Miriam LaVern Sumpter-Richard

I have had the need to utilize attorney Sumpter-Richard services multiple times over the past 15 years with complete satisfaction. She has proven to be timely,  thorough, dependable knowledgeable and reasonable in handling a diverse number of issues including civil, family and real estate. I recomme...nd her because I trust her advice and know that she will provide me quality representation.

Ms. Sumpter-Richard collected $1,300 in fees and held my case for nearly 3 years. During this time, I was under the impression the claim had been filed and placed on hold. I contacted her regularly and requested status updates. She explained that my case was still "on hold" because she was waiting t...o see if I would be laid off from work. She told me to ignore calls from creditors. She advised me to stop participating in my employer's 401-K plan. At one point, she asked if my fiance' would pay the debt for me. I became frustrated by the uncertainty and requested a face to face meeting. I asked her to expedite my case and put the issue to rest. I was shocked to discover that judgments had been filed against me and my bankruptcy claim was NEVER FILED. Therefore, my debt accumulated due to interest rates and attorney fees. I also learned that my paychecks could've been seized at any moment. I asked Ms. Sumpter-Richard why I was hearing about this for the first time. Her only explanation was that the creditors must've had a difficult time finding me because I'd moved. There was no concern or sense of urgency in her tone. At that point, I promptly hired another attorney who was more experienced in debt related claims. Upon review of my paperwork, he explained the errors that had been made and immediately filed under Chapter 13 Bankruptcy. It should be noted that I'm a hard working professional who was unable to work for approximately 1 year due to a complicated surgery and recovery. I wanted to pay off my debt and truly believed Ms. Sumpter-Richard would guide me toward a brighter financial future. However, the decision to hire her was the most costly decision I've ever made. Several years have passed, and I'm still working to pay off the mountain of debt that accumulated while she held my case in her office. I can't attest to Ms. Sumpter-Richard's competency in other areas of the law. But based on my experience, I can say without hesitation that she's ill-equipped to handle bankruptcy / debt claims. It is my hope that this message will protect other clients who are searching for a competent bankruptcy attorney. I also hope that it serves as a valuable lesson to Ms. Sumpter-Richard.