Edmund Lee Montgomery

I do not know how it is possible that this attorney has a rating of 10 on here. Mr. Montgomery managed to drag my divorce case on for 2 years! He was never available when I called. He had only 3 conferences with me in 2 years. He neglected to inform me of many court dates which I found out about afte...r he had himself relieved as my council due to not being able to contact me since I moved. He did this on the same day as a custody hearing (which I was not aware of). Needless to say I lost custody of my son as a result. Mr. Montgomery did get the court to order fair child support and spousal support within a few weeks. The court also ordered my ex to pay my attorney's fees. However, when my ex failed to pay Mr. Montgomery's bill, he asked me to pay it on monthly payments. I reminded him that the judge ordered my ex to pay him and he told me that I could afford it now that he had gotten me more money in support. I told him that I use it to for rent and food. 2 months later I lost custody of my son. When I called his office and left a message that I'd be by to pick up my case file, I intentionally left only my name, no phone number. Early the next morning one of his office staff called my cell number to inform me that my file had been destroyed because I was no longer a client. My advice would be to stay far away from this attorney.

Mr. Montgomery prepared me for a very lucrative outcome and when in court 8 months later did a complete reversal. He knew my circumstances, living at the poverty level, when he took my $1500 deposit (loaned to me by a relative) and he assured me I would get it back when my ex paid all the fees. U...nfortunately, he allowed the case to be postponed 3 months without asking me if that was OK. I wrote a letter reminding him of my financial hardship and he did not respond. I had to sell my house and all my furniture. I also emailed him to tell him I was worried I was going to have to sell my car and my house. He told me not to do that. He assured me that my case was simple because of the existing Legal Separation judgment. I had a judgment from 2005 for a lifetime of spousal support that Mr. Montgomery single-handedly reduced to one year's worth within an hour!!! Several weeks before the trial date, Mr. Montgomery increased the cost of my case by $1000 (more than 30%) without providing any explanation and when I asked what it was for, he just told me that I needn't worry about it because he was going to get it all paid by my ex. Really? My ex paid 2/3 of my fees. I am left with paying back my relative. I had to sell my house, my furniture, and my car. I am so appalled and disgusted by this outcome that it has taken me a few months to calm down so I could write this review. I emailed him several times without getting a response. He was receiving all kinds of legal documents from the other side which he just flat out ignored. He never bothered to update the other side with my new address so I never knew about my divorce hearing. Missed it. He never discussed with me about the decisions he was making on my behalf. His staff was rude and uncaring. I was in a court of law on my court date in October, just one day after being released from the hospital for an allergic reaction to a flu shot (still feeling ill), and feeling so nervous that my day was finally here (after preparing for 4 years) and hearing Mr. Montgomery laughing in the next room with the opposing attorney was the beginning of my thoughts that things were not right. In the next few minutes, he sits down next to me and tells me about the other side offering a settlement that will permanently terminate spousal support. He never prepared me for a settlement or termination. This offer was an incredibly and ridiculously low settlement. Mr. Montgomery pressured me by saying that if I pursued this by trial I could very well lose (after he said in his office that I would easily win and laughing about the attorney I had just let go). I told him when we first met that my ex is 68 and he said it didn't matter. In court, he reversed that and said the judge was not going to like that fact that my ex was almost 69. I wanted to counter back at double the offer. I was in shock when he said we can't take a risk that this will go to trial. Because of Mr. Montgomery's lack of preparation of me and the case, I will be lucky to still have any amount remaining in 12 months with no job and no income. My ex is retired but his income is more than $3500 per mo. THIS WAS NOT JUSTICE! This was not my imagination--I didn't miss some of the facts. My sister was present for both meetings in Feb 2013 with Mr. Montgomery and heard the same thing. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF REMORSE--I just want to make that perfectly clear! I was PRESSURED and CHEATED. I should have been given the opportunity to confer with my lawyer in private before court was in session. I just don't know how I will recover from this!! I will experience further financial ruin as a result of this. I am so depressed and still in shock -- I can barely function while trying to start a business to try to make some money. I shared my feelings with Mr. Montgomery the day after court--he had little to say. My advice to you...hire a different lawyer.

All I can say is you get what you pay for. He is a terrible attorney. He kept postponing the hearings and at our final hearing he just pretty much sat there and mumbled. He was outlawyered by some Christian attorney that does adoptions, rarely family law cases. I would seriously avoid this guy at all... costs. It was very hard to get in touch with him and he never read any of my emails and gave me very bad advice. And I didnt lose my case, but I can honestly say that I could have done a much better job, but when you hire an attorney the judge only lets him speak considering he is my representation. He sat there like some idiot and could hardly respond to anything the other attorney said and I laid everything out there for him! Save yourself. DO NOT HIRE EDMUND MONTGOMERY! Even if you have already paid him and you're in the middle of your case, seriously DONT DO IT! YOUR BETTER OFF REPRESENTING YOURSELF!

It was alleged that I raped my daughter twice while living in northern California and she living with her mother in southern California, the Child protective service found out the mother had lied to them and the mother was deemed to have mental issue's per court record. I was awarded custody of my da...ughter sole legal and physical and under California Family code 3027.1 I was awarded to get all my attorney and court fee's back, it ended with me having to pay her attorney fee's and not to receive any compensation back which is not the law. Mr. Montgomery had all the fact's from CPS , therapist and court appointed officers including the court mediator and did nothing as far as what is written per the family court law . I sent him documentation of the events pertaining to the case but when we talked he seemed to always not know what I was talking about, then sending me a bill for over 7000.00 for what HE DID NOT REPRESENT AS A COMPETENT LAWYER !!!! I was lied on in court under oath on several occasions and fraudulent paper work filed on me and I still have to pay for the other parties attorney fee's in disregard to the California Family Court law 3027.1 code that should have been followed, what are law's put in place for ? The best interest of the child in this case was not important to Mr. Montgomery.