I stumbled across the Vance and Whitley law firm through a google search of "best divorce attorneys in San Antonio." Vance and Whitley was the first firm in my search results but I called a few others to compare before choosing Vance and Whitley. From the beginning I felt like they listened to my co...ncerns and gave me realistic advice, no sales pitch. I had some main concerns that other attorneys seemed to think were unrealistic, however when I spoke with Cait (one of the paralegals) she validated my concerns and gave me solid legal grounds to base my concerns on. My biggest concern was custody of our child. Deanna Whitley took my case. She listened to my concerns and developed a plan and a strategy that would yield the best outcome. She also discussed all other possible outcomes with me and made sure any compromises on the issues of the divorce did not negatively effect the custody arrangement that I was most concerned with. The retainer fee and billing were explained to me in great detail which I appreciated as this was my first divorce/custody case. I never had any billing issues and knew exactly what was going on with the financial aspects of my account. I was well informed and felt like I was a priority. The case was finalized with an outcome that is better than I could have expected. Deanna also took the time to explain the final decree to me, along with my rights/responsibilities and how the language used protected my child and myself in the future. I would highly recommend Deanna Whitley as I have had a wonderful experience with her as well as her amazing paralegal staff.

My experience was life changing once I fired my old lawyer and hired Deanna and her trusty (and tough) assistant Cait. I can't say the fear from my estranged and abusive husband went away but I knew I had a smart, effective and attentive lawyer that was going to work hard for me and my baby to keep m...e safe. On January 29th my divorce was finalized with sole management of my baby. The relief is unexplainable. Retaining Deanna enabled me to re-gain control of my life and look beyond the immediate. Her assistant Cait is wonderful; she was always there for me 24/7. I could count on her. She always gave me the right advice. I am grateful for their hard work and dedication to my case. I could tell that they understood exactly how important this case was for my safety as well as the safety of my child. I trusted Deanna and Cait and they came through for me when I needed it most. Deanna is an excellent lawyer and wonderful person. I would recommend her to anybody I know who needs an excellent and effective lawyer in the San Antonio area.

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.

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!

I have nothing but the best things to say about V&W. They have been the most wonderful attorneys through the worst situation of my life. They have been aggressive in the courtroom, but kind and understanding with me and my family. They have worked hard and diligently and looked at us as real people w...ith a devastating problem and not just as another client. They form relationships with their clients which help to facilitate communication and the progress of the case. It is comforting to know your attorney is really working hard for your best interests and doing whatever it takes to achieve the results in the courtroom. I respect and admire Deanna and Lisa and all of their staff. I have referred them to countless people for a variety of issues. I am humbled by what they have done in our case and amazed by how successful they have been. They have won when we were told it would never happen. They have crafted brilliant legal arguments that led to success. They know how to work with other attorneys to try and achieve an amicable settlement and try tirelessly to make that happen so that it is easier on all parties. However, if that fails, they are amazing in the courtroom and know the law better than anybody. I owe to them the happiness of my family and I am forever grateful and indebted for how hard they have worked as my attorneys.