Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Family First Firm's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

close

Find a Location

Family First Firm has 2 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

BBB accredited

Near

Country

USUnited States

Please enter a valid location.

Filter

• 

  Family First Firm

  1030 W Canton Ave Ste 102 Winter Park, FL 32789-3050

• 

  Family First Firm

  1715 Douglas Ave Altamonte Springs, FL 32714

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/04/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Since filing this complaint, I have learned that the DPOA document executed by this firm in 11/2023 may be invalid due to errors and missing information on the signature page. The attempt to fix it over a year later by inserting my mother’s invalid DL number and having someone initial it, not the original notary, is a clear example of how this firm does business. 

  I will be seeking a COMPLETE REFUND of my mother’s funds to the EPIC investment - in FULL. I will also be seeking a refund of all fees I paid to this firm and official verification that any past-due amounts in my mother’s name caused by their incompetency has been removed from her accounts - this includes the $20k owed to Hunters Creek Nursing Facility and Medicaid.

  due to the potential move. They recommended that I select a flat fee option for penalty fees associated with early termination, which I understood to be 8% based on what I was told. This was also false. We invested my mothers life savings in their partners program less than three months ago, and I have just learned that to terminate the agreement, the firm will be charging us over $37k. As a result, my mothers life savings are now insufficient to sustain her in an assisted living facility. Instead of lasting a decade as planned, her funds will run out in less than three years. I have many documented examples of the neglect, poor communication, and lack of accountability with this firm, including one in which the managing partner came up with a plan to keep my mother in a nursing home indefinitely - against hers and my familys wishes - so the facility could use her Social Security benefits to gradually pay off the $20,000 debt that the firm created through its negligence.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/18/2025

  The complaint contains numerous misstatements and blatant fallacies.  First, the complainant states that we mismanaged her case in 2023 and then came back to us for help in 2025.  It is extremely unlikely that she would return to a company who did a poor job the first time.  This casts doubt on the credibility of the rest of the complaint. 

  Second, and what appears to be the crux of the complaint, is the issue regarding EPIC.  First and foremost, we are not a partner of this company.  They are one of many options we offer to our clients in Medicaid cases.  However, as it relates to Ms. Hash, our office had a fifty (50) minute conversation with her and EPIC wherein they repeatedly reiterated the early termination fees about which she is now complaining.  As the representatives at EPIC will affirm, she was made aware on the phone, she signed the paperwork showing the same information, and was even made aware that it would not work if she moved her mother to Washington state.  

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/18/2025

  This law firm charged an upfront fee of $6,989 in October 2023 to manage my mother’s Medicaid application, including renewals. The managing partner made a lot of promises about the services they would provide - DPOA documents, strategies to "protect our assets." Unfortunately, their handling of her case was riddled with serious mistakes that negatively impacted my family. Despite this, I felt forced to continue working with them because of the large fee they required upfront.
  In 2023, they mismanaged my mother’s case, failed to communicate with me, failed to review the documents I sent, ending in medicaid denial - and I have a long trail of email correspondence as proof. They made sloppy mistakes in my mother's DPOA document - overlooking key information that was missing from the notary signature page. When it came to asset protection, the firm only offered two options. And yes, I continued to use their services because they "owed" us more than $20k from their mismanagement of the medicaid application, and in return, said they wouldn't be charging us the typical fees for setting up the investment. I guess you get what you pay for.

  They provided me with minimal information about the EPIC Investment—just a marketing brochure and a one-page FAQ sheet with no substantial details. When I asked over 35 questions about the investment, they responded with another FAQ sheet and a 90-page contract full of legalese. The FAQ document was misleading, particularly regarding termination fees. During a call, the managing partner at Family First assured me the investment would be transferrable if my mother moved out of state—which it is not. He also inaccurately explained the termination fees, suggesting I choose an 8% flat fee option, given my mother’s plans to move. This advice proved to be flawed.

  The firm handled the contract signing process poorly, imposing rushed and unrealistic deadlines. I was given only three business days to sign, notarize (over 16 signatures required notarization), and return the documents to EPIC’s Florida office, all while accounting for shipping time from Washington State. Family First also received a copy of the documents but clearly failed to review them thoroughly

  When hiring an attorney, you expect them to advocate for your best interests and ensure everything is handled properly. Family First did not fulfill this responsibility. Their partnership with EPIC Investments appears designed to exploit elderly individuals, separating them from their life savings.

  The level of incompetence displayed by this firm was staggering. It’s clear why they demand upfront fees—they do not deliver the level of service their clients deserve.

  I've attached the brochure Family First provided me about the EPIC Investment, and the FAQ page, which is misleading regarding the fees. I will also be happy to follow up with email correspondence between me and the attorneys at this firm - from October 2023 to May 2025, and my detailed notes from each phone call. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/18/2025

  This law firm charged an upfront fee of $6,989 in October 2023 to manage my mother’s Medicaid application, including renewals. The managing partner made a lot of promises about the services they would provide - DPOA documents, strategies to "protect our assets." Unfortunately, their handling of her case was riddled with serious mistakes that negatively impacted my family. Despite this, I felt forced to continue working with them because of the large fee they required upfront.
  In 2023, they mismanaged my mother’s case, failed to communicate with me, failed to review the documents I sent, ending in medicaid denial - and I have a long trail of email correspondence as proof. They made sloppy mistakes in my mother's DPOA document - overlooking key information that was missing from the notary signature page. When it came to asset protection, the firm only offered two options. And yes, I continued to use their services because they "owed" us more than $20k from their mismanagement of the medicaid application, and in return, said they wouldn't be charging us the typical fees for setting up the investment. I guess you get what you pay for.

  They provided me with minimal information about the EPIC Investment—just a marketing brochure and a one-page FAQ sheet with no substantial details. When I asked over 35 questions about the investment, they responded with another FAQ sheet and a 90-page contract full of legalese. The FAQ document was misleading, particularly regarding termination fees. During a call, the managing partner at Family First assured me the investment would be transferrable if my mother moved out of state—which it is not. He also inaccurately explained the termination fees, suggesting I choose an 8% flat fee option, given my mother’s plans to move. This advice proved to be flawed.

  The firm handled the contract signing process poorly, imposing rushed and unrealistic deadlines. I was given only three business days to sign, notarize (over 16 signatures required notarization), and return the documents to EPIC’s Florida office, all while accounting for shipping time from Washington State. Family First also received a copy of the documents but clearly failed to review them thoroughly

  When hiring an attorney, you expect them to advocate for your best interests and ensure everything is handled properly. Family First did not fulfill this responsibility. Their partnership with EPIC Investments appears designed to exploit elderly individuals, separating them from their life savings.

  The level of incompetence displayed by this firm was staggering. It’s clear why they demand upfront fees—they do not deliver the level of service their clients deserve.

  I've attached the brochure Family First provided me about the EPIC Investment, and the FAQ page, which is misleading regarding the fees. I will also be happy to follow up with email correspondence between me and the attorneys at this firm - from October 2023 to May 2025, and my detailed notes from each phone call. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/23/2025

   
  
  Complaint: 23419669
  
  Date Sent: 6/18/2025 4:55:10 PM
  

  This law firm charged an upfront fee of $6,989 in October 2023 to manage my mother’s Medicaid application, including renewals. The managing partner made a lot of promises about the services they would provide - DPOA documents, strategies to "protect our assets." Unfortunately, their handling of her case was riddled with serious mistakes that negatively impacted my family. Despite this, I felt forced to continue working with them because of the large fee they required upfront.
  In 2023, they mismanaged my mother’s case, failed to communicate with me, failed to review the documents I sent, ending in medicaid denial - and I have a long trail of email correspondence as proof. They made sloppy mistakes in my mother's DPOA document - overlooking key information that was missing from the notary signature page. When it came to asset protection, the firm only offered two options. And yes, I continued to use their services because they "owed" us more than $20k from their mismanagement of the medicaid application, and in return, said they wouldn't be charging us the typical fees for setting up the investment. I guess you get what you pay for.

  They provided me with minimal information about the EPIC Investment—just a marketing brochure and a one-page FAQ sheet with no substantial details. When I asked over 35 questions about the investment, they responded with another FAQ sheet and a 90-page contract full of legalese. The FAQ document was misleading, particularly regarding termination fees. During a call, the managing partner at Family First assured me the investment would be transferrable if my mother moved out of state—which it is not. He also inaccurately explained the termination fees, suggesting I choose an 8% flat fee option, given my mother’s plans to move. This advice proved to be flawed.

  The firm handled the contract signing process poorly, imposing rushed and unrealistic deadlines. I was given only three business days to sign, notarize (over 16 signatures required notarization), and return the documents to EPIC’s Florida office, all while accounting for shipping time from Washington State. Family First also received a copy of the documents but clearly failed to review them thoroughly

  When hiring an attorney, you expect them to advocate for your best interests and ensure everything is handled properly. Family First did not fulfill this responsibility. Their partnership with EPIC Investments appears designed to exploit elderly individuals, separating them from their life savings.

  The level of incompetence displayed by this firm was staggering. It’s clear why they demand upfront fees—they do not deliver the level of service their clients deserve.

  I've attached the brochure Family First provided me about the EPIC Investment, and the FAQ page, which is misleading regarding the fees. I will also be happy to follow up with email correspondence between me and the attorneys at this firm - from October 2023 to May 2025, and my detailed notes from each phone call. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  Susan Hash

  Business Response

  Date: 06/29/2025

  This second complaint basically repeats the same fabricated statements as the first - these have already been responded to.  Further, it seems clear that Ms. Hash has no interest in seeking any resolution as the CEO of our company offered to speak with her once he found out she was upset.  She initially accepted and then later unilaterally cancelled the meeting, opting instead to take her complaints to the internet instead of speaking with the person who could actually help her.  In spite of this, that offer still stands.  Our CEO is happy to speak with her to work towards a mutually agreeable resolution.  She is welcome to call our firm at 407-863-0000 and ask for Melissa or Sarah, who will be happy to schedule that call.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/30/2025

  I've attached the "contract" I signed with this firm for an upfront fee of $6989 for medicaid planning and special needs planning. Attorney Hoatson claims that I continued to do business with his firm and infers that I did so willingly. I ONLY continued to do business with this firm because they did NOT competently handle my mother's medicaid planning NOR any special needs planning, which I HAD TO PAY FOR IN ADVANCE. I ONLY continued to try to get this firm to FOLLOW THROUGH ON THEIR ORIGINAL PROMISES MADE DURING THE INITIAL CONSULTATION. Which they failed to do - and in fact, due to their incompetence, ended up costing our family TENS OF THOUSANDS in fees. 

  I've also attached the followup contract in which they waived the fee for "representing" us in the EPIC investment because of the $20k hole they put us in due to their bungling the medicaid application. This is also why they put ZERO effort into explaining how the termination fees worked or even reviewing the documents they were sent. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/18/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I'd like to emphasize that the service for which Family First Firm was compensated pertains to a Family estate plan. Yet throughout this entire Family estate plan process, the Family First Firm has never made any effort to involve my husband. They emailed me a questionnaire to complete. They never had any discussion with me about the questionnaire or the implications of the responses, they simply drafted documents based on the completed questionnaire. I question how they can justify receiving payment for such careless work, especially when the fundamental step of consulting with both parties involved was neglected.

   

  irements. My sole request at this point is a refund of the payment made for a service that was not fulfilled.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2023

  The complaint has been shared with our Escalation team and currently being reviewed for next steps. We will be contacting the client by end of week.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/20/2023

  We have completed our escalation and review process. After careful examination, we contacted the client and explained what our process involved and deliverables included based on the fees paid. As of today we have reached an agreement with the client and resolved the issue.