Complaint Review: Gooding Law Firm The Alford Firm - Texarkana Texas

Over one year ago I met a wonderful woman and her beautiful seven year old daughter. I worked offshore and met her on a interenet site I am sure everyone is aware of Myspace. We talked for several months and I would see her when I came in from my tour of duty. Within six months we knew we would get married and we decided to move in together in which I was offshore for 4 weeks at a time and in for 1 or 2 weeks following. We felt that this would be an okay start with living with each other for her daughter and my two sons in which I would see when I came in also. It would be good for a small adjustment to them at a time.

Well within a few months I was given custody of my two boys and caused me to have to get a what we call offshore a land job. I obtained a job quickley but took a significant pay cut and my wife now but fiance at the time was traveling from Nashville, Ar. to Nash Tx. still working at her job there at The Alford Firm. In time in which her boss knew for months she would be looking for another job because she moved to Texarkana She found a job here put in a 2 weeks notice and starting working also left on good terms with a letter of recomendation from The Alford Law Firm.

We were staying in a two bedroom duplex in which I knew would not work with two boys and a girl so we moved to a 3 bedroom duplex in which was high in rent but had to do what I could for a short time. At this time we started having trouble out of my step daughters father in which was on proven by the court by a drug test Methaphetamines.. We were getting threats from him drive byes and so on.

So we needed a lawyer bad and did not have the money to obtain one so my fiance go in touch with her ex boss and friend and she agreed to help us with us paying the court fees and she would have my stepdaughters father pay the attorney's fees in which she also because she knew of his past was to charge im her regular high fees. We wanted supervised visitations, him to get help with court supervision.

Well he got over the court several times even after failing a hair follicle and giving the judge poor excuses in which we and our lawyer knew he was lying and would not do what he said. He did not pay child support for 2 years and the State of Arkansas threw him in jail with a $1000 bail in which was to go to child support after their fees were taken out of it. I did not feel like our lawyer was doing her job I mean she was just letting this happen and not complaining or trying to get anything else accomplished.

Before all of this we were told by the lawyer that we had to get married before court in which we did and very grateful of my mother and fatherinlaws help because if not for them it would not have been as it was. I wanted a real nice wedding for my wife and she got it but would not have without their help and support. During all of this My wife got layed off from her job in Texarkana and began looking for another but no luck so now we were on one income and in a tight situation. We had to get a loan from a bank with also help from my father in law and this was before we knew she would be layed off.

Well we struggled and eventually came to a decision that our only choice was to file for bankrupcty Chapter 13 so that we would be able to keep our vehicles. We called lawyers and all of them wanted anywhere from $2500-$7000 retainers I mean come on I do not have money thats why I am in a bancruptcy.

So anyhow my wife having experience as a legal assistant check into it and felt that she possible could accomplish herself and she did a fine job and was told by the courts and lawyers that they have never seen an individual do so well. A letter from the court was sent and a confusion on a date for creditors meeting was brought upon us and received a letter to dismiss in which she answered. My father inlaw in which we signed loan from bank with was worried that his credit would get messed up so he went and spoke to a lawyer by the name of Jack Gooding and he examined and was also impressed and wanted to him to get us to come in and he would take the case free of retainers.

So we went and spoke to him and he made me and my wife feel confident that it would be better if he take over so he did. Used my wife's answer to the court for dismissal and all of her paper work. Everything was looking good.

We payed the courts our amount we were to pay and gave Mr. jack Gooding everything he asked for. Our Court date was coming up and remind you we are still at this time going back and forth with my stepdaughters father in court and he has done nothing he told the court he would do and keeps getting by and at this time payed 3 months of child support and now has stopped again because he lost his job in which he has had over 7 in the last year and maybe actually worked 4-6 months. Recently arrested for DWI and possession.

Our lawyer in which at this time is not over the case anymore due to I do know whats wrong with her but she sent nasty emails to my wife and and kept from getting a job for 8 months come to find out after my wife went to a interview of about 10 of them and the employer told her that her previous employer spoke about personal information involving our case and personal life and also stated that she was not good employee and left on bad terms in which my wife has a letter of recomendation from this lady and was thrown a going away party when she left.

I feel that she is mad about a situation involving the case in which she wanted to take away my stepdaughters fathers rights and we did not agree. I have emails, recordings and other evidence from former employees requarding her actions. Back to the bancruptcy.

Our court date was coming up and we tried to get in contact with our lawyer Jack Gooding for several weeks and was told we would receive a call back numerous time and we did not until the day before court we recieved a phone call from somebody in his office making sure we had a couple of documents and we did for the meeting the next day. We went to the meeting to find out that the proper paper work was not filed to the court and we had not brought the right document which we brought what we was told to bring by our lawyer so the meeting ended with a dismissal and our hearts hit the floor wander what we are going to do now.

Jack Gooding was not at the meeting. One of his attorneys was and he had no idea anthing about our case or what is our file and on top everything Jack had sending the wrong amount to the courts in which was a lesser amount than what he stated...I was feeling like a fool and was astonished and did not feel so secure now. He told us to schedule an appoinment with Jack and go in to see what our options are now so I did immediately and was told to come in the next monday.

We went in the next Monday and prettymuch spoke to the same way we were in the beginning and was told that my Wife would more than likely be dismissed and that I could possibly be dismissed also. So after leaving me and my wife sat down and decided that we needed to make sure we could make it and knew we could not rely on Jack. So we decided to let the vehicles go back and Use our tax returns and money we are saving to buy cheap vehicle for the both of us also we were told that we would receive the money back from the court that we payed.

Well we filed our taxes and now we are not going to receive them because of the baccruptcy in which the IRS says that we declared that they go to the court and we did not but obviously Jack did and now that it is dismissed as of next week it could be 8 months or so if we receive anything at all. Also the money we were supposed to recieve back from the court Jack now has declared as his.

My wife obtained a job a few weeks ago and a good one finally after taking the letter of recomendation from that formal boss and lawyer to her interview. I sent off a $1000 retainer the beginning of this week to another lawyer for a case against The Alford Firm but who knows where it will go or when it will end.

Also a few weeks ago my stepdaughter got in trouble and got a spaking when she did she turned and it left a small bruise on the side of her belly, the school called CPS on us and we went under investigation and I spoke to the school about another sitution with my two older children they got suspended off of the bus last week for standing up which I come to find out they were getting away from a girl that was giving them the bird and threatning them over a pencil sharpener.

Well since my wife started work they have been getting off another bus at their aunts house in which we are paying to keep them after school for 30min to an 1 hour. since they cannot go to a daycare in the area because we make to much money...Go figure...Anyhow went to the school to see if they could still ride the other bus and they cannot because the 5 day suspension is for all buses..

While there I was trying to explain our situation and mentioned the school calling CPS in which I was and my wife was told by the caseworker and come to find out I was not supposed of been told who called and that it is confidential. So I called the caseworker find out what the status of our case is and also to apologize because i did not know I was supposed to keep a secret about who called. Well I was told that her boss now wants me and my wife to go to parenting classes and also that the bruise was on my daughters genital pelvic area in which it was not.

Also after mentioning that I spoke to the school she the proceeded to tell me that She would never tell us who called in which she did and that we could only assume. And if a bruise was were she says it is who, when, and how my wife is wondering did our daughters pants come down to notice this without notifying her first?

Things are not looking good and keep getting worse. Should be losing our vehicles very soon and dont have any idea what we are to do. But as always we tell ourselves we have each other and we have a roof over our head for now. If there is any help out there we sure could use it...

Austin's

Texarkana, Texas

U.S.A.

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