Deland Law Office

I rarely write 1-star reviews but strongly feel this is necessary. My husband and I met with Jennifer Deland to discuss estate planning, and the meeting it was extremely unproductive and frustrating. Jennifer requires a $400 non-refundable fee for a consultation fee unless you sign on with her within 30 days - this was our first mistake, but a good (costly) learning for us. First, we sat in a tiny, dingy room that barely fit three as she struggled to find usable space on a whiteboard that was stained with marker. Realizing she couldn't erase the board, she opted to use someone else's faded hen-scratches to "guide" our discussion. She jumped from topic to topic erratically, and our specific questions seemed to throw her off. She repeatedly referenced what other clients have done rather than provide guidance on what would best suit our needs, which is why we were there! We came prepared with a 1-page Asset Summary that she barely read through and asked where our "receipts" were. Why she needed proof of our assets is beyond me - this was supposed to be a consultation. She did, however, pull public records of our home in advance of the meeting. As it became apparent that she wanted us to "pick" an approach and sign on with her, we pushed back, citing that we were in no way prepared to select an approach given our minimal understanding of our options. She then leaned into us and rudely blurted out, "Well, what is your objective?" Stunned, we responded, "to create a plan". The conversation was maddening. After a few unsuccessful attempts to convince us to sign on with her, she said, "OK, let me make one last-ditch effort" (were we buying a used car?) She began typing frantically on her laptop, explaining that she needed to make thorough notes about our meeting and said we'd be receiving a letter with "curt language" in the mail, but we could still change our minds within 30 days. To wrap up, she asked if we had a "little check for her". Sorry, $400 is hardly little. We paid her, took our asset inventory and left.

I feel compelled to write a review even though I'm not in the habit of sharing my opinion. We went to Jennifer for estate planning as basically a prerequisite of aging. After she reviewed our "life to date" it seamed simple at first. As things progressed some legal entanglements in our real estate were discovered. We were happy to have her expertise for the complicated procedures that followed. As far as her integrity goes, she didn't even charge for the necessary work to put our estate in correct order to be passed along.

Attorney Deland handled the Estate Planning for a longtime friend of mine. My friend was very ill and was worried that a disinherited family member would place a claim on his property once he passed away, which is exactly what ended up happening. Fortunately my friend went to Attorney Deland prior to his passing and placed his property into a Living Trust which prevented the family member from gaining access to his property. My friend would be so happy to know that his property was safe thanks to Deland Law.

Very rude and condescending. If you can find another law office to help you with your legal matters, then use ANYBODY else. Not this train wreck of an office.

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