J. Boyce Garland Jr. Attorney at Law

If I could give less than one star I would. I'm only dealing with this attorney because the executor on the estate we are involved in chose him. He lives up to his reputation as the worst attorney in Gaston County. Everything he does has to be redone. We are months behind on getting a payout. We closed on a property with him, again not decision and it took 3 different visits to his office before he finally got the paper work right at closing. We have called daily for an update on the estate and he still struggles to remember our names, details of the case or what he told us last. The bank, his colleagues, and past clients all have the same opinion, he's absolutely incompetent to be practicing law.

I had an incredibly disappointing and upsetting experience with J. Boyce Garland Jr., who was referred to me through Legal Shield. I was facing a high-stakes case involving DSS (FNS & Child Care Subsidy) and instead of feeling supported or protected, I felt railroaded, unrepresented, and completely unheard. Mr. Garland showed up to meetings unprepared, forgot my name multiple times, and seemed to have no clear grasp of my case details. This was an "informal" hearing over the phone and that was unprofessional on its own but... He asked me invasive and inappropriate questions about my personal life -- including questions repeatedly about male visitors, men's clothing in my home, and the father of my oldest child -- none of which were relevant to my legal defense. The experience was extremely degrading, unprofessional, and felt more like interrogation than advocacy. I left every interaction feeling more overwhelmed, paranoid and vulnerable than when I started. I ultimately had to escalate my case through the NC Ombudsman, seek new counsel, and pursue an appeal without Mr. Garland's help, because I couldn't trust him to advocate for me competently or respectfully. This was the fastest $400+ I've ever wasted, and I hold both Mr. Garland and Legal Shield accountable for this serious failure. I would not recommend this attorney to anyone, especially women, parents, or caregivers navigating sensitive cases. Read the other reviews -- many of them reflect the same pattern I experienced. I have also filed a complaint with Legal Shield and next with the NC State Board and the BBB. This man should be evaluated for competency. He was comparable to those bumbling pro-bono lawyers you see in movies that railroad their clients single-handedly. Had I read these reviews before paying a 400+ retainer, I would have demanded Legal Shield assign me new counsel! This was absolutely ridiculous and I left my hearing in tears, feeling embarrassed like my personal relationships were on display and he knew he lost that hearing! He told me right after the phone call hearing, that I could file an appeal after they send me the documents in the mail. How would you know that right after? Moments after?? Low and behold, I got the guilty documents in the mail a week later. This man sandbagged me as my personal attorney. God bless if you still pick him after this review.

i Just got served a notice from the sheriffs office bc Mr. Garland has not followed the procedures for handling my mothers estate. He is arrogant, rude, lies , forgets who your are, and makes you feel as if your case is not important compared to other clients. It's been over a year and nothing has been resolved. This is unacceptable. I am reporting him to the bar association.

I have purchased/sold several homes and refinanced over the years. This was by far the worst experience. It should have been very simple. I was purchasing from family and gave him all that was needed. He made lots of mistakes and then tried to say I told him wrong. He messed up the paperwork on my end. He then messed up the paperwork on my family members end. She said he lied and told her she filled it out wrong however she still had the initial copy and saw his errors. She had to go to a notary twice at her cost due to his mistakes. I had to take a day from work to drive to another county to pickup paperwork because he said they were processing it slow. When I arrived, I was told they hadn't received payment from him to release the paperwork. We finally got it closed after over 2 months. The day of the closing he hadn't even called and told me the time or how much the cashiers check needed to be. Now nearly a year later, I still haven't received a copy of all the closing documents. I've called several times and never had my calls returned. My family member said she also never received a copy. The only paperwork I got was the HUD statement. I paid for title insurance and never received that paperwork. I would never recommend or use him again. I wish I could give less than a star

Only left one star because you had to. This guy is serious the worst attorney in Gastonia county. Unorganized, un trustworthy on legitimacy of cases, all about collecting payment and does a horrible job representing you! His closest allies and colleagues will tell you the same, just look at the reviews. Was advised on filing for grievance from his peers... you're better off representing yourself than to hire Boyce Garland