BEFORE YOU HIRE HEATHER MATES READ THIS! *HEATHER MATES. IN…read moreMY OPINION. HAS NO HONOR, INTEGRITY OR DO DILIGENCE TO HER JUDICIARY RESPONSIBLITIES as a criminal attorney. I could write a book on how much she butchered up my case but I'm just going to give you some bullet points. * I had a win-win case. The judge said in so many words that it was a ridiculous charge. * I had a consult with Heather 2 weeks before the preliminary. GAVE HER ALL DOCS NEEDED. She made it sound so easy. This would be an in and out because the charge could not be proven. *She advised me her retainer would be $6,000. Heather emailed me the contract. *When I read the contract it said $6,000 non-refundable flat fee, when asked why she said she didn't believe my story! *I tried to find another lawyer, not easy in WC. *Panicing I called her a week before the trial to accept the contract. Which was the biggest mistake of my life. *We go to the hearing for some unknown reason she asks for a continuance; the judge looks bewildered but says okay. * I was going on vacation. I asked her what do you need from me before I go because I will not be back until the day before court. *She ORDERED me to gather that wasn't relative to the case at hand. I was so confused. *I got her everything she needed I marked and highlighted everything important, IMO an intern could have understood it. AGAIN I did ALL THE WORK!. *The day before court she calls me asking me where the information was I was supposed to get her. I said you had it for 11 days, so all that time she never even looked at my case, not once. Then charged me $100 for the call. *Once at hearing. She let the da bully her which I couldn't believe because she was a bully to me, into making me take a guilty plea to a lesser carge even tho I was inocent! I never even spoke to the judge...again the Judge looked bewildered IMO, wondering what just happened? *Bottom line is she took $6000. Worked maybe half of what she charged me for and kept $3,750 BMC (see invoice) for absolutely nothing. * IMO, do not use this woman she is the worst criminal lawyer in Westchester.

Wow!! This woman has no bedside manner so to speak. If you're in need, have been bullied by the…read morepolice, are an elderly woman who needs a lawyer don't call this office. Heather, try being understanding and helpful. You never know who will call you and maybe you can't help them but they have friends that you could be referred to.....not now...

Mr skinner and Nichole were wonderfully helpful and comforting while dealing with my legal issues…read more They went above and beyond to make sure that I was happy with the outcome of my case and he even worked with me to make my legal fees more affordable. Correspondence was excellent, they always answer the phone and respond very quickly to emails. I'd definitely recommend this law firm for expungements!

From the owner: The Skinner Law Firm is a criminal defense firm based in West Chester, PA, and serving clients in…read morethe Chester County and Delaware County regions. Founder Michael J. Skinner is a former Chester County prosecutor who uses his previous experience to defend those who have been accused of crimes. Our firm is dedicated to seeking the best possible results for our clients. If you are facing a criminal charge such as a DUI, firearm possession, distribution of drugs, or domestic violence, contact us today for a free consultation.

First, let me preface this by stating that I love giving credit where it is due, and try hard to…read morewrite only really positive reviews. As a local small business owner myself, I can certainly appreciate the power of any review. When I have a negative experience, I ALWAYS try to speak with the business owner and allow them to make things right before I would ever post something negative. So, I am sitting down to write this only after contacting this firm regarding my concerns on three separate occasions over the past 3 weeks. Each time, I left my name and contact info with the office staff, and each time, I was given the promise of an email and phone response by a specific date. Well, still no response. I think three weeks is certainly more than enough time. Lee was very responsive up until we paid our $5k retainer. Then he became the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain. We were passed on to Julia, another lawyer in the firm. Certainly nice, but we did not feel like she was really responsive, fighting for our case and was even perhaps a bit intimidated by the prosecuting attorney, basically suggesting we take whatever they were suggesting and not put up much of a fight. Extremely disheartening when we are talking about a case that will no doubt negatively impact the next 25+ years of an otherwise upstanding 19 yr old with his entire life ahead of him, who, in Lee's own words, "should not be defined by a single bad decision". This has been our very first and only experience with the whole criminal justice system, and has not been pleasant. Very little response from this firm, unless we initiated. Without going into too much detail, we were informed (by another lawyer not even on this case or from the Ciccarelli firm) that there was a bench warrant out for our son, and we would forfeit our $50k in bail because he failed to show up for a court hearing. Our attorney had told us he did not need to attend, yet failed to file the correct paperwork, causing the warrant to be issued. Lawyer blamed court; clerk of courts said lawyer called her, begging her to fix lawyer's mistakes, and that she (clerk) would fire lawyer if she were us. Not an easy, quick fix over the phone. Had to show up at courthouse first thing in A.M., ask to be seen by a judge to explain and hope judge will quash warrant and reinstate bail. Lee's firm sent yet another lawyer to represent, although he was only a consultant and not actually part of Lee's firm. Nice guy, but we did not ask for or need anyone to go with us really. The clerk of courts was extremely helpful and walked us through everything. We have since hired a new attorney, as we were continuously losing faith in the Ciccarelli firm over time. Had I received a response when I requested a break down of hours spent on our son's case, and an acknowledgement and listening ear from Lee regarding our experience, I would have not written this review. But I think it's important to share our experience for others considering hiring this firm, especially with them having lots of positive reviews out there as well. I'm glad others have had a positive experience, but sadly, ours was not and we would not hire them again nor would we recommend this firm.

From the owner: Time Is Precious- Choose The Right Lawyer…read more Ciccarelli Law Offices was formed by attorney Lee A. Ciccarelli to provide quality legal services for his clients in Chester County Pennsylvania. Our law office is based in Chester County Pennsylvania, part of the metropolitan Phildelphia area. Chester County has a population of approximately half of a million people and is home to Kennett Square, West Chester, Downingtown, Coatesville, Malvern, Paoli, Parkesburg, Phoenixville and Oxford and known for Longwood Gardens.

Excellent results in solving my traffic violation. Very reasonable price for the service and they…read morewere successful in the result they predicted. Alyssa Poole made it very easy and quick to be in and out of court

WOW! Where do I begin with this horrible counsel! I had Joel Benecke represent me in a DUI case. He…read morewould not return phone calls, did not advise me on the appropriate steps to take doing the whole process, horrible communication! Overall it was a very poor judgement on my part. I am sure there are plenty of other lawyers out there that would have been a lot more insightful.

My husband and I were seeking an amicable divorce and was referred to Mr. Legg by a friend who is…read morean attorney. We figured that a mediation lawyer would help us fairly divide our assets in the friendliest way possible. We were mistaken. After our first meeting we had negative vibes and it seemed as though Mr. Legg was subtly trying to pit us against each other. We discussed moving on elsewhere but a since we had already begun the process, decided to get it over with rather than starting over. It wasn't a smooth ride from there with Mr. Legg but we did end up staying together so that is the only positive from our experience. Perhaps we were naïve in the belief that mediation would be respectfully dividing with legal council. We fought more against Mr. Legg than each other but he was setting us up to battle.

From the owner: Family Law Attorney: Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, Alimony, Prenuptial Agreements, Wills,…read moreSpousal Support and more.

Mr Caputo represented me in a case and did phenomenal. He got a felony dropped and a misdemeanor…read moredropped down to a summary offense. I really appreciate everything he did for my family and I.

From the owner: Your Future! Our Priority! My firms goal is to help those in need of legal service. This need goes…read morebeyond court appearance and results. At this firm, we try to address the underlying factors that are factors in individual seeking legal help in the first place. We are thorough in our analysis of the case and we will fight for the rights of every client. We will also address the needs of the clients who need help in moving past a criminal case to have a brighter future.

K Altman Law firm takes vulnerable people and take advantage of them. $11,000 up font for nothing…read more I spoke wit Keith Altman on the initial visit and he stated he could help me with my case at the College. After that, i never spoke wit him again. He sent simeone else, who stated they wasn't a lawyer to handle my case with the college. I never received a hearing to argue my case with The college and K. Altman Lawfirm. A year later after tellingme that the college wasn't respinding, they closed my case out.

I Paid $11,000 to a Disability Rights Lawyer. Then They Threatened Me Into Silence…read more When my university failed to implement my legally mandated accommodations, I was exhausted, frightened, and almost out of time. I turned to a law firm that claimed to specialize in civil rights and disability protection. I paid them $11,000 up front. They delivered nothing. Then they tried to silence me with a partial refund -- if I promised never to speak about it again. I Did Everything I Was Supposed to Do I was a disabled undergraduate student who had spent years navigating my university's systems while battling severe psychological trauma. When my accommodation requests were ignored during a critical semester, I followed every available internal route: I filed an academic appeal, a grievance, and multiple requests for intervention. All of them were dismissed, delayed, or rerouted into administrative silence. I was being blocked from graduating because my university refused to offer a disability-compliant path to complete one last course. After months of emails, documentation, and escalation -- all ignored -- I realized I couldn't fight this alone. That's when I contacted K Altman Law. They advertise themselves as fighters -- education law specialists, civil rights advocates, protectors of students. I believed that. I signed a contract. I paid the fee. I hoped I could finally rest. What I Got Instead I signed the retainer agreement on April 30. I paid $11,000 upfront. By May 6 -- just one week later -- I was already asking for a refund. Why? Because after that initial intake, they attended one Zoom meeting, gave no strategic guidance, and failed to take even the most basic legal steps. They didn't send a single letter to the university. They didn't contact opposing counsel. They didn't draft a motion, request a meeting, or issue a demand. They didn't even fully read the documents I had prepared -- documents I had written myself, carefully compiled, alone and in crisis. I came to them with everything ready. The timeline, the complaint, the attachments, the evidence -- all prepared. I didn't need someone to hold my hand. I needed someone to stand beside me and speak for me when I was no longer being heard. They didn't speak. They didn't act. But they kept the money. The Refund That Wasn't When I asked for a refund, they told me they would consider it -- but only if I signed a non-disparagement agreement. In other words: "You can have part of your own money back... if you promise never to criticize us." They offered $3,000. They kept $8,000. And they expected silence. That wasn't a refund. It was hush money. And I was still alone. When You're Disabled, This Isn't Just Neglect -- It's Re-traumatization What made this even more unbearable was the timing. When I reached out to this law firm, I had already exhausted every school-based channel. I had already filed with every internal office. This was my last resort. Instead of protection, I experienced secondary harm -- the kind inflicted by people who claim to help, then abandon you. My university delayed my accommodations. This law firm mirrored the same tactics: delay, silence, deflection. I wasn't just let down -- I was retraumatized. I paid for help. They sold me abandonment. Disabled clients don't need lawyers to stand beside us silently. We need lawyers who are willing to speak when we no longer can. I Took Action. Alone. After being abandoned by both my school and my lawyer, I kept going. I filed complaints with: The Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission (AGC) The Better Business Bureau The Client Protection Fund The U.S. District Court The Department of Justice The Office for Civil Rights The Ohio Civil Rights Commission This Isn't Just About Me I'm not the first disabled student to be silenced by a system. But I might be one of the few who paid a civil rights law firm $11,000 to do it. K Altman Law didn't just fail to represent me. They profited from my vulnerability. Then tried to buy my silence. I'm not staying silent. I'm fighting back. And if they've done this to you too -- you're not alone anymore. If you are another student or client who has experienced harm by this law firm or others like it, I invite you to speak. Comment. Email. Share. Because no disabled person should have to buy their own voice back.