Melody Ridgley Fortunato

I retained Ms.Fortunato on June 3rd 2023 to represent me in my nightmare divorce. I paid her $7,500 retainer fee. During the initial consultation Ms.Fortunato suggested an action plan: #1 file a motion for attorney's fees #2 file a motion to sell the marital home #3 get to the mediation asap and cont...inue to the trial because the opposing party wasn't cooperative. This is what actually Ms. Fortunato and her associates have done: 1) nothing really in the first month. They just cancelled my scheduled mediation on June 20th 2023 and didn't say anything to me. Next mediation was scheduled for Aug 30th but canceled right away (because they remembered Ms. Fortunato's Jiu-Jitsu competition was on the same date). I guess the competition was more important than my divorce 2) My "ASAP" mediation was finally on Oct 26th 2023, but because Ms. Fortunato sent my financial docs to the opposing party only on Oct 25th 2023, the OP refused to attend and discuss the settlement. Ms.Fortunato never admitted the mistake (delay), just said she wasn't required to provide the financials. Interesting, how was she going to discuss the settlement? 3) after 2 months from getting the $7,500 retainer, nothing actually happened and I had to go to her office and ask for work to be done. At that point she finally filed 2 petitions that were discussed with her back in June. Those petitions were really important to me because my ex kicked me out of the marital home (on false domestic violence claims) and I didn't have much money to afford $400/hr in attorney's fees. 4) I needed to see the judge ASAP and was hoping to get an order to sell the marital home (the ex was living there). Ms. Fortunato told me that was something she could do (referred to a particular law). Both motions were scheduled for a hearing on Dec 12 2023. 5) In the beginning of Dec 2023, less than 2 weeks before the hearing, Ms. Fortunato wrote to me and said, she "had a bad feeling about my motions", so she withdrew the motion for attorney's fee 6) On Dec 12 2023, 10 mins(!) before the hearing on the motion to sell the marital home, Ms.Fortunato told me that I had bad chances to get the court's order due to the "new law". Of course, I didn't get the order. The judge declined my petition and referred to a new law (case from March 2023!). Ms. Fortunato knew about that new law and on the same day, in her office gave me the paper with the law and her notes. She didn't do her research before taking my case and was giving a legal advice based on the outdated information. 7) I told Ms. Fortunato that her service was unprofessional and I didn't need it any longer. She withdrew from the case and filed a notice of attorney's lien. She thinks I still owe her money for her "work" 8) Before making this a public matter I wrote to Ms.Fortunato and asked her to refund me my $7,500 retainer fee and withdraw the notice of attorney's lien. She refused but offered her legal services as compensation. 9) I'm filing a complaint with Florida BAR 10) I have proof of every word I wrote here. If you need details - search my divorce case on BrowardClerk.org (Mitchell v Mitchell, filed Aug 8th 2022)

lets start to say, that Melody and his team make me believe that the system is fair when you are represented by them. in 2019 I have to represent myself in a case of family matters child support and visitation with a 90k salary at that time, with a promotion that I was offered at the Time, I was the... petitioner ,the respondent (mother of my child) had a experience lawyer and guest what? i was destroyed by this lawyer were i start paying 1250 + 175 in arrears that the mother claim, the worst part my visitation right were a joke. After 1 year and 8 months i say no more and move to south Florida to be next to my daughter. i found a job making 73k per year but because i was not able to pay for a lawyer and after couple attempts to modify my support and visitation my child support stay the same yes 1250+175. pandemic hit my new job close down and i had to dedicate myself to do Uber ( while the arrears still accumulating ). to all this instance i never stop supporting my kids. Now I found Melody and his team via his Son that was a co-worker on my previous job, after i contacted her explain to her all my situation she say lets do it and guide me to all this process until we take the case into mediation and here is when i felt when a lawyer care for his client mediation last approx. 6hr. she was very calm and smooth back and forth without missing any details. to be honest i was so impress with her gracious Calm and determination. NOW here is where everything make sense when i say " if you are represented by her and her Team you will finally see that the system is Fair" now im making 95k my visitations was controlled by the respondent all the time. during mediation she set my child support to 650+250 in arrears of course because until you don't submit a petition for modification all your child support still accumulating and the most important now i will have a fair visitation that include plenty over night and finally i will have the time that my daughter need to be with her other side of the family in 2019 just because i can not afford a lawyer i was destroyed in court and even now after im making more im paying what is fair i will still supporting my kids until the end regardless. thank you melody and team. important note: the other party Lawyer in this mediation was the same lawyer that i faced on 2019..... and this phrase never will be forget by my and i call this the Melody phrase :" YOU GOT ME NOW" thanks Melody and team .... i wish that all the money that i extra pay after 2019 can be accredited to all the arrears that i accumulate when i lose my job. She put her Heart Guys Trust me...... Melody Fortunato and Team " YOU GOT ME NOW"

I would absolutely recommend this lawyer. I had a very tenacious divorce which was emotional and difficult for me. Ms. Fortunato took me right through to trial. She was exrememly prepared, knoweldgeable and knew her way around the courtroom. I was happy she was on my side! If it were not for her..., I would have walked away with nothing. Instead,I received more than what I thought I could get.