Reviews

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.

In May of 2016 I was called into CID and accused of sexual assault with someone I had been with in Korea. This allegation came to me nearly half a year after I was with her. I knew what happened and knew there was nothing that could have been considered sexual assault but didn’t know what was being said or why. I went into a complete panic. I couldn’t eat, sleep, and breath or even carry on a conversation. To say the least I was scared out of my mind. My command ordered me not to contact anyone that I knew from that time period and they provided me with no information. To say the least I was on my own. For a while I was half delusional thinking that this would go away or my accuser would step up and do the right thing and admit that she had lied. After a few months of silence and getting no answers and getting farther and farther away from any evidence that should exonerate me I decided to look for a lawyer. I searched the internet and called several different lawyers. Ms. Stewart was the last lawyer I called. After speaking with her I knew that she was who I was going to hire. Even though I knew I would hire her I still felt like I needed confirmation because this was going to possibly be the choice that was going to save my life, career, and reputation. I spoke with alternate lawyers in the area, they all knew Ms. Stewart and without wanting to they admitted she was the best person to hire. The second I hired her everything changed. Her confidence and knowledge on military justice processes are undeniable. Her ability to handle both me as a nervous and demanding client and the situation proved unparalleled. I was able to regain focus and get back to improving my life knowing that my case was in her hands. She worked diligently calling possible witnesses and getting information from people that I certainly wasn’t being told. She leaned forward with the same mind set that I have and prepared to defend me at a court-martial prior to my Article 32 hearing. However, the diligence that she put in finding witnesses to speak at my Article 32 and the manner in which she conducted the defense at the Article 32 proved to be invaluable. Ms. Stewart was able to re-interview witnesses and find someone to completely contradict my accuser’s sworn statement. In the end the Article 32 report found no probable cause for any sexual charge that I was being accused of. I can honestly say that Ms. Stewart always anticipates several steps ahead in her strategy and case preparation, thinking of all outcomes that could arise. On a side note I would like to add that prior to my Article 32 hearing we met with my military lawyer and after seeing the work Ms. Stewart put in he stated, “I would not have had the time to put this amount of work in on this, I am just so overwhelmed with cases, this is money well spent.” It most definitely was. After the Article 32 she began leveraging the report’s findings to convince the prosecution why they should not go forward to court-martial at all. Realizing they did not have a case for anything but improper relationship she continued to fight for me. The prosecution offered to send me to a summary court martial for fraternization. The military lawyer thought that was great and that I should take it; however, Ms. Stewart said no and fought hard. In the end I received an Article 15 for my offense. I couldn’t believe it. I was looking at going to jail for something I didn’t do and in the end I faced the right disposition and received a just punishment. I can honestly say that if you are not hiring Ms. Stewart you are putting yourself at risk. When it comes to these cases the Army does not care if you are guilty or not. They will destroy you as a person, destroy your life, and have you register as a sex offender and go to jail, all for something you did not do. If you come into any trouble in the military YOU 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.

I hired Ms. Jocelyn Stewart to represent me during my General Court Martial. I had been charged with one specification of false official statement and three specifications of unprofessional relationship. I was scared and felt completely alone. After just one phone call with Ms. Stewart, I felt renewed with hope. I knew without a doubt, I wanted her on my side. She was always honest with me and I leaned on her and her significant legal experience. In court, she was aggressive in her defense, yet extremely professional. She not only got the specification of false official statement suppressed and thrown out, but I was also acquitted on all remaining specifications. Sadly, the Air Force chose to pursue a second investigation against me only one month after my acquittal. I did not hesitate to re-engage Ms. Stewart concerning this second investigation. Months went by before the Air Force did decide to proceed with a Special Court Martial on one specification of unprofessional relationship. I am happy to report that this case never even made it to trial with the representation of Ms. Stewart. She is 100% thorough in everything she does and because of this, the charge was dropped in its entirety. Because of Ms. Stewart I was able to continue with my Air Force career. I did, however, decide it was time for a change and opted to transition from active duty to Air Froce Reserves. Because of Ms. Stewart I am still continuing on in over 14 years of honorable service to the United States Air Force. There is no dollar amount you can place on what she did for me. I would do it all again. I will never be able to thank her enough. While it was unfortunate that I found myself in such a horrible situation, I felt honored to be represented by one of the best military law attorneys out there. If you are facing military legal matters, please let Ms. Stewart fight for you. You will not be disappointed.

Jocelyn was quick to return my phone call. I knew I was in a bad situation and I needed a top notch attorney to make sure that I wasn't taken advantage of by a military system than can be less than objective. I contacted her early, and I believe that was the reason my case had such a favorable outcome. Get her on your side early so that she can begin advocating for you. She made phone calls and obtained information I wouldn't have been able to by myself. She has connections, let her use those in your favor. As for the outcome, we were so ahead of the system that the military didn't even get the chance to charge me with any wrong doing. No Charges, No Action Taken!

Jocelyn proved to be a passionate and highly effective attorney and has the skill and dedication to be respected by everyone in the courtroom. Her attention to managing the overall picture along with her keen attention to the smallest detail is a trait that is hard to find. Undoubtedly this is why she is so good at her craft. I recommend Jocelyn without reservation, she will quickly earn your trust and fight for justice in your name. She is the one who you want on your team.