Chris E. Ragano

If you are contemplating the need for a Family Law Attorney or simply trying to decide whom should represent you, please look no further. I HIGHLY recommend Mr. Ragano and his firm. They are extremely detail-oriented and will provide all of their experience as it applies to your case. Mr. Ragano's ex...pertise as a litigator in the court room is admired and he's always prepared. My case had many twist and turns that truly required the agility and devotion that Mr. Ragano had. He understood my needs as a client, and has exceeded all of my expectations. For anyone that knows me (personally), my expectations are very high as it relates to keeping my children safe. He is the BEST!

I retained Mr. Ragano in order to relocate with my 2 minor children out of Florida and he delivered beyond my expectations! My fiancé had heard about Mr. Ragano based on his great reputation as a litigator and he delivered on that reputation. After six long years of high conflict with my ex-husband a...nd his attorney I was emotionally spent, but after Mr. Ragano came on as my counsel he and his amazing paralegal, Dana, were able to get everything organized; all required filings completed accurately; keep Opposing Counsel in check; successfully fought to make sure that my kids privacy was protected; and was always prepared to fight on my behalf. I was able to see first hand the litigation skills he is known for and I can say with certainty they are definitely the best I have seen over six years. I highly recommend Mr. Ragano and his staff if you have a family law matter; especially if it is high conflict and/or complex. We are incredibly happy with the results from the Court. The expert knowledge of the laws that Mr. Ragano has and his exceptional litigation skills resulted in us being approved to relocate and the Parenting Plan that he filed was accepted in full, no exceptions.

Chris was the second attorney I hired in my divorce proceedings and unfortunately the damage had already been done by the first firm I hired to represent me. Uncontested false DV accusations were too big a hole to climb out of, but Chris nearly pulled it off against one of the top attorney's in the T...ampa area. When Chris came onboard he was energetic, aggressive, extremely knowledgable of family law and his calm confidence had me convinced the outcome would be in my favor despite the horrible counsel I previously obtained. Had I hired Chris from the start I'm 100% certain my ex would've never been allowed to relocate and I'd currently be enjoying 50/50 time sharing with my children. Unfortunately, fathers always start a few steps behind in divorce proceedings. Chris knows this and has the tools and experience to even the odds and give you the best chance possible. Don't make the mistakes I did. Hire Chris from the start and put one of the best attorney's in Tampa on your side. He's worth every penny. I should also I add that since the divorce was finalized (5 years ago) I've called Chris numerous times for advice and he's ALWAYS taken my calls and steered me in the right direction. There's no better feeling than knowing Chris is on your side and ready to give his all at a moments notice.

Mr. Ragano failed to advocate for my family as he allowed opposing counsel to dictate the course of our highly contested divorce primarily involving (documented) parental alienation and child custody. He did not demonstrate any ability or interest to battle very capable opposing counsel who was qui...te successful in getting the best deal for her client. Mr. Ragano failed to make agreed upon changes in court regarding the Parenting Plan, refused to challenge witnesses or my ex when they lied under oath, refused to challenge my ex and his claim of an exorbitant financial loss in a very successful cash business, refused to hold opposing counsel to task in her agreement (on two separate occasions in court) to provide receipts of alleged expenses totaling 20k in medical expenses for two perfectly healthy children, lost my proof of debt/financial documents which were not entered as exhibits, charged for phone conversations which did not exist (easily proved on a cell phone) and had his bookkeeper handle phone calls and questions regarding his failure to properly assess our retirements while in and out of court. In addition, the bookkeeper would forward emails to me straight from opposing counsel showing Mr. Ragano would cater to her absurd demands and threats as he would simply agree to whatever she wanted which would solely benefit her client. Keep in mind he claims "zero" in Florida Bar complaints, however, the week I filed mine, I was told I was the second one in the same week who filed a complaint against him. Be aware verbal reprimands and sanctions are only visible for a year and then disappear. During a highly contested divorce, one would expect and depend on the attorney to have a strong, aggressive personality and be competent enough to recognize the tricks, half truths, deception, creativity, omissions, and loopholes opposing counsel used to "win" their case as clearly she was very well versed and at our family's expense (literally and figureatively), Mr. Ragano was no match. In fact, my ex still thanks me for hiring him as he got everything he wanted. Attorney Ragano claims to "handle the toughest cases" but refused to participate in advocating for my children who didn't have a voice. The parental alienation was well documented and proven with pictures, emails, texts, hand written letters, police reports, and numerous depositions. I heard all the right things in the initial consult as my ex was threatening to take the kids to an unknown state and had access to unlimited financial resources. I desperately needed competent legal counsel to guide me through the games played by opposing counsel and help me with a legal the system I did not understand. Attorney Chris Ragano did not even try to protect my family and the consequences of his passiveness and incompetence will continue to be felt for years to come.

I know lawyers have to do a certain amount of pro bono work. But Mr. Ragano did a lot of work for me when I still thought I could pay him. My kids were in a bad way - they were in danger and I owed him a lot of money. But Mr. Ragano put the fact that I already owed thousands of dollars that I could ...not pay aside and his whole staff was working to get my kids back so they would be safe. He won - I got the kids out of the unsafe environment. A good attorney like Chris Ragano ain't cheap - but you get what you pay for. The problem was I couldn't pay and he tried working with me all kinds of ways but I just don't have it. My ex filed an appeal that will tie things up for a while but in the meantime I have my kids and they are safe. Knowing that I owed him several thousand dollars, he worked something out with a parenting planner that I need too where they are both gonna work pro bono on my case going forward. Don't take him for a pushover because he ain't - and I told still owe him thousands of dollars that I will find a way to pay if it takes me forever. But bless him and his legal assistant, attorney and the lady who has to collect the money for working together to help me even though I don't have 2 nickels to run together. He is worth every penny that he charges and then some. If I had the money I'd pay him twice what I owe him because he's worth it. Those ladies in the office too - they really do care about the people they help. I understand no one can always work for free. But he went out of his way to help me and make sure my kids are safe and I ain't never going to forget that.