Mary Frances Stanley-Parker

When the legal process began, I was so consumed with the drama and my own emotions that I just took the first and cheapest lawyer I could find. I didn’t realize how incompetent he was until it was too late and I got screwed. What a relief to find Mary and her firm! Their knowledge of the law and usin...g it to fight for a father’s rights is impeccable. They took emotions out of the picture, understanding the importance of having both parents in a child’s life, and were able to give sound direction in the best interest of our son. They aren’t the cheapest, but it has been worth every penny to pay for THE best experts in father advocacy.

I am an out of state father who was seeking to protect my children, enforce an custody and visitation agreement and negotiate a change of custody. I only heard from Mrs. Parker when I first spoke with her and then when I fired her. She had me fax the agreement from the Georgia court which she prompt...ly lost. Instead of gaining the certified copies from the foreign court (which was required do to) she had her assistant make repeated requests for the information from me. Each time I was billed. She did not believe what I was telling her about what my ex-wife and inlaws were saying to my kids so she required a meeting with my kids to verify. Mrs Parker was told that the only time I could get my kids away from my ex-wife was during the Labor Day holiday weekend when I would be exercising my right to visit. No specific time or location was set. On the Monday before her assistant called to tell me that Mrs. Parker would need to reschedule our meeting because her husband wanted to take her out of town. I reminded Ms. Castle that I was flying in from out of town and that was the only time I would have my kids. I even suggested that if she went away that we could do this by phone or I could meet her in a more convenient location but it had to be that weekend. Ms. Castle returned my call and said that Mrs. Parker forgot that I was coming in from out of town and that we could still meet on Saturday. I said great but where and when? Two other requests for the arrangements were made but not answered. During the weekend Mrs. Parker made no attempt to contact me in any manner. When I did not show up as she expected, she made no other attempt to reach me or show care for me or my children. When I returned on Tuesday I sent an email terminating the agreement. She had the nerve to bill me for the termination email and the phone calls she made to retain my case! When I requested the return of my retainer I received a bill for her services. As I said, she billed me for obtaining information I had already had faxed at my expense, she billed me for review of information three times that she admitted she only received on the Saturday that was suggested we meet. She failed to provide any of the advice or services for which she was hired and then wanted to keep the money. She was the one that requested the meeting with my kids, it was Mrs. Parker who failed to schedule the meeting after repeated requests, she lost the documents, she failed to do what was legally required by getting the agreement enrolled in Tennessee, and it was Mrs. Parker who decided she wanted to keep the money for what was at best incompetent representation. I hired another lawyer who got all of what I hired Mrs. Parker to do done in 3 weeks and they charged me 1/4 of what Mrs. Parker charged.