Michelle Marie Jacobson-Kwok

If you find yourself here, as I did last year, chances are you’re going through some major life changes. Whether it be financial or emotional, divorce can be extremely scary. Sadly, I am no exception. Last June my wife told me she wanted a divorce after 10 years of marriage. After the initial sho...ck, sadness, and reflection, I realized it was for the best, we were not happy, even after a couple years of therapy. I now needed to get to the business end of this divorce and hire an attorney. After interviewing two other attorneys and not feeling confident, a friend of mine referred me to Michelle Jacobson-Kwok and I can’t put a price on that referral! Michelle has been a Godsend. My wife, now legally my ex, had a favorable financial position, in terms of assets, and emotional leverage, having a stronger bond with our nine-year-old daughter and a good chance of winning more custody. We were both amicable, for the sake of our daughter, but the underlying concerns were the financial settlement and shared custody. Michelle was attentive, professional and gave me a sense of calm and confidence through the nine-month process. Since my ex and I were amicable, Michelle recommended mediation rather than going to court. This not only saved us tens of thousands of dollars but also minimized the emotional toll that litigation can bring about. I don’t know if this would have been the best option if my ex and I were not amicable, but it was the best option for us. A big reason why I retained Michelle was the fact she gave me a sense of confidence if we ended up litigating. It was always the last option but an option nonetheless if my ex became unreasonable. Michelle was always apathetic to my future financial and custody concerns and confidently explained my position if we were to litigate. I NEVER felt at a disadvantage with Michelle on my side and confident there would be a favorable outcome, if we did litigate. I cannot THANK Michelle enough for her competency, professionalism, and “human touch” she brought to my case. I would, without hesitation, recommend Michelle to anyone who finds themselves needing a family law specialist.

I hired Michelle to help with a divorce case on the referral of another attorney. What a disappointment. Michelle cared little about me or my case, only about maximizing her billable hours. There was constant nickel and diming and large fees charged for simple tasks. She would spend hours of time... discussing court politics and her personal matters unrelated to my case, then bill me for them. She was poorly prepared for court appearances. In spite of hours of my time spent preparing her with background information and prep calls for which she would bill me, Michelle would come in and "wing it" in court, saying random things and completely deviating from the strategy we had agreed on. It was as if she hadn't attended those meetings or read a single item I sent her. When the judge addressed her, she was a deer in the headlights and visibly nervous. Michelle's performance in court was spectacularly horrible. Michelle was unreachable at pivotal moments in the case. I had an extremely urgent issue where I needed her help. In spite of urgent calls to her office, she waited three days to return my calls, putting me at a major disadvantage in the case and driving additional large legal fees that could have and should have been avoided. Overall, Michelle billed generously and took me backwards in the case. There was no accountability, apology, or willingness to correct the errors. I would not hire her or work with her ever again.