Client Review
Mary has received 3 client reviews
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A Military Spouse Appalled by This Attorney's Services
Posted by: Appalled by This Attorney's Services..., a Divorce client, 2 months ago.
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Nearly three years ago, I paid Ms. Commander to help my disabled mother with her divorce. She was recommended by a friend and military spouse also using Ms. Commander for services. When I introduced Ms. Commander to my mother, we sat in her office and she seemed highly interested in helping my mother with her case. My mother sat there with disfigured hands and feet caused by rheumatoid arthritis which she had been diagnosed with in her thirties and she was seeking a divorce to escape a bad marriage. At any rate, Ms. Commander helped my mother divorce her husband (my father) and secure 30% of his retirement entitlements; however, she failed to negotiate medical benefits on her behalf. Why she didn't fight for that in my mother's condition, I still have yet to understand. I thought that was poor judgment on her part. I was even more disheartened when we landed in court and found out that Ms. Commander was friends with my father's divorce attorney. My mother received her 30% of my father's retirement for a little over a year and then the payments stopped. After that, she received nothing else. Can you imagine the stress this brought on having to make calls out of state to the Office of Personnel Management only to find out that due to the "wording of her divorce decree," her payments had been stopped? Apparently, Ms. Commander and the other attorney's negotiated divorce decree was worded in a way that guaranteed 30% of the retirement portion my father had actually paid into his own retirement. But this was not what was negotiated in court. My mother agreed to 30% of his retirement benefits for life. This is what Ms. Commander told her that she was being awarded. At any rate, the incorrect or not detailed enough wording in my mother's divorce decree caused her to lose the 30% she was getting. Once my mother contacted Ms. Commander about the error, she was reluctant to speak with her or to even help her rectify the problem. The Office of Personnel Management (after countless phone calls, a trip to the office in DC, and other communication) told my mother that the divorce decree had to be corrected, and they would release the funds to her. Ms. Commander understood this, and told my mother that they would have to go back to court. Finally, after going back and forth and playing phone tag with Ms. Commander, finally, this lawyer (Ms. Commander) pretty much lamented to my disabled mother that there was nothing else she could do for her. So she just left my mother high and dry. I find that simply unacceptable. This attorney's failure to provide services caused my mother to endure even more hardship. She negotiated the wording of the divorce decree, and she should have been the one to fix the error. As of today, my mother has been without payments from her divorce settlement for over a year. Financially, she is struggling to survive and has often felt like giving up. I realize that Ms. Commander is a professional. I realize that she is an attorney, but what I did not realize was that not only is she less concerned with those less fortunate than her, but she is not the least bit concerned about admitting or correcting her own mistakes. THIS LAWYER MADE AN ERROR, and she should have been woman enough, professional enough to fix it. My mother trusted her with her case. I trusted her with my mother. In the end, she failed us both. I would not recommend her services. In fact, the friend who recommended Ms. Commander to me three years ago is still NOT DIVORCED! You be the judge . . . A Military Spouse Appalled by This Attorney's Services
Amazing divorce attorney!
Posted by: a Divorce client, about 1 year ago.
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Mary is the perfect divorce attorney! She's a bulldog when she needs to be, but her emphasis is always FASTER negotiation through peaceful tactics and doing what's best for the children. She's very good at handling complicated financial and other details, and very responsive. Mary is also cost-conscious, encouraging me to use a free mediator when I had the option but always available for back-up advice. My ex-husband's attorney cost him three times what Mary charged! Most important, I left with a settlement that gave me financial security and peace of mind - and I owe that to Mary.
Excellent Lawyer In Divorce Case
Posted by: Darlene, a Divorce client, about 3 years ago.
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What I liked about Mary Commander was that she knew exactly what I was talking about almost before I said it. She has that much experience with divorce situations and people. She knew what to expect from court and was able to prepare me for it. More than that, I knew that she cared what happened to me and I knew that she would be honest with me, even if I did not want to hear some of it. You need that when you are going through a divorce.