LaFave Smith Law

Incompetent. Made an appointment and did not show up or call. We stood outside waiting, she never showed up or called. When my daughter and I did finally meet with her, she was on the phone with someone else almost the entire time. Denise just outright LIED in the courtroom about my daughter. I wouldn't recommend this woman to my worst enemy. She is a liar and a terrible attorney. Told me one thing face to face then did something completely different in front of the judge. She has zero ethics and is a bold face LIAR. SHAME ON YOU!

She was available and cared about our case when she met with us initially, and then after we paid the retainer it was essentially a vanishing act. We had an emergency situation that she handled carelessly, leaving us to do much of the heavy lifting ourselves, which is outside of our areas of expertise, and apparently also out of hers... Paperwork wasn't filed. Our follow-up phone calls and emails to ask her when she was going to do the work she was supposed to do ended up on an invoice. We had to correct her invoicing. Reprimands were given by the judge - and she still was unresponsive. I had to file and serve her a motion to dismiss her. I don't understand how she stays in business. But she won't get any more of ours.

I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with Attorney Denise LaFave Smith (P65521) during my ongoing custody dispute. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend her services to anyone seeking fair and ethical legal representation. Here’s why:

First, Attorney LaFave Smith filed an ex parte motion on behalf of the plaintiff, Ms. Nikira Denise Price, which I believe was not only baseless but also violated my constitutional rights. The motion was filed under the Child Abduction Act, even though there was no legitimate basis for such a claim. I had simply picked up my son as per our usual arrangement, and Ms. Price was fully aware of his whereabouts at all times. Despite this, Attorney LaFave Smith pursued an ex parte order that severely restricted my parental rights without any real justification.

Moreover, a Personal Protection Order (PPO) that Ms. Price filed against me was never served, yet Attorney LaFave Smith used it as the foundation for further legal action. From March to June 2024, I had over 200 exchanges with Ms. Price, including calls and texts, and we met regularly without any mention of this PPO. This raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of the legal actions taken by Attorney LaFave Smith.

At a hearing on June 18, 2024, it became clear that Attorney LaFave Smith was unprepared, yet she managed to sway the court with unfounded claims, leading to extremely limited and unjust visitation rights for me. Following this, she attempted to shorten my objection period, and when I filed my objection within the correct timeframe, she labeled it "moot" and filed an amended order without any legal basis.

To make matters worse, Attorney LaFave Smith engaged in questionable tactics by texting me on July 1, 2024, threatening to have me arrested if I exercised my legal rights. Her behavior throughout this process has been not only unprofessional but also in violation of Michigan’s court rules, particularly regarding proper service and due process.

My son and I have been unfairly separated because of these actions, which has caused significant emotional distress for both of us. As a father who deeply cares about his child, I find it appalling that an attorney would engage in such unethical conduct. The legal system should protect the best interests of the child, but in this case, Attorney LaFave Smith’s actions have done the opposite.

If you are looking for an attorney who will represent you with integrity and fairness, I strongly urge you to look elsewhere. My experience with Attorney LaFave Smith has been nothing short of a nightmare, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve endured.