Debra Rae Mehaffie

The following is my humble opinion, meant to help other hard working American citizens choose legal counsel. If you choose Debra Mehaffie as your counsel, you will find she generates new problems versus solving them. She is unethical, lackadaisical, and unprofessional. The rules of the courts and... her code of ethics are only applicable when she chooses. She often spoke to me in a demeaning manner. If you retain her, expect to hear about her personal problems. I am a woman of respect so I won’t disclose what personal problems she shared with me, but it doesn’t reflect well on a family law attorney. It was so comforting (facetious) when right before my custody conciliation began, she told me the custody conciliator assigned to my case is a hot mess. That is exactly what your client wanted to hear- very reassuring! Incompetence always instills confidence- way to go! She caused my simple custody case to drag on unnecessarily for weeks, which added strife to a situation which was already stressful. This perpetuated my custody case, causing my family more stress, heartache, and dismay. Thankfully, there are plenty of other family law attorneys in central PA, who have better moral compasses, solid ethics, and who will be respectful in every interaction with you. Spend your hard earned money somewhere else!

I contacted Debra Mehaffie after having been referred to her by one of her previous clients. I had de facto primary custody of my son for his entire life, during which time his father struggled with addiction and had been in and out of rehab. I had hired Michael Trimmer, from Kelly Parker and Coh...en Law offices, and had a very bad experience with him being ill-prepared at hearings and being uneducated about the requirements of relocation. This, in turn, led me to be ignorant of the legal custody process at trial and now am faced with losing primary custody and a denied relocation. I needed a fighter- a “bull-dog lawyer” that wouldn’t back down- someone that didn’t sugar-coat reality or ignore the potential negative consequences of a legal misstep during a custody battle. I needed someone with grit... and Deb has just that. I needed someone who believed in me and would fight to make things right- for my 4-year old son. Although we are not through the entire process yet, I know, without a doubt, that Deb is going to fight for me and my son. She is extremely passionate and driven and although that can be construed sometimes as uneccesarily harsh- it’s entirely worth it. Her knowledge of law, her logical thought process and recommendations are all very established. If the justice system has forced you into a corner and you need an expert- I would recommend Deb Mehaffie.

I hired Debra for a child custody case and she has been nothing but knowledgeable, kind and very compassionate towards my difficult case. In the beginning and throughout this process she has been very clear and easy to discuss the approach. She answers my calls and emails instantly. She is extremely ...professional and I would recommend her to all of my family and friends.

This lawyer practices on her own, and cannot handle the workload and her personal life. She took short cuts that made her workload easier, but allowed my ex to move to another state with my children. Often she would complain about her personal family life while discussing the case. In the end I had t...o fire her and find a new attorney. However, the incompetence she showed had already damaged my case.