The Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor team is excellent - especially the attorney I wor, . During the time we worked together on my case I had a lot of questions which he answered straight and quickly. If he wasn't available to me at the moment I needed him, he made sure someone would be. The firm as a whole is smart, professional and most importantly, caring. I highly recommend them. read more

DO NOT HIRE THIS FIRM! I hired Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor in April 2025 to handle what should have been a relatively straightforward dispute with opposing counsel, stemming from my ex-wife's attempts to pursue assets not included in the final judgment. Over a seven-month period, the firm charged me more than $9,400, yet they never thoroughly briefed me on their phone conversations with opposing counsel, nor did they provide or forward the email correspondence exchanged with Opposing Counsel (OPC). I believe my assigned attorney engaged in "block billing" practices and ultimately overcharged me while prolonging the case for financial gain. I refused to allow the attorney to participate in the second mediation session, and I was able to reach an agreement with opposing counsel myself in less than two hours. After I terminated the attorney's services on November 4, 2025, I was charged an additional $850 solely for the firm to withdraw from the case. To make matters worse, despite the requirements outlined in our contract, the firm has still not forwarded my complete case file. read more

Stearns-Montogomery & Proctor did a very good job in handling my case. Every phase was did excellent. I recommend any who is having any types of issues with their case give them a call. Thank you so much. read more

Self Described "THE PRESIDENT" Mary Agnes Montgomery and Paralegal Lauri McKenna are the worst legal professionals I have ever encountered as a 20 year experienced Paralegal. They are vicious, knowingly and fraudulently filed a Complaint in the wrong jurisdiction and knowing statute of limitations has expired.. firm uses fraudulent and abusive l Tactics to threaten, harass and intimidate.Excessive billing, mob like tactics-$52,000 Jan 2025-now!63,000 $63,000 in 10 months. Firm has mocked me when I disclosed serious medical diagnosis, in writing called me a Liar and copied me on emails Gov members that " was crazy and uses drugs)" Firm's tactics have triggered greatly DMV and majority anxiety I am seeking counseling for. mental distress. If interested in possible class action suit. Message me. Give me a few weeks and I will get back to you! Meanwhile, please file bar complaints, poor reviews at avvo.com lawyers.com and BBB. GA Consumer statutes and AG's Consumer Protection actions have also been violated. Submit claims there. read more

If you have a very basic need to push paperwork they are fine. If you need strategy, responsiveness or memory recall this is not the firm to hire! - I had to repeat details over and over. (Of course I was charged), - I had to beg for a reply (1-3 months delays over and over again) of course I was charged for them to read my emails begging for a reply - in the end I paid $1000s for a document which was never sent or severed When I fired them I didn't get a call, email or text ... just an invoice! Literally My two cents ... don't hire this firm. read more

would not recommend this law firm for custody cases. I spent over $6,000 and still never had a court date or mediation scheduled. My case felt stalled, with minimal updates or progress. They later charged me $1,400 just to withdraw from the case -- without achieving anything -- and then added nearly $400 more in unexplained fees. In August, I received yet another "final" bill for $468. This entire process has been extremely disappointing and felt like being taken advantage of during an already difficult time. To make matters worse, I later received a call from Robbie Zacharias asking if I would consider removing my review in exchange for having my balance written off. When I agreed to consider, they sent me a settlement agreement that was deeply one-sided and troubling. The fact that a law firm would attempt to use financial leverage to pressure a client into silence shows how unethical their practices truly are. What Was in Their Settlement Agreement: Defamation language: Stating or implying that my Yelp/Google review was "defamatory." Signing would make it seem like I admitted my review was false or harmful, which could later be used against me. Broad release: Freeing the firm from nearly all claims -- not just billing, but also malpractice or ethics complaints. Indemnification clause: Requiring me to defend or pay for the firm's legal costs if anyone else relied on my review and sued them. Non-disparagement/gag order: Preventing me from ever posting about my experience again, even if truthful. Permanent waiver of rights: Once signed, I would lose the ability to pursue complaints with the Georgia Bar, consumer protection agencies, or small claims court. Why I Refused to Sign: Admitting defamation is legally dangerous. Even though everything I wrote is true, signing would make it seem like I admitted to lying. The release was far too broad, sweeping in malpractice and ethics issues unrelated to the $468 balance. Indemnification could have cost me thousands if anyone else brought a claim against them. It would have silenced me, preventing me from warning others truthfully about my experience. It was an unfair trade-off: waiving serious rights in exchange for forgiveness of only $468 was completely disproportionate. This was not just bad business -- it was unethical conduct from a law firm that should know better. They tried to exploit a vulnerable situation for their own gain, rather than stand on their work. As a retired veteran, I refused to sign away my rights or my voice. I stand by my truthful experience, and no one should feel pressured into silence just because they spoke up. That said, Mrs. Gwendolyn Green was the one bright spot. She was professional, respectful, and genuinely seemed to care about my situation. I sincerely hope she opens her own firm someday -- she deserves better than this. read more

BE CAREFUL WITH THIS FIRM. I paid thousands for representation and felt overbilled and underserved. I was dropped as a client during my final divorce hearing. Later, I found out the firm filed a lien against my home--without notice or resolution of my escrow. When I asked about the lien and escrow, I was told no one could answer because the "computer generates the numbers." I was still billed after they withdrew. The owner, Mary, initially said we'd discuss a refund, but instead they filed a lien. I was told it was "my fault" for staying with the firm. As a disabled vet, this experience left me feeling silenced and misled. Don't just read the Google reviews--read Yelp too. Update: After posting my original review, the firm responded with legal threats, which I interpreted as an attempt to intimidate me for sharing my personal experience. read more

On intake Zazie was absolutely amazing! I flet like i was in good hands and she worked so hard to get all of the information needed! Coached into having questions ready for the consultation to make sure time was not wasted! Just because of my experience with her I feel like im in good hands! Thank you Zazie!!! read more

My Divorce Judge stated and I quote what I was charged was unreasonable , the court didn't find it reasonable!! My ex husband was charged a third of what I was . My attorney was not prepared . Once the lien was out on my house the billing went wild !!!! I filed a motion to determine reasonable attorney's fees and it was accepted but the clause in their contract protects them and takes this out of the Judges hands and to arbitration which can take months if not years !!! I'm forced to file with bar due to the clause in their contract protecting them and allowing them to do this !!! If you have had a similar experience with them also please contact me . Wish I never hired them !!!! PLEASE read the other reviews !!! read more

I would not recommend this Law Firm. I I used them in 2018 and was not represented adequately. I am having issues now because of inadequate representation and advice. This is a cookie cutter law firm. They're going to treat you like a number and not an individual. Not only that, they are only about taking money from you. I called them to try to find out why my case was handled the way that it was due to the current issues. They wanted a $50 consultation fee. I paid it but I got my answers before the consultation in the asked to cancel it and get my money back. They refuse to refund me. I recommend that you do not use this firm. read more

Btw.. this is not a "law office". It is an attorney referral for work from home attorneys. I paid a consultation fee to get legal advice. I filled out the lengthy questionnaire that wanted all of my personal information. I spent 45 minutes on the phone telling the answering service my issue while she made notes. The attorney was supposed to review my file and notes before the consultation as to make the most out of my money. The attorney was 15 minutes late calling, and I had to call the answering service to be routed through. She apologized and told me that she ran late on some other things. She did not review my file, and I spent the entire time explaining to her what I had already explained to the answering service and written in my file. Do not waste your money or time! read more

Just NO! They will only exacerbate your financial hardship despite knowing that the opposing party is intentionally causing significant damage to your well-being. They do NOT follow through on their actions to protect your legal right, in fact, they further restrict you from having any position in your case at all. Their contracts are written on to allow a broad scope of billable services and tasks, without specifics or detailed descriptions to allow them to charge for whatever they want. They billed me for mistakes in my documents that they drafted contradicting my adamant instruction, ultimately causing the dismissal of my petition and causing my case to go from uncontested to contested for the lack of urgency to remove the language for months. Knowing my financial demise throughout my case, my bill significantly increased once they found out how much marital assets would be divided into equitable shares.They get you to sign your money away by neglecting your emails and referring you to payment or secure payment by way of a lien on your marital property. The minute that lien went against our martial home, the debt increased exponentially from less than $5,000 to $36,000!!! Once you are obligated to their grossly inflated fees for having little to no representation or any clue as to what is going on with your case-- you then realize when it's too late that this firm only wants to take advantage of you and they do not care that you as a person who is struggling, but rather as a person who is easily preyed upon. The attorney on my case has literally allowed for my former spouse to get wasteful dissipation of all of retirement funds and restricting me from any resources for financial support. I have been suffering like this for over a year without any action filed against my former spouse to protect my legal rights and welfare. Then to make matters worse, the attorney withdrew from case not once, but two times! The first time she postponed as she stated she was leading the opposing counsel to think that she might be staying on as my counsel in order to expedite their answer on my offer for settlement. I believe she stayed on the bill me for reviewing discovery documents that I prepared and drafted myself, and she did so without my knowledge, as I assumed she had withdrawn given her lack of involvement in the case after her first attempt to withdraw. Inevitably, ghosting me for two months, unresponsive to my emails asking for case updates, questions on what to do, updates on our bills not being paid and utilities being are off, etc. She calls to tell me she was withdrawing this time because my balance owed on my account was over $35,000 increasing by the day and from her part in the discovery review that she feared my equitable share in the end of my case would be substantially reduced if she stayed on as my legal representative. We are a month and half away from our trial... So now, I am without legal representation, severely in debt with an attorney who I would have been better off had I not hired her in the first place, and in closing I was given no guidance on what to with the discovery documents, how to prepare for trial, and then when asking her for help she directed me to the Judge's secretary for questions and she was no longer allowed to extend her legal advice to me... As if I wasn't already feeling completely helpless about my case, emailing the Judge's secretary was most definitely the most wrong thing to do, as it resulted in her insulting me for emailing her as a litigant in a case and that she was contacting the opposing counsel, as required. Then she highly discouraged sending her emails ever again, and if I needed help seek an attorney... To say that I that I don't feel like I was sabotaged in every way possible by multiple people, whom I confided, is an understatement. I feel like I'm walking a tight rope over a pool of piranhas, blindfolded... My apologies for the lengthy review, but I truly hope that my horrific experience prevents others from being treatment so poorly as well. read more

I used Sterns Montgomery in 2005/2006 as a divorce attorney, I have tried to forget what they put me through. I saw a Commercial on TV today and just wanted to get sick. When they found out what me and my ex- husband had!! Financially, they were very eager to help. I will not go into details, all I can say Is do not trust anything they say, especially financially. There's plenty of attorneys out there don't fall for their promise, and watch you check book. read more

I hired Stearns-Montgomery and worked with Marlys Bergstrom through my divorce and mediation and could not be happier. She was very attentive, and directed me through the process very smoothly. I highly recommend her services and was pleased how the divorce and mediation turned out. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. There are plenty of attorneys out there and you should avoid this one. I had a 1:30PM consultant with Marlys and I rearranged my schedule so I could be at home to take this call. They charged me $50 upfront. I was awaiting the call and when I didn't hear from her, I wrote and email to follow up. I received a phone call 30 minutes after our scheduled appointment and she claimed her previous consultant went over. At this point, I returned to work. I asked to have my deposit refunded since this attorney 'no-showed' me, to which I was told that they have a no-refund policy. I explained that this was not a cancellation or a changing of my mind, but rather their attorney DID NOT show up. They refused and had another person call me to relay the same information and said they could reschedule me or put me with a different attorney. I declined. I will eat the $50, but BEWARE--this is how they treat clients. Money first and foremost and no customer service whatsoever. This is a vulnerable time for most people and you want to hire someone that will not take advantage of you. read more

I was hoping to give 0 stars. I hired this awful firm for a divorce and it was by far the worst experience of my life. Money is the only thing that matters to this firm not your case. Do yourself a favor and hire ANY other law firm to defend you. Poor quality and no value for you hard earned money. read more

I hired Stearns-Montgomery Proctor to handle my high conflict and very difficult/complicated divorce. My team was really superb at managing multiple facets of the divorce. Caitlyn Hood was my attorney and she truly advocated for me with expertise and got me the results that I deserved. Caitlyn's masterly of the law and execution of legal proceedings was assertive and decisive. Trina was my paralegal. Trina is a wealth of knowledge and is able to pull everything together resulting in positive outcomes. Kimberly was my account manager and she was very professional and patient with my numerous concerns and questions. I am very thankful for their services and for representing my case as it should have been done. read more

Marlys Bergstrom really was amazing at helping me with my custody case. She and her whole team at Stearns-Montgomery and Proctor worked so hard to make sure I had legal parental rights to my daughter. Their research was impeccable. Marlys fought hard and won in my favor. Highly recommend if you want someone who will not feed you a bunch of bull and tell you how it is and do the job right! read more

I appreciate all this law firm did to help me through a very difficult time. My phone calls were always returned timely, and I was able to speak to my attorney when I needed advice or updates. The staff was professional and pleasant every time I called. I would like to thank Maryls and her staff for all their hard work and dedication to my case. read more

Do not retain this firm. RUN!! SERIOUSLY!! Tbe reviews are true. They are simply money hungry and out to make money. They overbooked me for work that was not done. I retained this firm to simply attend a 1 day guardianship hearing and make oral argument in a hearing that was 3 hours. I paid $2500 for the attorney to attend and 2 years later they are still trying to extort me for money for a 3 hour hearing. they are threatening to sue me and claiming I iowe them interest in the amount of $5000 for a 3 hour hearing that was prepaid. They are very dishonest and will try to extort you after your case concludes. they will keep a file open even though the legal matter has concluded and will attempt to charge you interest when you don't pay their "padded bill" and inflated cost. Im waiting for them to file a lawsuit so I can expose this firm in open court because they need to be stopped. It's rediculous. I have evidence fir every I'm saying and will back it up in any court. Deplorable business practices. If you retain them you will be sorry. I'm serious.Go elsewhere. And Mary Proctor will not do anything if you contact her. She just goes along with it because her goal is to make money. She backs her attorneys whether wrong or right. Don't say I didn't warn you!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THESE PEOPLE. read more

Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor - They do things without your knowledge and permission and bill you for it. Pad bills to exhaust retainer. - Divorce & Family Law Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

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Absolutely awful!! Started off with a quote of $2500 to $3000 for a divorce. Just made a payment that put me over the $6000 mark. This place is an absolute scam! Update: We ended at $6892.74 for a divorce by publication. You can't tell me that sounds right or is justifiable by any means. I am appalled at the service I received, the utter lack of communication, aside from the lawyer letting me know she had every right to drop my case after they received the bad review. But she wanted to do the right thing and finish the case??? Sadly, that meant never communicating with me again regarding the case. I didn't know what to expect the day of the hearing, how things would wrap, up what the timelines were...absolutely nothing! I was in the dark the entire time. I still regret choosing this despicable firm. I can only hope you read this review and run. Better luck to you all! read more

If I could give this firm 0 stars, I would. Of all the firms I've previously worked with, my experience with them has been by far the WORST. They don't just neglect their customers; they will also empty your bank account while doing little to no labor. Do not believe the deceptive advertising because they are only looking out for their own financial interests. I blamed myself for trusting this firm to do right by me and my situation. read more

I would recommend this law firm to everyone. Ryan Proctor helped me with my divorce and I'm spending time with my son every week.

Ryan Proctor was my attorney and he helped me tremendously. It got a little rough during our case due to COVID, but he and his team kept me informed and got me the results we needed. read more

This firm and especially Ryan Proctor and Kristin Proud were with me every step of the way in my divorce case. Their response and interaction was always prompt and effective. I highly recommend them. read more

I used this firm 3x total since 2015. They have lots of experience and caring lawyers who try Hard to successfully resolve your case. I won against my husband and won big in 2015 and the lawyer then was Jenni Brown. All their lawyers are competent and experienced. Divorces can cost a lot of money and it's good to have lawyers who are straight with you and tell you what to expect in terms of cost and outcome. They are readily available to answer questions and will fight for you. Be prepared to pay but the cost is cheaper than losing your kids and having to unfairly divide property. I had not agreed with some of the billing on the third and final time I used them and they were willing to hear my grievance and remedy the situation. read more

This law firm charged me nearly $4,000 for a retainer to modify child support. I discussed everything I wanted to do in the consultation with the lawyer. After I paid the retainer, I got numerous emails from many different people working at this firm that I was charged $70 for each time. They kept leaving the things out that I said I wanted and putting in stuff I didn't ever mention and every time I had to correct their mistakes, they charged me. They send invoices each month detailing the charges that come out of the retainer. They claim they are talking amongst each other about my case and charging me for that. It took me less than 10 min to read the draft that was to be filed and email them with the corrections that needed to be made but yet charged me a whole hour for the lawyer to review it. Somehow it took her that long and yet so much was missing from it. They also told me I needed to keep $2,000 in my escrow account and when there was only 200 something left they said I needed to pay OVER $4,000. How does that make sense?! I told them I no longer wish to use their services as it is clear they are not going to get my case done without all these needless charges racking up. They never even filed anything. After I emailed and said I don't want to use them anymore, they sent me another invoice saying I owe $1,700. This is a shady business and I would not suggest anyone to use them. They don't care about helping you. They just want to drain your bank account. Shame on you!! Do not use this law firm. read more

I really didnt like this firm. Very expensive, nickel and dime you for everything, emails, phone calls,...etc. They had a very relaxed approach with my case and actually lossed the case. They have brand new attorneys with minimal experience. You'll rarely hear any updates from attorneys... Never again read more

I wish I could say we had a good experience but sadly I can't. My husband adopted my son this month and rather than it be an amazing experience, it was more stress than it was worth. During the initial consultation we were quoted fees for the retainer as well as what we needed to keep in escrow. Well it wasn't long before all that was spent and they wanted more. We were told we likely wouldn't need a home check since he's my son... also wrong. We had to pay $250 to an outside firm to make sure our home was suitable for our son. Every time we turned around we had to give them more money. They couldn't even talk to each other in the office without us getting charged. Then on our court date we were told to arrive 15 minutes early, we arrived earlier just in case. Our attorney arrived after our scheduled time. Talk about stress on your court date. She did call to let us know but it was just the icing on the cake. Then we got an email with "instructions" on how to obtain the birth certificate which was basically look it up ourselves. Of course we were charged for that email and asked for more money even after the court date. Overall terrible experience and a complete waste of time and money. The reviews are accurate and we should have looked at them before. They only care about money not clients. Terrible firm and I will make sure I tell everyone to avoid them. They ruined what should have been the best day of my sons life. read more

I had very bad experience with Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor. As a law firm, they may be able to do little things like creating some standard legal documents for communication with one time fixed price you agreed. For anything beyond that, you should not work with them because they will exhaust all you have financially and mentally. They keep making promises to you for what they can do or win for you, then they would not provide the service you need other than forwarding some communications to you. It would be very costly to show up on your bills if they simple forward an one-line-words of email for you. That was what happened to me. I was so happy after I had to end the contract with them and switched to another legal service provider. read more

This firm literally crashed my life. The attorney I hired took off. Left the state. Days before my mediation. I was threatened with withdrawal if I didn't pay another retainer fee. Ex was already 80,000 in arrears I have 4 kids and our home was in foreclosure. After online mediation I was then notified that attorney had been fired and a third attorney was introduced to me via phone call while at my second job. My bill hit 27000 months later and they withdrew, leaving me broke with no representation for court. They only helped themselves to billing me , didn't even get emergency tpo for my children or myself. I had evidence of adultery, stalking, physical abuse to me and one son, emotional abuse as well. This firm will choose the narcissist over the client, they helped him destroy us all. They shouldn't be allowed to practice read more

Judy and her team were amazing start to finish. I was expecting my case to be drawn out and painful. Within two weeks of calling her, my case was completely resolved. They had amazing communication, their response time was amazing, and they were all completely professional while listening and empathized with what I had to say. If you need a great lawyer team, look no further, you found them. Thank you so much Judy and team! read more

After many years of struggling to make my ex-husband adhere to our divorce decree and paying for attorneys that failed me, I found Ryan Proctor at Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor. I felt at easy with Ryan and his team from the very first conversation, and new that I was finally in the right place. Ryan and his paralegal Kristen stayed on top of my case, and all of the issues it presented. My ex-husband countered my contempt case with his own child support modification, and Ryan and Kristen were immediately on it. They assisted me with the plethora of documents that were needed and eventually prepared me for mediation. At the end of the day, my children were winners in this case, becuase they received everything Ryan agreed they should have been receiving all along. Ryan talked me through some really difficult times, and made me rest assured that I was doing the right thing for my children. After years of receiving less, Ryan and his team gave me the resolution my children and I deserved. I pray that I never have to go this this again but if it happens, Ryan Proctor will be the first person I contact. read more

Terrible experience!! This firm will charge you for every communication and drag it out so they can charge you more. This is purely a money-making business to them, they do not care about what you're going through. You will be charged for just requesting updates/status of your case. And they do not give you legal advice unless you ask and probe. read more

I really wished I would have done more research than I had. Do not hire them unless you want to keep forking over cash and not even have a court date. I received more dates of them going on vacation than the date of a hearing. I was constantly told that they would withdraw if a payment was not made. I put a lien on my property with them in order to keep the process going and they still ending up withdrawing from my case. This isn't my first divorce, and the last lawyer worked me and allowed me to make the payment as we went until everything was paid in full. It seems that these new lawyers now a days are just after the money and not actually helping their clients. They just assume that someone will have $20k laying around to pay for a divorce. I wouldn't even recommend them if they were the last firm on earth. I spoke with the paralegal more than I spoke with the actual attorney on my case. read more

Melody and her team (Kerry, Brigette, Loddie) all worked so hard on my case, they was amazing. Watching Melody in action is incredible; she's smart, nimble and fierce. The support team (Kerry, Loddie, Brigette) are so talented and compassionate it was a pleasure working with them. read more

There is uniqueness in this team's attitude, professionalism, and character. I used this firm in 2015 for a divorce involving child custody and again in 2017 to make some adjustments. In comparison to other cases, mine was simple/routine. However it was an enormous worry of mine and I appreciate the attention/professionalism shown by Mrs. Shana Pennywel. The true concern shown from the entire firm before ever discussing cost gave me a sense of comfort that I would be well represented. read more

DO NOT USE THIS LAW FIRM. Horrible. Horrible law practice. I paid for a consultation, and the lawyer said he would let me know the cost for what I needed. He knew how important and TIMELY this matter was which involved a divorce with minor children. I couldn't get a call back from him. He wouldn't return my emails. The receptionist kept sending me to their "account manager" - basically the person who takes your money, which is fine, but no one would give me an answer as to cost. RUN, don't walk from these folks. Don't pay the consultation fee. There are plenty of other law firms available which care about their clients, especially in such emotional matters as a divorce. I've now had to find another law firm which has set me back several weeks. USE ANY LAW FIRM BUT STEARNS- MONTGOMERY! read more

I wrote a positive review of this Company and Yelp removed it. I am a former client of this company and they are awesome. They helped me with every step of my divorce and fully communicated with me . Why does Yelp remove positive comments? I would highly recommend these folks. Regards Dan McKay read more

As Good As It Gets!!! Contrary to the previous reviews, my opinion and experience with Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor Family Law Firm is that they're the best! They excepted my case probono so I know they're not about milking people. There isn't a business I know of in the world that doesn't want to make a profit and even non-profit organizations or charities need money to run properly. I have a very unique case with many layers and complications as the defendant being sued for full custody or my daughter and Attorney Ulich took it head on from a former colleague who left the firm. She made me feel comfortable through the transition process and worked very hard to be brought up to speed on my case. My case involves visitation, custody, child support, stalking, fraud a TPO etc., just to name a few. Ours lives have been pure Hell everyday for almost a year now, needless to say and Attorney Ulich, unlike most Attorneys, took the time to hear read and respond to all concerns I had. In court she took the time to make sure I knew and understood what was happening and never forced anything on me. She didn't get caught up in the fight of just winning and made sure I was ok with every decision made. I have hardened over the last year due to so much drama and her great personality and awesome people skills reminded me of how life will be back to normal soon. She was insulted by the plaintiff and handled herself gracefully. She even stood up for and defended me when I was threatened by the plaintiff. She is a very amazing woman and awesome Attorney. I'm very grateful for and to Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor! If I'm taken care of this well for free and never made to feel cast away, I can't imagine the experience for you after you retain them! I recommend Stearns-Montgomery & Proctor to everyone and they are the best!!! read more