Maureen B Godfrey

I placed an ad on craigslist for an attorney to assist me with a NY case for a flat rate. She answered said ad and agreed to a flat rate of $250 per court appearance. As I am a GA attorney, I drafted all of the paperwork in the case according to examples. All she did was file the paperwork, which ...some I sent to the court directly. Even though she agreed to a flat rate, from the beginning of the case she was charging the client by the hour in addition to the flat rate. Before I had the client sign a contract, I asked her would there be any additional fees because her contract referred to "expenses." She informed me that there should not be any expenses. I asked because I told her, I don't want the client getting a bill after the case is over. She worked on the case by making a few phone calls, sending a few emails and appearing in court. Never once did she say the client was being charged by the hour in addition to the flat rate. After 3 months when, because of my motions, the case was dismissed, she sent the client a bill for $1000.00. Then threatened to sue the client for non-payment. Mind you, she was suppose to be working on this for a flat rate of $500.00, $250 for 2 court appearances. I, as an attorney licensed in GA, was doing all the work to keep the client from being charged by her. She may have looked over all the pleadings I drafted after they were completed, but she drafted one motion in the entire case and I even asked was the client going to be charged for that, to which she never emailed back to say what the client would be charged. Little did we know, she was charging him anyway, the whole time! Beware of this attorney because even when she tells you that you're not being charged, she is doing a bill that you will never see until after the case is over. And if she tells you she is handling your case for a flat rate, she is not. She will charge some things at a flat rate, bill other things by the hour, and never tell you until after the work is done. Hire someone else who is honest and straightforward about their billing from the beginning to the end.