Meredith Gilbert Lewis

Meredith was my attorney during a long and expensive case with a high conflict spouse. I had never been involved in a legal case before my divorce. I interviewed eight attorneys, and Meredith was one of the most expensive. However, I liked her, and in the beginning I was hopeful for an amicable divor...ce. That hope quickly evaporated and I found myself engulfed in a case where my spouse and his attorney would manipulate the legal system and outright lie to intimidate me. They didn't cooperate with turning over documents. It was a case that cost well over six figures, just my portion alone. Meredith is responsive and far from lazy. She kept me aware of what was going on and responded quickly to email. I was constantly threatened by my spouse and living in an intensely emotionally abusive environment for both me and my child, and receiving a quick response meant a great deal to me and kept me sane. I still appreciate her for this. I wanted to file for temporary support immediately, when it became obvious mediation wouldn't work. She delayed filing temporary support, and it opened the door to me being financially cut off. This turned my case in a very bad direction that resulted in litigation. High conflict people hire attorneys who are sharks because they look at the case black and white and want the other party, no matter who it is or the circumstances, to have nothing. The last attorney my ex-spouse hired came to mediation prepared. She effectively used leverage to get a better deal for her client and to intimidate me. She threatened and was sharp tongued. I wanted to be defended the same way. I was in constant angst and knew, at one point, I wasn't represented that way. I couldn't get another attorney because of funds. I did not feel prepared for mediation or the abrasiveness of the private judge Meredith recommended, who although effective in settling the case, was unnecessarily rude. I was in a long marriage to a high earner. I did not get a good settlement. This has been confirmed by another attorney who was surprised at how stacked the deal was in my spouses favor for the length of marriage and our income, and how little my support was overall. I thought I should always take my attorneys advice. They're the expert, right? That's what I'm paying them for, right? I've also had a women who works in finance specifically with divorced women, tell me I should have done better. As she said, "I would have at least wanted my attorney fees paid." No one should pay nearly $1,000 an hour to have their attorney and forensic accountant attend mediation and be led by them to believe, "Hey, this is good enough." I found myself defending my position with the private judge throughout the very long mediation. It seemed it was a matter of taking what was on offer. Period. I am sharing my personal experience if it can help someone else, but others may have a different experience with her office. In the end, I was disillusioned and felt my fear had been exploited to some extent. It's been a long time since my mediation, and I can say, it's hard to live with the consequences. Don't abdicate your decision making and don't throw in the towel, no matter how exhausted. You may also benefit from a larger firm to handle a high conflict case. This is a small office.

Meredith is professional and caring. She has a deep and accessible knowledge of the law and is sharply accurate with numbers. One of the many things I appreciated about her was her stance on unnecessary drama from opposition. Her sound advice to deal directly with real legal matters and not engage wi...th baseless accusation or matters that a court would not hear was fantastic. She forfeited thousands of dollars in billable hours by guiding me in this way. She is great at sticking to the big picture and fighting for what is legally possible. While my ex was being billed plenty of hours for calls and emails on things he and his representation (Procopio) crafted up to cause strife and stalling (and billable hours), Meredith paved the way forward in a contentious divorce by dealing solely with true legal matters. She was kind in her explanations about what a court would or would not get involved with. Meredith is a sound, respectable, excellent choice for representation. She is money well spent.

My ex and I decided to mediate our divorce, but it involved some very complicated financial questions/issues. I sought an attorney who was experienced in the court room, should we end up in litigation, but one who also understood how to mediate to help avoid litigation. Further, I needed an attorne...y who could quickly comprehend complex finances so as to ensure a fair settlement. I received a few referrals, but Meredith stood out as most qualified and she did an excellent job. She really knows the law and even, on a couple of occasions, had to correct and educate the mediator on the law, but in a kind and professional way. I was very impressed. I highly recommend Meredith.

Meredith Lewis is not only an expert in the law, she's a highly skilled negotiator - and when that fails, an excellent litigator. Unfortunately, my ex and I went through three failed mediations, the last one with Meredith. At that last mediation, the commissioner who heard our case acknowledged tha...t Meredith had prepared and presented a very good case. Most of the work was done for trial, and to trial we went. My ex was unhappy with the court's decision, and threatened to appeal. I consulted with the top family law appeals attorney in San Diego, and he affirmed that Meredith did an excellent job. Not only was I confident in her expertise throughout the entire agonising process, I was treated like a person - not just a client or a case. Highly recommended.