Kevin J. Piccarreto

Disproportionate Fee, Limited Services, No Refund Offered I am posting this review based solely on my experience as a client. I paid a $3,500 engagement fee after seeking legal assistance during a highly stressful and emotionally vulnerable period. The engagement was executed quickly, with sign...ificant emphasis placed on the fee being non-refundable. In practice, the services provided were extremely limited. No hearing was scheduled. The matter did not meaningfully progress. The work performed appeared confined to an initial consultation, a brief filing, and minimal correspondence. The primary strategy discussed involved pursuing relief in a jurisdiction where the attorney could not continue representation. That limitation was not clearly explained at the outset and significantly affected the practical value of the engagement. When the services were no longer required, I requested a partial refund consistent with the limited work performed. No refund was offered, and no adjustment was made to reflect the actual scope or duration of services rendered. Clients seek legal counsel for judgment, transparency, and proportionality — particularly during moments of vulnerability. In my experience, the structure of this engagement prioritized fee protection over client outcome, reasonableness, or professional discretion. Prospective clients should carefully scrutinize engagement terms, ask detailed questions about jurisdictional limitations, and understand that substantial fees may be retained even if little work is ultimately performed. Based on my experience, I would not retain this attorney again. — Catrina P.