Complaints
This profile includes complaints for The Colwell Law Group, LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 4 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 2 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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Submit a ComplaintThe 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:10/23/2024
Type: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 retained Colwell Law Group to represent me during my divorce. I met with my assigned attorney once in late July to discuss my primary objective in filing for divorce. My primary concern was custody of my 4 year old son. I have sent Multiple emails to Louise A***** and his team with no response. I have been charged over 2,600 dollars for one meeting and a divorce document which covered a small piece of what we discussed. I was charged over 800 dollars in fees for service of the document to my soon to be ex wife. The ******** Sheriffs department will try multiple times for approximately 50 dollars. I have called and sent multiple emails asking for them to return my retainer of 8,600 or at least a far portion of it. There appears to be duplicate charges on invoices as well.
Business Response
Date: 10/30/2024
Dear Better Business Bureau: Please allow the following response to a complaint made to The Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) by “**”, a former client of The Colwell Law Group LLC. Please note: The Colwell Law Group LLC is responding to the best of our ability, and does so in full compliance with the laws, regulations and ethical canons of the State of New York. Specifically, details in The Colwell Law Group LLC's response are limited by the laws that relate to attorney-client privilege. We are truly disappointed that ** feels this way about the legal services provided by The Colwell Law Group LLC. ** was only a client for a period of approximately three (3) months, and his matter was just beginning when he chose to sever ties. There is no dispute that there were charges associated with service and that there were difficulties in serving the opposing party (which is not uncommon). Further, our process server does charge per each service attempt. It is unknown whether **’s contention that the Sheriff’s office only charges $50 for multiple attempts is true or not, or even if the Sheriff’s office is willing to do service for any civilian who requests it. Regardless, use of the Sheriff’s office is not our standard operating procedure. In any event, after ** discontinued his services with the firm, we began to process a refund of the monies left on account. Said refund was already in process, but not yet completed, at the time ** left the attendant BBB complaint. That said, and without disclosing any privileged information, we have since resolved this complaint entirely. It is my belief at the time of this response that no further action is necessary or required to satisfy **’s requests. The Colwell Law Group LLC is committed to treating clients with compassion and respect, especially during difficult times like divorce. We bring our expertise to every case, advocating effectively for our clients in New York State courts. While we regret that ** feels his experience did not meet expectations, we remain confident in the quality of our legal services and the transparency of our billing practices. Best regards, The Colwell Law Group LLCInitial Complaint
Date:10/19/2024
Type: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 retained this law firm for my divorce in December 2023. The initial retainer amount was $8500 that I charged on my credit card. I received subpar representation from the very beginning. And I was charged twice for the same paperwork to be completed or filed. It took over 2 1/2 months to even get the paperwork filed in court. This unnecessary time lapse cost me a lot in my divorce and has greatly affected my case because the filing wasn’t done in a timely manner. And it also took another month after filing to even serve my ex, and only because I contacted the server myself and gave them the exact time and place to make service. And by May, the first two lawyers I was assigned by this firm had left the firm and they were going to assign me a third lawyer. I decided to retain a new attorney from a different law firm at this time because I was not represented properly and overcharged for unnecessary paperwork and services that they didn’t even provide. I am absolutely disgusted by this law firm and their ridiculous charges. I would like to recover the amount I paid minus any filing and service fees.Business Response
Date: 10/29/2024
Dear Better Business Bureau: Please allow the following response to a complaint made to
The Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) by “**”, a former client of The Colwell Law
Group LLC. Please note: The Colwell Law Group LLC is
responding to the best of our ability, and does so in full compliance with the
laws, regulations and ethical canons of the State of New York.
Specifically, details in The Colwell Law Group LLC's response are limited
by the laws that relate to attorney-client privilege. We are truly disappointed that ** feels this way about the
legal services provided by The Colwell Law Group LLC. After a thorough review
of her file and her complaint, which was largely vague in its assertions, I
have confirmed that ** received quality legal representation and was invoiced
accurately. ** retained our services in December 2023 for her divorce case in
******** County, and her initial meeting with her attorney occurred on December
14. Following this meeting, a strategic course of action was established in
collaboration with her counsel. As clients are always advised, legal strategies
are fluid, adapting to numerous external factors that may arise unexpectedly. Regarding her concerns about filing paperwork, specifically
what I believe to be the Summons and Complaint based on context, a delay of a couple
months, while it may feel significant to a party, is negligible in legal
proceedings. In reviewing her case, I found no prejudice caused by the
approximate two-month period between her retaining our services and the filing
of her documents; during this time, substantial work was completed, and ongoing
discussions about her case were held. For service, parties are afforded 120
days to complete personal service due to its potential for complexity and
unpredictable variables. Service within 30 days is reasonable, and **** involvement in this process was necessary, as clients often need to provide
information to support effective service. It was neither unexpected or
inappropriate that she was involved in the process. Concerning her observation about multiple attorneys within
the firm, it’s true ** had two attorneys and was set to be assigned a third.
However, clients hire The Colwell Law Group as a firm, not individual
attorneys, and while we strive for continuity, some changes are unavoidable.
When transitions happen, we ensure that clients do not face any disruptions or
additional costs. In **** case, she had previously expressed concerns about
affordability, and she had a pattern of delaying attorney communications to
avoid costs, only to contact the office after receiving invoices. Despite this,
we conducted a detailed review of her invoices, determined the charges were
appropriate, and even offered early credits to maintain goodwill. When these
issues persisted, and it became apparent that her complaints were both habitual
and unfounded, we stopped offering such credits, and ** ultimately decided to
seek new counsel, signing the necessary termination documents to end her
relationship with The Colwell Law Group LLC. Without disclosing any privileged information, the
litigation, though in its early stages, was still complex. Family and
matrimonial law cases often see the highest costs at the beginning, during
discovery, and then again toward the end, with quieter periods in between.
Specifically, the early stage of a divorce proceeding tends to be one of the
most expensive phases, as it involves gathering information, setting strategy,
and drafting documents. In **** case, the litigation included drafting a
proposed comprehensive agreement and two separate motions, neither of which
were ultimately filed due to a change in strategy and **** decision to seek new
representation, respectively. Based on information and belief, **** divorce is still
active and progressing slowly, as indicated by publicly available information
on ******. No requests for immediate relief have been filed by new counsel
thereby indicating The Colwell Law Group LLC failed to do same. No trial has
been scheduled, as there has been no Note of Issue or Certificate of Readiness
filed. Further, opposing counsel did not even consent to representation until
July 2024, well after our removal from the matter. Therefore, suggesting that
the brief period between her first meeting with her attorney and the filing of
her initial pleading caused her significant prejudice, given the present stage
of her case, is disingenuous. The Colwell Law Group LLC is committed to treating clients
with empathy and respect, especially during challenging times like divorce, and
we apply our expertise to advocate for each client effectively in New York
State courts. While we regret **** perception of her experience with us, we
remain confident in the quality of the legal services provided and the
integrity of our invoicing. Best regards, The Colwell Law Group LLCCustomer Answer
Date: 10/29/2024
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.
I am very disgusted by the response of Colwell Law Group. From the very beginning, my case was put on the bottom of the pile. I paid an $8500 retainer and for almost $7000, the only services I actually got were the court filing and my ex to be served. The response to my complaint was pretty ridiculous. I have no idea who wrote it but they did so as if I was just another problem client that loved to complain. Here I am thinking, after a large retainer was put down in early December, that my case was moving along like it should. Then I find out nothing has even happened and that my first lawyer left. And they stated that they continually credited my account which is very untrue. I think I received a small credit one time. The only thing they ever did in a timely manner was send me bills. Yes I did call a few times about the billing because there were items listed that I had no idea about and were very costly. I received bills way more than I ever communicated with any of the lawyers. It was so clear that my first two lawyers knew they were on their way out and could care less about my case. The second lawyer did so much unnecessary and costly paperwork. If they had filed in December like I had expected or even January it might’ve made a difference in my case. Every attorney I spoke with afterwards, even one lawyer that was at Colwell, said that getting the paperwork filed in court should not have take over two months and also that service should not have taken over 3 months. It’s disgusting that I was also charged for not only one lawyer, but two, the other one they called an advising lawyer. Somehow I needed two lawyers to check the same work? That to me means that I was given multiple incompetent attorneys that needed to be constantly checked. And they were about to give me a third. Collwell’s standard seems to be double billing and unnecessary billing. And each time my assigned lawyer quit, it was like starting over and delayed my case even more. I left the firm in late May after they tried to assign a third attorney. I now have a great, competent lawyer that communicates effectively and clearly cares about my case. I was charged by Colwell almost $7000 just for my case to be filed in the court and for my husband to be served the papers. I was charged thousands in unnecessary and double charges. This has delayed my case and cost me so much more money. It is really just despicable. I’m a single mother waiting for my disability to come thru after over 20 years at the ****. I’ve never been treated so poorly. The overcharging, double charging and incompetence there is clearly something they do on a regular basis. They should be looked into regardless of my bbb complaint. I hope an investigation will be considered as there are several attorneys who have dealt with Colwell who cannot believe they haven’t been looked into yet. They should not even be allowed to be called a law firm. I could’ve done better acting as my own lawyer.
Regards,
******* *****Business Response
Date: 10/31/2024
BBB spoke to the business and the following was relayed: When a client retains our services, they are hiring our firm as a whole, not an individual attorney. We do this for a number of reasons. Again, this is explained at the initial consult.Initial Complaint
Date:11/15/2023
Type: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.
Good morning,
I would like a justification as to why there are any monies missing. Again as I explained to NYS bar association no one has given me any legal advice. I haven’t spoken to anyone regarding my legal matter other than your sales person who was part of a free consultation. Only after did you receive my money after she continually harassed me to do business with you. I believed she was a legal representative as she didn’t disclose other wise and I believe you have no grounds to take any of my money. Please refund the remainder immediately.Business Response
Date: 11/17/2023
On 10/30/23 Ms. ********** hired the Colwell Law Group and paid our initial retainer via *** ***'s "pay later" function. On Wednesday 11/1/23 Michael C*****, Esq director of legal conducted a phone call with Ms. **********. This phone call was entered into our billing software accidentally. On 11/14.23 the firm closed Ms. **********'s case file and generated a final invoice. Said invoice included the phone call from 11/1/23. On 11/15/23 the firm refunded $6,199 through *** ***. Ms. ********** notified the firm the same day that she was billed in error. Once the error was detected the firm's finance department authorized the refund of the remaining $301 which was billed to Ms. **********. On 11/16/23 the $301 was refunded through *** ***.Initial Complaint
Date:07/03/2023
Type: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 retained a lawyer from COLWELL LAW GROUP June 2022 with **** she stated it would be 5k I asked her if the lawyers were knowledgeable about dealing with DV she assured me that there will be a group of lawyers that will review my case and they will know how to handle it. I gave her my retainer and I met with my lawyer ******* approx a week later. It was just him and it took 15 mins. And was charged for an 1hr. I had all docs and papers for him to collect but he stated that it was not necessary for him to collect it then. I found out why he did not collect the doc at that time. For every email they charge $35. If there are attachments is $70. Or more
Phone calls were $35. As well and they placed me on hold everytime and transferred my calls to a paralegal just so I would be charged the paralegals fee for answering any questions and to extend the time on the call. Because anything over 3 mins. They will charge you. I even requested to speak to the billing dept and they transferred me to a paralegal first. I caught on to their scheme and started questioning why they did that and ****** hung up on me.
I tried to call back and they let their voice mail pick up.
They were and are so unprofessional and they don't know how to have respect for their clients.
Needless to say my $5,000 retainer was absorbed in approximately 4 to 5 months and 4 months later I had to have a new lawyer because my law left, they set me up with a new lawyer that had just started working there the day I had a meeting with her (*******) and then approximately 11 months since I 1st retained a lawyer with them. They asked me for more money for my retainer I questioned their fees. They credited me some money but they absorbed that money within a month's time after they credited it to me.
Finally I decided that I no longer wanted them to represent me because they were not representing me I never got a preliminary hearing for my divorce and I spent almost $6,000 for emails and phone calls I spoke to the clients services manager and he was not able to help me in any way and I ended up getting a new lawyer in a new law firm.
I am requesting a refund because there wasn't any legal representation that cause them to deplete my retainer so quickly.
It was all phone calls, emails, and paper shuffling.
I am extremely surprised that a law firm can operate un ethnically and continue to operate without any repercussions.Business Response
Date: 07/07/2023
Dear Better Business Bureau: Please allow the following response to a complaint made to The Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) by CL, a former client of The Colwell Law Group LLC. Please note: The Colwell Law Group LLC is responding to the best of our ability, and does so in full compliance with the laws, regulations and ethical canons of the State of New York. Specifically, details in The Colwell Law Group LLC's response are limited by the laws that relate to attorney-client privilege. That said, it is truly unfortunate that CL feels as she does about the legal services provided by The Colwell Law Group LLC. As detailed herein, this matter has been monitored on an ongoing basis. CL was indeed provided with quality legal services and invoiced appropriately. In November 2022, CL came to our office and confronted The Colwell Law Group LLC staff about billing issues. As a matter of course, The Colwell Law Group LLC performed a detailed review of CL’s invoices and determined that the legal services invoiced were appropriate. However, we determined that some entries – seen from the eye of a lay person – could appear confusing to the client. Notwithstanding the fact that The Colwell Law Group LLC's review determined the invoice entries for legal services provided were legitimate and appropriate, CL was offered credits to maintain the client's goodwill and preserve the attorney client relationship. CL accepted these credits and decided at that time to remain as a client of The Colwell Law Group LLC. Most clients of The Colwell Law Group LLC are amid one of the most difficult and traumatic periods of their lives - emotionally and financially – and many are uncertain of their future. The Colwell Law Group LLC staff treats each client with empathy and respect, as we both advocate for and represent them in the best possible manner before the Courts of New York State. CL was represented by The Colwell Law Group LLC with that same expertise and empathy. As we proceeded with our representation of CL, CL was clear that she would have difficulty paying for the legal services provided when the credits described above were spent. CL’s credits were exhausted on or about February 2023, which required a resumption of agreed upon payments for the legal services provided. CL responded with a new wave of complaints against The Colwell Law Group LLC, which were reviewed and found to be without basis. Accordingly, CL was denied additional credits at that time. Shortly thereafter, CL stated she wished to obtain another attorney to represent her interests. She subsequently signed the necessary documents to terminate The Colwell Law Group LLC's engagement as her attorney and counsel. Again, without divulging any privileged information, the involved litigation was complicated and required The Colwell Law Group LLC to complete detailed discovery. The Colwell Law Group LLC was able to secure a settlement offer at the last Court conference which at the time was acceptable to all parties. That settlement agreement was not finalized by The Colwell Law Group LLC due to CL’s decision not to continue with our provision of her legal services. The Colwell Law Group LLC prides itself in the world class quality of our staff, the legal services that we provide our clients, and in the focus and attention we pay to every one of the firm’s clients. Again, CL’s stated impression about The Colwell Law Group LLC is very unfortunate, and we are sorry CL feels as she does about her experience with our firm. That said, we have reviewed the invoices issued this matter repeatedly and are confident in both the quality of the legal services provided and of the integrity of the invoices submitted for payment. Best regards. The Colwell Law Group LLCCustomer Answer
Date: 07/07/2023
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.
I don't have any documents to show any settlement because there wasn't one. The only time my lawyer showed up to court was Feb 7 2023 at 3:00 she was late she showed up 3:30. Just like they document how much time they spend on my paperwork I documented how long I was in there presence and on phone calls.It was 3:35. After the hearing and she walked and talked telling me my ex wants to buy me out and an appraisal was ordered by the judge and my ex has to pay for it. That was the only time. As far as the unethical fees. I have invoices but I don't know how to use a zip file. And I tried to send them on this page but they are too big I also have an email that I sent to **** **** client relations manager which was forwarded to ***** ****** Explained all that I have endured. I've had multiple sit downs with him. Which led to me leaving COLWELL LAW GROUP because they were taking money and nothing was getting done.I can send the email. On another complaint page It keeps timing out.
Regards,
********* ********
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