Joan-Marie Kettell Dean

I hired Joan-Marie to handle my divorce and I could not have been happier with the personal attention that I received, the outcome of the divorce, and follow-up that's taken place in the years to follow. I had been married for over 11 years of my military career, with two small children, when I foun...d myself going thru a divorce. Joan-Marie went out of her way to talk me thru the process, was expert on Alabama divorce law, and understand the implications of military service in a divorce. She places the needs of her clients above those of her self and always makes the time to meet or talk on the telephone. I could not have had a better experience and outcome. Through her understanding of law and negotiation efforts, I was able to retain 100% of my military retirement and a substantial amount of my assets. When my ex-wife asked for additional child support 6 years following our divorce, I again turned to Joan-Marie. Although I was required to pay more child support, since my salary had increased, Joan-Marie provided expert advice and documentation to ensure the modification was reasonable. The qualities that I like best about Joan-Marie is that she's straight forward and honest. She knows the law and will be honest about the pros and cons of any legal action. She is sensitive to the emotional ups and downs of going thru a divorce. Joan-Marie is absolutely the "best of the best" and I highly recommend her to those who are faced with divorce!

Ms. Sullivan came recommended to me by another attorney in town. Given the circumstances surrounding my divorce and subsequent child custody proceedings, I could NOT have made a better choice. Her knowledge of the law, her vested interest in my well being, as well as my son's, her empathy regarding m...y experiences and her stellar representation of my case contributed greatly to a very positive outcome! I would not hesitate to recommend her to any person in search of a qualified and professional attorney in north Alabama.

I hired Joan-Marie over 10 years ago to represent me in a custody dispute. The suit was filed unexpectedly and I was living out of the area at the time. I hired another male lawyer here in Huntsville first. He totally bungled my case, failing to object to irrelevant testimony, hearsay, etc. As a resu...lt of his ineptitude I ended up losing custody at my pendente lite hearing. Devastated, I began lawyer shopping. Joan-Marie was recommended to me by another attorney in town who did not have time to take my case at that point. I met with her and liked her immediately. She went right to work ordering transcripts and researching to prepare for the court date which was only 4 months away. I was most impressed with the way she put her heart into our case. It was abundantly clear that she had a personal interest in us not just as clients but as people. Her representation of us in court was head and shoulders above our first attorney and I have no complaints whatsoever about the way she handled our case. Unfortunately, the judge did not rule in my favor, leading us to file an appeal first to the civil appeals court and then to the Alabama Supreme Court. Joan-Marie really shines in written appeals. As mentioned by another reviewer, she is the editor of Alabama Law Weekly and is intimately familiar with decisions that are being written by all levels of the judiciary in this state. Her appeals arguments are extremely well written and the facts well documented. I have been in and out of court several times on this custody situation and have been forced to file multiple appeals, but it is in no way a reflection of poor representation on Joan-Marie’s part. I have recommended her to others and will continue to do so. I cannot imagine ever finding a lawyer who will put so much of her personal energy into a case. Her billing has been reasonable as well.