Melissa Baumgartner Umulis

I went through a difficult divorce that was from an unexpected situation. The case was kind of stacked against me since the other side had a head start. Melissa was cool headed even knowing the uphill battle we had. She had to go against a tough lawyer that specialized in criminal defense and filed m...any motions. She was able to keep me calm by explaining her strategy and the way we were going to get through it. Her ability to be understanding of my situation, readily available and honest when she wanted us to contemplate the next course of action was admirable. I feel many lawyers could have rushed into certain actions but many times contemplating the situation she was able to come up with a better resolution. She is a great negotiator cause I really feel like we came up on top and even the other side has admitted that now. We were able to avoid a lengthy trial and she was very reasonable with her billing. Hiring a lawyer is such a critical decision and I can promise you Melissa will work diligently to give you the advantage you need and the attention to details you deserve.

Melissa (Wilson Kester) represented me in a custody/parenting time case. I feel as though she always kept my son's best interest and well being in the forefront. She never failed to keep me informed throughout the very long process of our complicated case. She was always very thoughtful, thorough,... and even creative at times. Melissa was fantastic about communication and promptly filing necessary documents etc.. I am forever grateful to her for the most favorable outcome we got in our case and the peace of mind that came along with it. I would recommend Melissa to anyone needing help in a family court case, she's amazing!

Melissa represented me in a tough custody case, that was messy and complicated to say the least. From day one until a favorable settlement, she was thorough and insightful, and clearly demonstrated the extent of her knowledge and experience. In short, she was an absolute pleasure to work with, and... i my go-to family law attorney in the future if needed!

Last fall, I was served with divorce papers, which were complicated by a personal protection order and false claims of criminal activity. I was in search of a tough lawyer in Traverse City and I located Wilson Kester. I had an initial consultation with Shelley Kester and made the decision to retain... her as my attorney. As my case progressed, I was introduced to Melissa Baumgartner who was another attorney at the firm. Melissa immediately became dedicated to the case and worked tirelessly to insure that all court orders were written to perfection. I had the pleasure of appearing in court on two occasions with Melissa and she was extremely professional and was very well spoken. During mediation, Melissa took time away from her family after hours to work from home and make alterations to my property settlement agreement so that I could wrap up my 12.5 hour mediation. Needless to say, without her dedication and willingness to go way above and beyond the call of duty, my mediation may have been unsuccessful. I simply cannot say enough about what a great job Melissa Baumgartner and Shelley Kester did throughout my divorce. If you are looking for a dedicated, professional, and extremely competent attorney, look no further that Melissa Baumgartner and Shelley Kester.