DO NOT HIRE THIS FIRM----Over approximately 16 months, I paid this firm $70k in legal fees, not including professionals they recommended & needed, including an accountant, bringing me to nearly $100k. After all of that, my divorce is still not resolved & I am being held hostage by the circumstances of my divorce.
I hired this firm because of Dean Kantaras. Dean presented himself very strongly during the consultation, but after I retained the firm, my case was immediately & largely handled by associates. During those 16 months, I went through 6 different associates. The firm has a revolving door with associates. There was no clear timeline or plan for how my goals would be accomplished or my case brought to resolution. The turnover was incredibly disruptive. Each transition meant another attorney becoming familiar with an already complicated case, & mistakes, delays & lack of continuity cost me additional time & loads of money.
The billing was relentless. Employees have billable-time expectations & in my experience, my retainer & repeated thousands of dollars in replenishments were depleted without tangible progress remotely proportional to what I was spending so they can bill time.
What disturbed me most was what happened before important events. When I specifically requested Dean--the attorney I believed I had hired--for a significant hearing, mediation or critical event, I was told substantial additional replenishments were required for him to participate. If I didn't pay thousands that day or the next, I would get the associate instead. After the problems I had already experienced with associates's mistakes, I felt I had very little choice. In my opinion, this felt like blackmail. When your children, home, finances & future are involved, you are extraordinarily vulnerable.
What finally destroyed my confidence involved what should have been the resolution of my case.
My ex & I worked out an agreement. I notified Dean on Thursday. Dean called & gave me the plan: send everything Friday morning so the agreement could be drafted & signed Friday. Friday came & went without it being completed. It was pushed to Monday. With every delay, I worried the agreement would unravel--& my ex's demands did begin changing, which will cost me thousands in my final settlement.
Monday arrived for the settlement conference. Despite my communications requesting the agreement to review, it was not ready. Opposing showed up, everyone prepared to review & sign, but the document wasn't ready. Dean himself rescheduled the conference for the following day.
The next day, everyone showed up & Dean did not appear. I received no advance explanation & even his staff appeared unaware he wasn't coming. This was supposed to finalize my settlement. Everyone showed & he did not. The settlement was canceled.
When I expressed how upset I was, instead of the accountability I expected, Dean stated it was my fault & put it back onto me--even though I had followed the timeline & instructions he gave me.
During this same period, I discovered through billing that work had been performed relating to a lien on my home, something I had not expected or understood was being pursued in that manner. I was also billed by multiple people for settlement conferences where either the contract wasn't ready or Dean simply didn't show.
Eventually, I instructed the firm to cease all work, yet I continued receiving billing afterward.
This experience has been financially & emotionally exhausting. Family-law clients are making decisions during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives. Before hiring this firm, know what my experience was, understand how much it can cost & read the other reviews.
Nearly $100k spent including related professionals, $70k to this firm, six associates, 16 months & my divorce is still unresolved.
I would never hire this firm again & I would never recommend it to anyone. read more