My experience with Belén Olmedo Guerra and Belén Law Firm was extremely disappointing and ultimately led me to terminate representation and seek new legal counsel. My biggest concern was the lack of familiarity with my case and the circumstances surrounding it. I retained this firm in August 2026, and by October 19, I had spoken with Belén only twice. During our conversations, I was left questioning how thoroughly she understood my case, my professional background, and what was at stake for me. She did not even know that I was a school psychologist and instead referred to me as a counselor. Considering that these legal proceedings have significantly impacted my career and livelihood, I found that particularly concerning. Another major issue was the transition between attorneys. The attorney initially assigned to my case left the firm, and my case was subsequently transferred to Belén. During a conversation about my dissatisfaction, she indicated that she had not even been required to notify me of that change but had done so anyway. She also maintained that communication had been adequate. From my perspective, speaking with my attorney only twice over approximately two months, particularly after an unexpected change in representation, was far from adequate. I also had concerns about the approach being taken with my case. Belén discussed interviewing individuals whose relevance to my misdemeanor case was unclear to me. When I questioned aspects of the evidence and strategy, she compared my case to a murder investigation. I found this comparison confusing, especially when I was already struggling to understand the reasoning behind the work being performed and how it related to my defense. Communication and attention to detail continued to be concerns. I received a proposed plea agreement dated September 30, 2026, that was not provided to me until October 19, 2026. When I requested clarification regarding when the firm had received the offer, Belén stated that she did not know when it had been downloaded into her system. Another concerning incident involved my release conditions. I specifically asked whether I was permitted to travel outside Arizona. Belén responded in writing that she did not see any travel restrictions, despite condition #6 of the release order she attached explicitly stating, “Do not leave the state.” Shortly afterward, another member of the firm emailed to clarify that her original statement had been a typo and that she did, in fact, see the travel restriction. Regardless of whether this was a typographical error or an oversight, receiving contradictory information about a court-ordered restriction was concerning. Had I relied on the initial response, I could have violated my release conditions. When I made the decision to terminate representation, the firm agreed to issue a full refund. However, in confirming the refund, Belén emphasized that the firm had already performed more than $4,400 worth of work on my case. While I appreciate the agreement to refund my payments, I found the additional commentary unnecessary given the concerns I had raised. The amount of work reportedly performed did not address my dissatisfaction with the quality of communication or my confidence in the representation. Ultimately, my decision to leave was not based on one isolated incident. It was the accumulation of concerns regarding attorney familiarity with my case, communication, the transition between attorneys, and attention to detail. When someone’s freedom, professional career, reputation, and livelihood are at stake, they deserve legal representation that inspires confidence, communicates effectively, and demonstrates an understanding of their circumstances. Unfortunately, that was not my experience with Belén Law Firm, and based on my personal experience, I cannot recommend their services.
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