ackeren's legal representation.

I have known and worked with Desmond for over 6 years now. He is a friend, colleague, mentor and has even been my own attorney. While he is kind and caring he is also very persistant. The family law case that he helped me with, he worked very hard and never gave up even when it looked like the court was not going to lean in my favor. He never stopped fighting for me and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. I have and will continue recommending him to friends and family.