James Michael Clay

I needed assistance for a divorce on a short turnaround since I was moving out of state. Mr. Clay set an appointment with me quickly. He helped me understand what steps I needed to take and what paperwork to complete. He communicated with me about what to do next when my ex-husband didn't show up for... the hearing. He attended court a second time, at no additional charge, when I flew into Texas a few weeks later to attend the hearing myself. He treated me with respect. My only (minor) complaint was that he was not as prompt as I would have preferred; I am nervous and tend to arrive to events early, so I got a bit squirrely when he was held up in traffic.

I contacted J Michael Clay as well as some other attorneys for pricing. There was one other attorney that offered pricing at a difference of $200 from Mr. Clay. But by talking to Mr. Clay his knowledge and friendly customer service sucked me in to using his services. I have a wife that was not willin...g to sign a divorce agreement, she refused to sign, and myself serving overseas as a service member was difficult. So Mr. Clay made it easy and it didn't take as long as I thought. Great service and would recommend!

Mr. Clay assisted me greatly during my divorce. He was able to quickly familiarize himself with the specifics of my case and issues, and facilitate a smooth ending to my divorce while I was stationed overseas. If you are military and out of country, it can be easy to feel like the system is stacked a...gainst you. Mr. Clay knows the military system, and it was a huge help to feel like you have someone on your side. Thanks again sir.

I do not recommend J Michael Clay. Hired him to handle my divorce and paid him the $2,500 retainer. The divorce was becoming very messy. After a several weeks, it looked as if we'd need to go into discovery for financial reasons. Mr. Clay told me he'd require an additioinal $5,000 to cover the discov...ery process. Before giving him the additional money, I specifically asked for a detailed billing statement of services up to that point. He was obviously annoyed and said he'd get it to me at a later date. I didn't feel good about it, but gave him the additional $5,000 two days later. Days passed by and my wife still was not served with the discovery documents. I asked again and again as to the status and was given one excuse after another. I also never received the initial detaled billing statement I requested. During this time, my wife and I found a solid path for reconciliation! I contacted Mr. Clay a couple of months later to request a refund of the $5,000 I had given him. He said he'd get most of it out to me shortly. A day or so after that conversation, Mr. Clay calls me to inform me that he was mistaken and I would not be getting any money back. I contacted the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center to hear my case. They've set up a time to have us both go in. In the interim, I've received a generic invoice from Mr. Clay. Just a quick glance shows he charged me over $4,200 for emails between him, myself and 17 emails to my wife's attorney. Many of the emails I sent were me feeding him information on tax filing that I researched MYSELF because he didn't know the info himself. He also had the audacity to charge me for preparation of a hearing date, setting the hearing with the district court cleark, and agreement to pass the hearing date. The only reason we needed to pass on that hearing is that he booked another hearing at a different court and didn't realize it until the day prior. Now he's charging me $500 for that!!! THESE ANTICS ARE THE VERY REASON WHY ATTORNEYS ARE DISLIKED. So my wife and I are doing great, but I'm now having to try to recoup several thousand dollars that we planned on funding a special vacation for us and our special needs children to celebrate our family reconciliation. I told that to Mr. Clay, but that also has fallen on deaf ears. Once again, I emphatically urge prospective clients to find someone else for their legal needs.