Edward Ian Hecht

I engaged this firm in mid April 2024 and fired them in mid June 2024 after only two months of lies and incompetence. I spent $8000 for literally nothing but a postponement of a status hearing because my attorney assigned (Bryson Hash) was busy with other cases and trials. I was told he was very s...ick hence the delay and then when I asked him in person he had no idea what I was referring to. I never spoke once with Mr. Hecht but he would charge to "review my case and consult with Mr. Hash. This firm aggressively bills on everything and their minimum starts at 15 min of time for paralegal/attorney (I would get billed $250 for them to review a screen shot sent by my phone). Be careful with the fine print in their onboarding because they didn't disclose to me they require a minimum of $5000 retainer at all times. This firm is incompetent they would lose emails and then supposedly had email issues when they sent the notice of withdrawal of counsel that the court never received, They sent a replacement attorney to my Sept status hearing without informing me and then charged me for showing up when they didn't send in the required paperwork and I had fired them 4 months prior. Lastly, this firm sent me a refund receipt email for $350 of my original $8 k and then didn't even bother actually sending the money. That was 3 months ago. They've claimed they had a change in their billing system and have had "issues"

Hecht Family Law does not aim to genuinely solve clients' issues but rather complicates simple cases and delays them to drain clients' wallets. I am very dissatisfied with their services, especially with Ed and Bryson's performance. Throughout my case, I encountered numerous issues, including unreaso...nable high fees, lack of attention to the case, and poor customer service. First, the issues with fees are very serious. I noticed many charges were far above what I expected. For example: On October 31, 2023, there was a charge of $100.00 for a 0.20-hour session involving preparation and debriefing with Bryson about case strategy. Similarly, on January 3, 2024, a brief service process discussion was billed at $300.00 for just 0.60 hours. These instances suggest a high billing rate for tasks that appear to be quite brief. The initial meeting and subsequent activities on October 31, 2023 led to a bill of $1,550.00 for 3.10 hours of work. This includes preparing pleadings which seems quite substantial for the time reported. Frequent brief discussions, such as those on April 26, 2024, and April 29, 2024, have each been billed at $50.00 for merely 0.10 hours. The repetitive nature and brevity of these discussions raise concerns about their cumulative cost impact. It appears that every email and phone interaction, no matter how short, is being billed. This method of billing significantly increases the total cost, especially considering the high hourly rate. Secondly, the attention to the case and efficiency is also questionable. The billing reflects frequent, brief exchanges that may indicate less than optimal management of task efficiency, leading to unnecessary escalations in billing. Moreover, the quality of customer service is extremely poor. Ed showed great performance during the initial meeting but once the retainer check cleared, communication suddenly dropped, except for asking for more money. This approach is highly unprofessional, especially when handling important custody cases. I cannot recommend him for any significant legal matters. If he gets frustrated with you or your family, he will find ways to charge you, even by putting a lien on your property. Furthermore, Bryson showed extreme indifference and lack of responsibility while handling my case. He submitted case materials without my notarized signature and often made errors, including misspelling my name and my daughter's age, with numerous spelling mistakes in the legal documents. Worse, my attorney withdrew from my case without my consent, severely impacting my case. Bryson Hash and Hecht Family Law submitted unauthorized documents and failed to cancel discovery requests as I explicitly instructed, causing me unnecessary trouble and stress. Throughout the process, I also encountered the following unpleasant situations: They would deduct money without sending me a bill. It was only after repeated urging that they finally sent me a consolidated bill for two charges. Ed even lied that the bills had been sent earlier without providing any proof. When I inquired about the bill details, Ed threatened that if I continued to ask, they would withdraw from the case. Initially, I didn't understand and was afraid to ask further. Later, I sent two emails raising questions about the billing expenses, but they refused to respond. According to the service contract, I have the right to raise disputes within 7 days, but they did not reply to my dispute emails, forcing me to contact the bank for a dispute and notify Hecht by email. Overall, Hecht Family Law has issues not only with their billing practices but also with customer service and case management. If you are seeking legal services, please consider carefully. My experience shows that they are more interested in selling themselves than providing valuable legal support.

Ed talks a good game when you first show up. He sells his talents and abilities far better than he delivers. I cannot recommend this attorney for anything important, like the custody of your children. After the retainer check has cleared, he stops communicating, except to ask for more money. If y...ou hire him, you will be frustrated and will probably end up having to go elsewhere for representation.