Virginia E. Griffin

Background I first became aware of Virginia Griffin through her videos discussing parental alienation. Her presentation suggested that she was knowledgeable and focused on helping estranged parents, a situation that closely matched my own. Based on that impression, I retained her services. In hind...sight, I believe her messaging influenced my decision more than it should have. At the time I hired Ms. Griffin in 2024, I had already been estranged from my three children for more than eight years. Today, that separation has stretched to nearly ten years. After retaining her, I still spent two additional years without meaningful contact with my children. Prior Legal Experience Some readers may assume that my concerns stem solely from dissatisfaction with the outcome of a difficult family law matter. That is not my view. In 2011, I retained an attorney to pursue an appeal of a misdemeanor conviction. The appeal was not handled as expected and was never completed, resulting in my spending 82 days in custody away from my family. When I was released, I asked the attorney to apologize and compensate me for some of the expenses I had incurred. He responded, "What are you going to do about it? You aren't a lawyer." I pursued the matter through the appropriate channels, eventually filing a malpractice action against his firm. The State Bar later concluded that serious misconduct had occurred, and the attorney was disbarred in 2017. My conviction was subsequently reversed and remanded, and the allegation was ultimately dismissed in 2015. Despite that outcome, the consequences were significant. My marriage deteriorated in large part because I became consumed by the case, and my physicians later concluded that the stress likely contributed to serious mental health challenges. That experience taught me the difference between an unfavorable legal result and representation that falls below reasonable expectations. Engagement with Ms. Griffin I retained Ms. Griffin because I was seeking direct legal representation to help me reestablish contact with my children. However, I later learned that the engagement was structured primarily as a limited-scope "ghostwriting" arrangement, which was not the type of representation I believed I was hiring. To be fair, Ms. Griffin reviewed substantial materials related to my case and prepared a stipulation concerning counseling for my children. I do not dispute that work was performed or that some value was provided. Concerns My primary concern is the gap between the services I believed I was retaining and the services I ultimately received. I paid $10,000 for assistance intended to help me rebuild a relationship with my children, yet in my opinion the representation did not justify the amount paid. Ms. Griffin also promised to meet with me face-to-face in Big Bear Lake, but that meeting never occurred. Over time, my repeated requests for communication went unanswered. While I do not blame her for everything that happened before her involvement or for every challenge that followed, I believe the representation fell short of my expectations and needs. Outcome After concluding that I had exhausted available avenues for resolving my concerns, I filed a complaint with the State Bar. Reasonable people may disagree about the value of the services I received. This account reflects my assessment of the representation, the outcome, and the value I received for the fees I paid. If Ms. Griffin eventually becomes a character in a future television project, I may help select the actress who portrays her. I wish her well.