Gary Stephen Okin

I relied on Gary to fight a very conflicted divorce and custody battle, with a proven history of domestic violence (I had a broken limb.) He was my second attorney - the first secured me with supervised visitation for my ex - a few hours daily. Had to switch because I needed someone who would take a ...payment plan. Gary was recommended highly. At the only hearing of our two year battle (thanks to Gary) - their motion for an extension for parenting time, Gary was ill prepared, left me in a room alone to settle with my ex (the first time speaking with him since), permitted me to go to my ex's attorneys office to settle following (without him), and when he finally realized he should step in, they refused to negotate further and wanted the judge to decide. Now, at the hearing, Gary advised me that I would look "flexible to the court" if I said that I was weaning my 13 month son off of nursing to "allow for future overnights" since "theyll get overnights anyways". I followed my lawyers advice. This comment served as the basis to the Judge's ruling that if I don't care, she doesn't care, and shell give my ex what he requested - nearly 50% of the time. He called me, told me, I cried, he told me "its not that bad". He denied ever advising me "I would never tell a client what to say underoath." I asked him if he could fight it - he said "ya gotta have a reason." a month later I pled with him, please - its too long away from my child - and he said hed fight for age appropraite parenting. He wrote up a motion, the other side never responded, the judge ruled in our favor, then went back to the original when my ex's attorney said that my lawyer was incompetent and they did not receive it, it never was faxed to them. As soon as I could I dropped him for another attorney, after two years we settled on 50-50 shared parenting, quite challenging with our power dynamic. And I entirely blame Gary, so does my third attorney. After the year passed, the statute to file a complaint in Cuyahoga County he sued me for what I owed him. Id stay away.