Law Offices of Michael A. Scafiddi Inc. If you're paying money to have a family member represented in court, save your money..or go elsewhere. San Bernardino California
We paid $3500 up front to have our son represented by this firm. I know now that this was one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life. The firm was more than happy to take my money, and in turn they vowed to give the best legal representation possible. More than nine months after receiving their fees, they appeared to be very proud of their work on his case. I do understand attorney-client privilege, but the only purpose we served in this whole scenario was to pay the bill. We made it very clear in the beginning that we wished to be involved during the process, but the our involvement was done after paying the bill. A plea bargain on a misdemeanor ended up costing my son $878 in fines and three years probation? The state of California now has secured the right, through the court, to search residence, person and property upon the request of a peace officer for the duration of this probation period.. Needless to say, I can not allow my son to live at my residence for the next three years as I wil not be subjected to any kind of unwarranted search any officer wishes to engage in. I would think that any law firm in California would have been capable of handling this more proficiently than this firm did. A call to the office when we received filing papers from the court got no response. In fact, several calls were placed to the office, all without any reply at all. Bottom line, this law firm is extremely good at taking cash, but might just fall short when it comes to solid legal representation. Run as fast as you can away from this firm, as there is a very good chance your expectations might not be met. If someone was to ask my opinion of their results...it would not be the most positive experience to say the least.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
MochaG
Springfield,Depends
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, June 21, 2013
It is normal for parents to believe in their children and see everything else wrong. That's a good thing for parents. However, whether or not the result is reasonable depends on what the case is. If you want others to see it as a rip off, you should disclose what your son did, what evidence they found, and what attorney did to the case. This is not about what you think is a rip off, but it is up to the public to decide. Also, remember that money does not simply make you win the case or buy your son's innocent.
Of course, your son should never plead guilty if he does not do it. If he did plead guilty while he is really innocent, then it may be a rip off because they want an easier deal. Most lawyers I know think that paying less penalty (money) to a case is better than keep fighting a case and may cause more time and money. The problem for their client actually is not money, but it will be the mark on his/her life record. Which one is worth more?