Karen Allison Howe

this so-called lawyer cost me thousands then dumped me as a client after I was told by her that I would sign a promissory note for final payment!,, she lied, it was her idea to come in to make the arrangements to pay, it was her idea to have me sign a promissory note, and it was her that forgot to in...form her assistant to draw up the agreement after i left- then call me to come in to sign it... that call never came!!!!!!,,, i did everything i was instructed to do! and yet i get a letter in the mail 5 days before my divorce trial that I no longer have legal counsel??! Really? after she had me come in to hammer out the agreement then dump me as a client within a few days of my trial? i also have lodged a complaint to the Florida Bar association. i even received a bill from her for the hour it took to discuss the promissory note that never materialized!!! wow! i would give negative stars here if i could.

When I first met Karen to get my initial consultation she seemed to pretty professional and knowledgeable. Then after informing her that I did not want to sell my house she started giving my the used car salesman act. Talking as if she did not hear what I said and passing me the card of a realtor of ...hers to short sale my home. I blew this off, and what a mistake that was for me. My case a pretty simple one took a year to complete, knowing what I know now Karen used every stalling technique she could to continue getting paid. She was not as knowlegeable as one would think she should be after reading her resume. As I was paying temporary support to my now ex-wife, I asked Karen to put the amount of my payment in the temporary agreement, simple right? No it took six months to get this accomplished. She lied and said that it was done, then when I asked for a copy she informed me that it wasn't done. During a visit to the office in Brandon, Karen had another lawyer Mary Greenwood sit in on the meeting (I did not ask for her assistance) Mary proceeds to start yelling at me about when did I want to make a settlement. The conversation got extremely heated then she left. The kicker is that when I looked at my bill, I was charged for the yelling session. I had to repeatedley call Karen and ask for return calls. Although she charged my $50 for leaving a voicemail. My ex-wife lawyer to her credit wiped the floor with Karen, she came extremely prepared during the depositions. Karen asked the requisite questions but nothing as to what I told her to ask her. It was typical where do you work etc. etc. All in all over $11,000 worth of attorney fees is what I got for below average service at best. I think the most insulting aspect is the faux slang vernacular that Karen used from time to time. Not sure if it is because of my ethnicity she thought that would be appropriate or build a bond but it did not. To leave you with one more thing, as I sat in the courthouse and listened to other lawyers I knew I made a bad choice but for financial reasons I was already too invested in the process.