I am Gavin Powells step grandmother for 10 years before you and Judge Ellen Smith took him away from the only mother he really knew. You did this off of baseless accusations. Did you investigate the allegations...no...all our neighbors were upset when they found out that my daughter lost custody to the bio mom that he hasn't seen in over 6 years and they knew she did not abuse him or that 13 yr old girl (which by the way...why did her family allow her to live her if my daughter treated her so bad?), can you answer that? Nor did he see his maternal grandmother cause she walked out of his life 6 yrs ago and didn't look back.
You are responsible to look out for the best interest of the child. Well how do you feel about Gavin ending up in a residential treatment facility after what a few months living with his bio mom. If you had done your job then you would have found out from his therapist and physcologist that he would regress if he was made to see his bio mom and going to a residential treatment. So I hope the court appointed GAL and judge can live with yourself cause I will tell you he doesn't trust people and my daughter was the one he did and she was his stability. So if anything happens to him...it is on you guys. This is a child that has RADS...yes due to no coddling from his parents and grandparent!
So keep in mind going forward do your job and blood does not make you a parent...love and being there and helping them does!
Rhonda Meeley
Review Left On 02/28/2020
Criss Prima
I hired Michael back in 2016. I was having trouble with my son's father and gaining custody. Michael was ok in the beginning. We went over scenarios and what I was trying to accomplish. I received a job opportunity in Columbus and Michael was able to help with getting the relocation approved. We were also working on child support, which is still an ongoing issue.
My complaint against Michael, is it states in his disclosure, that I signed, that I would keep a balance of $1000 in my retainer and I would receive monthly invoices. He has asked for more money to be added, without giving me any invoices of balances and moneys owed. In my desperation, I went ahead and paid him. $5500 is the total I paid him.
It's 2018 and in the 2 years I retained Michael, I never received an invoice, not for the lack of trying. I did request invoices periodically. It was just a few weeks ago I finally received one. It showed I owed him $3000. His invoice stated that in order to continue, I would need to apply $1500 towards it. I was shocked. I'm a single mom, and I work 2 jobs to make ends meet. My son's father is oil and gas and makes way more than I do. The child support is reflecting what it was when he was unemployed last year. I asked Michael to file motion to modify back in the summer of 2017, and he failed to do so.
Now, Michael demanded the balance in order to continue, even though on the phone he said he wasn't worried about it. I sent an email back, stating there was no way I could come up with $3000 in a few weeks. He then stated that he would no longer represent me. He did state he would not seek further action for me to pay the balance, but this puts in me in a very bad position, considering I had to move to have a better career. I'm 2 hours away from the courts system where all of this is being held. Michael filed the modification, but had not serve my son's father. So now I'm scrambling to get my son's father served.
This lawyer left me to fend for myself in the middle of my battle. I would have been able to manage my retainer better if I had the invoices I asked for since the beginning. Michael made it seem like my needs were not worth the effort for him. I would not recommend him in the future.
Review Left On 02/28/2020
Michelle Grewe
Michael represented me for a divorce. He is amazing, and I highly recommend him. He was punctual, even when I wasn't. He was very prepared. His advice in strategy was impeccable, like if my divorce was a game of chess, he gave me an instant checkmate for what I wanted out of it. He was the best dressed guy in the courtroom, and that's important because family court tends to be informal, and many attorneys will treat it as such, but Michael takes this very seriously, and he dressed for a very serious occasion. His communication skills with the judge and other attorney were professional, on point, and respectful. I noticed he is incredibly observant, like supernaturally observant, and I really like that about him as an attorney. Not only did he correct my ex's attorney about what year it is, something nobody else noticed, and not only did he correct the wording on some things for clarification and to make sure I was protected, but also he was very observant about my logical patterns and thought processes. I don't meet too many people who do that. I just couldn't ask for a better combination of strengths than I got with Michael Farnsworth. He is truly a blessing from God.
Law Office Reviews
I am Gavin Powells step grandmother for 10 years before you and Judge Ellen Smith took him away from the only mother he really knew. You did this off of baseless accusations. Did you investigate the allegations...no...all our neighbors were upset when they found out that my daughter lost custody to the bio mom that he hasn't seen in over 6 years and they knew she did not abuse him or that 13 yr old girl (which by the way...why did her family allow her to live her if my daughter treated her so bad?), can you answer that? Nor did he see his maternal grandmother cause she walked out of his life 6 yrs ago and didn't look back.
You are responsible to look out for the best interest of the child. Well how do you feel about Gavin ending up in a residential treatment facility after what a few months living with his bio mom. If you had done your job then you would have found out from his therapist and physcologist that he would regress if he was made to see his bio mom and going to a residential treatment. So I hope the court appointed GAL and judge can live with yourself cause I will tell you he doesn't trust people and my daughter was the one he did and she was his stability. So if anything happens to him...it is on you guys. This is a child that has RADS...yes due to no coddling from his parents and grandparent!
So keep in mind going forward do your job and blood does not make you a parent...love and being there and helping them does!
Rhonda Meeley
My complaint against Michael, is it states in his disclosure, that I signed, that I would keep a balance of $1000 in my retainer and I would receive monthly invoices. He has asked for more money to be added, without giving me any invoices of balances and moneys owed. In my desperation, I went ahead and paid him. $5500 is the total I paid him.
It's 2018 and in the 2 years I retained Michael, I never received an invoice, not for the lack of trying. I did request invoices periodically. It was just a few weeks ago I finally received one. It showed I owed him $3000. His invoice stated that in order to continue, I would need to apply $1500 towards it. I was shocked. I'm a single mom, and I work 2 jobs to make ends meet. My son's father is oil and gas and makes way more than I do. The child support is reflecting what it was when he was unemployed last year. I asked Michael to file motion to modify back in the summer of 2017, and he failed to do so.
Now, Michael demanded the balance in order to continue, even though on the phone he said he wasn't worried about it. I sent an email back, stating there was no way I could come up with $3000 in a few weeks. He then stated that he would no longer represent me. He did state he would not seek further action for me to pay the balance, but this puts in me in a very bad position, considering I had to move to have a better career. I'm 2 hours away from the courts system where all of this is being held. Michael filed the modification, but had not serve my son's father. So now I'm scrambling to get my son's father served.
This lawyer left me to fend for myself in the middle of my battle. I would have been able to manage my retainer better if I had the invoices I asked for since the beginning. Michael made it seem like my needs were not worth the effort for him. I would not recommend him in the future.