I called asking for any legal assistance regarding an urgent post judgement enforcement filed pro…read morese and Scott Bird was an absolutely amazing human being and helped me go over all my paperwork and spent OVER AN HOUR advising me, and when I asked him at the end how much I should pay because it seemed like I got a full consultation, he actually told me I didn't owe anything. Truly, his help was an absolute godsend and he deserves a massive raise. Im putting this on google too because everybody should know about this firm. Scott Bird = one amazing human. Thank you

You would be better off just throwing your money in the trash . He will double his quote and still…read moredo nothing for you. Run away .

worst attorney ever!!!! not only did she take a LARGE retainer fee....she did absolutely NOTHING…read moreshe promised she would when she took it. she gave me the run around for almost three weeks because she couldn't handle the work she took on. then, when you have the AUDACITY to show up in her office unannounced because she refuses to answer calls or emails (and even her paralegal she sends you too refuses to answer calls or emails) she loses her temper and slams a door in your face like a child. she is by far the most unprofessional, ineffective, and nasty attorney/so-called professional i have ever encountered in my life! a complete waste of money.....go to any other attorney you can because this one will promise to make your case her priority and then evade you and slam doors in your face when you try to find out why nothing has been done.....absolutely unbelievable!!!!!

From the owner: The attorneys at Alba Legal, PLLC believe in developing a one-on-one relationship with each of our…read moreclients, and getting to know not only the case, but the people behind it. With more than 20 years of experience, you'll always deal directly with an experienced attorney when you pay us a visit, and we'll treat you with the utmost compassion and consideration, from start to finish. We have handled cases at almost every level, including the appellate courts, in two different states, and we are ready to put our knowledge of the law to work for you. From personal injury cases to small business law, divorce, alimony and child custody cases trust your next legal matter to a Gainesville lawyer with the education, experience, and aggressive litigation style that translates to success, both in the courtroom and during the negotiation process. These are just a few of the types of cases we handle: Divorce Child Support Child Custody Automobile Collisions Wrongful Death Trucking Collisions Alimony Property Distribution Estate Planning Business Litigation Appeals Paternity Call the Law Office of Alba Legal, PLLC today. We offer free consultations in personal injury cases, and make your legal worries a thing of the past.

Marci is a very experienced and patient lawyer. She really seems to care about your personal…read moresituation. She took the time to time to answer my many questions. I recommend her highly.

My boyfriend got his first two speeding tickets (he got a new car and wasn't used to being able to…read morego fast lol). He was mainly concerned about not getting points on his license or having to complete traffic school. Attorney Straile managed to avoid that on both of his speeding tickets. Although, in the end, the monetary cost is higher when you add up the legal fees on top of the ticket costs, it achieved the primary goal. Mr. Straile's office was very professional and kept us up to date on everything. Thank you, Mr. Straile.

Complete rip off! I had a speeding ticket in Florida for going 80/70 on the highway (that's right,…read moreI was driving exactly 10 miles over on the Interstate, guess that's Florida's way of promoting tourism). I called Straile's office because I am from out-of-state. The secretary said the lawyer would "fight for my case" and charged me $119. But in fact, the lawyer just pled no contest on day of hearing, not even a hearing was conducted, AND I was ordered to pay the full ticket PLUS $106 court cost! I would be OK if I lost my case in a hearing, but Straile did zero work of substance in my representation. Terrible business ethic, avoid like the plague.

I am very pleased with my representation by Mr. Marraffino. He handled issues with the county and a…read morefinancial matter for me. On both instances I found his easy going demeanor very relatable. Office staff were also friendly. I always felt valued and respected. That is why I came back. His legal knowledge is very sharp. He told me once he teaches law at UF. He was able to negotiate a positive result for both of my cases. We consider him our family attorney now.

I have been extremely pleased with Mr. Marrafino's services and highly recommend him for family law…read morematters. Both times he has represented me, Mr. Marrafino explained every step of the process and patiently answered all of my questions. He was kind, responsive and obtained positive outcomes for me and my children. I would use him again in a heartbeat!

I think Jen was motivated more by wanting to remain chummy with my ex's attorney, than represent…read moreme. In addition, her lack of professionalism was stunning. Whenever she had to give me bad news, she insisted I come to her office. The problem was that her assistant would call me to schedule an appointment, but due to Jen's calendar, it might not be for 1-2 weeks. That meant 1-2 weeks of needless anxiety and sleepless nights. When we did meet, Jen had an amazing ability to make it about herself. One time, I was struggling to hold it together and Jen recounted that when her parents divorced when she was a freshman in college, she too struggled and turned to a life of promiscuous behaviors. In another instance, when she delivered bad news regarding money and I became upset, she told me that she too struggles with money as her husband buys and sells used cars which isn't overly profitable. Thanks Jen, but didn't need to hear either of those. In my own career, I work hard to build a professional reputation. In reading Jen's reviews, the platitudes and banalities indicate that they were not written by actual clients. Given that all court records can be easily corroborated via the clerk of the Court website, http://www.alachuacounty.us/depts/clerk/publicrecords/pages/courtrecords.aspx it was easy to confirm that a number of Jen's reviews are fictitious. Ruth McIlhenny- Ms. McIlhenny wrote in part, "Jennifer's deep knowledge of collaborative family law and her empathy were key to having a positive divorce experience. She always listened, and clearly explained current law to me." Jennifer responded to the post saying, "Thank you for your review and feedback! I really enjoyed representing you." Interestingly, a search of Alachua County court records indicates that Ms. McIlhenny has never filed for divorce. However, court records indicate that she had a March 4, 2009 traffic violation in which she failed to stop at a red light. She paid a $125 fine and court records indicate that she did not retain Jennifer to assist with the payment. As a side note, I know of Ms. McIlhenny. She is a lawyer in town and presumably, would have a better than average understanding of divorce law. Coral Cribb- Ms. Cribb wrote in part, "Absolutely LOVED working with Jennifer. She was able to take my concerns, feelings, and explanation of events and articulate them perfectly in a way I couldn't for myself." Unfortunately, a search of Court records indicate that Ms. Cribb has never filed for divorce. The only record on file is a Sep 27, 2017 speeding violation; she was driving 48 in a 35 mph zone. She paid a $159 fine and wrote a reflection on the consequences of speeding. The reflection is quite interesting and is worth a look if you have a few minutes to kill. Unfortunately, court records indicate that Ms. Cribb did not retain Jennifer for help with either paying the fine or writing the essay. Suzy Forbes- In 2018, Ms. Forbes wrote in part, "Jennifer is so professional and caring. She really listens and goes the extra mile. I highly recommend her." A review of Court records indicates only one file on record; a divorce decree that was filed by a Suzanne Forbes in 2006. Unfortunately, court records indicate she was represented by Kevin Jurecko, ESQ, and not Jen. There are several others that are fake including Joe Hancock. In sum, Jen spends most of her time creating online profiles for people that do not exist or coercing her friends to write about divorces that never occurred. Check it out for yourself. I long to think that if Jen had instead been invested in my case rather than concocting fictitious reviews, my outcome would have been better. With the number of attorneys in this town, you have a great many options. If you chose to hire Jen as your attorney, you do so at your own peril.

I approached Jennifer about representing me in a "Collaborative Divorce." Collaboratives are where…read moreeach person has a lawyer, plus there is a "financial neutral" and a "mental health coach." At my first meeting with Jennifer, she assured me that she had done numerous "collaboratives" and could represent me well. She explained how collaboratives are different from litigated divorces, and I understood those important differences. I eventually asked, "How much will all this cost (ie, for all four professionals)?" She hemmed and hawed and did not want to give me a number. She said that each situation is unique and costs can vary greatly. I told her that I understood this, so I then asked her for the costs for her last five collaboratives, since she had done so many. She was even more uncomfortable with the question. I told her that perhaps a collaborative process wasn't for me, at which time she said, "About $10,000 total." I asked, "Worse case scenario?" She said, "$12,500." I retained her at that time. The billing was slow at the beginning, but once my financial information was provided to the collaborative team, the billing picked up. When those subsequent bills hit, the total cost was at $24,835, and we were only half way through the process. While Jennifer has the right to bill whatever she deems is appropriate, misrepresenting those costs made me quite upset. Jennifer and the other 'professionals' told me that in exchange for paying current invoices, all future billing would be suspended. I expressed my disgust with Jennifer in very clear terms. Her response was, "Had you litigated the divorce in court, the costs would have been much higher." I replied, "That may very well be true, but it is irrelevant, as I did not ask for the cost of a litigative divorce." I challenged Jennifer and told her that if she produced the total costs for her last five collaboratives, and the average cost was $10,000 or less, I'd donate a $1,000 to the charity of her choice. She declined my offer. The "financial neutral" was Helen Gyllstrom and the "Mental Health" professional was Bill Farley. Both were equally complicit in the fraud as they saw and heard Jennifer's $10,000 estimate several times and said nothing, yet knowing full well that the costs would go well beyond $10K. I spoke with a friend in Nebraska who is a divorce lawyer. After explaining my situation to him, he stated that while each circumstance is unique and there are differences from state to state, my divorce should have costed around $5K - $6K. Honestly, the Gainesville Collaborative Divorce group is run like a criminal cartel with Jennifer being one of the crime family heads. In closing, I can't tell you who to retain as your divorce lawyer. What I can tell you however, is that Jennifer and her colleagues were not truthful about the collaborative divorce process. Jennifer is also being reported to the Bar for this. It is frustrating when you're paying someone to professionally represent your interests and that person looks you straight in the eye on Day 1, and is not truthful.

Maritza Arroyo did NOT advocate for me at all during my divorce. Just fell to her knees in front of…read moremy ex-husbands divorce attorney, Cynthia Swanson. It was unbelievable. It was like she was a groupie of hers; in awe of her ball-buster reputation. I had a solid case of an ex husband who was/is a DANGER to my 3 year old's welfare due to documented drug abuse, but she convinced me to mediate and accept my ex-husbands proposals. Terrified me with the prospect of going to trial since I had no financial resources and he had all the money. It was unbelievably unethical. Rude paralegal as well (Kayla). They both made me feel like I was always bothering them when I contacted them. Wish I had trusted my gut and went with another attorney.

From the owner: At Arroyo & Talbert, P.A., our lawyers represent people throughout Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City…read moreand the surrounding areas of Florida. Attorneys Maritza Arroyo has been practicing law since 1989 and Alison Talbert since 1990. We understand that a divorce, criminal allegation or a serious accident can create significant uncertainty and anxiety. Our lawyers understand their roles, both as attorneys and counselors at law. We strive to give our clients the information they need to make informed decisions about the issues impacting their lives. Our overriding goal in every case is to provide effective and cost-efficient representation while offering a high level of client service. Contact us today to schedule your appointment.