The worst attorney or lawyer you can have working for you is the one you did not fire soon enough. I find so often that clients hire an attorney, and as usual with many, the most attentive this new “employee” is to you is just before and just after you hand them your first retainer check. Don’t blame them, it’s human nature. Competition is steep in the divorce counsel world, and the stakes are high. But you do owe it to yourself to take control of your own divorce, and that means your employees as well.
On this page, I will elaborate and “out” those attorneys who I have found to be part of the problem with divorce in this country. And as a $26,000,000,000.00 a year industry (That is correct – BILLION!) divorce is high stakes law! What constitutes a “problem” attorney? Well, for starters, how about these:
- Failure to communicate with a client in a timely fashion.
- Inaccurate or inappropriate bills – padded invoices.
- Poor legal skills – some are litigators, some are negotiators.
- Sloppy workmanship – errant emails, off-target filings, lack of attention to details, filings are filled with errors of all kinds.
- Giving poor advice – ignore reality and encourage clients to fight loosing battles so they can continue to get paid.
These examples are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with divorce attorneys/lawyers that I have encountered along the way. And in 26+ years of working with others in divorce, I have seen them all.
If I name an attorney that I feel in perhaps not qualified for one reason or another, my reasons are because I have had personal experience with them, as in face to face. It is not heresay. I do my best to keep an open mind, to take into account all factors when considering their personal and professional merits, and I also take into consideration the client they had to work with. And yes, clients (that’s YOU) can be absolute nightmares for attorneys as well. Train wrecks for sure!
If you have had personal experience with a bad lawyer, please chime in with your own story.
At the bottom of this page will be the list of those who for one reason or another made it to the page for WORST ATTORNEYS. In the mean time feel free to add you two cents here. Just keep it somewhat on task and try not to get personal. If you lost your case to one of these attorneys, it is natural not to like them. Consider that when you are posting. While your intention may be to warn others of their failings, someone may actually see their victory against you as reason to hire them. They may have a case just like yours, with their ex sitting in your shoes. That being said, have at it…
Worst Attorneys
Dennis Harvey, former TOP attorney in Butte County, who is now disbared. He was my first divorce attorney, came highly recommended and for the most part, at the beginning, seemed competent and efficient. However, failure to communicate, naming me as a “creditor” during his personal bankruptcy when he held over $50K of my money in his trust account after I told him I would not pay his $2,900 errant invoice which was seized by the BK Court was grounds for my first effort to take his practice from him. And I did.
Esther Lerner, San Francisco based family law attorney, although a good negotiator to an extent, is way too expensive for her skills, not a good litigator, and over bills (I have proof). Would not recommend her.
Paul Vorsatz, based in San Mateo county, is renowned (and often disliked by his peers) for his frivolous filings, obnoxious courtroom outbursts, inappropriate offhanded remarks, and legal skills that border on malpractice. Thumbs down here.
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