Lana A. Panagoulia

My kids were in a bad situation at my ex's home...I brought my concerns to Lana after my ex refused to communicate with me on this issue and CPS proved ineffective. Lana fought like hell to protect my kids and get an existing 50/50 custody order changed in my favor. We had an EXTREMELY difficult case..., and she never gave up and never backed down. She worked with me to meet outside of regular business hours and around my custody schedule so I wouldn't have to miss time with my kids or at work to handle my personal business, and she came to each hearing so well prepared that there was nothing opposing counsel could throw at her that she wasn't ready for. Lana saved my kids, and got them into the best situation we possibly could all while being considerate of my financial struggles as a single mom. She did everything she could to have me do some work to save costs, and I NEVER felt like she was attempting to drag out a case to get more money from me. She never used sneaky tactics to "get" my ex (all while his lawyers attempted to do that to me, throwing personal slander my way to distract the judge from the true case issues) - she's a stand-up person, and became a trusted friend throughout this process. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone in a difficult family law situation, and that was true even before we won our case. When choosing a lawyer, remember that you're going to spend a LOT of time with that person. Lana was my partner in this process for the last 10 months; and for as stressful as the situation was, I always knew that when we got together that she'd really be "there" for me when I came to see her. I was shaking so badly during the judges final ruling, she literally held my hand to get me through it. There aren't a lot of lawyers out there willing to build that kind of a personal connection with their clients.

Initially I loved Lana. She was knowledgeable, wasn't spiteful or hateful and quickly responded to all of my requests. After the initial consult, I retained her after asking repeatedly if the retainer was refundable. She assured me it was. My husband and I decided to reconcile and I never receive...d a refund of my retainer. I called her former office and they informed me that Lana writes her contracts so that the retainer was not refundable. It is my own fault for not reading the contract carefully, but I took her at her word during a vulnerable time.

A few Years ago, I was having trouble with my Ex-wife involving custody of my son. Several actions were committed by my Ex-wife that directly related to my son's safety and well-being. I called Lana on a thursday morning and after hearing what my case was, she immediately began preparing motions and ...the very next day, I was in front of the Judge pleading my case. I was immediately granted temporary custody of my son and two weeks later, I was ultimately granted permanent full custody of my son. I could not have done this without Lana's proffessionalism and prompt services. I would highly recommend that you contact Lana Panagoulia if you are ever in need of a great Attorney.