I do not recommend attorney Kelly McMillan. While the initial consultation was complimentary,…read moreadditional time was requested to review documents and discuss custody further. Fees for that follow-up meeting were never disclosed upfront, and I was only informed the evening before -- without any amount specified. This lack of transparency disrupted my planning and wasted my time, as I had no way to prepare financially.
I want to start by saying I truly appreciated the time Kelly McMillan spent with me during our initial consultation. I took everything she said seriously and stopped looking for other attorneys because I was seriously considering retaining her, at least for my child support case, which I found reasonable at $2,500.
Kelly McMillan actively encouraged and requested additional time to discuss my custody case. She said, "I would really like an opportunity to speak with you further regarding your custody case," and she made it feel like we were working together. Her tone and framing made it seem generous and professional, almost as if this follow-up would be complimentary. I agreed, assuming this meeting would be handled properly.
However, fees for that meeting were never disclosed upfront, and I was only informed of a potential fee late the evening before the scheduled morning appointment, around 8 PM, without specifying an amount. This left me with no way to plan or prepare financially, and it is unreasonable to expect a client to guess or assume costs. Scheduling a meeting this way -- after actively encouraging it -- is not standard professional practice, and no client should be expected to interpret generosity as a hidden fee.
In my experience speaking with many attorneys over the past several years, any attorney who charges for additional consultations clearly communicates that upfront before scheduling. Some offer additional time for free -- not guaranteed, but I have taken advantage of those opportunities in the past. Kelly McMillan did not disclose any cost, despite explicitly offering additional time, which disrupted my planning and wasted my time.
I want to emphasize that in any professional service -- including my own experience in the service and beauty industry for over 12 years, dealing with high-ticket clients -- no appointment is ever scheduled or confirmed without the client knowing the exact cost, and in many cases, a deposit is required. Scheduling a meeting without clear disclosure of fees, as occurred here, is unprofessional and creates unnecessary disruption.
After I explained all of this to her, she disagreed with these facts and essentially claimed that it was my responsibility to assume a cost and "know" that all attorneys charge for second consultations, which is unreasonable. This was gaslighting, dismissing my reasonable expectations and attempting to make me feel at fault for her failure to communicate. She then handled the situation unprofessionally by ending our correspondence with a "goodbye and good luck," rather than addressing the concerns I raised.
While I appreciated her initial consultation, this lack of transparency, last-minute fee notification, her repeated framing of her time as "generous," and her gaslighting response made the experience unprofessional. I would caution anyone considering her services to clarify fees and expectations clearly before scheduling any follow-up meetings.
