I don't normally write reviews, especially not negative reviews. And though this review isn't…read morecompletely negative, I do wish that as I looked for the best-solution lawyer, I'd been at a less emotional moment of my life so I could really find one who would be more on my side of figuring out a logical, reasonable, ethical, and more positive end-result for me.
I put $9K into an account with Hoyer Law (borrowed from a family member) and I didn't even get to a stable financial position from mediation. I feel that I was financially taken, and I don't have any money to spare. The refund of what is left after everything is said and done, was a whole $500.
The supporting staff at Hoyer Law were amazing! They were all kind and attentive, even though I didn't have much personal contact with them. Anytime I had a question they seemed to get right back to me within the day, or the next day - but because of the cost of asking questions (at $390/hour), I didn't ask all that I should have because I couldn't afford it. But any time I dared to ask questions or ask for help in any way, they were quick and kind to respond.
Because I couldn't afford to use up time, I chose to write an 8-page bullet point list of the ways I was lied to and how I was financially abused during my marriage, thinking this would be a less-expensive way of giving information that I felt was pertinent to my case. Having been a high school teacher, I assumed another professional person (the lawyer who represented me was not Casey Hoyer, but a colleague of his) would be able to read such a document in a short amount of time, maybe a half hour, possibly an hour if they needed. I was charged for 2.5 hours to read that document - and NOT ONE of the points from that document were used during mediation. I understand that the mediation was just a place to decide the financials of the divorce, it wasn't with a judge who could decide if lies were told and how I had been abused financially, and how my now-ex could be accountable for them. I had hoped, however, that the lawyer who represented me would learn from and understand that the emotional and financial abuse were real, and that I needed to get to a stable place in my life to move forward with healing.
Just to file the papers and begin to prepare for mediation cost me $4K. That shocked me! I had previously filled out all the information they asked for when I filed for divorce by myself with the court. It is logical they would need to clarify and get updated information, but I then needed to borrow more money to fund the remaining of the already-begun proceedings. I wish they would charge a flat amount for getting that done because I would know ahead of time what the cost for that would be.
I was also charged a high amount for the lawyer to "prepare for mediation", whatever that means. When I asked about it, I was told that the details of that preparation were in the invoice for that action, but they were not. I don't understand why 3 hours of time were needed to prepare, because when we got to mediation all the documents and information were on the computer being used to clarify the information. I was also there to answer questions. So, what was there to prepare for?
The lawyer did not use any of the information from the bullet-point document, and all the documents that would be available to the lawyer to "prepare" were standard issue - meaning he didn't have to read anything that would be in a different format than what he was used to AND he had all that information on his computer and used it during the mediation. Why did it take him 3 hours to prepare? What did he prepare? There were no answers to those questions.
I am not a lawyer. I do not understand all the ins and outs of how to prepare for mediation, but the documented time FEELS inflated.
Mediation only lasted three hours, and I came out more behind than I ever thought I would because I thought the lies my now-ex told me during our marriage could at least be leveraged to help me regain some measure of financial and emotional stability - but they did not.
I understand that mediation was THAT DAY and decisions would be made, I just thought the lawyer would have some ideas to make things right and not depend on me to think of the ideas at a moment's notice, especially knowing how emotional that day could be for clients - I didn't see any evidence of him being prepared - why it took 3 hours to prepare isn't known.
Basically, the accounting of time that was charged to my case FEELS wrong because it just doesn't add up. I FEEL that I was taken on as a client just because money was needed or wanted, not because they wanted to help me come out ahead or to help me find justice in being wronged by a con man and narcissist.
I thought I hired someone who would protect me and my future, instead, I came out very behind. I've gotta go with my gut on this one: the time charged to me does not add up.