Adam Jay Berner

Serious Concerns About Intake Process and Conflict of Interest I hired this firm for divorce mediation services in September 2025. My experience raised serious concerns about their intake and conflict-checking procedures: INTAKE ISSUES: - Only my wife completed an intake form; I never did - T...he intake form asked "How did you hear about our firm?" and my wife answered "Other" with no additional information provided - No follow-up was done to identify the actual referral source UNDISCLOSED CONFLICT: - Five months into the process (February 2026), I discovered through the firm's own website that my wife's long-term partner had previously used the same attorney (Amelia Nickles) for her own divorce mediation - My wife's partner had left a 5-star review on the firm's website - My wife later confirmed in writing that her partner had referred her to this specific attorney - I was never informed of this connection before or during our mediation RESPONSE WHEN RAISED: - When I brought this to managing partner Adam Berner's attention via email (February 19, 2026), he responded (February 24, 2026) by addressing me by the wrong name ("David" instead of "Mark") and refused to discuss the conflict, instead demanding payment and stating "no further communication until the balance is paid" COST AND SERVICE DELIVERY: - Before signing the Agreement to Mediate, I sent multiple emails (September 20 and September 23, 2025) requesting a cost estimate for the complete process - Despite these requests, no total cost estimate was ever provided - We paid $2,689.88 over 5 months with minimal deliverables: one AI-generated summary and no meeting minutes or documentation - When I asked about meeting minutes in February 2026, I was told the firm charges an additional $500/hour for documentation beyond the mediation sessions WHAT I LEARNED: - Always ensure BOTH parties complete intake forms - Ask specifically about conflict-checking procedures - Get total cost estimates in writing before proceeding - Confirm what deliverables are included in the hourly rate I ultimately hired a separate attorney to complete my divorce. Others considering this firm should ask detailed questions about these issues upfront.