EDITED for response. I was never encouraged/told I'd have a better result in court, yes I was told I didn't have to settle, but after I had been told repeatedly that I'd lose because my ex didn't have to use his visitation time. If I took it too court, the judge would likely agree to the new parenting plan and keep the Wednesday/Thursday visitation. Who would go to court with an attorney who was admitting he didn't feel I would win? I mean he's my attorney and was providing me with that advice. I have an email I sent 2 days after mediation, where I was upset with Jason's representation and express everything I wrote in my review. Jason's response, "after 14 years of experience, I see it differently. I believe you obtained a good result." If his response to my review is true, then why wouldn't he say in his email that I wanted to settle against his advice? It never happened and yes, I posted my review 6 months later because I saw other similar reviews I decided to share my experience for others.
I hired Jason in August of 2015 for a simple modification. I too was promised a slam dunk case, and I trusted and believed Jason would help fight for the best interest of my kids. Jason is extremely hard to get in touch with, many emails and calls went unanswered. I began getting frustrated because after a year, my "simple" case, still hadn't been set for mediation. Fast forward to October 2016, my case still had gone no where. My ex decided to adjust child support and HIS attorney pushed for a mediation and court date. During this time, Jason told me he knew the judge and that my ex would lose his visitation, be forced to pay increased child support because Jason said he needed to be an example. 19 months after I began the case, we went to mediation. During the 19 months, I was promised that we'd fight for my kids best interest, fight for me, fight to get my attorney fees paid by opposing counsel and he'd request an increase in child support. After all, he "knew" the judge. A month or so before mediation Mr. Smith spoke with me because I had questions about what I needed for mediation, as well as the financial affidavit. He offered me no help so I did the best I could. At one point he told me to run up my attorney bill, just so opposing counsel would have to pay a larger amount. Thankfully I didn't listen to him. When we got to mediation, boy things changed. First, Jason allowed the defendants attorney draw up a new parenting plan. I got hit with papers that are the standard now. It made no sense because how could a father who wasn't using his allowed time already, get more time? When I presented my case, and what was in the kids best interest, Jason suddenly didn't know how the judge would rule. That I would more then likely lose in court and if my kids, who had only seen their dad every other weekend for 6 years, didn't like the increased time, to tell them to give him fits, that they needed to let him know they were miserable. I wasn't happy at that advice because they are young. He also told me, "You can make a father be a father and you can't make him use visitation". That should have been something he told me when I first spoke to him, because the issue was visitation. Oh and the financial affidavit, that Jason didn't help me with, hurt me in child support. I used my income for the 2016 year, my ex used two pay stubs for 2017, and when I mentioned that, I would told his income seems consistent with a person in his job. Never mind the overtime he's able to work. My own attorney worked against me and yes I got the days removed that I was seeking, but I also had to change how we did holidays, which was originally set up the way it was at my exes request. Needless to say, he didn't support me, didn't seek fees being reimbursed, told me I'd lose what I was seeking in court and even argued that I couldn't request an increase in child support, for missed visitation, that the pay stubs are the pay stubs. Jason worked more for my ex then me.
All USA
EDITED for response. I was never encouraged/told I'd have a better result in court, yes I was told I didn't have to settle, but after I had been told repeatedly that I'd lose because my ex didn't have to use his visitation time. If I took it too court, the judge would likely agree to the new parenting plan and keep the Wednesday/Thursday visitation. Who would go to court with an attorney who was admitting he didn't feel I would win? I mean he's my attorney and was providing me with that advice. I have an email I sent 2 days after mediation, where I was upset with Jason's representation and express everything I wrote in my review. Jason's response, "after 14 years of experience, I see it differently. I believe you obtained a good result." If his response to my review is true, then why wouldn't he say in his email that I wanted to settle against his advice? It never happened and yes, I posted my review 6 months later because I saw other similar reviews I decided to share my experience for others. I hired Jason in August of 2015 for a simple modification. I too was promised a slam dunk case, and I trusted and believed Jason would help fight for the best interest of my kids. Jason is extremely hard to get in touch with, many emails and calls went unanswered. I began getting frustrated because after a year, my "simple" case, still hadn't been set for mediation. Fast forward to October 2016, my case still had gone no where. My ex decided to adjust child support and HIS attorney pushed for a mediation and court date. During this time, Jason told me he knew the judge and that my ex would lose his visitation, be forced to pay increased child support because Jason said he needed to be an example. 19 months after I began the case, we went to mediation. During the 19 months, I was promised that we'd fight for my kids best interest, fight for me, fight to get my attorney fees paid by opposing counsel and he'd request an increase in child support. After all, he "knew" the judge. A month or so before mediation Mr. Smith spoke with me because I had questions about what I needed for mediation, as well as the financial affidavit. He offered me no help so I did the best I could. At one point he told me to run up my attorney bill, just so opposing counsel would have to pay a larger amount. Thankfully I didn't listen to him. When we got to mediation, boy things changed. First, Jason allowed the defendants attorney draw up a new parenting plan. I got hit with papers that are the standard now. It made no sense because how could a father who wasn't using his allowed time already, get more time? When I presented my case, and what was in the kids best interest, Jason suddenly didn't know how the judge would rule. That I would more then likely lose in court and if my kids, who had only seen their dad every other weekend for 6 years, didn't like the increased time, to tell them to give him fits, that they needed to let him know they were miserable. I wasn't happy at that advice because they are young. He also told me, "You can make a father be a father and you can't make him use visitation". That should have been something he told me when I first spoke to him, because the issue was visitation. Oh and the financial affidavit, that Jason didn't help me with, hurt me in child support. I used my income for the 2016 year, my ex used two pay stubs for 2017, and when I mentioned that, I would told his income seems consistent with a person in his job. Never mind the overtime he's able to work. My own attorney worked against me and yes I got the days removed that I was seeking, but I also had to change how we did holidays, which was originally set up the way it was at my exes request. Needless to say, he didn't support me, didn't seek fees being reimbursed, told me I'd lose what I was seeking in court and even argued that I couldn't request an increase in child support, for missed visitation, that the pay stubs are the pay stubs. Jason worked more for my ex then me.