Mende Lauren Romaniak

Mende Romaniak

Thank you for your review Ms. Johnson. I would point out that, as your review makes clear, you were not present in the consultation so you are simply hearing one-sided information from your family member. If you had been in said consultation, I presume you would have seen the actuality of the situation - which was that your family member was rude and dismissive from the first moment of the consultation, had unrealistic expectations as to not only what would be provided in a consultation but also what a Court would do given the circumstances, and was either unable to or unwilling to accept any responsibility for your family member's own actions and inactions which led them to the situation. During the consultation they repeatedly were extremely rude and argumentative. When they complained that everything I was telling them about their situation was "obvious" and demanding I provide them case strategy I tried to explain to them that case strategy would vary wildly based on further review of the case (pleadings, prior orders, etc.), what the opposing party presented to the Court in response to their motion, and what the children expressed. I expressed that what was being asked was an impossibility in a one-hour consultation provided at a reduced hourly rate. This type of service would generally be provided after retention, a full review of the relevant case file, and may change throughout the process as evidence evolves. It is not something that can be adequately considered and provided in a very limited consultation which is meant to simply provide baseline information and make a determination as to if further representation is necessary and a good fit. After explaining this, they stated that they would not need the full hour of time and demanded to know how much they would be charged. I expressed that the cost of the consultation was $200.00 for up to an hour of time, as they were made aware of during the booking process. They then began rudely and argumentatively questioning my experience and berating me. At that point, after dealing with unacceptable behavior for over 30 minutes, I terminated the consultation and kindly told them I would not be charging them for my time. This was a benefit to them so it is odd that they complained about it to you. This decision was made because it was clear to me that I was unwilling to represent them and I had no desire to engage in an argument with them. I would remind you that attorneys - even through we are paid for our services - do not have to tolerate rude, berating, entitled, and belligerent clients. I stand by my termination of the consultation and did so forgoing funds which were rightfully earned so as to not have to deal with your family member any further. I truly hope they get the help needed so that their litigation goals may be met in the future. I would also urge you - as someone who was not present for this consultation and as someone who has NO personal knowledge of what occurred - to refrain from posting reviews for a service you had no part in. Thank you.