Mary Jane Palumbo Melton

I hired Mary years ago for a divorce with two very small children. I was all alone in an abusive marriage and I had no family here, only in Ohio. I brought my children to my consultation. I was upset, as is natural when you are going through a divorce so I was crying a bit as I was talking. She yelle...d at me for crying and then for bringing my children with me. Insulted me as a mother and told me to stop being weak. When I went for my court date on the Order of Protection I took out on my husband, at the time, she showed up very late and barely did her job. She did not care at all. I sat in court waiting and waiting for her, scared and confused about what was to happen. She never met with me prior to the hearing to prepare for the hearing. Only my initial consultation after I already hired her. When I fired her, I proceeded to ask for some of my retainer back. I paid about $2500 to $3000 if I recall (This was 2006). She was very abrasive when I called about a partial retainer. I then got a letter stating I owed her $900. She had only put in two hours with me and for my case, at the most since I hired her. I believe she tried to scare me into pursuing a refund by stating I owed her more money. I did not pay her anymore money, I never got a partial refund, nor heard anything else from her after that. It took me years to finalize my divorce. I had too much going on to report her to the bar. I should have. I would be surprised if she does not have any bar complaints Regardless, if she has done a decent job for anybody at all, the fact that she had done such a terrible job representing myself, and I am sure others, should make you cautious to hire her at all. I have now been working in family law for several years and I can tell you, she does not follow a professional code of conduct to say the least. She should not be allowed to practice, period. Err on the side of caution and go elsewhere for representation. You may wonder after all these years why I am just now writing a review. I feel now that I work in family law, and have been on this side of it, helping clients, I can testify personally and professionally. I have waited years to write this review. If my review keeps even one person from a terrible outcome due to her representation then that is justice enough for me.

Our 1st day in court she came & pulled me out of court room & took me to a little room downstairs & sits down with this man & starts talking to him asking him questions then looks at me & says "well what do u think?" I looked at her confused for a moment & the realized she had me confused with anot...her client. I thought he was an attorney for my ex husband & he thought I was her paralegal. She gots facts mixed up during court & later when I pointed them out in the paperwork she got mad & started yelling at me. I would have fired her but I had already paid her & couldn't afford to start over after 10 months.