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4.4 /5.0

61 Client Reviews

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Showing 16 - 20 of 26 reviews | Child Custody

Posted by JC | December 31, 2012

Excellent!!!

My case was a complete nightmare, starting off more like a criminal defense case than a family case. I walked into Deanna's office with two police reports from false allegations of child abuse made by my ex-wife, who had made terrible allegations about me, and then had taken all three of our children... and fled the state. My ex-wife had successfully alienated my oldest child from me and used the child to make allegations against me in an attempt to gain an advantage in court. As a member of the military with conservative beliefs I was an easy target. Deanna didn't know me from any other person off the street, but she trusted me and took my case. Over the course of about 15 months, my ex-wife's tactics and lies were exposed. Deanna is an absolute wizard! She truly works magic both in and out of the courtroom. She always knows what to do, and she will be honest with you about what to expect. From the beginning she was up front and told me that the outcome of the case would be based on the facts, and sometimes the facts can be hard to obtain. If I wanted to make a poor decision, she would be tactful and explain why a different strategy would work better. And always, ALWAYS Deanna and her staff had the best interests of the children in mind as the eventual goal. The end result? The three children were separated (the oldest child was too far enmeshed with my ex-wife), and I was awarded custody of the younger two and the marital home. Without Deanna, I would have lost my job, the home, the children, and would probably be in jail because of false allegations. (how do you prove that you did NOT do something?) After reading the negative reviews below, listen: when your children's welfare is at stake you can't get into the race with a Pinto and expect to get the results you need for your family...you must have the attorney equivalent of a Ferrari. You want a world-class attorney like Deanna. Over the past year, with her guidance, I have learned how to deal with an unreasonable ex, how to discern between important life events and what only seems important at the time, and how to protect myself from being taken advantage of again. She has the strategic and tactical expertise that will let you sleep at night knowing you did the absolute best you could for what matters most: your children. You will not regret retaining Deanna and the firm of Vance & Whitley.

Posted by FT | November 18, 2012

Eats Bad Guys for Breakfast

When I decided to leave my husband I was a new mom caring for my 5 week old baby, out of work on maternity leave, had never been married before-hadn’t been married for long and was absolutely TERRIFIED to be at home with my newborn and an abusive husband; so I fled the state to go home to be with my ...family. My ex husband is forceful, powerful and aggressive man who has access to plenty of money and is seasoned in divorce. To say I had let my open heart and trust get me into a VERY BAD situation was an understatement, words cannot begin to describe how paralyzed I felt with fear. I was petrified to ever face him again, but I had to fight for the safety and well being of my baby. I was only gone for days before my ex threatened to take away my son with his expensive “prominent” attorney. It was the lowest darkest part of my life, but as a mother I knew I had to protect my son at all costs. My father reached out to The Law Offices of Vance and Whitley. After my first conversation with Cait (my case manager/paralegal) I felt like someone genuinely understood how afraid I was and believed in me as a mother and as a woman. Cait sincerely listened and has held my hand through the whole process. Whether it was comforting me on the phone, meeting me up to pick up paperwork so I wouldn’t be alone, texting me to see how I was doing that day, giving me tips on new motherhood, letting me use her office as my personal storage unit, the list goes on and on. I needed help and Mrs. Whitley and Cait’s strength, compassion and experience were the reasons I could find my voice again. But most of all, it was their sincere love for children and the well being of my child and his safety that mattered to me the most. As someone who has never needed law representation before in my life, I can tell you through my experience that it is so important for your sanity to find a law firm that you know will go to war for you and Vance and Whitley is that firm. Mrs. Whitley was always totally prepared and her professionalism and respect for the courtroom and the law did not go unnoticed with the judge. 6 months later and my ex husbands’ parental rights are terminated, which was the first time in the 30+ years, my judge had made that ruling. What I wanted seemed almost impossible to achieve at times, but Mrs. Whitley never wavered and her determination and hard work got me the second chance at the life I deserve. If you are unfortunate enough to be in a similar situation to mine stop looking for another lawyer now and call Vance and Whitley!

Posted by Sherrie | May 06, 2012

There is a light at the end on the tunnel

There is hope in life after Divorce!!!! I had been divorced for 3 years, 2000 miles away from home (ex-military wife) with two children. However, the bullying and the scare tactics that i felt from my ex and his new wife just keep getting worst and there was nothing I could do anything about OR SO I ...THOUGHT. When I was referred to them I was scared, frustrated and I never felt more alone. But that soon changed, after hiring Vance and Whitley they made me realize I had rights and the right to defend against that behavior. Now I’m not saying that it isn’t stressful but that comes with the process in any custody issue they just made the process and the stress from it much easier to handle. They were there every step of the way, I never felt like JUST a client, but more like my family was there helping me. They also truly listen to you, direct you in the right direction with all communication that was between my ex -husband, his wife and I. This was huge for me I was known for just giving in just so I didn’t have to deal with the fights and drama which never works out that and only adds to the problems because before I hired V&W if I said no ever about anything it was WW3…..However, By the day of court I had enough strength, knowledge and confidence to go in and do what I never had been able to do before, and that was stand up for my right as a mother and the rights of my children. This team is full of amazing, honest people with moral values that sincerely care about you! I never felt like just a customer….NEVER!!!!! I could never thank them enough… Especially Cait, Loni and Deanna these women are more amazing then I could ever express. They gave me my life back!

Posted by anonymous | May 03, 2012

Recommended

Deanna stepped into a situation where we were having no impact, as grandparents, in a CPS custody case. She turned things around with clear thinking and good preparation, standing up to the state. We now have our two young grandsons and they are doing well.

Posted by melina | October 17, 2011

saved my girls

Ms. Whitley helped me find my voice and strength again after a very bad marraige. Just having her there to guide me during the divorce meant so much to me. I was able to get full custody of my girls and they live with me. My girls got to see me be strong and stand up for myself. I would always recomm...end them to anybody!

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