Kimberly R. McGhee

Slow drafting, poor communication, and lack of trustee support. It took almost 5 months from the 1st meeting on May 14 to give us a draft on October 3 for my mother’s fairly simple trust and will (only 1 property, a bank account, and a savings account). I verified with other attorneys that it should ...not take this long. I emailed the office each month and was told they were working on it and then I wouldn’t hear back again and I’d have to email them the following month. I have a full timeline of all of my communications. First meeting was great in order to gain our business and we trusted her to handle things but every encounter with Kimberly went downhill after that. I remember once when my mom and I got her on the phone before we even received our drafts. We were getting concerned about not having them yet. I wanted to make sure we weren’t being forgotten about or pushed aside so I kept requesting a call with her and finally got it. I also wanted to ask her about a financial situation for my mom and see if she had a suggestion or another lawyer to refer us to. She was rude, dismissive, and rushed in that conversation when she should have been apologetic that she hadn’t given us drafts yet. I feel I was misled about her scope of representation. At our first meeting she spoke about supporting my mother in the process and me as trustee. Then I realized once my mother passed and my calls and emails went unanswered, that I was not allowed even a phone call with her for basic guidance. It’s worth noting here that her staff was never rude and they are the ones who told me that Kimberly would have a phone call with me at some point when I told them I had questions. After a month of attempts I finally got Kimberly on the phone and the call was very tense. I was spoken to so poorly that it felt like an intimidation tactic. She is condescending, talks over me, I’m not able to answer for myself or ask questions. She even brings up the idea that I should decline as trustee and asks why I’m keeping the role. Seemingly, because she has rattled me for the moment that I am unable to handle things. When I do even begin a question I’m interrupted that she will not give me legal advice. She rattles off forms that need to be filed, yet when I ask if there is a list somewhere I’m told that she doesn’t know how to make it clear to me that she won’t give me legal advice without retaining her as counsel. I ask how I can retain her as counsel, what it would cost and entail. She suddenly becomes helpful. Later that day I decide to call and ask the lady who answers the phone what services are included in their fee (so that I won’t feel misled about services again). I was told it would be outlined in the retainer agreement they’ll send. The next morning I get a call from Kimberly, who begins by citing that I called her office after our conversation because I was concerned about the fee (she tells me how I feel, doesn’t ask me, the same way she did about me declining the trustee role). She leaves no room for me to speak and goes into a bit about how maybe someone else would be better, that others can do something hourly or be more affordable, adding that she’s understaffed anyway. So she now declines to accept representation. Seems the issue is that I asked about what services I will get from her fee, as that’s the first thing she cited on the call. So is asking what she’ll do for you completely off-limits? Please beware, and if you already are a client I would be very concerned that those managing your estate will be given the same treatment. I wouldn’t wish this treatment on anyone, even Kimberly McGhee’s own loved ones. Every other phone call I’ve made since my mother died over a month ago has been better than my call with Kimberly, even the DMV, credit cards, cable, etc. Every single one was more professional, helpful, and respectful.