Stephen Douglas Hamilton

I had been through several lawyers that were not giving my case the attention I felt it deserved. I was referred to Mr Hamilton by a friend that used his services and was very happy. Well she was right, he saved me and renewed my confidence in lawyers. Every issue I was dealing with swiftly got rever...sed in my favor! My only regret........ not seeing Mr Hamilton first.

Mr. Hamilton changed our lives for the better. I had gone through divorce 4 years before without representation. I wound up moving to Orange County to be closer to my family. The marriage and settlement agreement gave my ex wife physical custody and me “reasonable visitation.” My ex wife decided that... meant she could dictate visitation how she saw fit. As she remarried and had another baby, she decided she would only allow me to see my daughters once a year, told me I didn’t have a right to phone calls, and if I wanted the girls to visit me during the summers I could wait till they were 18. I hired Mr. Hamilton to represent me and file a request I for order changing the custody arrangement. He negotiated with me ex wife’s attorney and represented me in court. I now have joint legal and joint physical custody. I get to drive up every other weekend to see them. They now will come down here half the summers and alternate holiday weeks. I was missing out on my daughters’ lives. Mr. Hamilton fought for me. My daughters are the most important part of my life. I couldn’t be happier, and I owe this all to Mr. Hamilton.

I hired Mr. Hamilton on the high recommendation of a professional friend and his CA State Bar Credentials. He was hired to do specific items to finish up my divorce which my previous attorney had 'ignored and let lapse'. Unfortunately Mr. Hamilton did not follow through with any of these things, exce...pt when the opposing attorney sought him out in Court on separate cases and discussed a fee I was alleged to pay my ex. Then I was called in to a meeting to be informed that I had to pay this amount - which was one of the items I had given him evidence that I did not owe the amount and he was to file motions against and prove this. Instead he did nothing and refused to use my evidence or to file any motions against payment of this to my ex. I ended up borrowing the money from a family member to pay the huge amount. The other 4 or so items I called about on 2 week occasions to see how they were progressing, and was told he would get back to me. Overall 5 months went by and nothing was done and I asked for a progress report and a time frame on how long this was going to take. He checked with his legal assistant apparently and found that 'there wasn't enough funds left for him to complete the tasks' so he removed himself from the Case. Very non-professional, very 'lax' in his handling of these tasks, he is a bright and articulate man who could have walked into Court with enough proof and Motions to make these final items resolved and get my money back, plus show errors that had been made; instead he refused to 'risk his reputation with the Judge Pro Tem' by showing her that the opposing attorney had shown her erroneous and fraudulent documents in Court. Does not fight for his client, unless there is something bigger in it for him. I ended up going to a 3rd attorney to finish this Divorce. I would never recommend him to anyone.

I retained Mr. Hamilton to help with a revision to spousal support payments. He and his staff worked closely with me to ensure that they knew precisely what my parameters and limits were, and Mr. Hamilton outlined my options realistically. He then pursued the matter efficiently--typically composing... a letter for my review as we sat in his office--and would contact me as soon as he'd heard anything from opposing counsel. He was smart, engaging, and obviously knew the law. He and his staff communicated timely and efficiently; I was never left wondering what was going on with my case. We reached a satisfactory conclusion, and I would not hesitate to retain Mr. Hamilton in the future should I need any further representation. Five stars, easily.

Mr. Hamilton has helped me through my divorce and several child custody and support issues over the years. He always looks at any problem I'm facing to determine what the best outcome for me and my children will be. There have been several occasions when I've wanted to go to court to fight something ...on principal and he has helped me weigh the cost of the battle against what I might stand to gain if I won. I know he would fight for me if I decided to go that route, but he helped me keep a level head. I know he sees his clients as people who need help, not as billable hours. He has integrity and I can't recommend him more highly.