Mina C

If you must use this firm, I'd avoid Patricia Purcell. I received a letter from the State Bar of CA dismissing my complaint against her after a lengthy investigation due to the fact that she simply lied to escape discipline. They seem to have a stringent burden of proof to protect shady lawyers. I've escalated it to the OCTC. But, that's not why you should avoid her, it's bc she makes countless errors then wastes her own clients' money & time to correct them. My divorce was meant to be finalized 06/2021 -she ensured a divorce w no kids or debt dragged on for 2yrs to personally benefit by billing my ex-husband for those years while blaming me for delays she caused with her consistent failures to represent his best interest. Lacks regard for human decency yet expects people to bend over backwards for her inability to take care of her personal affairs which bleeds into her performance as a lawyer. I really wanted to end my marriage on good terms & would have accepted so much less when I was without representation - I didn't understand my rights. Thanks to her ineffective representation, her client paid significantly more spousal support than I would have settled for (I was clueless & scared-my priority was peace). I called Patricia when she was operating as Purcell Family Law in 2019 & asked her for advice about my immigration status. She advised me about COBRA. Then, she represented my ex & lied to the Bar about speaking to me despite phone records. She was unpleasant & gave me incorrect information. She asked for a $8000 retainer & told me her inflated fee. By representing my husband afterwards, she put him at risk of having to switch lawyers, but he was a good mark for her given his emotional state. I believe she took advantage of him. Initially, I was represented by R. Rathmell, another lawyer at Hersh who should have pursued the conflict of interest. In fact, most lawyers told me that it was better for me not to bc it would cost me & I'd risk getting a competent lawyer. They said Patricia was inept & would throw hissy fits/ cry in court. I offered to sign the papers for free. Patricia decided to charge my ex thousands of dollars to draft paperwork & hire a process server so she could lie to the court & claim I was evading service which didn't even end up helping her case as it was irrelevant. The judge saw through her. Ms. Purcell then began working for Lerner Poole in 2020. I wonder whether she was recently fired from this firm due to her exposing them to potential discipline because of her unethical actions? She couldn't manage on her own & couldn't stay at the last firm for a meaningful length of time /potentially caused issues for the other lawyers by not disclosing the consultation. Another lawyer didn't want to work with Lerner Poole bc she said they hire the type of lawyers who create conflict between clients to pad their billable hours. I asked her to clarify: she said that if she asked for docs they'd claim they couldn't get them, & if you were cooperative, they'd still disparage you to make it seem like you were being difficult to increase tension. Divorce is hard & the end of a relationship is such a fragile thing - you don't need a lawyer who delights in profiting from your pain. Patricia Purcell would create make work projects for my ex like forcing him to come and drop off $ instead of just leaving it in our account. She later claimed I was standing outside waiting for him, which I wasn't so, I suspect it was an attempt to create a situation where she could disparage my character & when that didn't work she simply lied. We negotiated the division of assets & she FORGOT multiple assets. She refused to take responsibility then didn't even draft the dissolution on time & my lawyer had to harass her. When I was without representation she initiated & sent me 100 unprofessional emails in the first 3mths of '22 Her client paid for emails that had nothing to do with the divorce, just complaining about her inability to do her work and adequately take care of her child. I could go on. Hire at your own risk

A A

Rude and ignorant. Had a consultation about drafting a prenup. Accused my fiancé of not understanding what marriage is. Made her cry. Gave rude and inaccurate answers when asked questions about the law and what we need. Huge waste of time. Significantly increased my headaches around the process.

Brian Cain

One of the most prestigious family law firms in the bay area.

Jaleh Miller