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4.9 /5.0

110 Client Reviews

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Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews | 2 stars

Posted by Nathan | July 10, 2013

A mixed bag...

My experience with this firm has been a mixed bag. Always do your homework. Never trust what a lawyer tells you, especially AFTER you've given them your money. I requested some help from Linda regarding an extension on my community service in lieu of jail time... she dismissed me saying the terms... are NOT negotiable. I pursued the issue on my own and found she had lied to me regarding negotiations for community service extensions. I find it incredibly troubling that in 17 years of practicing law, she doesn't know extensions for community service in lieu of jail time ARE negotiable. She either lied to me, or figured she didn't have to help me anymore since she already had my money. Either way, I didn't like the way she blew me off. So, I filed the request on my own and got the extension approved without her help. I emailed a copy of the judge's approval for her to review... she never replied. You know, you can tell a lot about a person by the service they provide after the sale. Obviously, I'm not impressed with Linda, hence the poor rating for "trustworthy" and "knowledgeable". Now on the other hand... Two of Linda's employees/business partners are responsible for the "excellent" ratings. Contract lawyer Michelle Dellino and office administrator Toni Hartwell were fantastic to work with! They both spent a great deal of time communicating the details of my case with me, and their response time was very fast. In the end, Michelle's hard work yielded the best result possible, considering the evidence against me. She was also able to save me nearly $1000 in fines at the conclusion of my court hearings. I recommend circumventing Callahan Law and hiring Michelle Dellino directly. She will earn your money, which is more than I can say for Linda Callahan. The entire statement above is fact. I have the emails to prove it. I welcome all comments.

Linda Callahan

Replied last June 20, 2013

Please contrast this with our 40 + complementary, "5 out of 5" reviews. We pride ourselves in being the opposite of what this person says we are. I am the author of the legal book on Washington DUI law. Judges and lawyers rely on my book, called "The Washington DUI Practice Manual." They will tell you that I AM knowledgeable about DUI law and court procedures. Most people take a judge's order very seriously. When a person creates their own emergency by not doing what they are supposed to, and waits until the day before the deadline to ask for help, if I can, I will and DO help. But I cannot pick up the phone or email a judge to ask a favor. That is prohibited unethical contact. There are rules I have to follow as a lawyer--I have to prepare emergency motions and give notice to the prosecutor, in order to get an emergency hearing PRIOR to the deadline occurring. However, that afternoon, I needed to be in court for another client. I was not willing to abandon that client to spend the afternoon drafting futile emergency motions. I can only be in one place at a time. If you were my client waiting for me in court that afternoon, and I did not show up because I was helping someone with a last minute request to fix an avoidable crisis of their own making, I would now be answering your negative review! I am glad this person found a way to get his extension from a judge who lawfully suspended the rules lawyers have to follow to accommodate him. But I did not lie to him about what I would have had to do to accomplish the same thing within the rules.

Posted by Michelle | September 21, 2012

The truth

I hired this attorney and I never saw her at all through my whole court case, I think they just use her as a gimmick, so people will use this company. The first court hearing was put off because the attorney wasn't present and another attorney substituting for whomever suppose to have been there. A m...onth later the attorney that was representing me showed up that they said is taught by Mrs. Callahan. In court I didn't know really what to expect because one attorney told me one thing for the first court hearing and then on the next court hearing it was something else. I felt so lost, and at that point I wish I had went with the public offender which I had talked to earlier a month prior to any of my court hearings, he stated that he could have the sentence lowered. Which I think I mess up because I should of just talk to him a little more and then made an decision. Anyway on the second court hearing, the attorney( I don't know what to say about her) I felt rushed in to my decisions and the judge talked for her. At what got me was that "she to him well I guess that it you said everything for me". The judge response was I never saw you before and I know all of the other lawyer, so I usually let them talk. And at that very moment I know I had f+&$ed up. I also lost my license for 90 days. My first offense, .09 blow and my last offense. Good Luck

Linda Callahan

Replied last September 23, 2012

Out of 47 reviews, this is the only one with less than 5 stars overall. So something went very wrong in your opinion, and for that I am very sorry. Please call to discuss this, as I want to make things right with you. It is extremely rare for us to have a dissatisfied client. I personally strategize, investigate and negotiate every case my Firm handles. There is always the option to request that I personally appear at every hearing; there was no such request in your case. The reduction we obtained for you to a Negligent Driving is one most of our clients are very happy to obtain. Finally, I am sorry you felt rushed, but we were under the impression you were moving out of state a couple of weeks after your court hearing and a continuance would have been a great inconvenience to you. Again, please call so that I can fully communicate my regret that your experience was not excellent as it has been for all our other clients. Warmest regards, Linda Callahan

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