Mrs. Whitley came very highly recommended and the initial consultation went well. However, from there I was extremely disappointed in the level of engagement, attention to detail of the staff, and lack of responses to my inquiries. I was billed for items and then caught all kinds of mistakes when the... items were sent to me to review, and then billed for the corrections to be made. Weeks would go by and I would send several emails requesting an update and would receive no response. In addition, mistakes were made in my case that resulted in extending the timeline by several months and in an impact to additional compensation that I was owed from the other party that was missed. This lack of support resulted in an already traumatic situation feeling so much more stressful, which is the opposite of what I expected from an attorney with the rates that the Whitley Law Firm charges.

Ms. Whitley burned through my retainer in record time for things including, according to the itemized bill, nearly $300 for sending a few words by text message. Money magically ran out right before a court filing and of course I was sent a typical fundraising letter asking for retainer #2 ("I loathe ...having to send this letter, but...!") as a condition of continuing work. But perhaps 80% of retainer #1 had been used up on things the attorney artificially created. In the first few months I heard ZERO from her or her office. I would call to check in and her assistant would listen to and agree with me, and then I'd be charged for the air time. But no progress was actually being made on the case. This is what legal representation is about in the 21st Century: Collect as many retainers as possible, then do the absolute minimum you can get away with (which for some clients will be nothing at all). Finally, her assistant doesn't know how to spell. This is not a hostile statement, it is a legitimate observation, and it is relevant because people expect more from attorneys and the level of service they provide. That higher expectation is reflected in TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. And for what? I saw no evidence of Deanna Whitley honoring her fiduciary duties. I don't mind lawyers making a livelihood; in fact I don't even mind sending their kids to college, provided they perform and actually do something *legitimately commensurate* with that level of compensation.