If I wanted to work with things like divorce attorneys Chris Karlen and Alex Hudson, I would have been a proctologist. They are an expensive, incompetent, and deceitful.
Expensive
Chris charges between $300 and $330 per hour, however he extensively uses Alex Hudson, another attorney in the firm, at a rate of $250 per hour. At my divorce trial, I was billed for both Chris and Alex, so $580/hour. My wife's attorney managed to present her case by himself for only $250/hour. There were numerous joint conferences with Alex, Chris, and myself which cost me $580/hour.
Incompetent
In an email of January 22, 2020 I asked him how to file a HIPAA complaint; he replied, "For a HIPAA violation you could contact the licensing board. You could also file a civil suit." He is wrong. HIPAA complaints are filed through the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
Negotiations for the Parenting Plan were a rushed, harried process and he had me assign to my spouse all Spring Breaks. In my email of March 8, 2021, I asked Chris why he instructed me to approve the Plan, he replied, "After Judge Hilton issues a Judgement you can file a Motion to Modify." What should have been negotiated equitably, will now cost me additional time, money, and hassle.
Deceitful
In an email of March 12, 2020, I wrote, "Could you please tell me the status on the subpoenas I requested be sent out?", and listed the six subpoenas needed for my divorce trial. A month later, on April 22, 2020, I emailed Chris asking for the status of of the four most important subpoenas; I received no reply, but on April 27, did receive, and pay, a bill for $8,500, of the $71,000 I paid him.
In an email to Alex on May 5, 2020 asking if she had received medical records that were supposed to be subpoenaed, she wrote, "Not yet. We should have them next week." Two weeks later in an email to Alex on May 17 I ask, "So there is not one single subpoena that has been answered yet?" She replied, "We do not have records on any of them yet." On June 17, 2020 I emailed Alex, "What is the status of getting the medical record that was subpoenaed months ago?" She replied, "I will follow up with the doctor's office and get back to you shortly." None of the six subpoenas I was repeatedly told were being processed were ever answered.
In violation of the Parenting Plan, I did not receive my court-ordered custody for the second week in June, 2020. Chris told me that I needed to go to the courthouse and file a contempt of court. The court clerk said that if I had an attorney, the attorney had to file the Motion for Contempt.
On July 10, 2020, I signed and returned to Chris the Motion for Contempt he had drafted. Seven months later, on February 9, 2021, I forwarded Chris the email from July 2020 of my signed copy of the Motion for Contempt and asked, "What was the resolution of this filing for contempt in July 2020? Thanks" He replied, "The Motion for Contempt was filed, but not set for hearing." I asked, "Why no hearing?". Chris replied, "No more emails. Call me when you have time." I never called.
When Jerry Seinfeld says, "So you can take a reservation, but you can't keep a reservation", it's funny. When you realize your attorney is not helping you see your children, it's infuriating and demoralizing.
Summary
When you are lying in bed at night worried about your children and thinking about your divorce, you don't need to be angry and frustrated with your divorce attorney and mentally weighing the expense of firing him and starting over with another. A divorce is often a multi-year process. You've suffered enough abuse, lies, and deceit in your marriage, don't compound your problem by hiring Chris Karlen.
They are facing a complaint before the Missouri Bar for the above allegations substantiated by emails and formal charges of breach of contract and fraud will be filed. read more
