Michele P. Ellerin

When I went in to consult with Michele I had already spent more than a year and a half fighting in court with my first attorney and little success. By the time I sat with Michele, much of the damage was already dealt but if I stayed the course it would definitely have only gotten worse. From the ve...ry outset Michele and her paralegal, Cheryl, poured over the details of my case and formulated a strategy to bring my divorce to a swift conclusion and gain back as much as possible from what was lost. It was immediately evident that she is well respected by the courts as well as other attorneys by how the tone of the case in court changed dramatically. Despite strong efforts by my ex and her attorney, Michele stood her ground for what she knew to be deserved and just. I knew I made the right choice to retain her at that point. In fact, my only regret is that I did not consult and retain Michele and her team from the very beginning, I would have saved thousands of dollars in the long run but more importantly, I believe I would never have lost the relationship with my son.

I hired Michelle as my attorney for my divorce... which hopefully will be finalized this month. You know it is a good sign when a friend recommended because she was the opposing counsel in her divorce. :) Michelle has given me clear direction each step of the way on what to expect and action items th...at need happen in order for this divorce to be finalized. Divorce is hard on everyone but she has been empathetic to my situation and fierce in the courtroom. I highly recommend.

I can't even fathom how this woman has stayed in business. I was a scared woman turning to her to help me through a divorce. Not only was her receptionist RUDE , she NEVER showed up to court on TIME leaving me to scramble and wonder if I would be represented that day. This also didn't allow she a...nd I time to DISCUSS anything that was about to happen. She did NOT inform me of my rights.. and what i should receive as far as child support, alimony, etc. ( I subsequently receive NONE) She submitted the wrong financial reports as far as my income is concerned.. and , as soon as well left court on the day of my divorce getting finalized, she said as we were walking to our cars- "I have a feeling you will be back in court over custody'. WELL??!! WHY? Why didn't we HABDLE potential issues that SHE KNEW I would have BEFORE we finalized the divorce? I AM back in court over custody- which SHE is the one who informed ME NOT to fight for custody of my kids and to 'give' my ex ( a man with awful 'issues') 50% physical custody. NOW my two children REFUSE to go to their fathers house because of the conditions of him home and state of health. She charged me over $16,000 for less than one years' worth of work, and I received NOTHINGGGGG. I had a better arrangement with my ex husband BEFORE the divorce. She cringed when I told her in our initial meeting who my ex's attorney was. It was Very clear she did not want to go 'up' against him. I do not have any idea where else i CAN go to voice my complaint over what she carelessly did to my life. Do NOT use her services.

Inaccessible, that is the best way to describe this. A friend recommended her, and then after I hired her for my divorce the friend said BIG MISTAKE--she was inaccessible. I'm not sure if it's "the system" or her, but don't expect any assistance with custody issues when you are going through a divo...rce in terms of violations of orders. It seems to be a pattern. Deal with divorce first, then go back for custody. I know the courts are backed up, but it would be helpful if she had let me know this from the beginning. Follow-up was extremely poor. I didn't find out I was divorced (signed) for 3 months even though I had called and emailed asking about it (my ex told me we were). Invariably, I missed out on COBRA health benefits due to this and was extremely angry with her and her office for this (isn't due diligence a requirement?), and she failed miserably with this. She's great in court, but other than that, I was disappointed. Ditto what the first person said (receptionist very rude though probably sick of people calling to complain).

My ex-husband was very arbitrary and pretty much acted like a crazy person throughout our divorce. Michele was a sane, calming influence and didn’t let his nonsense wear her down. She kept it professional and did everything necessary to keep things moving, no matter how difficult he tried to make it.... She was amazing to watch in the courtroom and kept bringing everyone back on point. She filed only necessary motions and would tell me straight what I needed to do and when. She also did not allow me to just give in and run because I wanted it to be over so badly because she knew I would regret it later. Five years later I still find myself channeling her when I am in a tough meeting. I learned a great deal from watching her in the courtroom. There were moments when she took me by the shoulders and said you will get through this, and we did. She represented my interests well, never did anything that I would think was unnecessary just to conflate the bill, found ways for me to keep costs down, was on time, professional, compassionate, reasonable and listened to me. Also gave me solid advice. I felt relieved to have her on my side and wish she worked in my city, now that I was able to move. She did not give up on me in a particularly difficult case and I would recommend her to anyone in need of a really good lawyer.