Dwayne Douglas

I hired Mr. Douglas to handle my divorce and later maintence issues. I believe that the outcome was very positive. First, I was very depressed during the divorce, and it was a great relief that my lawyer understood and worked with me. Second, my divorce issues were resolved to my satisfaction w...ithout my ex and I coming to hate each other. This was important to me. An amicable divorce means that my ex-husband has stayed close to my disabled child, which enhances her life. I am proud that I was able to give her that. Third, I think that the divorce financial settlement was fair to both my ex and I. It was arrived at with dignity and thoughtfulness. Few lawyers can deliver both types of positive outcome. The later maintenence issue was resolved in a similarly positive way. My depression and anxiety issues resulted in me complicating the case by producing needed documentation slowly. A new, very mean and aggressive lawyer was brought in by the other side. Nevertheless, the outcome was mostly fair to both of us One last reason to hire Mr. Douglas: he charges reasonably for his excellent services. I have a friend who paid twice what I paid for a much less complicated divorce. Her outcome was so- so. I recommend getting your documents together as quickly as possible. Then hire Mr.Douglas.

Dwayne was my second attorney during my divorce. I initially retained the Fathers' Rights attorney who is all over TV and radio in Chicagoland. Fathers' Rights don't exist. It's a marketing gimmick that preys on the higher wage earner which is usually the father. When I interviewed Dway...ne, I was shocked at how polar opposite he was from the previous attorney. I did not like what I heard. My ideas on how the court system worked were fatally flawed. At the end of the case, his initial statements at the interview regarding the likely outcome of my divorce were accurate. No fairy tales from Dwayne and no empty promises. His courtroom demeanor is really good. During one of the pre-trials in chambers, other attorneys in the courtroom were even commenting about his tenacity. He didn't win every argument but he won most. My only criticism would be that he advised me to move out of the marital home as I was afraid of being arrested on false allegations of Domestic Violence. Never. Leave. The. Home. The only time you leave is upon court order. If you leave, you are telling the court that you find the other parent is who should have custody of the children. Simply have a digital recorder running 24/7 while living in the marital home with your adversary. He does not run up the bill like many other lawyers. He followed my directions unless I was requesting something that the court would never entertain. I was impressed with his ability to be managed by his client. Dwayne is one sharp dude and I will be using him again in the future should other issues pop up. If you want an attorney that won't rob you blind and is a litigator, hire him. Any attorney can negotiate but a litigator can win a trial for you. His ability to steer me away from rabbit holes and make convincing arguments to the court allowed me to secure 50/50 joint legal/physical custody and school placement from a stay at home mom.

Agree with some of the negative reviews. I switched lawyers since Dwayne was a really good salesman and came across as representing me to my advantage. I regretted switching since I think I would have ended up better with the first lawyer. He didn't have time for me and I had to repeat constantly and... getting charged for it also. When on the phone, I asked questions and he would ramble into long answers not answering my questions and charging me for the long rambling. At times, it seemed he was working for my spouse instead of me suggesting strategies that backfired causing more pain and costing much more dollars on maintenance, pensions, etc. I would not recommend him.

I hired Dwayne for a divorce case. He seemed good and knowledgeable at the onset however over the course of a year he lost nearly every motion that was filed and I finally switched counsel, wish I did months prior. His initial ballpark estimates of costs were unrealistic and far from what he ended ...up charging. He was very “sales-y”, often rambling on without giving true answers and charging me for no sound advice. Dwayne would always needed “refreshers” on a case he should’ve known cold just so he could mark up his fees. There were multiple times he actually looked at his watch and didn’t want to answer a couple questions and was inferring I was at a time limit. His stated rate comes across as reasonable however he over bills his hours constantly. Dwayne was not the advocate and fighter I needed and would often play nice when the other side was ruthless. He made multiple procedural errors which were discovered after the fact which will cost me dearly for years. Please in your best interests find someone else.