Whatley & Ricci, PLLC

After using Cory years back and constantly being dragged back to court by my ex I knew I needed to retain him again! Fast forward- Cory and his assistant did an incredible job for my case. My husband and I are forever grateful. We were dealing with two people paying 20k for my ex’s litigation fees in hopes to try to take control our litigation (which was clearly not okay or ethical) Cory did a great job of standing up for truth, advocating for our daughter and explaining everything to me. We had a great case for trial but ended up settling and protecting my daughter from things that were truly important to me - which of course is a huge win! Overall I truly believe in court we had a solid case because of this firm but settling we got to get our peace back, don’t have to continue a messy litigation and got to protect our girl!
We recommend Cory!

Extremely Disappointed Would Not Recommend Jason Whatley or His Law Office

My husband worked with Jason Whatley for three years, and I can confidently say it was one of the most frustrating and disheartening experiences he’s ever had with legal representation. From the beginning, it became clear that Jason cared far more about collecting fees than about genuinely helping with my husband’s case.

My husbands case was emotionally complex, involving a deeply manipulative and abusive ex-spouse. He came to Jason hoping for strong, strategic advocacy, what I got was indifference and mismanagement. Despite his reputation for being a “shark in court,” Jason repeatedly failed to stand up to opposing counsel. He never truly listened to my concerns or priorities, and decisions were often made based on opposing team not wanting to cooperate so my husband was forced into a lot of settlements and “agreements”. Even though he voiced what needed to be done) It was always “his way or the highway,” and if he asked questions or disagreed, Jason and Donna would respond with condescension and frustration.

There were multiple times throughout the process where Jason clearly put my husband’s case on the back burner. While I was enduring continued mental and emotional abuse from his ex, Jason stood by and allowed it to happen. And when He finally reached a breaking point and snapped after years of abuse, My husband was the one who got reprimanded, not her. There was no defense, no fight, no attempt to contextualize the reality my husband was living through.

His communication and that of his office was abysmal. Emails often went unanswered, questions were ignored, and the professionalism was sorely lacking. His paralegal, Donna, was particularly rude and unhelpful, at one point even hanging up during a call and frequently disregarding requests and concerns. Important settlement language was missed, and I’ve already encountered legal problems as a direct result of their sloppy work.

Even worse, Jason openly expressed that taking the case to trial would make him more money, which made me feel like my husband was nothing more than a paycheck to him. His behavior was unprofessional, calling my husband names using profanity and dismissing my husbands military background without any attempt to understand its relevance to the case.

The representation we received from Jason and his office during a critical stage of my husband’s custody matter. Despite the opposing party’s failure to return the permanent parenting plan in a timely manner, no meaningful efforts were made by his counsel to compel a response or ensure timely resolution. We were left waiting for over a month without any substantive updates or action taken to enforce the timeline or hold the opposing party accountable.

When I inquired about pursuing contempt proceedings due to the delay, I was informed that such action was not possible because there was no standing court order a situation that, in my view, should have been anticipated and proactively addressed by competent counsel. The lack of urgency, advocacy, and strategic foresight demonstrated by this office has caused unnecessary delay and significant distress, and I believe it reflects a fundamental failure in representation.

In short, this law firm left us feeling betrayed, unprotected, and financially drained. I would never recommend Jason Whatley or his team to anyone seeking competent or compassionate legal help. If you’re fighting for custody or need someone who will truly advocate for you, look elsewhere. This office is not it.

If I could give more than five stars I would give the max of whatever was available. We had an absolutely horrible attorney whose husband was going through a major scandal in city government and was fired. She took our money knowing she wouldn’t have time or care to help us. All because she was embroiled in her husband’s scandal. Contrarily, Corey is Columbia’s Atticus Finch. Don’t contemplate. Hire him.