Joy Dracup Stanley

Joy Dracup Stanley

4.0
Rating: 6.7

Licensed for 33 years

Family Lawyer at Santa Monica, CA
Practice Areas: Family, Divorce & Separation, Child Custody

2425 Olympic Blvd Ste 4000 W, Santa Monica, CA

About Joy

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 33 years

State: California

Acquired: 1992

Active

No misconduct found

Location

JOY STANLEY LAW CORPORATION

2425 Olympic Blvd Ste 4000 W, Santa Monica, CA, 90404-4099

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Joy Dracup Stanley's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.0 /5.0

8 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (8) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 8 reviews

Posted by anonymous | December 18, 2025 | Hired Attorney | Family

DO NOT HIRE

We retained Joy Stanley to represent us in a family law matter involving custody concerns. Unfortunately, our experience was deeply disappointing, and we terminated representation before the case concluded. Communication Issues: 1. Failed to copy both parents on email correspondence despite rep...eated requests 2. Did not meet with us prior to the hearing to discuss legal strategy 3. Provided no guidance on next steps or options during an emotionally difficult time Case Management Concerns: 1. We were not informed about filing additional documentation with the court 2. A settlement offer we requested be delivered to the opposing party was not transmitted 3. Important facts about the case (including the other party's history and alleged violations) were not presented at the hearing 4. Continued with legal strategy after an ex-parte motion failed without discussing alternatives or potential consequences Professionalism: 1. When concerns were raised, we felt blamed rather than heard 2. No accountability or apology was offered after an unfavorable outcome 3. Communication felt dismissive of our specific situation Financial Impact: The representation cost exceeded $30,000 with results that did not meet our expectations. We ultimately felt that breakdowns in communication and case strategy significantly impacted the outcome. Families facing difficult legal matters deserve responsive representation and clear communication about their case. There are far better attorneys.

Posted by Nikki | December 07, 2023 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

REALLY Shady!

I'm a little surprised at the reviews here vs other sites, so I feel compelled to warn people....I hired Joy to help with my divorce in 2020 -and the fees were SO shocking, I dug into them, and saw that she was claiming lots of time for MULTIPLE meetings and discussions that never happened - luckily... I keep a tight calendar (by the 1/4 hour) for my work, so I had that as proof - but also had cell phone bills to prove we had not even spoken on days she was billing me for. Her office did reverse $2,000.00+ worth of charges, but just barely. Keep records - for all attorneys!

Posted by Cynthia | October 06, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Family

Divorce and Child Custody, and Child Support

Attorney Joy was referred to me by a friend & co-worker. Nobody ever wants to be in a position where they need a Family Law attorney. However, if you're in this position, Joy and her team of incredibly professional associates, are with you every step of the way. She is professional, knowledgeable, ca...ring and compassionate. She trully cares about her clients. Joy is helping me immensely with my case. Couldn't ask for a better attorney.

Posted by anonymous | February 03, 2019 | Hired Attorney

Divorce

Joy Dracup Stanley is an excellent lawyer . She guided me with lots of empathy patience and incredible knowledge through the most terrible time in my life and made me come out of it safe. She faught for me and my rights very professionally and with all her heart. I cannot thank her enough for her di...ligent work .I wouldn't be in this place without her. Thank you so much Joy !!

Posted by Eric | February 01, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Very effective and yet compassionate

Generally if you meet an attorney you are going on recommendations from others and you really have no idea whether the person you are hiring is good or not. One person's perspective can differ wildly from another's. However, I will say that Joy is a delight to work with. Yes the process of getting se...parated or divorced is horrific and emotionally draining. Joy has a way of putting things in perspective and keeping the process from getting ugly. She works hard for her clients to keep them out of lengthy court battles. She also encourages diplomacy and options to keep if out of court if possible. In the end my experience with Joy Stanley and her team was very good. I could not recommend her enough.

See All Client Reviews

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Experience

Rating:  6.7 (Good)

Work Experience

1992 - Present

Founder, Joy Stanley Law Corporation

Associations

Association of Trial Lawyers of America

Member

Los Angeles County Bar Association

Member

Rotary Club of Los Angeles

Member

Jonathan Club

Member

Riviera Country Club

Member

Education

1992

Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University

JD - Juris Doctor

1989

University of California - San Diego

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

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