I worked with William and his team on a Family Law matter, and I can honestly say they made a difficult situation feel manageable. From the beginning, they listened, understood what I was going through, and made me feel comfortable. Communication was always clear and direct. Any time I had questions, I was able to speak with William, whether it was over the phone, email, or in person. What really stood out was William's customer service and his ability to truly listen. He took the time to break down my concerns, help prioritize what was important, and explain the legal process in a way I could understand. When it came time for court, he arrived early, was fully prepared, and represented me with confidence and professionalism. Family Court is not always predictable. You don't always get everything you ask for. However, because of how William and The Smith Law Group organized and presented my requests, the judge clearly understood my position, and we achieved what was most important. Even during the hardest moments, they guided me and helped me stay grounded. I would give William Smith and his law group 10 stars if I could. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for guidance, clarity, and strong representation in Family Law. read more

I appreciate your response, but I need to be very clear: what you describe does not reflect what actually happened in my case, nor does it reflect the reality I lived while under your representation. You mention that family law is based on evidence. I provided documentation, explanations, and proof repeatedly, including the fact that I was a full‑time student completing internship hours and not working. That information was critical and should have been argued clearly in court. Instead, it was ignored. My ex‑husband's significantly higher income was also not properly presented or defended on my behalf. The result was extremely low support orders that did not reflect the truth of our situation or the needs of my children. You also refer to delays outside your control, but the cancellations I experienced were made by your office, not the court. Every time I went to your office searching for clarity, I left with more confusion. I was told things that never happened, promised actions that were never taken, and given explanations that were vague and inconsistent. Despite all the visits and calls, I never received a clear plan, real updates, or meaningful advocacy. You say your office made "considerable efforts," but from my perspective, the case ended exactly the way it began with no progress, no resolutions, and no defense of my rights. I lost my home, I was left without fair financial support, and I walked away feeling completely unprotected during one of the most vulnerable moments of my life. Regarding fees, I understand what I was charged. What I do not understand is what work justified those charges. The money taken from the sale of my home felt like an additional loss, because I did not see the representation, action, or results I was repeatedly told to expect. This is not about feelings versus facts. This is about the reality that I did not receive the advocacy, communication, or legal action that I was promised. The outcome of my case reflects that clearly. read more

Mr. Smith is such an amazing attorney. He's straight forward, but still very personable. He offered his availability during his personal time when there was a challenging situation. I truly appreciate everything he's done and highly recommend Mr. Smith for your legal needs. Thank you so much! read more

I didn't really understand the legal process at all when I first called Smith Law Group, but after going through everything with Mr. Smith I feel like I had a complete understanding of things. MR. Smith felt more like a friend to me than my attorney, he really cared about my situation. He was always available and understood how hard the process is for people like myself to go through a divorce with custody, with a difficult ex wife. In the end, we got exactly what we were hoping for and I truly don't think I would have gotten what I did had it not been for Mr. Smith and his staff. I cant thank them enough! If you want an attorney who isn't just out for your money, and really knows how the family law system in Riverside works, and also cares about your situation, call Smith Law Group. I'd recommend them to anyone. Thank you Will read more

Smith Law Group - Me and my Son - Divorce & Family Law Near Me - Riverside, California

These attorneys are the best. I'm so glad I found Mr Smith. He is professional, knowledgeable, prudent and very smart. My divorce is finally moving. My soon to be exhusband has so much reaching he even paid my previous lawyers to not do anything, so I did not even got defended. Since I hired Mr Smith, the difference in my divorce moving is incredible. He is very attentive to detail, but most importantly, he cares, very hard to find someone that cares. Do not hesitate to consult him and trust him. read more

Thank you Smith Law Group for always being easily accessible and answering my many questions and concerns. They gave me the much needed help during the hard process of my divorce. I was really blessed to have the Smith Law Group as my Attorneys and I highly recommend them to anyone I know. read more

William Smith is very professional.He is also very knowledgeable, when it comes to the laws regarding my divorce.

Here is a message I received from the Owner. Very contradicting her reply don't you think? Again Not Once did I receive a call instead , she uses Yelp to try and communicate. Weird. from Debra: "I'm sorry you were unhappy with the services my office provided you, and I would like a chance to discuss the situation with you. I tried calling you earlier a couple times but with no response. The paralegal you were working with has been let go due to issues she had dealing with clients, of which you were one. If you would consider discussing this with me, please call my office at your convenience." She left her return number. Seriously a Wasted amount of money. Filled a claim with my credit card company for a refund due to lack of services. read more

This review is regarding William Smith, not Debra Smith. My fiancé and I chose this law office to settle a legal dispute RE his daughters mom enrolling his daughter prematurely (she missed the bday cut off) in a day care program full time at 4 years old (8am-3:30pm) and doing it without his consent, as well as not putting him on the paperwork as court ordered. Additionally, she intended to use his court ordered days for their 4 year old to go to this full time program, where attendance was not monitored because she did not meet the age requirement. They had gone to court so much over the last 3 years I advised him get an attorney to not be so stressed and be able to enjoy his daughter rather than continue to be stressed about court and being harassed by his ex. Without deterring into more context about the case, I'll be direct: It was a huge mistake to choose this law firm for the following reasons: 1. Any time we wanted to get in contact we had to call them. This is a huge red flag. Our attorney William not once called us to check in on the case. Even for meetings we had to call in, where most of the time we couldn't get ahold of him and would be rescheduled. 2. We sent a number of emails regarding the legalities, how it conflicted with the order, harassment of his ex to both of us via social media, text, etc. which is a violations of their order as well. We provided all the evidence and legalities to the office. We were charged for every email sent and never received responses to any of them. 3. The opposing party spoke more with our attorney than we did. 4. The first court date, William (our attorney) was supposed to attend for us. It was continued by Debra Smith on that date in Williams absence. She is who we initially asked to represent us. 5. William advised my fiancé to not attend court because it would be continued for a second time. The day of court he's calling him telling him to get there ASAP because it wasn't going to be continued. So my fiancé did not even get a chance to be there. 6. William advised my fiancé to do an evaluation on the other party which seemed extremely fitting seeing what had been happening to their daughter, and how involved she was in the court case on her moms end (and for a number of other reasons- but again not relevant to the review). The day of the court case after this was pushed for and all the money went into the documents to try and obtain this, he tells my fiancé that we should take that off the books. We had to fight our own attorney on something he suggested; for him to backpedal the day of the court hearing?!?! 7. The opposing party a WEEK before the hearing retained a BANKRUPTCY ATTORNEY that is not even from this county. 8. After the court case, we received no call on what happened. NOTHING. Oh, but we did receive the next bill. My fiancé works and I had to call in twice the next day to get ahold of his attorney, who then advised me that we did not win on any ends. But he suddenly was all for the evaluation again. He's a completely different person in court. Later, we acquired the transcript from the court hearing. The only requested notion by William was for a recess to call my fiancé and tell him that it wasn't looking good. He had no objections, and didn't bring up any relevant points - most likely because he didn't know about them. He was so ill prepared for the case I wish my fiancé would've just represented himself. I regret ever advising him to lawyer up. At one point in the conversation had with my fiancé during the court hearing, my fiancé stated "she's not even old enough to be in this program, it's not school it's a Kindercare, it's not mandatory, and I didn't consent per our order. How is that not enough." And Williams response was "wait- she's not old enough?". Glad he checked in on that after months of being sent paperwork, only to not bring it up in court. It was so extremely disheartening to get a call from his attorney mid court hearing doing a full 180 on everything. He went from full confidence in the case to back pedaling on everything- even things he suggested. He was COMPLETELY unprepared for the case to be held that day and had no idea what he was going and it showed on our call and the transcript. It also explains why his mom went and had the initial case continued due to his absence. Don't waste your money here. We're going to a different attorney to undo what was lost. We went from 4 days a week to 2 days 3 weeks a month. For something that should've been held in contempt or at least addressed properly. read more

Attorney William Smith has been such an incredible blessing during this very difficult divorce process. He's been there with me every step of the way, always guiding me and providing me with the best advice. The outcome to my divorce and custody has been in my favor and I know for a fact that it would not have been possible without Mr. Smith. I'm incredibly thankful and will forever recommend the Smith Law Group to anyone that needs a family law attorney. read more

Wow, what can I say about the Smith Law Group? After what I thought was going to be an easy divorce, I found myself in the position to "need" a great attorney to help me through the maze of the divorce court system. I spoke with William and he assured me that they could help. I was the plaintiff in the divorce and after I served my ex, I found that the response included 40 points of discovery. Obviously I was overwhelmed. The SLG staff assisted me and gave me direction as to what I needed to do. Anytime I needed assistance, they were there for guidance. I could go into all the things opposing counsel threw at us, but there were too many to mention. I was so impressed on the thoroughness that both Debra and William brought to the table. When it was time to settle, they explained my options and actually fought to get me the best possible outcome. Most importantly to me was that I know that they had empathy for what I was going through and I knew they had they had my back. On the day of court, Debra was prepared with a notebook of paperwork to present to opposing counsel, the judge and myself. I actually think that this preparedness convinced the other attorney to seek the settlement as they had zero paperwork for their case. I really felt that SLG exceeded my expectations and were fully committed to me in this life changing experience. I don't wish anyone to have to go through the divorce process, but if you do, I would recommend that you have someone who will fight for you and look after your best interest like the Smith Law Group did for me. Thank you Debra, William and the entire staff ( who were also integral in sifting through my hundreds of pages of documents) for lifting this divorce process burden off my back. The light at the end of the tunnel has been reached and I'm definitely looking forward to moving on. read more

Highly recommend working with William Smith. Total professional in person and on the phone. Was never left wondering about my case. Sent him two referrals and both have positive feedback. Don't make the mistakes I made like trying to handle all the paperwork and court appearances. I was always worried if I wrote something wrong or didn't ask the judge the right questions. Once I left it in the hands of William the anxiety melted away. Thank you William!! read more

Excellent customer service! They explain every step of the way and gave great help going through the process right after a car accident with providing details and other alternatives that benefit me for the long run. I was very happy with the outcome of their work and would recommend them with high regards to anyone. read more

William Smith represented my daughter in a tricky custody case. My daughter had gotten herself into trouble by not fighting hard enough for herself legally after being domestically and then LEGALLY abused by her ex. Her ex got bolder as a result of my daughter's unwillingness to stick up for herself. ALL THAT CHANGED when William Smith got involved. I had to PUSH my daughter HARD to show up to meet with him but, once he thoroughly explained his LEGAL plans, my sweet daughter agreed to stick up for herself behind the protection of her new attorney. William Smith blew my daughter's ex out of the water and systematically exposed the ex's tricks in front of the judge for all to see. My daughter won everything she wanted and is slowly overcoming the damages that come from domestic and legal abuse. Best of all it has been a pleasure to watch my daughter rise to the level where she now BELIEVES that her own legal efforts can succeed. Due to the success of this case, William Smith inspired my daughter to confidently face the legal system and helped her to develop a LIFELONG benefit in that she will never be afraid of the legal system again! This is an EXTRAORDINARY achievement that is PARTICULARLY difficult for domestic abuse victims. It's been a struggle but the steadfastness and thoroughness of Attorney William Smith prevailed. I highly recommend this law office. read more

Debra, Tamara, Samantha, and Susanne, I cannot thank all of you wonderful ladies enough for all your help and most of all for keeping my family together! I came to your group with a complicated case after nearly a year of family court on my own, I wish I would have hired you sooner! Professional, straight forward, compassionate and affordable. My family and I are forever grateful for your services! read more

After my ex husband tried to take primary custody of my children I realized I needed an attorney. My mediation didn't go well and the official recommendation was not in my favor. At our day in court Debra attempted to negotiate for hours before we saw a judge. Debra FOUGHT for me in that courtroom. In the end we WON... against all odds she got me EVERYTHING I asked for. She didn't back down for one moment. She was amazing. If it wasn't for her I would have lost most of my custody. read more

I was in need of guidance with my unfortunate custody case. And after a few uncomfortable consultations, I finally called Smith Law Group. I was greeted by Marie with such a sweet and soothing voice, that helped calm my nerves. She asked me a few questions in regards to my case and directed me to Suzanne who was so caring and understanding. She assessed me and guided me in the right direction without the harassment guilt of having to chose her as my attorney. She answered all my questions and doubts. And told me to take my time to think about it, and when I was ready to give her a call back. She was beyond helpful. I unfortunately had to request an emergency hearing, but thank god I had already spoken to Suzanne. As soon as I called them, they guided me on what to do. They took over, and handle my case with such agility and professionalism. I called on a Monday and spoke with William, who is a very talented attorney. By the next day, they had already confirmed my emergency court hearing date. They are truly an amazing team! They handle your case with such professionalism, you really don't have to worry about anything. They are very quick to return your calls, if by any chance they're away from their desks. Marie is so kind and helpful. There is no negative vibes, or no answers... because they find a way to help resolve your issue. I've asked a million questions, and not once did they make me feel doubtful. They make you feel like they have your back and they truly do!! I'm so thankful for their support and representation. They are very understanding of all circumstances, and they make sure you are ok first. I'm not kidding when I say they have your back! Thank you! read more

Easy to talk to, responsive, super professional and most of all a feeling that she and her staff care! I interviewed 2 other law firms and I am so happy I choose Debra's Firm. I recommend to all my friends and family because above all, Debra is an amazing human being. Thank you Debra and Staff ! Juan G Rodriguez read more

Mr Smith did represent me I have the receipts to prove and the court documents. He wrote a response however his mother has since removed it, being that they're in the same law firm to protect her reputation. How dare her flag my review. I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else. Buyer beware. read more

Smith Law Group - I hired Mr Smith to represent me..... - Divorce & Family Law Near Me - Riverside, California

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I had a unique situation regarding my divorce and children. I needed an attorney who understood my situation and believed we could win! After speaking to over 15 lawyers, who were all negative and told me I had no way of winning, Debra Smith was positive and helped me finalize my divorce in my favor! Debra is very responsive, communicates openly, honestly and quickly! She's compassionate and does what she says! All results in my case came from dealing directly with Debra Smith! She's a great attorney! I'm very pleased! read more

Several years ago, I was involved in a really bad car accident. Debra stepped in and assured I had nothing to worry about. She was timely (most of the time early!) with all the paperwork, closely communicated with me, and answered any questions I had. I was relieved that I only had to read and sign the documents. Great attorney to work with as she was professional yet personable with my needs and concerns. read more

I have been working with this law firm for the past few months and I am so thankful that I found them. I can't say enough good things about Susan the paralegal. I have never had to hire a lawyer and was very intimated by all that was ahead. After speaking with Susan multiple times throughout the preparation of the case, I found myself feeling more confident than I ever would've expected. My trial has been successful so far. My lawyer was well prepared and walked me through everything that would happen during the trial. During the trial, he kept me calm and assured me with further advise to help me through the rest of this case. I would strongly recommend this law firm to anyone, as I've been very happy and impressed with their work! read more

"Smith law firm really helped me with all my family law and custody issues. I felt very comfortable with this firm and the attorney I retained, William Smith. The whole process of going to court was very nerve wracking and William did a great job at being that to ease." read more

Truth is truth and if you want to try to make excuses at your lack of services, then that's on you. Regardless if I am the new wife or not, you didn't help us and we won with a new lawyer and ended up owing NOTHING. You wanted us to settle for $50,000 and never EVER tried to look into options to help our case. I had to do all the research and ask you about it. Hello, you're the lawyer, that's your job! You are a terrible lawyer and from the looks of your yelp, I am not the only one who believes this. Good luck trying to hide from that. And yes we did report you to the bar and because we moved we didn't file paper work in time so the bar only ruled in your favor due to not filing on time. Oh and FYI we weren't the first to report you for similar reasons. read more

This is falsified and you did help me with my custody issues for my child. I worked with a paralegal and saw Debra once on court date and she had limited insight read more

The Law Offices of Debra A. Smith are professional, courteous and very attentive to their client. Mr. William Smith is organized, extremely knowledgeable and was the calm throughout our entire stressful case/trial. He explained the process from beginning to end as we've never had to obtain legal services before. William is fare in his negotiations with the opposing party while keeping the best interest of the child. I highly recommend Mr. William Smith and the Law Offices of Debra A. Smith. read more

I HIGHLY recommend the office of Debra A. smith! I was fortunate enough to retain William Smith as my attorney. My four month old son and I are in such a better place than we were prior. I thank William and all who assisted with my phone calls, questions, and concerns- there were many Throughout my situation William kept me calm and guided me in the right direction, to ultimately protect my child and I. The day of court William did an excellent job of keeping my nerves at ease. He was so professional, arrived on time, was prepared and exceeded all my expectations! I left court pleaded and peacefully, and it was all due to his hard work, integrity, and dedication for my son and I. I highly highly highly recommend William Smith and his team if you are looking for a professional and affordable legal help. I am so pleased and truly satisfied with his service. My son and I cannot thank you enough! Hayley Wade read more

The personal attention from the first time you walk into the office and meet the receptionist is priceless. We met with Susan and Tara. These two really care and understand. Susan is the one who prepared our case and she was willing to meet us at any time with our questions and calmed our fears. Tara was a rock and really stood up for us. He made us feel safe and comfortable. Debra Smith was able to get the case settled and she did a fantastic job at dealing with the ex. I would recommend this law firm to any one who asks. Thank you Debra for saving the house and our future. read more

I do NOT recommend the law offices of Debora Smith. In my consultation she told me everything I wanted to hear. Truth of the matter is that she was not prepared AT ALL for my court appearance. I gave all my documentation 1 month before but yet she didn't "remember" about the documents I sent. Communication was terrible on their side. One of the worst experiences I've EVER had. read more

Will Smith is currently our attorney for a child custody case ongoing for the past few months for my husbands 2 minor children. Will has a very calming nature which is much appreciated because the lawyer from opposing party is extremely unprofessional and rude. I appreciate Will steering us in the right direction on what he feels is best for the children because opposing counsel only cares about "winning" (their words, not mine). Thanks to Will we were awarded a lot more time with the children than we expected due to a fair argument. One thing I have learned from court is that those who act entitled and unreasonable will not get what they are petitioning for. As much we we would love full custody, we were reasonable with petitioning for a fair schedule with shared custody and were awarded such. I recommend Will Smith as an attorney especially when dealing with unprofessional opposing counsel. He fights for the children, which is what it's all about and should be the only focus. read more

Amazing work. Everyone in the office really helped me. Made me feel like family. Explained all of the moves they were going to do and explained all the steps and process to me clearly and concisely. Thank you so much. I really hope I won't need an attorney again but if I do I'm going to be back here. read more

My experience with Debra Smith was nothing more then professional. My situation was simple I was injured while working in the field and my injury made it impossible for me to commute to and from work and more. Basically Debra took it into her own hands instead of giving my case to an associate. She jumped through all the hoops and made it possible for me to be there for my loved ones even though things were not perfect. I do not have much more to say. read more

issue: custody Bottom line- The attorney was good and helpful. Unfortunately her staff was horrible!!! They do not return calls so you have to keep calling and emailing (for which they charge), and when you finally get a hold of them they are very rude. I really think she should change her staff up or get them in line because customer service ultimately brings people back. Plus, they also make you do a lot of the work! They would send me drafts of things that had so many errors or were not clear on points. Their response instead of listening, write it yourself and email it to them. Really? Is that not why you pay these people thousands? I wouldn't use her again simply to not deal with her staff. read more

I recently went through a divorce. This process can be stressful for anyone. I loved the professionalism of this law office. They handled every thing for me and I would recommend them to anyone ! read more

I went through a very difficult time a year ago when my wife filed for divorced. I was devastated. I have never used an attorney and I was not sure that I could afford one. I got three recommendations from several friends. I saw Ms. Smith last. We connected well. The retainer was reasonable and so I hired her. The divorce took almost a year and I was not happy but I understand that is perfectly normal. Ms. Smith did not waste my money and worked as quick as she could to resolve my case. I have an equal timeshare with my two young daughters. I do pay child support, because I make more money than my 'ex, but it is very reasonable. Ms. Smith is well respected in court and the judge seemed to listen to every thing she said. Her small staff was very helpful and answered questions that they could. I needed to talk to my lawyer several times and Ms. Smith returned my call the same day. I have heard from others that lawyers usually don't call, but she did every time. Again, I'm not happy about getting divorced, but Ms. Smith did an excellent job and I recommend her highly. read more

Mr Smith is an excellent attorney. His professionalism and knowledge is very impressive. I feel he also understood what I was going through and helped me feel at ease through my case. I'm not my baby's biological father, but I met the qualifications to be her legal father per California law. He helped me not only get 50/50 legal custody, but I also got my 50 percent physical custody which I was seeking. Her attorney is much older and from a large firm, but in front of the judge, Mr Smith was far above him. I must mention Mary also. She is the receptionist and your contact starts with her. She's very friendly and courteous. Anyone looking for a family attorney, I would highly recommend Mr Smith. In any case, there's no guarantees; however, I feel I can guarantee that Mr Smith will do his best for you. read more

This firm is, simply put, a nightmare. Go ahead and hire them if you like paying a large sum of money for being placed in harm's way. My case was never taken seriously and was immediately sloughed off to a paralegal. My legal documents had errors, including even my request for a fee waiver, so that even after finally being able to rid myself of this firm, I couldn't even use the original documents and had to pay someone else to completely begin my divorce all over again. You will read their website and believe that they sympathize and specialize in domestic violence cases, that you will be protected and taken seriously. From the start, I was told I didn't require a restraining order. I had to put my divorce on hold one time for the sake of my own safety. When I called the firm to let them know that I was ready to continue with the divorce and was headed to a domestic violence shelter, Debra was put on the phone with me for the first time. I was urged to stay in my home, and told that my ex would be kept away from the residence. At the time, I was not informed that this would be a lengthy process and that I would not be safe during this time. Not only that, I had to email and then phone several times just to have my ex served. Finally, I emailed both Debra and the paralegal and the paralegal called me and agreed to mail the court papers to my ex. That is when the real fun began for me and my two children. My ex decided to put himself on disability and I was held in my home against my will for six excruciating months. My situation became so dire that I had my daughter report us to the school authorities and we were able to finally have my ex removed from the home. I have no doubt had a few more months gone by, I would not have survived. I then went on to file my own restraining order while struggling to rid myself of being represented by this firm. My children and I have all been diagnosed with PTSD since this time. I paid a $5,000 retainer fee for their "services". Nearly a year later, I am still struggling to get the portion of it back that wasn't used on their dangerous counsel. I cannot urge you strongly enough to avoid this firm. Please keep yourself and your children safe and find someone who really cares about your situation. read more

I had a case that had been ongoing for several years. Debra, gladly took on my case and was excited to tackle the issues. She and her staff always kept me informed of the next step and what had to be done. They were always friendly with a positive, "can-do" attitude. If you have a case and want to feel comfortable in your attorneys ability, please give Debra A Smith a call, you won't be disappointed. read more

Was fightin what you would say was an ugly uphill battle with my EX wife for what felt like the longest over the custody of my 12 year old babygirl, who I had with her in 2004.. Anyway up Until Mrs. Smith and her quick staff stepped up and was able to help me get through the court process I was pretty much hopeless.. So I thank the Counsel and secretaries for all their hard work plus mainly keepin my daughter and I bonded. - I would definitely recommend her and her representation in any family law type of matter. read more

During the time that I was going to court for child custody and child support, they never showed up to my court date, the receptionist flipped out on me over the phone when I had called to check and I was charged for everything. If I remember correctly it was 15$ a min per phone call. I requested a refund and was denied because of all the charges that seemed unreal. I was never able to use their representation in court and it was a disaster.it felt like a scam because I thought the attorney never existed because I had never talked to her or anything. Complete lack of professionalism. I was a scared single father fearing the outcome of my child custody hearing and on top had to deal with the law office that was suppose to represent me. I felt completely hopeless and taken advantage of. Thankfully I was able to elaborate myself to the judge and get the results I needed on my own. Even the judge had a strange look when he noticed my attorney wouldn't show. I noticed there are good reviews but those do not describe the people that were suppose to help me. I felt ripped off, conned, and taken advantage of. Truthfully. I'd suggest looking elsewhere. read more