Avvo Review Score

4.3 /5.0

24 Client Reviews

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Showing 1 - 5 of 9 reviews | Responsiveness

Posted by Jennie | August 29, 2024 | Hired Attorney

Unethical business practices, outrageous fees, zero support - ultimately had to hire a new attorney

I hired this firm in 2019 and may have just as well flushed $12,000.00 Communication was beyond terrible. Would call repeatedly and not get any response for days and days. Postponed my hearing date because nothing had been prepared 2 days before court, my concerns were ignored and I was being charg...ed for both Melanie and Daphne completing the same tasks and thousands of dollars for drafting a full order on a proposed settlement offer with terms I not only didn't agree to, settlement had never even been mentioned to me! At one point I received an email from Melanie "scolding" me with an attachment of the email she received from the mediator and opposing counsel stating that "your client never showed up for the scheduled appointment (and the other party drove 3 hours)" and I had to send back to her the email she had sent me weeks before telling me specifically that I had already completed my part and did not need to attend that meeting. Child custody hearings are stressful and terrifying situations even when you are in a favorable position. It's your CHILD and their wellbeing at stake! And I was being ignored, dismissed and felt not only completely unsupported and in the dark about what to expect in court, but a little bullied by my own attorneys. They were demanding another $5000 on top of the $11,500 I had already paid and we still did not even have any of the discovery documents from the other party yet... and I decided I could be unprepared and scared for free. I hired a different attorney 4 days before court and when she requested my file from Daphne's office, there was literally nothing in it to support my case except the few documents I submitted with discovery information. By the Grace of God, My new attorney was amazing. within 48 hours of meeting her she had reviewed the courts file and the details of my case, discussed her strategie with me , called and interviewed my witnesses, and provided me with a list of questions I needed to be prepared to answer and the organized documents for me to refer to. She was lazer sharp during litigation for two full days in court, and the judge ruled in our favor. ....all of that legitimate work and it cost me (slightly) less than what I had already paid Daphne. I'm sure there will be a snide response to this review, as there was to the others who seemed to have at least a similar experience to mine. My sincerest advice is do not take a chance with this firm. The stakes are too high when it comes to our kids.

Posted by Richard M. Balgowan | February 16, 2023 | Hired Attorney

Outstanding Family Law Firm

We have been working with Daphne, and her staff, for several months now. Daphne has been worrking on Grandparental us related to a nasty divorce my son is going through in NC. I could not have anticipated better communications and service from Daphne and her staff. Someone is always available to a...nswer my concerns and Daphne always keeps us current on the status of the case and her plans of action. In addition, if I have to leave a message with them, specifically for Daphne, I ALWAYS get a prompt call back. We could not have selected a better firm. We don't wish what my family is going through on anyone but it is great to know that we have Daphne's and her staff leading and guiding us. I highly recommend her and her staff.

Posted by Sarah | October 23, 2020 | Hired Attorney

Handling DVPO/Interstate Custody/UCCJEA

I strongly recommend Daphne and Melanie! I've had a very difficult case related to domestic violence, UCCJEA and interstate custody. Daphne was the top of all. Daphne and her team are extremely professional, motivated to really help people, attend each aspect of the case promptly, kind and courteous ...and most importantly really keep on focus of the needs of the client.

Posted by anonymous | September 20, 2020 | Hired Attorney

Highly satisfied Client!!

My wife and I made an informed decision earlier this year to go after primary custody of my children from a previous marriage. We researched and chose Daphne and her team based on reviews from multiple sources. Needless to say, the positive reviews have been on point! Unfortunately, our case was disr...upted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but Daphne and her team have stayed in continuous contact and made sure they captured our concerns. Before we made it to the initial hearing, one of my kids had a serious issue which warranted a emergency hearing for custody. Daphne not only responded immediately, but quickly gathered all need information and prepared the case. At this point, Daphne's poise, expertise, and tenacity came to bear in court as we encountered unexpected circumstances. Instead of the judge looking over the order and making a decision, we instead had an impromptu hearing. Daphne's ability to improvise, adapt, and overcome a difficult situation, which we had not fully prepared for, was on full display. She not only helped me stay calm and collected, but used testimony from multiple sources to develop a rock solid case for our side. At the end of the day, her efforts led to a temporary custody win. Not one to rest on an initial victory, Daphne immediately began developing strategy for the next hearing as soon as we walked outside the courtroom. I cannot say enough about Daphne's expertise and tenacity, and would not have had the same result with a lesser lawyer. My wife and I highly recommend Daphne to anyone looking for an outstanding family law attorney. She is highly effective, and very open and honest when discussing the case with you. We are extremely happy with our decision and would hire Daphne and her team again with no hesitation!

Posted by anonymous | August 27, 2020 | Hired Attorney

Terrible experience. Please do research before you hire Daphne.

I consulted with several attorneys before ultimately hiring Daphne for a very high conflict custody case, with a history of Domestic Violence. Initially, I felt very supported and at ease with Daphne on my case, but that quickly took a turn. Daphne became impossible to work with. Not only did I feel ...bullied by my ex husband and his attorneys, I felt bullied by Daphne as well. During the temporary order phase, Daphne continuously pushed me to give into the demands of opposing counsel, saying it would make me look better later on. When the health and wellness being of your 2 year old is at stake, you don’t ’give in’. Also, when you are in an unsafe situation, giving in is not an option. She went to chambers multiple times, or got word about my case, often at the beginning of a week, and would not send an email until the end of the day on a Friday, leaving me upset and confused with no answers or explanations. Opposing counsel would often change things in our temporary order, and Daphne would say things like “the judge wanted that anyway”. When attempting to draft an order; she argued with me continuously, and often times sent me an order with the incorrect information (like the wrong name/age of my child- clearly copy and pasted from another order) or other things of that nature. She would get outwardly angry when I would ask her to adjust something, and at one point she said I am changing this and then I am done. I am done with you, opposing counsel and this entire case. My fiancé and I were asked for thousands of dollars on demand after our initial deposit was made, and often with an unrealistic time frame. At one point we stood outside the courthouse and were told “I need more money by Thursday” (on a Tuesday), and she went so far as to tell us to sell a car in order to pay her. She would call my fiancé’s phone on weekends and leave messages demanding money, saying she had not heard from me. She emailed myself and my fiancé once over money, and in doing so she sent an entire email thread between the two of them about a case he hired her for years prior. This was honestly the worst situation I could have dealt with, and hiring Daphne made it impossible on a level that I could never imagine. Please think twice before spending your money with Daphne.

Daphne Edwards

Replied last August 27, 2020

We understand it is difficult to allow the other parent to visit the child where there is severe acrimony between the parties. While Daphne and the firm were able to secure sole legal and physical custody of your child for you, eliminating the other parent entirely and prohibiting all visits forever is untenable. Even in cases in which dislike of the other parent is warranted, a judge will not punish the child and remove a parent from the child’s life because that parent has been unkind to the other parent. Courts do not terminate parental rights unless a child is being harmed. Also, in cases in which there is entrenched enmity between the parties, with multiple trials, the expense increases because the parties are bringing the issues back to court again and again. The firm is unable to finance cases. We care about our clients deeply and go to great lengths to help them, but we cannot litigate cases or provide services without receiving compensation.

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