Rebekah Atkinson Frye

Do not hire Emily DeLong or Rebecca Frye at Frye Family Law if you have children, a high-conflict case, or anything real at stake. I did, and they failed me completely. They took my money, ran up my retainer, and then Emily withdrew from my case with almost no notice — right before critical court de...adlines. No handoff. No warning. Nothing. I was left completely alone, forced to become my own attorney overnight in a complex custody and divorce case involving two young children, one with a medical condition. The financial damage was serious. The legal damage was worse. Their withdrawal created chaos in my case at the worst possible moment — when my kids needed protection most. I had to scramble to file my own court documents, respond to motions, and navigate a system I never should have had to face alone because I had already paid attorneys to handle it. This is not a firm that will fight for you. This is a firm that will take your money and leave when things get hard. The people who will suffer the consequences are you and your children — not them. I’m writing this so no other mother or father in a vulnerable situation makes the same mistake I did. There are good family law attorneys in our area. Frye Family Law is not where you’ll find them.

I retained Rebekah Frye after interviewing two other experienced and respected family law firms in Palo Alto and San Jose. She was the only attorney who was confident (without guaranteeing it) that she could obtain a protective order for my child and me at the start of my divorce proceedings. She bac...ked up her assessment with the most current legal precedent and a knowledge of trends in this area, and she was right. Custody is her passion and I don't believe that anyone else could have achieved the result that she obtained for me and my child at that crucial stage. Over the course of the proceedings, which my ex and his attorneys delayed, Rebekah was caring and patient with me, but highly focused and aggressive in court. She never overpromised what she could do, and she set my expectations about what outcomes were likely and unlikely before every hearing and trial. And she did not drive up legal fees by having paper wars with the other side, or by allowing them to engage her in tactical games. She is practical, smart, and fearless in court. Divorce proceedings are horrible, and attorneys in this emotionally wrought area are not miracle workers, especially if you hired another attorney first, and the new attorney is tasked with trying to fix something the previous attorney did. So I recommend not depending solely on website reviews, because you don't know the full story. Get recommendations from divorced people you know personally, some of whom may be in online divorce support groups where attorney recommendations are shared. Then interview the attorneys. Ask the same tough questions to all and compare the responses. Also make sure you feel comfortable with the attorney as it's your finances and children at issue and along with health, those are the most important issues in your life. A good fit for one person may not work for someone else. I did careful vetting and found the right attorney for me.

At first I was very happy with Ms. Frye. She assured me that I was not alone and that she and Eber team were there and that I had a very winnable case. But gradually it seemed like she lost interest. She bragged about calling opposing counsel a b$&?! And hanging up on her. Didn't follow through, di...dn't return calls or emails. During court appearances she would spend down time chatting with the other attorneys even though that was my only opportunity to discuss the case with her since she was so elusive outside of court. She made a three hour appointment twitch me to prep me for trial and changed it to a quick 30 minute lunch meeting at a restaurant. Prep consisted of telling me I would be fine on the stand. Changed major trial strategy while i court giving me no opportunity to object. After she lost the case she dropped me. She wouldn't even answer any important questions about next steps, options etc. She added pain and stress to an already horrible situation.

This person left me hanging. She did not keep me informed. I would have to send emails and call multiple times before I would even get a response. She wouldn't even send me a bill but kept insisting that I pay something-- but I had no idea how much. She cost me well over $160,000 of arrears and I...RS problems-- all which could have been prevented. And in the end, in the middle of my case, she simply dropped my case and left me hanging-- all because I was struggling financially-- primarily because of how badly my case was mishandled by she and her firm. She wouldn't even return my file after she filed papers to withdraw from the case. I was misled, and then abandoned-- by the one I hired to protect me. I have been financially and mentally devastated because of this, which has put amazing stress on my current marriage.