Client
I hired Martine Law PLLC for a custody case and worked directly with Attorney Nicole Geffre. In less than one month, I was billed over $6,400, much of it for administrative or clerical work (saving emails, reviewing attachments, or internal "Teams" chats) billed at $275-$325 per hour. Despite those costs, there was very little progress made on my case. When I asked for clarification, I received no clear explanation or adjustment. Since then, I've hired another attorney who has been representing me for the past three months. He has done far more work for me--filings, hearings, and communication--for a fraction of the cost. The difference in care, responsiveness, and results has been night and day. Martine Law is a large, full-service firm, but in my experience, working with a self-employed attorney gets you much further. They care more about your case and your outcome, not just billable hours. I strongly recommend others look for someone who will truly invest in their client, not just their invoice. Edit/reply: I appreciate the reply on here so that potential customers see it and think this firm is handling it... However I already have reached out to try handling this with no response back. 11/3/25 I did a group email with Nicole Geffre, Gerry(general manager), and the billing department all attached to the thread. I have yet to receive a response or any acknowledgment to my serious concern and unethical practice that was shown to me. As stated in my email, if I didn't hear back within 14 days (November 17th) and we cannot resolve this directly, I intend to submit a fee dispute through the Minnesota State Bar Association's Fee Arbitration Program and, if necessary, contact the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility. I would prefer to address this professionally and amicably. However, the lack of attention this has received (other than on google review) leads me to think that won't be happening. I look forward to hearing from you! 11/17/25 Update: The firm has responded and notified me that they are working on a billing reconciliation/review, which they stated will be provided within the next couple of days. I am reserving further judgment until I see whether the revised billing accurately reflects the work performed. I will update again once I have reviewed what they provide. 11/19/25 After leaving my review, Martine Law claimed they would "review" my concerns. That review was nothing more than a formality. They came back and said all charges were "correct," completely ignoring the specific issues I raised -- including the fact that I was billed EXCESSIVELY for clerical tasks, internal chats, saving emails, and work that produced almost no actual progress on my case. Their response shows exactly why I wrote this review in the first place: zero accountability and no interest in correcting clear overbilling. Because of their refusal to address any of these problems, I will be moving forward with fee arbitration through the Minnesota State Bar Association and filing a complaint with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility. This place is a scam firm and deserves to be completely shut down. People deserve to know what they're paying for before choosing this firm.