Professionals Sean Byrne and Loretta Van Zandt came into our lives at the exact right moment and my…read morewife and I feel so lucky to have been able to work with and lean on them during some very trying and unexpected discoveries in our journey to: a) educate ourselves about our legal responsibilities and exposure with regards to my aging father-in-law b) to try to protect and get him some help from afar c) support and guide us through the process of closing out his complicated estate when the unfortunate time came. We knew nothing going into this process except that we would need to implicitly trust whoever we were working with 100% and just hope for the best. Sean and Loretta put the work in, helped us to understand each step and decision along the way, and pulled us throughout without missteps or regrets. No one wants to have to get a lawyer, but honestly having now dealt with more than I've ever expected to have to, no one was more professional or thoughtful or careful than Sean and Loretta. They were our rock, our team, and our lighthouse no matter what we'd have to weather and I'm so grateful for their support and expertise. I learned a lot about closing an estate (real estate and taxes and probate and titles!), but they never made me feel as though I should've known any of this beforehand (because why would I?). Their patience and understanding and empathy was truly above and beyond. If they'll take your care, put them on retainer immediately without hesitation. Best of luck (although you don't need as much when you're with the pros).

While the firm's response states that I was not a client, I interacted with them on behalf of my…read moremother who was their client and who was dying of metastatic breast cancer. I was treated rudely. My mother's revised will was drafted perfunctorily. (Language in it was in the male gender. Had anyone proofread it?) The will had been redrafted from an earlier version according to my mother's instructions, but was unsigned and the firm had not followed up with her to make sure she signed it. As the co-executor named in the will they drafted I called to see if the firm had a signed copy on file and was blown off. Then my mother died and her old will, the un-revised one, became the legal will. The bottom line: her grandkids got cut out of their inheritance. And the firm hit the estate with a bill for revising the old will, the one they didn't follow up on that led to an estate mess.

My interaction with Mr. John Chapman, during a legal matter over the past two years, was extremely…read morepositive. He extremely responsive. He always kept me updated and well informed as new developments came to be. He handled everything for me in this matter and I wasn't required to travel to Florida for any of it. Highly recommend Mr. John Chapman!

From the owner: John Chapman is the principal of The John Chapman Law Firm in Sarasota, Florida. He is Board…read moreCertified by The Florida Bar in Business Litigation. His areas of practice includes construction, banking, real estate, commercial, employment contract, probate and ad valorem tax litigation.c

Joleen created trusts for me and my husband. She was very knowledgeable about all the scenarios we…read moreshould consider. She was also able to speak to tax implications as well. Additionally, since she is also licensed in TN she gave us some guidance on LLCs. It was important for me to find an attorney that knew how to set up an Descendants trust to manage the transfer of retirement accounts to descendants and protecting such assets. Joleen is always available to answer any/all of my questions. I feel my estate is in great hands with her.

From the owner: Searles, Sheppard & Gornitsky is a premier estate planning and litigation practice. Our dynamic…read moreteam offers education on estate planning, estate settlement, wealth preservation and tax strategies. We focus on the impact that constant changes in the law and family dynamics have on our clients' estate plans. Maintenance, protection, and preservation of generational wealth should be every person's goal and our expertise is in the relevant laws, procedures, and potential barriers to successful estate planning and related dispute resolution. Should any disputes arise, whether related to estate planning or other areas, our litigation team has over 30 years of experience both defending and prosecuting claims on behalf of our clients

Worst lawyer ever! I made the mistake of hiring her for my divorce. Her up front charge was…read more$5,000. She begged and pleaded the court to be the first case of the day, because she was leaving on vacation. She showed up an hour late because she was out partying all night with all of my money and her alarm didn't go off. The judge was livid and nearly threw out my case. She falsely charged for phone conversations we never had, or charged for full hour long calls when we only spoke for seconds or minutes. She never had a clue what she was doing or what was happening on my case because she was always texting or talking to her party girl friends on her cell. She blew through my money in a matter of days and had the nerve to bill me for another $2,500 she said I owed her, plus another $2,500 to continue representing me. I told her to bite me and that if I received any further bills or notices that I would see HER in court. Never heard from the that slimy, lying crook again! Do NOT use this sad excuse for a lawyer, EVER!!!!

Do NOT use your hard earned money to hire Maureen Avila. I did and I have nothing to show for it…read more She charged me $3,500 in May 2013 to handle changes to an existing Child Support/Visitation agreement and it has been almost a year and absolutely nothing has happened. She asked me to provide a mountain of documentation and paperwork, which I did, and she would not even take the time to provide the information to opposing counsel. She would ask me the same questions over and over again as if she did not remember what she asked or what my answer was. For example, "What do you want in the new agreement?" I would send her a very detailed answer in the form of an email and she would say she "misplaced it". She does not answer emails unless you repeatedly ask for a response. She sets up conference calls that she does not attend and the reason is always "a personal matter came up". Another excuse she likes to use is that she is waiting to hear back from opposing counsel. I found out that not only was that not true, but the opposing counsel was waiting for her! Another example: She told me to not worry about a Child Support Hearing that took place in March 2014 and then within hours of the meeting, she said it was my responsibility to be there and handle it. I recently ended up firing her and not surprisingly .... She hasn't even bothered to respond to the email I sent to her telling her why I fired her. No apology for her gross incompetence or attempt to make it right. She is the perfect example of why lawyers have the reputation of having zero morals!

Charla is the best! She is very knowledgeable and proficient in wills, trusts, and estates. I…read morehighly recommend her.

Awesome Board- Certified Wills/ Trusts Attorney... Charla is so knowledgeable, thorough and easy to…read morework with.... and BOARD CERTIFIED.... this is her specialty, what she does, and she does it really well. I had a terrible accident that almost left my wife in a tough spot. If you are over 18, have kids , any holdings, etc., you need a will , power of attorney, living will etc. set up BEFORE you have a problem. And if you are an awesome parent , you will gift this to your kids who are not yet wise enough to understand the need. Call Charla and get it done now. I feel more at ease now that I have done this, and I know that I have one of the best lawyers on the job to protect my family. Thanks Charla.

Cole and Cole law is a exceptional law firm. They cater to your needs. Richard Cole answered all my…read morequestions quickly. He returned phone calls promptly. He helped my father through a bankruptcy. My father was a veteran. He treated us with dignity and respect. Thanks for helping my family.

Please do research before hiring this attorney!! This is a copied text from my Google review: Worst…read moreattorney ever. There is a reason his reviews are so low. Every single email I sent him he lost and needs me to resend and never wants to do anything and gave my ex any the requested. When confronted about it he quit. It was clear he just wanted the retainer and that was it. My new lawyer is competent and lucky it looks like I can fix some of the things Mr coal did. Don't just take my word for it. Look at the other reviews and just for fun, try to find a worse reviewed lawyer in Sarasota. Biggest waste of $5k only hired because he was partially covered by my insurance. I wish I did some research, don't make the same mistake I did.