Duke Charles D Atty

This guy was recommended as someone an acquaintance had used for a small matter. When I looked for reviews, he had one very bad one. I decided perhaps she was disgruntled (silly me). I spoke with him on the phone about details of my case for well over an hour. I was shocked at how friendly and caring he seemed — like you were talking to your great uncle who really cared. He said he’d take the case, and understood I’d be waiting a while before needing his services (trying to work it out amicably first.) A few months later, I touched base by phone, and all was fine still. I wrote a good review of him. Then, when I actually needed his service — for him to do what he said he would, everything changed. He habitually does not do what he says he will, nor does he inform you he hasn’t. You think certified letters are going out, things are being drafted, people contacted — nothing. He acts as if they are. When pressed, he acts as if he never agreed to. When asked to do it now, he says he’ll «try», but still does not. So I asked if he needed payment. I paid him cash, thinking perhaps that would make him more in integrity with following through. He still did nothing. Then, when I needed things filed with the court, he suddenly demanded more money — though he’d only sent out one letter — not even certified-​for the $ 300 I’d already given him (far more than we originally agreed upon, with nothing filed yet!) This was months after I’d asked him to proceed. He refuses to return calls if he’s out of town, or if he’s preparing to go out of town (though there is no way of knowing this, or scheduling around it — since he goes through spells where he simply refuses to communicate, and has no secretary). When I did get him to schedule an appointment in advance, he no showed 4 times in a row — and again did not return texts or phone calls. I had to resort to going and sitting in the hallway outside his locked office until he showed up in order to speak to him and get him to do what I’d already paid him to do! I could go on — there is more about how completely unethical he became, but I think this gives you what you need to know. He seems like the nicest fella when he’s just chatting with you about your case — will give you all the time in the world (though he may frequently take catnaps, or read his mail, or check his email while you are trying to talk to him about your case). But getting him to actually do anything, and do it accurately, and keep to the financial agreements you made won’t happen. When he’s nice, he’s great. When he’s not, he will ruin your case by ignoring weeks worth of «urgent calls» and ignoring deadlines, and assuring you he’s sent things out that he has not even begun to prepare. Find someone else. Anyone else.