Very Disappointing Experience with Carr/Woodall
I want to be clear from the beginning: I am not the direct client of Carr/Woodall. I am the fiancé of their direct client, and I was closely involved in this matter because of my fiancé's work schedule and the significant impact this case has had on our family. My fiancé was the person who retained and paid the firm.
My fiancé hired Carr/Woodall to represent him in a Motion to Enforce parenting time pursuant to his divorce decree. Following the initial consultation, he paid the requested retainer based on what was discussed and our understanding that the firm would take ownership of the situation and work to enforce the parenting-time provisions that had already been established by the court.
Initially, communication was very good. Attorney Mary appeared motivated, engaged, and determined to help address the parenting-time issues. We had confidence that we had hired an attorney who was going to take the matter seriously and fight to enforce what was already ordered in the divorce decree.
Unfortunately, that changed as the case progressed.
As the hearing date approached, we discovered that records and information that had been requested or provided had not been fully reviewed. The preparation and follow-through we expected simply were not there. What should have been a relatively straightforward Motion to Enforce parenting time became increasingly frustrating and costly.
Because of my fiancé's work schedule, I personally followed up with the office on multiple occasions to try to obtain information and help keep communication moving. During one of these communications, the office informed me that my fiancé was refusing to communicate with them. That statement was completely contrary to what we had experienced and, from our perspective, was false and far from the truth. My fiancé had not simply refused to communicate; he had been attempting to navigate communication around his work obligations and the circumstances of the case.
This was especially troubling because instead of addressing the communication issue directly with their client and working toward a solution, the explanation provided to me placed the responsibility on my fiancé.
We also experienced missed court dates/hearings because we were not properly informed and/or were not provided with the correct information or access necessary to attend. This is extremely concerning when you have entrusted an attorney with a matter involving court-ordered parenting time.
The retainer was ultimately exhausted without the resolution we hired the firm to obtain. On top of that, additional financial responsibilities continued to grow because we had to have conversations with multiple attorneys and members of the firm simply to explain the history of the case and bring them up to speed.
The financial cost is frustrating, but the consequences go far beyond money. The continued failure to resolve the parenting-time issues has contributed to further damage to an already strained relationship between a father and his children. Time that should have been protected under the divorce decree has continued to be lost, while we were relying on the professionals we hired to help enforce those orders.
We hired Carr/Woodall because we trusted their experience, reputation, and professional obligations. We expected honesty, integrity, preparation, communication, accountability, and follow-through. Instead, our experience left us feeling that we had to continually advocate for ourselves just to make sure the case was being addressed.
Again, I am not the direct client, and I recognize that distinction. However, I was directly involved in communications with the firm because of my fiancé's work schedule and witnessed firsthand many of the issues that occurred throughout this process.
This review is based on our personal experience with the firm. I am sharing it because I believe prospective clients deserve to ask very specific questions before retaining an attorney:
* Who will actually be responsible for the case?
* How often will the client receive updates?
* How are hearings and court appearances communicated?
* How are documents and records reviewed and tracked?
* Who is responsible for ensuring the client has the correct information and access to attend hearings?
* How is time billed against the retainer?
* What happens when communication breaks down between the attorney and client?
Our experience with Carr/Woodall was extremely disappointing. We trusted the firm with something incredibly important to our family, and we do not feel that the level of representation, communication, preparation, or accountability we expected was delivered. read more
