Nicole Barnum

I hired Nicole Barnum on the recommendation of a friend in order to adopt a young adult who had already become a beloved member of our family. My son was in the process of being diagnosed with a serious and disabling medical condition, and we were strongly hoping that the adoption could be expedited,... so I could add him to our health insurance as soon as possible and be able to take family/leave time to care for him, if needed. Thanks to Nicole’s excellent work (and also to a compassionate and prescient judge), we were able to finalize the adoption only days before the COVID-19 pandemic crisis shut down the courts. Nicole impressed me from the outset as smart, patient, kind, and a clear and responsive communicator. She was very thorough, anticipated in advance what extra letters and documentation the judge may request so we did not experience any unnecessary delays, and guided us expertly through the process. Despite our only being one of her clients, she was mindful of the urgency of our case, and really went the extra mile for us, for which I will always be grateful. We felt especially good about hiring her, knowing that she is experienced in serving both traditional and LGBTQ families. My son is trans, and we appreciated how she was respectful of and comfortable with his gender identity. Finally, on a personal note, she is truly a caring person, which was evident to me from her overjoyed response when I sent her photos of our family celebrating the adoption. It is good to feel that your attorney is rooting for you and is genuinely happy for your good news.

I hired Nicole without the help of a resource like Avvo and had to go with my gut instinct when hiring her. The way she responded to my explanation of my concerns and the matters at hand, and her highlighting the experience she had tackling similar were key. I had hired two previous lawyers who did n...ot meet my expectations nor my needs. I was beaten down and just needed someone who knew their stuff and would take the reigns. Nicole patiently listened to all the details which are a requirement to get to the root for the kind of family / custody case in which I was embroiled. She always responded to my communications on a timely basis (which many lawyers do not) and this kept my trust in her very high. Everything from her knowledge of the legal arena, to her documentation, to her presentation in court is absolute expert. She is buttoned up and goes that extra mile. She simply knows what she is doing. She is the person - and lawyer - you want on your side. She not only won my case but she figuratively buried the opposing lawyer. And my favorite part is that she did it with total professionalism. A quote I was reminded of when I was working with her - "When they go low, we go high." Nicole doesn't go low because she doesn't have to. And she will still win for you.

ACS took my grandson at birth from my daughter, due to her drug use, with accusations of child neglect and abuse. My daughter and the baby both had court appointed lawyers and I hired Nicole Barnum to represent me. She came highly recommended to me by two trusted lawyers [friends] and Women’s R...ights leaders in NYC. Nicole recommended we petition for Guardianship and/or custody depending on my daughter’s progress. I had dealt with my daughter’s illness for years but having my grandson taken was our families worst crisis yet. Nicole was a Godsend to our family. Nicole’s years of experience dealing with cases like ours was evident from the start. All of her advice and speculation as to what would happen next, was accurate every time. She kept the flow of communication moving along between ACS and the two other attorneys. Nicole kept progress moving forward. She gave me solid advice and support as I supported my daughter while her baby was in foster care. Much of the advice she gave me, I was able to give my daughter to give to her lawyer to keep her case moving forward. The good news is that this scared the life out of my daughter and she was eventually able to win her child back and the case was dismissed. She is clean now and moving back home with her family. I would highly recommend Nicole Barnum and will be forever grateful she supported my family through this crisis.