James D Van Ness

Completely ineffective, not responsive, allowed situation to escalate and get out of hand when a simple answer in the beginning of the process would have negated escalation, saving time and money. Stated things that were not true or not implemented and not followed through on. Misrepresented the trut...h and was wrong on several accounts but don’t bother to argue with him or contradict him as you are never right even in the presence of evidence. He pretends to have that authority to make you do things or impose rules not based in law or even practicality. You will notice that all the positive reviews are from men as this “Good Ole Boy” with an office strewn with Guns and Ammo magazine is not about equity but from the approach that the father in any given situation is the one in the right. A huge waste of time and money and not about equity or situation resolution.

Take notice of how he responded to clients on this site who disagreed with him or wrote a negative review. This is indicative of my experience. He started out as if he knows a lot, but ends up in a pile of fees with no results and defensiveness. To be specific: 1) Did not respond in a timely manner... to questions or sometimes not at all. 2) Submitted a hand-written draft of an official court document with lined out words and margin notes. I specifically stated that I wanted to discuss this document and the numbers before submission. 3) Scheduled and rescheduled hearings without consulting me to as to my availability or to even inform me that it had taken place. 4) Did not provide copies of court documents filed, correspondence to/from opposing counsel, nor copies of any discovery items supplied by the petitioner. 5) Failed to inform me of progress in the case, his strategy, what to expect in the process or any options I had ​available. 6) Sent an email requesting documents that I had sent a month earlier and billed me for it again. 7) Incompetently suggested we cancel a hearing and offer $1000/mo. in spousal support for life. He did ​not offer any alternatives or demonstrate a willingness to fight for me since my spouse had a professional degree and professional license ​with the ability to earn a living equal to mine. My new attorney negotiated a set, non-modifiable amount of spousal support which turned out to less than what Mr. Van Ness recommended I should pay in one year alone! 8) Exorbitant fee. No one expects an attorney to be inexpensive or to get 100% of a desired outcome. However, I do expect the attorney to at least pretend to be on my side and work for my benefit. This attorney did not. 9) He was fired over four months ago and continues to add fees for services. He filed a "Notice of Lien" on my property two weeks after I fired him. Everything Mr. Van Ness was not, my new attorney was. She was professional, courteous, explained everything, informed me every week, sent copies of emails, letters, discovery and ​well versed in family law. Don't waste your time or your money on Mr. Van Ness for family law issues. Find someone who specializes in the field with 100% of their representation in family law.

My experience with Mr. Van Ness is painful. He was happy to charge me a lot of money, but for wasted and undesired work. He was recommended and when we met seemed to be nice at first, but over time he just did not seem to be the brightest bulb and if for whatever reason he gets butthurt he lashes o...ut - not very professional or conducive to helping resolve legal matters, especially in a high conflict situation. I definitely do not recommend.

Mr. Van Ness is very professional and courteous. When we met with him about our case he was very forthright. We really appreciated the insight on issues we were facing. You don't always like what a third party tells you but Jim was absolutely right. We followed his advice and were able to move forwa...rd with our lives. Family situations are never easy but when you combine family and business together that creates a different ballgame. Jim handled our case very efficiently and in a very professional manner. I would recommend Mr. Van Ness in a heartbeat.