Ashford & Wriston

I needed a reliable and responsive attorney to step into my custody/paternity case after the first one I had hired proved to be inadequate and downright negligent. I sent an email to Lynne McGivern, recommended to me by a another attorney (Greg Ryan) and she responded to my email within a day, just to let me know that she was preparing for another hearing that needed a lot of her attention as it was extremely important to that client, but that we would connect soon. Green flag #1.

We scheduled a meeting within a couple of days and after explaining the uniqueness of my situation, she quickly stepped up and took over. It was an extremely valuable consultation and one that I recommend to anyone who is looking around for help. The cost was $300 with no time limit. She met me on a Saturday morning to accommodate my schedule. This was only 10 days before my next hearing was to take place and in that short period of time she not only managed to file the appropriate forms that my former attorney failed to file, but also draft a declaration for me based on my story, which was eloquently written and submitted to the court. What stood out to me was her empathy when she drafted this form. When we read the final copy she asked me if I was okay because it was "all of your trauma written down". In this same time she managed to get ahold of the other party's full police records, and get me into the Kids First program that my former lawyer said was unimportant. She helped guide me through my expectations and discuss what was reasonable and what might take some time, and by the time my next hearing occurred she made sure she fully understood our situation and was extremely well prepared for court to defend our position to the judge.

On the day of my hearing, Lynne exceeded every expectation I had. She was passionate and well spoken, and because of her actions and effort I won the first battle of my case which was getting sole legal and sole physical custody. She also ensured that any visitation with the other party was supervised and recommended a wonderful private visitation supervisor who was great to my child and made a scary situation more comfortable. I appreciated her foresight and thought about my 13 year old who likely would not have enjoyed PACT. It speaks to her experience and empathy.

In between the first and next hearing to revisit the visitation schedule, Lynne continued to prepare even though we had already achieved what I initially asked for. She asked for teachers letters, counselors and therapist reports, and visitation supervisor reports, and by the time we went back to court she was again extremely well prepared. We managed to close the case with everything settled.

Overall I am extremely grateful to Lynne and Anita, who both went above and beyond for me and my case. The two of them make a wonderful team and have quickly responded to every email, made sure every form was completed correctly and submitted on time, and made me feel truly heard and safe during this process. I appreciate her experience and the way that she understood what "could" happen and her approach to fighting for me and what I asked for.

We reached out to this firm for estate planning and was assigned to a lawyer that was unknown to us. He apparently is the only lawyer that has any, but limited knowledge in estate planning and did a horrific job. Our only solution was to go to a firm that specializes in estate law and write off the fees as a terrible mistake. Stay away from this firm! JM

Lynne McGivern is a capable, dedicated Family Law practitioner with a heart! It's clear that her intent is not to 'destroy' anyone's life, even if it would benefit her client. Rather, she let's evidence take the lead, while reminding BOTH sides that ultimately IT'S THE CHILDREN that need the BEST care, from both parents as they head their single ways. I have the UPMOST respect and gratitude for her ethics, dedication & frank talk, at a time when 'the adults' may not be at their best.

Lynne McGivern helped me with my custody case 10 years ago and she was the best. I had a negative experience with a prior family attorney. I cut ties with the first attorney who did very little other than produce some cookie cutter documents. I then hired Lynne to finish up my case. She really listened to me and followed through with my suggestions and in a very short time, we were able to settle the case Favorably. She was empathetic, reasonable and really cared about the clients and "the big picture". Mahalo Lynne.

I started my divorce process with someone well known in the industry. He had been a family law attorney and judge and was well respected. I had put a lot of confidence in him because whenever I would mention him, it seemed like everyone in the industry held him in high regard. I assumed my case would go smoothly because of his experience and reputation. Instead, my case unraveled and my life was in shambles.

I had gone fishing for other opinions and interviewed about 3 other attorneys, all of whom came highly recommended. They all had their own point of view and inherent strengths, but this is what makes Lynne different: She asked appropriate questions regarding the history and analyzed the data I had compiled. She maintained good communication and was empathic. She did not unnecessarily turf work to her employees, which meant she took the time to really dig into the details of my case. She responded to phone calls and emails very promptly. She is very accessible. Lynne had a set course she proposed and had fallback plans depending on the outcome at each decision point. Her thinking was very logical, forward, and proactive.

She never mentioned how busy other cases made her and ALWAYS took the time to follow up on my issues. It was as if I was her only client. I felt like I was getting VIP treatment.

The way my case was going before I met Lynne, I think I was at least 18 months away from divorce. Lynne took the time to understand my position and speak with the other attorney to get a better understanding of their position. Lynne drafted a proposal which became a settlement and we were divorced in 4 months. I am very thankful for this because of the high conflict nature of our case, without Lynne, it would have been MUCH longer. I regret not starting with Lynne, but she picked up my case midstream and worked to settle very quickly.

Going through a divorce is not fun, but Lynne will be very thoughtful about achieving the best possible outcome.