Kysa Meredith Crusco

Attorney Crusco talked a good game during the initial consultation, but turned out to be worse than having no attorney at all. After doing little to prepare my divorce case, she showed up to the first mediation session and sat mum while the opposing attorney suggested that my children would be better... off with my spouse having more than half time with them--after a long time with equal parenting (but with me providing more emotional and academic support for both children), and after my spouse had hit my older child, called my older child names causing him to be depressed with thoughts of self-harm, etc. I was forced at that session to argue against the other attorney myself, while Attorney Crusco repeatedly suggested to me that I meet the other attorney halfway. I was filled with misgivings after this mediation at her apparent lack of interest in my children's well-being and her sandbagging of my position, when I feel a more proper response would have been a harder line and a firmer bargaining position. At the next mediation session, things got worse. Within a short time Attorney Crusco had alienated my spouse to the point that my spouse threatened to leave mediation, and Attorney Crusco showed a lack of preparation for the mediation session as well. Nothing at all was accomplished at either mediation session, but I was later billed thousands, when the mediation sessions had only lasted for five to six hours. Following the second mediation, Attorney Crusco promised to draft a settlement offer letter, but failed to do so after an extended wait time; she promised to send the draft to me by a certain Friday, then left for personal leave for a week, and when she returned still took too much time to get a simple letter together. Then, when I asked for certain protections to be added to the letter she disregarded requests some of the time--seeming not to even read them--and drafted language which didn't protect me well at all. When I repeatedly asked that my concerns be addressed, she finally stated that she had drafted the letter and didn't intend in the end to put in my requested changes--and that I'd better approve her version of the letter if I wanted it sent. In the end, I couldn't put up with Attorney Crusco's non-performance and lack of proper attention to my case, so I was forced to fire her.