Gerald L. Shoemaker Jr.

Looking back my divorce proceedings with him added so much confusion and wasted time and I lost an opportunity to have myndivorce settled in a timely manner. So much time was wasted on numbers that were not concrete in preparing a property division agreement for ex spouse's response. All it did was a...dd up hours of billable fees and add more confusion. I wish we had just sat down and worked out numbers to present to the other side with clear explanations for transparency to make it all smoother instead of sending off a proposal that then required more legal time between attorneys to explain the proposal. Once retainer was used up fees piled up. So sorry to write this but hiring him, no matter how nice he was, created confusion and costly mental and financial added stress and delays to an already stressful time Innthe life of a family.

Hired at beginning of separation, I wanted to file for divorce, he discouraged it until the Property settlement agreement was drawn up. It created so much confusion. We did not have a large estate, at all. He spent hours and billable hours on it, putting in figures for the property division without ...explanation and I said we need an explanation to give the other side, he said "they can figure it out". All that did was create tension no more back and fourth hours between attorneys. The first agreement I received had someone else's children written it it and child support conditions backwards. When I complained he got very defensive saying how long and hard he worked in the agreement, no kidding, I got the bill. He used someone else's agreement and filled in my information. I had to ask for a refund for his corrections. Very quick to ask for payment after retainer was used. Wasted $7,000 on a simple settlement agreement alone that wasn't even finished. He never made recommendations of important aspects like line insurance or tax consequences of decisions for each party. I hired different attorney to finish the case. Made my separation last much longer until divorce funalized than it should have. Wasted time and money.m

seems pretty knowledgeable in his specialty and is conscientious about returning calls and e mailing me copies of all filings and correspondences, however, final bill was much higher than I was quoted...he showed up late for a hearing so a case was called before mine and we were not heard until the ...end of the day and I was charged the full day. he was very aggressive about filing additional motions without explaining to me the effect it would have on the billable hours ( he kind of went on auto- pilot after I paid my initial retainer and was not shy about calling for add'l retainer ) - when I told him that I no longer wished his representation, he became almost belligerent and I was made to feel foolish about firing him