Complaint Review: Stewart Law Firm

The above poster was absolutely correct in everything stated about Tanya.  I was her client starting in the fall of 2007.  She is like the Wizard of Oz, behind the curtain trying to make everything look specatular and in control, but in reality it is all a facade.  Tanaya is the worst case of ADHD I have ever seen in my life.  She talks big but always has WAY more on her plate than she can handle.  During the brief 6 months she was my attorney, she went through 3 admins, she fired all of her office staff. 

She was totally disorganized and it was clearly evident anytime you walked into her office with stacks of paper everywhere.  I begged and begged and begged for an invoice so I could keep track of how my retainer was being spent.  It was not until our relationship was finally severed that she sent me one trying to collect on God knows what. According to her admin  at the time, all invoices were hand keyed which is from the stone ages if you ask me. Her staff was completly overwhelmed and in fire mode all of the time. 

Speaking of God, trying to have an actual conversation with Tanya after she got my retainer was like trying to get a meeting with God himself.  She was always taking leaves of absence from her office with no back-up attorney to handle issues while she was away. Please spare your money and your sanity, look for someone else.  Tanya may be in the Mensa society but smart does not always equate to competent and even more so, to a good business owner.  Run as fast as you can away from her.  You want the proof, here it is. See all the emails below between a Former Tanya Client , Former Tanya Admin (The admin that quit along with the rest of her office staff, and the queen herself Tanya.

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Nov 29, 2007: Tanya says she decided to fire all of her office staff.  I knew this was not true because her admin called and told me they all quit. Tanyas office was overwhelmed with cases and always in a general state of disarray. She was impossible to get on the phone.  She lied to me in the email below and said she fired them.
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Former Tanya Client
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2007 10:28 PM
To: 'familylawyers@aol.com'
Subject: Re: Selling Properties
 
That is brave.......and quite risky to get rid of all your office staff in one fell swoop.  I give you props for that.  Would love to hear the full story when you have time.  Must have been some scary things going on for you to take such drastic measures. I look forward to talking with Mary soon.  I pray that you do not have anymore turnover in your office.  That makes clients like me quite nervous.  :-)
 
I will miss Former Tanya Admin  but I trust your judgement.
 
Talk with you soon.
 
Former Tanya Client
 
-----Original Message-----
From: familylawyers@aol.com <familylawyers@aol.com>
To: Former Tanya Client
Sent: Thu Nov 29 17:33:07 2007
Subject: Re: Selling Properties
 
The payment of the taxes/sanitation to avoid the liens is a good idea in theory, but you'd have to be comfortable with not getting that money back any time soon, if ever.  If that doesn't bother you, okay. But really need amount you are offering and a formal deal made with O/C to at least TRY to recover these funds in the future from something else--otherwise its just more water in the river of payments...
 
Make sense?  Let me know what he says b/c I have heard a peep or seen any listing agreements or anything vaguely compliant.
 
Tanya Stewart
 
PS I also have happy news. I finally stepped out of faith have restructured my office including all my former staff. I'd been avoiding it, but a good purging was in order before something went wrong instead of after. We are a clean slate:-D
 
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Month of December Tanya was impossible to get in touch with either via email or by phone.  My frustration grew as I could not get in touch with her during a critical time in my case. Her new admin was not on top of things and some listing agreements that were supposed to have made it to XXXXX's attorney so we could get some properties sold never made it there.  I sent an email which I can not find at this point stating that if they could not pull it together that I would have to seek counsel elsewhere. Four days later she sent the letter terminating her relationship with me. I then sent the email below to her:
 
From: Former Tanya Client
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 3:33 PM
To: familylawyers@aol.com
Subject: RE: Letter
Importance: High

Tanya,
 
Wow.  That was pretty cowardly of you to sever a relationship with a client who has not been able to even have a phone call from you in over a month.  Also to sever ties with a client who has referred several other clients to you despite all of the dropped balls since I have come on board.  
 
I frankly do not think the reason is debatable on why trust has been lost in your abilities.  The following are just a very few of the reasons why:
 
1.) The high level of turn-over in your office staff.  Not sure if you have figured this out but if you have this many people leaving your office in such a short amount of time....and from what I understand turn-over has been an issue in your office for a long time, the problem is you and not them.
 
2.) Your dishonesty with me in regards to you firing everyone when in reality all of your office staff quit not the other way around.  If you can not even be honest with your clients about that situation how can I trust you in regards to you handling my case.  You basically lied to me flat out and that is WRONG!!!
 
3.) Your office has dropped the ball numerous times in my case from Stephen (fired former office assistant) messing up my discovery to Quen(another fired former office assistant) messing up my discovery to miscommunication or no communication on court dates.  Your office is disorganized and communication has been horrible from the start.  And yes, Former Tanya Office Assistant is the only reason I stayed because she has a good understanding of Customer Service.  You on the other hand treat your clients like you are doing them a favor even when the screw-up has been on your end.
 
4.) You are constantly taking long leaves of absence while my life and everyone else's hangs in the balance.  That is fine if this is a customary practice of attorneys and you have a strong team to back you up while you are gone, but in your office that was not the case.  Former Tanya Office Assistant kept things running but she was by no means an attorney nor a paralegal and there was only so much she could do without you.
 
5.) My inability to have phone conversations with you about my case.  It is not like I was calling everyday it seemed like it took an act of God just to get you on the phone.
 
It has been clear over the last few months that your service levels have swiftly declined.  I personally think that you have way too many clients for your small firm.  I will make sure to notify those that I have referred to you of the things that have occurred today because I do not want them to end up in the same boat as me.  I guess you realized you were actually going to have to do real work on my case and I was not going to be a fast buck so you decided to jump ship.  What is so sad is if you had actually taken a few minutes to have a phone call with me before going to chill on your Christmas Vacation a lot of this could have been avoided.  But my husbanded was basically allowing all of our assets to go down the tube and therefore while you were sipping egg nog and hanging out with your new Cat, I had to make some decisions on my own.  I don't blame all of of your previous employees for quitting.  How they hung in there so long is a real mystery to me.
 
I will not deny that you are a good attorney when you get in the courtroom, but you definitely need to do yourself a favor and take some business classes and some Customer Service classes.  Otherwise your practice and your life in general are always going to be chaotic.
 
And I think it is comical that I have been begging for a bill since the beginning of October and have not received one.  Now since you decide you no longer want to render service you want to slap me with a bill. Your services have been horrible and unsatisfactory.  I will not even consider looking at or paying a bill until I have received every piece of documentation that I have sent and/or provided to you guys.
 
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Tanya then sent an email to her Former Tanya Office Assistant stating that she had fired me and a whole bunch of other clients:
 
From: Former Tanya Admin
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 6:04 PM
To: Former Tanya Client
Subject: FW: Thanks for the Follow up.. (CHECK OUT THE LAST SENTENCE ABOUT YOU)
 
Former Tanya Admin
For God so loved the world....
 
To: Former Tanya Admin
Subject: Thanks for the Follow up..
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 18:01:56 -0500
From: familylawyers@aol.com

Whew..deep sigh of relief. I can't find anything but I'm setting an agency meeting and I needed to know what tone to take! At least I've confirmed nothings blown up! Yea GOD!  Thanks for the wise heads up on the electrical stuff. We'll push forward with getting the last of our quotes.
 
Mary sent your package Tuesday priority mail.  Should be making its way to you shortly.
 
I hope your project is going well.
 
PS I fired Former Tanya Client today. Her faith in me was badly eroded by your leaving and I think was growing more precarious and I just didn't want the risk and burden of it-having her turn into a Respress-Barnes would've killed me.

The Stewart Law Firm
1169-A Concord Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
O (770) 333-3301
F (770) 333-1585
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More examples of the chaos Tanya's office

To: Former Tanya Admin
Subject: Follow up..
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 13:05:04 -0500
From: familylawyers@aol.com

Hey girlie, 

     First, I haven't gotten that phone number. If your sister's friend would prefer to pay barter, I've got to have his stuff right now- as in today. We need to go forward with hiring someone for the electrical and I don't even know if he is a-qualified b-interested and I'm holding up our project for it. So, y'all want him to have an option other than cash, I need to speak with him immediately.  

      Second, I'm really concerned b/c I cannot find hide nor hair of proof that you sent a letter to each of the two child support agencies in R**** and G**** case.  It was the only request I made of you guys the day I left for Thanksgiving to get a letter our saying we represent them and want to speak with them done right away and definitely before everyone left for Thanksgiving break.  Do you remember doing it and it is somehow lost or do you not remember doing it? I could literally get sued if a hearing has taken place without my client and I because the agency didn't know I was in the case-so I am reasonably worried about it.  I also need to know how to approach the agency (kind and nice and hat in hand or what the hell is it with you people...) Let me know your memory on this right away so I can see about trying to fix it.  

Thanks.

Tanya
The Stewart Law Firm
1169-A Concord Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
O (770) 333-3301
F (770) 333-1585
 
 
To: Former Tanya Admin
Subject: I'm here....
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 18:55:04 -0500
From: familylawyers@aol.com

Former Tanya Admin,
 
    You know me. Even though it is technically not the best idea, I would do it if I could. But I don't have the extra, we are trying to get the refinance done and its going to cost me $20,000 to close with the $14K prepayment penalty on my crap a*s current mortgage-as it is I'm short for that at the moment.  I fired a large chunk of our clients to reduce my work load so just Mary could handle it and train simultaneously.  I even chucked Mr. T*** who just picked up his file today at 11:30 and is owed a $9,000+ refund...M***, H**** and R**** all owe and haven't paid yet.  

    The only upside is that you now truly know your family, but it comes at a very expensive price.  It sad, but I've seen this exact thing happen before and I was hoping you'd be able to avoid believing the "But I'll really hold it this time..." Lucy with the Football effect that family sometimes has on you.  I know what its like to be let down on something important by the people you thought you could trust.  If you are honest, some part of you knew better.
 
     Sigh. I don't know if my words have helped at all, but I'm praying for you.  God won't let you fall too far (not with YOUR Granny watching he won't!) 

Stay calm, the only way out is through it.  The only way through it is by thinking.

      By the way, Mary said thank you for your kind words.  Of all things, she found out just a hour or so before your email that her Chicago Grandmother "Big Momma" had just passed unexpectedly.  I've spent the last hours with her pain.  Gonna have to pray over y'alls chair...   I guess my office is officially in mourning. I'm off to celebrate my blessings and call Mrs. W****.

Tanya

The Stewart Law Firm
1169-A Concord Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
O (770) 333-3301
F (770) 333-1585
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From: Former Tanya Client
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2008 9:53 AM
To: Former Tanya Admin
Subject: RE: I'm here....

Former Tanya Admin,
 
Thanks so much.  Tanya fired Former Tanya Client 2 yesterday after they told her on Friday to send a $250 payment on the balance on her account.  Looks like she is using any little excuse to reduce her client load.  What she really needs to do is be honest with people instead of making it look like it is everyone else's fault.
 
Former Tanya Client 2 is ready to join in our grievance with us against Tanya.
 
Former Tanya Admin  let me know if you found any other phone numbers on these people below.
 
I will talk with you guys soon.
 
Former Tanya Client
 
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Former Tanya Admin disputing she was fired but that she actually quit.

From: Former Tanya Admin
Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2008 4:07 PM
To: Former Tanya Clients
Subject: RE: Your response to the withdrawal...

Let's all say it together..... B*&$S#$%!  I resigned three times before I actually decided to walk out.  You want to talk about hurt I can go on and on.  I want to tell you Laura to not spend another minute on this miserable woman.  Let GOD handle her!  I was very unhappy and the joy that I had was with my clients.  If I made a mistake it is because she was not available to me and I had to make a split decision with no supervision.  I believe that she has a serious mental problem but she does not think that anything is wrong with her.  After all the work and double overtime that I put in I am disgusted to say the least with her comments below, but I am too angry and in this state of mind I cannot not respond or react to her because all hell will break loose then.  Just be patient God will set her right very soon.
love you guys

Former Tanya Admin
For God so loved the world....

Subject: FW: Your response to the withdrawal...
Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:53:56 -0500
From: Former Tanya Client
To: Former Tanya Client 2
CC: Former Tanya Admin

Do you girls want your laugh for the day.....then read below.
 
What an utterly lame response.  

From: familylawyers@aol.com [mailto:familylawyers@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 1:39 PM
To: Former Tanya Client
Subject: Your response to the withdrawal...

Former Tanya Client, 

       I expected your anger.  The decision to leave is never easy and almost never peaceful.  I do not dispute that many of my former staff made administrative errors, but none of these worked to your detriment.  The harm was to our relationship and your stress level.  I will be certain to adjust  and discount your bill accordingly.  

       You are upset about not being able to speak with me directly, when if you are fair, you only wanted to vent your anger and frustration on me, as your email did.  You feel most comfortable with an enormous amount of contact.  Your case has had more than 363 emails in 6 months.  If you assumed that each was only a .1 (which they are not) that would be 36.3 legal hours at an average of more than 6 hours per month.  If I had done all of that contact without any other billing, it would have cost you $10,890 in emails alone, hence I delegate per item #10 in Client Responsibilities.  

       My statement regarding former staff stands and was not a lie.  I decline to go into the intricacies, but I will state that my decision to enforce compliance with firm rules to decrease clients' stress had an almost 100% probability in resulting in the immediate departure of two employees.  I understood it and expected it and did the right thing anyway.  I don't lie, its just not worth the energy.  My staff have been a disappointment to me and the only thing I could do was to fix it.  I did so finally by purging everything, which I have done.  I am not asking for your understanding and no longer asking for your forgiveness because it appears to hurt you too much to do either.   

        I believe your email correctly demonstrates that our relationship is too damaged to proceed, so I have opted to withdraw.  I have apologized to you previously and I apologized in my list first out.  My final apology is to accept that I cannot repair the prior damage to our trust, which up until this month I was dedicated to doing.  

        Your case is fine.  You will be fine as well as your little ones.  Please try not to let your anger with me distract you from what is most important at this time, ensuring that you find new counsel you are comfortable with to finish your matter.  Ask Mr. Kessler for a referral. 
 
Nathania Stewart, Esq.      
The Stewart Law Firm
1169-A Concord Rd SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
O (770) 333-3301
F (770) 333-1585

I am a 13+ year family lawyer.  Because I always try the do the right thing, I can come into conflict with clients who want to break the law, harm a child, refuse to pay us or are out more for revenge than to move on. 

Over the years, I have gotten pretty good at not taking the wrong side of the case.  Every once in awhile, I get it wrong and take on the wrong client.  Some people feel more comfortable typing what they like on the internet than coming to me and dealing with the matter.  I will always have conflict with clients who want to have their cake and eat it too and believe they should call all the shots.  You know these kind of people.  Imagine if you called all the shots in an open heart surgery?  How would that work? And would you still hold the surgeon responsible for your bad calls? 

By refusing to follow instructions in whole or part, they can make their case impossible to resolve. Or, the resolution is fair in light of their misbehavior, but they refuse to see that. 

Everything you need to know can be determined by the bias and inaccuracy of a few things they state as facts: They state I have no employees, which I do and have had assistance for 10 years.  They state that my hourly rate changed at some point.  Could be true (my last rate increases were ~5 years back) but our contracts control how that is handled, its never a surprise.  And the "widely known" bit, is just negative fluff. 

If what they say was true, it is IMPOSSIBLE that I would have no disciplinary history with the Bar, a fact I remain proud of.  Family lawyers, by area, are the most often complained about lawyers next to inmates complaining about their public defenders.  This has more to do with the emotional subject matter we handle than any one lawyer.     

At this point they usually ask for 100% refunds and try to extort the money from my firm.  I do not negotiate by threat.  Thus, I have accepted that some unhappy people that cannot be made happy, regardless, will post things such as these.   

Being purposefully anonymous, it makes impossible to address any real concern.  In the end, when I get a client this angry it is usually because they just couldnt have things their way no matter how much money was spent because they bumped into the law or karma or tried to get me to do the wrong thing. Because taking responsibility for their part is rare, they make the family lawyer the scapegoat.  I am at peace with my choices.  If I make a mistake, which I certainly have, I fix it as quickly as I know about it, as best I can.   

If you have a concern with me or my character, you may contact me at 770-333-3301 and I will give you references.  There is a reason I have been in business so long, there is a reason a Judge will appoint me to investigate custody, there is a reason I help people as best as I can and none of those reasons fit the general, unanswerable I want to hurt her business posting made here. 

Thank you for taking time to read my statement.  

Nathania Stewart, Esq.



PS I note that my photo is posted here without my permission, as the author presumably stole the image from my website.

The Stewart Law Firm is essentially a money making machine that its founder and only FAMILY LAW attorney working for the firm runs like a casino the house always wins making all sorts of promises up front about her expertise Tanya Stewart then once you agree to retain her and the firm to represent you while going through a divorce her hourly rate doesnt remain the same, broken promises, and just a lack of professionalism. There are over 30,000 family law attorneys in the state of GA and I wouldnt recommend The Stewart Firm to anybody regardless of what her blog, website, and other sham marketing advertisement all for optics states.This firm not only has one person working for it who is the founder but tries to wear so many hats she cant even keep up with the most basic concepts in a case. This is widely known throughout the family law circle and I strongly recommend choosing another family law attorney.