Chris Elyse Vance

We went to Chris as a last resort. Our son was 16 years old, had just failed the eight grade and was reading at a first-grade level. He has an Autism Spectrum Disorder and an above average IQ. He was shuffled from school to school, program to program and was completely left behind. We spent upwar...ds of $30,000 to try to help our son read but the school system just wanted to push him through with an extra hour or reading support a week. We spent countless hours in IEP meetings with administrators that wanted to pass the buck and hopefully apse us just enough to get rid of us. The first think that Chris told us was that our son was entitled to a free and appropriate education and that he had not received that. She helped us develop a plan to support our son, helped us figure out the cost to implement that plan, advised us of her expected fee and gave us a timeline to implement. Most importantly, she told us that there was no guarantee but that she would fight with everything she had to get the support that our son deserved. In the end, we were successful, and our son is now receiving the support that he needed. I have read through several negative reviews on this site and they really do not characterize our experience with Chris. If you are expecting someone to work for free and play nice with the school district, perhaps Chris is not for you. If your child has a true need that is not being met and you are looking for someone to fight to the fullest extent possible, in an ethical and professional manner, I would complexly recommend Chris. She was always honest, responsive and reasonable with our family. Her intervention changed our son’s life!

We have been working with Chris for several months on a highly complex case. Chris is thorough, professional in every way, highly intelligent and has extensive experience in dealing with schools as well as providing insight on additional ways to help our child. There is no one else who I want by m...y side in this case.

I never take the time to write reviews, much less for a lawyer....BUT...I had to take the time to say how much I think Chris Vance is the best lawyer there is for child advocacy. We hired her when my son (disabled) was being abused in the school. We heard about Chris, met with her and instantly ...knew that she was the one to get things done for our son. We were never sorry for a minute. She was and is the best advocate for Special Needs children. She knows the laws inside and out. Chris is very assertive. She was extremely responsive to any and all questions / issues we had. She is extremely smart. Her services are all about the child and getting what the kids need....never about her ego, money or anything else. I would hire her again in a New York minute. I just wish I could go to her with ALL issues that would require a lawyer. I have read the other reviews and see that they were untrue. I cannot see how anyone could post anything but positive comments regarding Chris. BUT, knowing the schools as well as I do, I am suspecting that those posts were done by the school and NOT anyone that has ever interacted with her.

Hired Ms. Vance to represent my son. She managed to accomplish absolutely nothing for him, but did manage to cash her $7,000 retainer check! She attended one IEP meeting and was confrontational with school staff and a complete embarrassment! She was a no-show for the second meeting and left me on ...my own! DO NOT HIRE HER!! She is out only for money! She will tell you what you want to hear, as long as you keep paying her!!