Travis Hayes Whitfield

Disappointing Experience - $5,000 Spent and My Divorce Still Wasn't Finalized! If I could give "0 stars," I would! Beware! I hired the Law Office of Travis H. Whitfield to help me finalize my divorce. At the time, I had already completed and filed nearly all the necessary paperwork myself. My cas...e had been delayed during COVID, and the five-year deadline had passed. I needed an attorney to help me obtain an extension and move my existing case toward a final judgment. During my initial consultation, I was told the work would likely cost less than the $5,000 retainer I paid. I was not starting a divorce from scratch. I had already done ALL OF THE WORK until filing for a judgment. Following my attorney's recommendation, I personally traveled from California to Oklahoma to obtain my former husband's notarized signature on the extension agreement. I also covered the necessary expenses. The firm filed the extension paperwork, but then informed me that my entire $5,000 retainer had been exhausted and that I would need to pay another $5,000 for them to continue working on my divorce. When I reviewed the itemized billing statement, I was extremely disappointed by how my money had been spent. There were numerous charges for internal staff discussions, reviewing emails, checking the status of my case, and administrative work. In my opinion, many of these charges were unnecessary or excessive, particularly given the limited progress made toward completing my divorce. What concerns me most is that my case remained unfinished while I continued to incur charges for administrative activities and case reviews. I paid for legal representation intended to help me reach a final judgment, yet that objective was never accomplished by this firm. Eventually, I obtained assistance elsewhere to prepare the remaining paperwork. The person helping me completed those documents in approximately 30 minutes. While I understand that legal work involves more than simply filling out forms, the contrast between that experience and the amount I had already paid was difficult to ignore. I recognize that attorneys deserve to be compensated for their time and expertise. My concern is not that I was charged for legal services, but whether the fees were reasonable, necessary, and consistent with the services I hired the firm to provide. I believe my $5,000 retainer was poorly managed, and I do not believe I received reasonable value for the amount I paid. I was left without a finalized divorce and was expected to provide another $5,000 to continue. I am sharing my experience because I believe prospective clients deserve to understand the importance of asking detailed questions about billing, administrative charges, retainer balances, and what services will actually be completed. I wish I had known to ask more questions before entrusting this firm with my case.