Douglas P Earl

Douglas P Earl

3.7
Rating: 6.7

Licensed for 36 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at Philadelphia, PA
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation, Child Custody, Child Support, Criminal Defense

1015 Chestnut St, Ste 902, Philadelphia, PA

About Douglas

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Pennsylvania for 36 years

State: Pennsylvania

Acquired: 1989

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Douglas P Earl LLC

1015 Chestnut St, Ste 902, Philadelphia, PA, 19107

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Douglas P Earl's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

3.7 /5.0

18 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (18) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 9 reviews | Professionalism

Posted by Maya | April 26, 2023 | Hired Attorney

Thorough and Professional

Attorney Douglas was very professional, prompt in answering my many questions and made sure I understood every step in the process. I would recommend Mr. Douglas to friends and family alike.

Posted by Coleen | April 26, 2023 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

Happy client

Attorney Douglas was very professional, I was not able to see my son for one year. He ask me what I wanted and I got everything I asked of him I would recommend to anyone looking for someone with experience and know he know what he is doing from start to finish he got the job done. his fees are n...ot bad

Posted by anonymous | November 05, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Lawsuits & Disputes

DO NOT HIRE HIM!!!

I hired Douglas Earl a year ago for multiple cases I had, I paid him $8,000 CASH total. To start off, he missed deadline on paperwork that needed to be filed before court and when I asked him why he said “it went over his head”. When I asked him why it wasn’t done he told me he “didn’t feel like spen...ding his Sunday arguing” and hung up on me not once but twice! Which is extremely unprofessional. With the same case, he also never filed additional paperwork “yet” because it “takes a lot of time”. When I asked him what he has done for me and my family he couldn’t even give me an answer! That’s because he did absolutely nothing! Anytime I had a question he would become very defensive and rude. Not to mention, he has me fill out and go to the courthouse MYSELF for any paperwork that had to be done. On another case, I had to personally call Doug myself to let him know what the outcome of the case was because it wasn’t from his help but all of the work I did! He was supposed to get video surveillance but failed to do so. I also hired him again to file other paperwork which he put through that was denied because of having an open case which he knew about and knew it would get denied but took $3,000 to file ONE piece of paperwork anyway knowing what would happen. I have given Doug multiple chances only for him to continuously let not only me but my family down. He refused to give me my money back even after he did NOT provide me the services I paid him for. When I went to his office he said I should be “ashamed” of myself for the way I spoke to him. I would absolutely not recommend Doug as a lawyer to anyone! He is the absolute WORST LAWYER I HAVE EVER MET IN MY LIFE!! A COMPLETE SCAM!

Douglas Earl

Replied last November 05, 2020

The baby was ten months when he was taken from Ms. Viscuso and her boyfriend in November, 2019 because the baby had a fractured thigh bone and old rib fractures. Today November 5, 2020 Claudia Viscuso called me 2 times. Each time she said “Hello Doug” in a pleasant voice. This has been a nightmare for me. Claudia Viscuso asks what have I done for her? Ms. Viscus’s mother filed for custody. Claudia Viscus and her boyfriend have sole legal and sole physical custody of their 17 month old baby! This was after a 2 hour hearing on August 7, 2020 with me representing her and her boyfriend. Also, Ms. Viscuso’s boyfriend is not in state prison. I represented her boyfriend in the criminal case. I got results. Ms. Viscuso does not mention that a Judge issued a Temporary Order on July 28, 2020 against her and her boyfriend because there were grounds that the baby could be in danger. The physician from the hospital ruled that the injuries were deliberately inflicted on the baby. Paperwork that was not filed? I was waiting for the Grandmother’s attorney to file a Pre-Trial Statement and parenting Plan. I filed these things before the other lawyer did. I am also proud of the way I represented her boyfriend in the criminal case. Her boyfriend is not in state prison. I fought hard. The District Attorney’s Office wanted her boyfriend to be in state prison. There were charges of Aggravated Assault and Endangering Welfare of a Child. Her boyfriend received a 9 month sentence. It is a total lie that Claudia Viscus filled out any paperwork. Ms. Viscus had to sign a verification that what I wrote was true. It is the lies of Claudia Viscus that continue. Viscus writes that I filed paperwork that was denied. The “paperwork” that Viscus says was denied was actually an appeal from the Indicated Report of Child Abuse that I filed. If I did not file the Child Abuse finding there would be a permanent report of abuse against Ms. Viscuso. How ungrateful can a person possibly be? It was not denied! It is still going on. Viscus writes that I let her family down? She writes malicious things that are factually wrong. Children and Youth withdrew the juvenile petition in a hearing 6 moths after the baby was taken from her and her boyfriend. There was a mountain of evidence. Claudia Viscus was nice on a phone message she left for me on November 1, 2020. When I returned her message she was screaming. I hope nobody has to experience the nastiness from someone like I did from Ms. Viscuso. She has full custody of her baby and her boyfriend is not in state prison. Not a lot of parents in her situation can say this.

Posted by anonymous | December 30, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

DO NOT HIRE THIS GUY FOR CRIMINAL DEFENSE OR FORFITURE CASES.

DO NOT HIRE THIS GUY FOR CRIMINAL DEFENSE OR FORFITURE CASES. Used him for a criminal case in montgomery County, Pa. & a civil forfiture case related to it. Charged 20K, said on the day of trial "I'm too sick to do a jury trial", led me to accept a bench trial when he knew my co-defendant had only mi...nutes before pled guilty before the same judge, I was found guilty of two counts PWID where there was only one criminal act, I was sentenced to nearly twice the statutory maximum, he failed to file appeals even after twice being ordered to do so by the judge, (I later won two appeals it a new attorney), and finally he made no arguments in the forfeiture action costing me an $ 80, 000 airplane when there was zero evidence that said aircraft was used in the Commission of the crime as evidenced by the fact that the Feds did not pick up the case and I was not charged with or convicted of interstate transportation. DO NOT HIRE THIS GUY FOR CRIMINAL DEFENSE OR FORFITURE CASES.

Douglas Earl

Replied last December 30, 2019

AVVO does not check whether a review is true or not. Please google the name James Handzus and read about Mr. Handzus’s case. YOU CAN FIND IT EASILY EVEN AFTER AN ARREST FROM 2011. MR. HANDZUS AVOIDS THE FACTS. HE WAS ALL OVER THE NEWS BEFORE DOUGLAS EARL MET HIM. LAW ENFORCEMENT KNEW HANDZUS WAS FLYING TO THE AIRPORT WITH LARGE QUANTITIES OF METHAMPHETAMINE. The claim by Handzus that I did not want to do a jury trial is ridiculous. I had federal jury trials, including where my client was facing up to a life sentence. The Drug Enforcement Agency accused Jose Artemillo-Castillo of trying to sell 6 kilograms of cocaine. The case was United States v. Jose Artemillo-Castillo; U.S. District Court E.D. of PA (2006). Jose Artemillo-Castillo was found NOT GUILTY. These are facts. Verifiable facts. Mr. Handzus decided on a trial with a judge because defendants often get harsher sentences if found guilty after a jury trial. I have no problem doing jury trials and have done many of them. Mr. Handzus writes that his co-defendant pled guilty. HIS CO-DEFENDANT WAS HIS GIRLFRIEND. SHE FLEW WITH HIM. His girlfriend accepted a down payment of $2,000 cash FROM AN UNDERCOVER DETECTIVE. A POUND OF METH WAS FOUND IN THE LUGGAGE OF MR. HANDZUS immediately after the down payment was made in a restaurant. During his trial testimony, Handzus maintained he was set up by a police informant, claiming the informant planted the one pound of methamphetamine inside his luggage. Mr. Handzus insisted on a trial. Defense lawyer Douglas P. Earl argued strongly for Mr. Handzus. Why does Mr. Handzus not discuss the facts? Maybe if law enforcement was not tracking Mr. Handzus WHILE HE WAS FLYING and drug transactions were not done with total strangers Mr. Handzus would have been in a better position. Why does Handzus avoid the facts? The present District Attorney of Montgomery County sought a prison sentence of 12 to 24 years. The claim by Mr. Handzus that his plane should not have been seized is absurd. Mr. Handzus flew in his plane A POUND OF METHAMPHETAMINE which he had in his luggage. Why was Mr. Handzus setting up a major drug deal with an informant who was not experienced and herself an addict? Who would agree to meet with a complete stranger who was supposed to be a major drug dealer? This stranger was allegedly going to pay $27,000 for a pound of meth but was only going to make a down payment of $2,000? Handzus said his conduct was a result of bad decisions that were fueled by his grief over the loss of several loved ones, his greed and “compounded by stupidity.” HANDZUS TOLD THE JUDGE “I know I did wrong and I know I have to pay for it”.

Posted by jessica | December 18, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody

DON'T DO IT!

he is quick to cash your check and promises to do the work. He showed up to my court case and didn't even acknowledged me. i went onto the room to talk to him.. he did not have court documents, the only thing he had was the medical records of my daughter/ and the literature i printed out. this was a ...relocation case and he asked me really no questions about my daughters father. he had me go to his office to fill out the questionnaire. i'm still waiting for a receipt that says my services were paid for for my DAUGHTER because he had her down as a boy. (i should have cancelled the check the, but i gave him the chance i was in a time crunch) my court case was oct 1. i sent e-mails asking for any updates and this man basically called me to yell at me, not to put me at ease and say we got this or don't worry. I actually called him to tell him that i won the case.. it wasn't from the help of him . he calls me nasty for calling him out on his lack of a work ethic. he also tried to get me scared in an email saying that his assistant would be so mad if she saw how i was speaking to him, again because i called him out for being unprofessional. as she sits in his office listening to rap music. please don't waste your money or your sanity.. legal aid/ another lawyer / and the judge basically said you don't even need a lawyer for this.. she said during court that lawyers aren't common for these cases... so back to my case.. did i win yes! i found out on DEC 7 over 2 months!!! Did he call to tell me or even say congratulations? NO! he was talking about the judge how she was from a different department and was moved there and it was not supposed to take that long for a decision. (over 2 months)... i got the order and he said he never received his. so i asked him to get a hold of me because it is very confusing 8 pages of what we can and can't do with my daughter in legal wording... he never got back to me...UNTIL, i told him what i thought of him-- and again he just pat himself on the back and called me nasty for being an unsatisfied client. please read the reviews and don't be like me!! that's all i'm saying.

Douglas Earl

Replied last December 18, 2018

JESSICA’S PETITION FOR RELOCATION TO MOVE WITH HER CHILD WAS GRANTED. SHE WON. I was not quick to cash the check. I deposited the check from her family normally. I spent hours on Jessica’s case. I was in the courtroom with her, the judge and her ex-boyfriend for about two and a half hours on October 1, 2018. I am the attorney who questioned Jessica and conducted cross examination of her boyfriend. Jessica is one of the few people in life that you meet who is nasty and a serial liar. Jessica’s mother emailed me yesterday that she had no idea Jessica posted her review. This is not the first time Jessica has been nasty to me. On October 19, 2018, Jessica emailed me, “I’m sorry, I apologize for my words.” Jessica was angry because the Judge did not make a decision right away. I went over the 16 custody factors and relocation factors with Jessica. It was not simply a questionnaire. Her daughter has a first name that can easily be mistaken for the name of a boy. I will not name her daughter’s 1st name to protect her privacy. Initially, I mistook the child for a girl and was corrected when Jessica told me her child was a girl. I had the entire file of Jessica with me in court. I have never been treated this way. Jessica she falsely claims that the Judge said she does not need a lawyer. I told Jessica that there may have been a delay in the Judge making a decision because the Judge came from another part of the court system. I believe the Judge was excellent at the hearing and made the right decision. Jessica’s mother was at the hearing. The reason why Jessica found out that she won her case two months after the trial was because the Judge did not issue an Order until then. I clearly stated on August 31, 2018 that the legal fee had been paid. I did not just show up in Court. How in the world can Jessica state I did not acknowledge her when I was with her for 3 hours?. It is sickening to know that she can be so nasty after winning her case. I fought hard for Jessica. Jessica claims that my secretary sits in the office listening to rap music. This is false. I hope there are no racial undertones involved here from Jessica. My secretary Ms. Melendez has worked for me for several years and everyone likes her. Everyone. Ms. Melendez is a graduate of Temple University and does a terrific job. Rap music is not played in the office. The only thing Ms. Melendez ever did to Jessica was treat her with dignity and respect.

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Experience

Rating:  6.7 (Good)

Associations

American Bar Association

Member

Philadelphia Bar Association

Member

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

Education

1988

New York Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

1982

Villanova University

BS - Bachelor of Science

Languages

English

Spanish

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