Melissa F. Cornell

Melissa and the Cornell Law Firm are exceptional lawyers, and I would highly recommend them to anyone in need. Filing for divorce was the most difficult thing I ever did. Add a struggling 11-year-old in the mix made it even more complicated. There were so many dynamics, stories, sides, assets, c...ustody disagreements, and arguments. When I started down the divorce path, I thought “all lawyers are the same” and so I started heading down the road with a lawyer I found on a random “top 10” list. I thought… give him the details and he would take care of the rest. That was a horrible lesson learned. With minimal guidance, I dug a deep hole and thought impossible to get out of. Important lesson – interview your lawyer and have a list of specific questions. After my first court appearance, I fired my lawyer. With my lawyer fired, I then started again… but this time asking for word-of-mouth recommendations. People I trusted. I developed a list of lawyers I wanted to hear from. I interviewed them all. The decision was easy at that point… Melissa gave me the responses I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear. All of her responses to my interview were directed at what is in the best interest of my daughter. I was instantly impressed. Being that the hole was already dug, she didn’t promise anything besides being professional, detailed, responsive and she would fight for me and my daughter. That’s what I wanted. That’s what she did. So, we started with an information dump. I gave Melissa everything I had. Coming off my last lawyer experience, I communicated daily. But, after some time, I realized that was not necessary because Melissa was on top of it. Every correspondence was professional. Every letter was detailed and well written. She was well prepared for every mtg. With the case in good hands, I could turn my focus back to my daughter and my career… and that’s what I did. I didn’t have to think about the case day in and day out. Life needed to move on. I do believe that there are no winners in a divorce… but Melissa got everything that I was fighting for. She dug me out of a bad place, and she did exactly what I was hoping she could do. No matter how the outcome would have played out, I would have recommended Melissa to anyone in need. She listens. Responds. And gets your story told. In addition to legal advice and guidance… Melissa also provided me advice on life and parenting. She instilled in me some important life lessons. She taught me to stand up for myself and that I don’t have to constantly explain myself to everyone. She “won” my case and made me a better person.

I worked with Melissa to amend my child custody agreement post divorce. She was amazing to work with and I could not have a more favorable opinion. From the beginning, she was prompt to respond and showed great attention to detail while reviewing my original divorce decree. She took the time to as...k me why things were written the way they did and what I wished my outcome to be. Throughout the process she focused on what was best for the kids and I and worked to minimize costs. At the end of the process, I had a court approved agreement that was more equitable and better for the kids and I. Melissa was so good that my ex-wife even commented on how professional she was! Melissa definitely receives the highest recommendation I could provide for any family law issues.

Melissa represented me in a very bitter divorce case. My ex was impossible to deal with and Melissa handled her with grace and dignity throughout the entire divorce. I was extremely impressed by Melissa’s knowledge of the law and her ability to think “outside of the box” when trying to resolve the ...difficult issues in my case. Melissa and her staff are always personable, respectful, caring and very professional. Melissa truly cares about her clients personally and professionally. If you are seeking a highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced attorney to represent you in a divorce or child custody case, I would highly recommend Melissa F. Cornell and Cornell Law Firm.