Kurt A. Smith

I Hired Kurt when my retainer with my previous lawyer was up. He responded to my request for a consultation a few hours later. We spoke about the specifics of my case and after telling him the facts of my case, he gave me confidence that this would be a cakewalk. I asked him on the phone if he specif...ically would be my lawyer to which he replied yes. After paying the retainer and uploading all the evidence that disputed my ex wifes motion to the court into their google drive folder. Very detailed and organized by claim that was being challenged with screenshots, photo, etc. No one at the firm looked at any of the files other than the prenup included according to the view history. My exs motion to the court to have the prenup thrown out was filed in winter. Two months later and no response by my representation was filed or drafted until the Friday before a settlement conference. A paralegal called in the late afternoon asking about the claims made in the motion filed. They said that the scan of the prenup that I uploaded was not sufficient and they needed the wet signature physical copy which I no longer had access to. Monday of the Conference comes and I am greeted by a lawyer I have never met who knew almost nothing about my case and not Mr. Smith as he previously explicitly claimed it would be. I later looked at the retainer and it does say they dont promise any specific representation in conferences but then I would have appreciated that information when I asked if he specifically would represent me in any dealings or appearances. This new lawyer didn't know what was in the motion they filed, or what the dispute or the argument between sides was over at all. My lawyer said she was struggling to apply the Malmquist formula to determine the split in home equity owed and when the other side made claims about the condition of the home without evidence, I had my independent appraisal that disproved it but my lawyer was not aware of that until I told her i sent it to the firm already. She had to read the appraisal right there for the first time. She also didnt know what the conditions in the prenup were and had to read the prenup right there for the first time. The opposing side made an offer and when I spoke about whether to take it with my lawyer, she said we could go to court but as a heads up the particular judge in the case will make everyone in the case feel terrible and I will regret the experience, the judge is known to make people cry and that she really dislikes trying cases for this judge because its so unpleasant. Due to financial strain I decided to take the settlement offered. My lawyer then runs out of the room to tell the paralegal to stop working on the countermotion they started the Friday before that was responding to a motion filed several months earlier. Im not saying this law firm isnt a good firm, I just know in my experience with them, they did not inquire or seemed concerned with the facts being disputed as evidenced by never viewing any of the documents pertaining to the case in the google drive folder they asked me to upload my documents to. My case was not a priority and that was made apparent. If i had to redo it, I would not have hired this law firm.