Gawayne A. Kelly

I had a disappointing experience with Gawayne Kelly Law, and ultimately decided to terminate their representation. I want to be fair in saying that I appreciate the time and effort that the attorneys and staff devoted to my matters, but there were several issues that led me to conclude that I would b...e better served by different counsel. One of my biggest concerns was the cost of representation. I understood clearly the firm's hourly billing structure, however after reviewing my invoices I was particularly concerned that more than 15% of my total legal fees were attributable to internal communications within the firm. While I understand that some internal communication is necessary to handle a case, I found it difficult to justify such a significant portion of my legal expenses being devoted to communications between attorneys and staff. Another particularly concerning experience occurred when my Attorney Kelvin Pacheco was late to one of my hearings because of problems getting connected through Zoom. While he apologized and I understand that technical difficulties can happen, when a hearing is scheduled and a client's legal matter is at stake I believe there should be sufficient preparation and contingency planning to minimize the possibility of appearing late. Having my attorney arrive late to my proceeding was deeply unsettling and embarassing, and certainly raised concerns for me about preparedness and reliability. Yet another concern I had was when my Attorney Kelvin Pacheco proposed changing the attorney who would be handling my trial. I recognize that law firms sometimes reassign attorneys for legitimate reasons, but the continuity and familiarity with my case was incredibly important to me and the prospect of having a different attorney take over my matter further contributed to my decision to seek new representation. Ultimately, I decided that these combination of factors made it necessary for me to move in a different direction and not have this law firm represent me at trial. Given a second opportunity I would not retain this law firm to handle my case.

I cannot recommend Mr.Kelly highly enough. He guided me through one of the most difficult periods of my life—my divorce—and fought tirelessly to secure full custody of my child. From our very first meeting, he listened with genuine care and attention, never making me feel like just another case file.... What stood out most was how the entire law firm made me feel like my case truly mattered. In a process that can often feel cold and impersonal, Mr.Kelly and his entire team treated my family’s future with the utmost priority and compassion. They took the time to understand my concerns, explained every step clearly, and developed a strong strategy that reflected what was most important to me and my daughter. His expertise in family law was evident in how he navigated my complex custody issues, gathered compelling evidence, and advocated passionately on my behalf in court. Thanks to his dedication and skill, I now have primary custody and a positive co-parenting arrangement moving forward. He didn’t just win the case…really, he restored my confidence and gave me peace of mind during an incredibly stressful time. If you’re facing a divorce or custody battle, do yourself a favor and hire Gawayne Kelly. He is professional, knowledgeable, and truly compassionate. I’m forever grateful for everything he did for my family.

I retained Gawayne Kelly Law during one of the most difficult periods of my life, involving both a family law case and a domestic violence case. At the time I hired the firm, I was experiencing significant financial hardship and made my circumstances clear from the beginning. I was repeatedly told th...at the firm would work with my income and help me maintain representation despite my financial limitations. Since retaining the firm, I have paid approximately $5,600 in legal fees, in addition to out-of-pocket costs for notaries, document preparation, and filing-related expenses. Despite these payments, I have become increasingly frustrated by what I feel has been a lack of meaningful progress and a billing structure that placed constant financial pressure on me. After paying the $5,600, I received two separate billing statements within the same month. On May 5th, I received a bill for $2,500, and approximately two weeks later, I received another bill for $5,000. Given my financial circumstances, I am unable to pay these additional amounts. I was also informed that payment would be required in order for the firm to continue representing me, which added significant stress and concern about my ability to maintain legal counsel. The primary work I have seen completed on my behalf was the filing of a paternity petition and an emergency motion. Beyond that, much of my interaction with the firm consisted of being asked to sign additional paperwork, provide documents, and make further payments. It seemed that every few days I was receiving another request for money or another document to sign. The firm established payment arrangements with me on more than one occasion after acknowledging my financial hardship. However, those arrangements were later withdrawn, and I was informed that the payments were insufficient to continue representation. This was particularly upsetting because I relied on those assurances when deciding to hire the firm in the first place. Throughout this process, I repeatedly contacted the office to explain my financial situation and the stress I was under. I expressed concerns about my ability to continue paying legal fees while caring for my children and managing ongoing court proceedings. Rather than feeling supported during a crisis, I often felt that the primary focus was on collecting additional payments. I was also disappointed by what I perceived as a lack of preparation during one court appearance where my attorney spoke on my behalf. I left feeling concerned about whether my case had been thoroughly reviewed and whether the unique facts and circumstances affecting my children and family had been fully understood. At this point, after paying thousands of dollars, I am now facing the possibility that the firm may withdraw from representing me because I cannot continue making payments. The financial stress caused by the legal fees has, at times, felt almost as overwhelming as the legal issues I originally hired the firm to help me address. This review reflects my personal experience. Others may have different experiences, but I encourage anyone considering hiring this firm to carefully review the fee agreement, ask detailed questions about billing practices, obtain a clear understanding of anticipated costs, and ensure they are comfortable with the firm's approach to client communication and representation before retaining their services.

I had a nightmare experience with this law firm, Mr Kelly very unprofessional.I warn anyone not use his services.He will tell you a cheap price to get your business then he will come up with all kind of extra fees and over charge you.And to make matters worse,he is a volume attorney,meaning he takes... on lots of clients and never puts real work on your case,his whole team terrible,through out my time with him,they were very unprepared and unprofessional,he made so many rookie mistakes on my case,because he doesn’t care about his clients,he is crook and a liar,I warn anyone not use his services you will greatly dissatisfied and disappointed,he is very unprofessional and his staff is rude and terrible as well

⸻ Hiring Gawayne was the worst decision I could have made. From day one he was unprepared, completely clueless about the parenting plan, and his incompetence sabotaged my hearing. After initially agreeing to a flat rate and verbally promising to meet critical deadlines, he later demanded another... $3,000 just to show up in court — claiming the retainer had been burned through on “basic communication,” yet never once providing a proper receipt. This attorney is a liar, a thief, and flat-out terrible at what he does. He left my case in shambles, dodged accountability, and tried to bleed me for more money instead of actually doing his job. He is nothing more than a clown in a suit who preys on vulnerable clients. Avoid him at all costs.