Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/23/2024

  Type:Product 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.

  Grace Legal offices has requested for a retainer on all cases (which they have received). The retainers were used on other cases excluding the case that the retainer was requested for & done without informing me or asking for my permission to do so. I had confronted the firm regarding the absurd amount of money they had received from me to only have them laugh at me over the phone which is unprofessional. They were informed of balance billing me, nothing was done on their behalf to resolve this matter to have nothing done. The law office was well informed of me seeking for their help as a result from Domestic Violence of physical, mental, & emotional abuse. My ex was in contempt numerous times & the office did nothing to defend me. My life is in shambles, my children arent being cared for properly, and the firm has not even started the divorce process that they requested a retainer for on 6/26/24 and was filed in early July which then had to be refiled due to an error on the attorneys behalf that I was billed for as well. rom an error The divorce filing occurred in early July. **** had to refile the case as she had forgot to date the form following her signature. 9/3/24 I was informed by the paralegal that I needed to provide them an additional $10,000.00 immediately to begin the divorce process. The paralegal also found an issue with double charging $4,000. This was not to corrected. The firm received the $10,000 & at the end of Sept an additional $5000.00 was now being requested. Questioning what was done w/ $15,000 in 3 weeks, they replied in stating emails costing $3400.00 from the opposing party. I have requested for itemized statements & was denied of those stating I could find them online. The firm had me finance $18,700 w/ Affirm which equals $1205.00 a mth not including interest. This is my paycheck for 2 weeks. I cant afford to pay any bills. I'm demanding a refund of $10,500.00 due to not using them for the divorce process.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/05/2024

  Ms. ******* retained for ***, Support, Divorce with Equitable Distribution and Custody in June of 2024.  With each case, Ms. ******* was provided with an Hourly Fee Agreement that she signed. Detailed invoices are sent weekly to clients.  Client communicated with our office every single day and that is why the trust balance dwindled as quickly as it did.  There is nothing that requires us to ask permission to use the money that the client paid into the trust account for work done on cases.  No one has ever laughed at any client let alone Ms. ***************** ******* was treated with respect at all times.
  Ms. ******* called on 10/8 and had a discussion with the firm owner and firm manager stating that she wanted to continue with us.  This was done verbally and in writing.  She additionally advised that she wanted the Divorce case to be put on hold.  We worked very hard to help this client and we obtained great results.  At no time was the Opposing Party in contempt.  Clients life is not in shambles due to anything that we did.  During the *** and Custody battles she became highly emotional and erratic.
  It is absolutely incorrect that the Divorce case was not worked on by the attorney.  The divorce complaint was filed and served and even further, discovery requests were sent to the Opposing side.  The client is not telling the truth.
  The attorney did not forget to add the date to the divorce complaint.  The divorce case started in July and was worked on through October until the client requested that it be placed on hold.  This was while we were continuing to work on the other three cases that she had with us.  The total retainer used for divorce was $3443 of the $5000.  It is a complete fabrication that the divorce was not worked on.
  We worked diligently and thoroughly on all cases for the client.  She is upset because her retainers went so quickly due to her own actions by calling, emailing and communicating with us several times a day which is all billed activity. 
  The client was not billed for any error that the Attorney made.  The firm did not over bill, double bill or overcharge the client.  The client was properly billed according to the fee agreements that she signed.
  When the client requested itemized statements the firm sent an email on October 7 with every time entry entered for each of the four cases.
  It is not the firms fault for the clients poor financial choices.  The firm did the work and it is unfair that she is now putting the Firm in a position to have to defend itself for work that was competently completely.
  We are happy to produce Hourly Fee Agreements, emails,Docket entries or anything else requested to show that the work was done in a complete and proper manner