Dawn M. Cook

I hired Dawn Cook because I thought she looked like the right lawyer to defend me in a highly contentious divorce. I hired her to protect me and my child. She failed on all counts. I suffered years of emotional abuse from my now ex-wife, and it was absolutely crucial for me to win custody of my ch...ild to protect her from future abuses from her mother. I was promised at least 50/50 joint custody, and that this would mean I would not have to pay spousal support. I was lied to. I was granted 50/50 custody, but not PLACEMENT. This makes the word custody meaningless. Now, my child lives with me 3 nights/4 days per week and I support her fully, myself, the entire time she's with me. I ALSO have to pay full support for the time she's NOT with me. Dawn Cook put my child at risk by telling me I had no choice but to allow this situation to happen, and that by fighting for my child's safety we would risk getting no custody at all. Let me say this again, Dawn Cook's legal advice put my child in danger and forces me to pay for that privilege, in spite of telling me the opposite. Regarding support. I was in a weak place when I followed her advice and agreed to pay. Regardless, I was told that the support order began the day we signed the agreement. She lied to me. The support order went into effect a full month before, and now the state is charging me interest on arrears I was never aware of. In addition, as I said, this was a high-conflict situation with an ex that is emotionally unstable. I was so desperate to get out that I would have agreed to almost anything. I signed our agreement as I understood it the way it was explained to me, however the language within is so vague and open to interpretation that it allows my emotionally abusive ex to walk all over me. A more careful lawyer should have been much more precise in her language, in order to cut down on potential future conflict. If you value your family and your own financial stability do not hire Dawn Cook.