John Leonard Hartzell III

During the first half of my son's dependency case I was so focused on defending myself against the opinions of others that I was struggling through meeting my court requirements. CPS had filed a request to change the order to adoption as a primary and home placement secondary. I had just 3 months to ...overturn the decision and no time left to trip over my ego. John looked me right in the eye and called me out on my behavior like no one had ever done before. •He was sincere and unapologetic and stated the facts while keeping focused on what needed to be done verses what is being said about me. • helped me to focus on the desired outcome instead of conflicting feelings •put me in touch with agencies that provided documentation stating that the specific concerns against me were adressed, treated and in compliance with court requirements •caused me to acknowledge that the whole dependency was about meeting my son's needs and not about justifying myself and blaming others for pointing out defects in my character. As a result of John Hartzell's straight forward, no nonsense, brutal honesty I wrote a request for services acknowledging my need for counseling to prepare me for parenting my child effectively. My case was won simply because John Hartzell brought me to the very point where I acknowledged my own defects, admitted that the department was right in being concerned about the issues, humbly asking for help and accepting the responsibility of making the most out of the help I was given. There was not a dry eye on either side of the courtroom when the judge signed the order to return my son home to me. Thank you so much John Hartzell for everything you did for my son and I. Brian Bennett

John helped me succeed in my adoption. He went the extra mile to get the information needed to get it done. He found plenty of options to choose from in the requirements of the adoption process and had background information on the social workers to go through that helped make my choice. John is an u...nderstanding and calming person and willing to help the average American and I will definitely recommend him to anyone seeking an attorney.