Joshua Adam Janis

I am not one to post review, but I feel compelled to write this about Josh as he has done a lot for my family and I over the years. He represented me on my divorce, my son on a DUI, and counseled me through another very trying incident in my life. He was always respectful, compassionate, and fair wit...h me and he did so much more then any other lawyer has for me in my life. Whatever mistakes he made does not change that, and I am always grateful for how he helped me.

I came to Josh for help with a divorce case with a spiteful wife who was out to do harm to me any possible way. Multiple PFAs filed, false accusations of drug use and abuse, you name it she did it. Other lawyers were just out for my money and did not want to listen to what I had to say or to my side ...of the story. Josh was attentive and meticulously poked holes in my wife's accusations to finally settle down my case and get the matter fully resolved. I owe him so much, he dragged me out of the hell that I was going through, I can't say enough good things about him and I insist on anyone calling him if you need help.

I retained Mr. Janis to bring a jurisdictional complaint in a child custody proceeding as an out-of-state litigant. We discussed at the outset that my only claim was based on jurisdiction and he was being hired for that purpose only. He took my money, claimed to be making the proper filings and told ...me we had a strong argument for getting the case thrown out before the 1/13 scheduled hearing. He also said that I would not be penalized for appearing by phone as I am a law student out of state. On 12/ 24 I spoke with him. He said via telephone that we were in good shape to bring forward a jurisdictional claim. He then disappeared until a couple days before the scheduled hearing, ignoring my attempts to reach him. At that time, he told me to follow through with mediation despite his prior assurances that there would be a jurisdictional hearing where we had a strong argument for getting the case thrown out. When I asked for an explanation, he claimed to to be in the car and said he would call me back. He did not do so, and he did not pick up when I called him. He disappeared again until 4:29 pm on Monday 1/12, a mere 17 hours before the hearing! He first asked me if I was in the area yet (he knew I was appearing by phone at his advice) He called to inform me that we would not be able to argue jurisdiction because of a Chester County Family Court rule that requires all jurisdiction objections to be filed within 20 days of the receipt of the initial complaint. Admittedly, I was not able to retain him until eight days after the deadline he did not advise me of, but he said nothing, was given all the details and proceeded as though he could file such a claim. The first time he informed me of this was now, not my initial consultation before I decided to retain him on the basis of a jurisdictional complaint, but a mere 17 hours before the hearing! He then claimed that the opposing lawyer had consented to reviewing jurisdiction at the scheduled hearing and withdrawn the consent that day. Notwithstanding the fact that this was the first mention of "consent" determining anything, I find it hard to believe that any lawyer would voluntarily consent to engaging in an argument where her client was vulnerable when she did not have to. It seems far more likely to me that Mr. Janis was either unaware of the Chester County rule before he agreed to bring a jurisdictional claim, or he knowingly concealed this information in order to make his fee. Mr. Janis was either ignorant of the basic Family Court rules in Chester County while holding himself out to be a family lawyer who practiced there, or he knowingly took advantage of someone dragged into litigation across state lines against his will. The entirety of Mr. Janis's preparation for the hearing that actually took place consisted of two back and forth e-mail exchanges between him and I on the evening before the hearing. The judge made repeated reference to the fact that I was "not there to be evaluated," and noted that I did not provide medical reports that could have been easily submitted Mr. Janis had prepared for court . While I was blindsided by the opposing lawyer's contention that mild cerebral palsy disqualified me from parenting without supervision, I could have easily provided Mr. Janis with any documentation necessary to refute this absurd and prejudicial argument. I found myself in this situation due to Mr. Janis's explicit advice and stunning incompetence. After the hearing I was awarded supervised visitation. Mr. Janis said he would call me to discuss our next steps and never did so. When I called him, he made up yet another excuse why he could not talk to me, said he would call me back and never did so. Mr. Janis was more than unhelpful. His singular focus was on a jurisdictional argument that would never take place. His lack of preparation for the actual proceeding means in practical terms that since retaining Mr. Janis, I have never seen my son without a babysitter over me.