Michelle Y. Cimino

I was aware that most lawyers, regardless of the area of civil law in which they practice, don't want to go before a judge because of the uncertainty. Michelle, on the other hand, is a very experienced litigator who does not fear the courtroom. While my case did not end up in court, the fact that she... was well prepared to do so meant the opposing counsel was unable to intimidate her and she settled the case most satisfactorily. Really, she made the opposing counsel look not just incompetent but oftentimes foolish. The one drawback is she's in court with other cases so often she may be hard to reach at times. One other thing, I have a friend at work who is a paralegal and she has never seen a court decide a divorce case so favorably for the father as mine was. Professional and skillful. Nothing more needs to be said.

Michelle was the third lawyer I interviewed during my then pending divorce. I knew within minutes she was the right choice. Here's why... Michelle's demeanor in the face of opposing counsel is flawless. She knows the law and how to apply it. No fear. Nothing can shake her. Divorce is nothing but ...a business transaction. Michelle will take care of your business. She spanked a partner from a large firm in downtown Rochester without breaking a sweat. Her approach to my case eased my mind. She explained to me what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. Don't go spending $1,000 on her services to get possession of the $50 "Velvet Elvis" hanging on your living room wall!!! She knows what to focus on and what to forget. Emotions run hot during a divorce, Michelle has the experience to calm you down and seeing clearly again. The actual process is a lot of back and forth negotiating with an occasional court date (usually just the lawyers) so the judge or marital referee can see where it's heading and if a trial is necessary. The courts only care about the "Big Three". The child/children if there are any, the finances, and then the divorce. He said/she said means nothing. Lots of things you might think are extremely important to your case mean nothing to the judge. Trust me on that one. Back to Michelle. Her physical appearance and demeanor are a one-two punch. She's tall, beautiful, and all business. Again, nothing intimidates her. She destroyed every tactic opposing counsel threw our way with effortless grace. Disparaging written remarks to outright lies were proven false. The ease at which she did it was impressive. If you've ever seen the movie Pulp Fiction she's master fixer Winston Wolfe (Harvey Keitel). She works fast, talks fast, and solves problems. If you're just beginning the interview process and only hear good things from the perspective attorney, run away as fast as you can. Michelle will be upfront and honest with you about the good and the bad. No good attorney is cheap, so be prepared. I go to Saver's for my yardwork clothes, not my legal team. Speaking of team, Sharon (Michelle's paralegal) is on point. Michelle is busy, Sharon keeps the ship on coarse. In closing, thank you Michelle. Thank you for making a painful, out of nowhere situation bearable. Thank you for your wit, wisdom, and legal knowledge. Most importantly, thank you for giving me the reassurance that my son and I would be protected. In the end, that's all that really mattered.