Daphne Mariah Benford-Smith

Daphne seemed to be a good lawyer at first. I was worried and apprehensive going into this ordeal and she assured me that our case was strong, and seemed to be on top of everything. She communicated well and seemed understanding of the details of my case, and of the seriousness of my worries involvin...g my ex. Everything fell apart over the span of months. Her general attitude towards communicating with me or appreciating the seriousness of the situation deteriorated to the point where I wasn't sure she even knew who she was speaking to whenever she did actually return emails or calls, which was a constant struggle with her. Near the end of her working on our case she was hostile and rude to the point where I actually questioned whether her and the opposing counsel were working together, not for me, or that I had done something to offend her so badly that she was trying to be fired. After Daphne left the firm that was representing us, the gravity of just how badly she mishandled my case came to light. The lawyer who took over our case expressed dismay and confusion at what was left in her wake, her complete lack of professionalism and courtesy, and most importantly the realization that she did not submit absolutely crucial evidence to the court for reasons we cannot understand. This failure to submit evidence has seriously damaged what was an otherwise very strong case, and has lead to setbacks that are actively putting my child in danger by allowing a dangerous and unstable individual, who makes no effort to hide their behavior, to regain full unsupervised visitation they should have never had in a million years, and wouldn't have had if Daphne had done her job in the most basic sense. Before she left, I was looking into firing Daphne and finding a new lawyer, something I couldn't at all afford, but the situation had deteriorated so severely that I saw no alternative. It was nothing short of a nightmare, and was the most stressful experience of my life. There is nothing I regret more than having this lawyer represent me during the most important fight of my life, when the wellbeing and safety of my child was at stake. Avoid this lawyer at all costs if you value your case.