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Review Intelligence
Fernandez Law Group Santa Monica Family Divorce Lawyers Santa Monica Ca review signals at a glance
CrashStory aggregates public review patterns for Fernandez Law Group Santa Monica Family Divorce Lawyers Santa Monica Ca so readers can assess client sentiment, response quality, and the issues that appear most often before moving deeper into the interactive review explorer.
Average Rating
4.1
Total Reviews
35
PI Reviews
11
Text Reviews
35
Most common themes
professionalismconsultationdivorce vs dissolution
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Review Snapshot
4.3
44 public reviews and 35 written reviews.
Recent Activity
Most recent written review from Jo vdg: Feb 3, 2025 (550 days ago)
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Response Behavior
Replies on 25% of reviews
100% of the visible replies look at least somewhat personalized instead of fully templated.
Fernandez Law Group Santa Monica Family Divorce Lawyers Santa Monica Ca client reviews
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All35 reviews
4.1
Most recent written review from Jo vdg: Feb 3, 2025 (550 days ago)
Written Reviews
35
Average Rating
4.11
Reviews (30d)
0
Reviews (90d)
0
Older Archive
35
Assigned Tags (3)
Showing 35 of 35 written reviews.
1 star
7
2 star
0
3 star
0
4 star
3
5 star
25
Older Written Reviews
Reviews older than 30 days are kept available in pages of 12.
I went homeless and when I was living out of my car this Lawfirm charged me over 30,000 a month. Putting 2 liens on my house that sold. At the end of the extreme stressful divorce and ended up with nothing . I lost my house, car and all bank accounts. It was a nightmare. Greedy and heartless experience. Don’t believe the 5 star reviews ; often placed by people who work for them.
This is the worst law firm I have ever encountered , I sat in a office waiting for a consult and overheard the attorney Fernández talking about a clients ex wife that he will force to work cause he wants to money grab , completely unethical and they really need to understand the law about this , I think that constitutes this attorney violating a law… how can anyone trust this guy !
After close to a year with little to no progress on our case, I made the best decision for my daughter and retained Fernandez & Karney.
The entire team at Fernandez & Karney worked around the clock to get our case back on track.
Karen, the paralegal who I was mostly in contact with was nothing short of empathetic, kind, and professional.
Steven Fernandez and Jean Kim were more than prepared and were able to save me substantial time and money by settling our case outside of court with the best possible outcome for my daughter.
If I ever find myself in that position again, I will not hesitate to retain Fernandez & Karney. I trust every member of their team to handle matters professionally, promptly, and efficiently.
Filling a Bar Attorney Misconduct Complaint.
Outrages services. Unprofessional representation.
Didn't file basic documents to the court, caused months of delays!
No appearance to the case review. No apology or correction.
Owner response
We sincerely apologize for the challenges you experienced during your legal representation with Fernandez & Karney. Your feedback is invaluable, and we deeply regret any inconvenience caused.<br><br>We take your concerns seriously and are committed to addressing them. We understand the frustration caused by the delays and lack of necessary filings.
I had a consultation with Mark and he seemed very supportive and made me feel like I had an advocate finally and he wanted to take the case. Fast forward and since I couldn't come up with the retainer in appropriate amount of time, and my divorce turned into a high conflict, I was denied and they could no longer take the case. No follow up no further referrals just wished good luck.
Owner response
Thank you for sharing your experience with Fernandez & Karney. We appreciate your kind words about Mark and how he made you feel supported and advocated for during your consultation.<br><br>We understand that the financial aspect posed a challenge for you, and we regret any inconvenience caused by the retainer timeline in your high-conflict divorce case.
For the record: Error in judgement in understanding a situation can be pivotal in life's journey regardless of any legal proceeding; unfortunately my prior review was done in the darkness of the soon to be ex of me; Steve is a good man of the good firm Fernandez & Karney in Santa Monica California. Always ~<3e True too you!
Owner response
We genuinely appreciate your willingness to revisit and amend your previous review. We understand that emotions can run high during challenging life transitions, and we commend your openness to reconsider.<br><br>We're grateful for your kind words about Steve and our firm, Fernandez & Karney. Your acknowledgment means a lot to us, and we're pleased that you've recognized the positive qualities in our team.
We are truly grateful for your kind words and for entrusting Fernandez & Karney with your divorce proceedings. Your feedback means a lot to us, and we're honored to have had the opportunity to support you during this challenging time.<br><br>It's heartening to hear that our commitment to ethics, professionalism, and putting your best interests first has made a positive impact. Our entire team are dedicated to ensuring that you are informed, included, and heard at every step of the process. Thanks for choosing us!
Mr. Karney by far was the only person i spoke to that managed to calm me way down really fast and not only told me but showed the ways he would get my daughter back in 3 days. And HE DID JST THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS BACK HOME IN. 3 DAYS i dnt knw what i would have done if i handt found mr. Karney and Homar hes been reliable and completely in control of the entire case i am truly grateful to these 2 individuals like i cant evwn describe. The receptions is extreamly kind and comprehensive aswell . by far the best decision i ever made and worth every dollar. Without a dought
Run away fast. It will book to see you once a month prior to billing then the work will go to the paralegal. First you pay him to remind him where the case is at the moment then the paralegal, so that she gets up to speed with what was discussed with him. No internal communication.
A third lawyer might get involved and the dance continues, you have to spend money reminding or relating your case to whoever is passed to. At the end of the month, double billing etc... and the worst part is that your case does not move.The judge had to ask him to file a document that was supposed to be filed within 30 days of starting the case, or he was going to fine him. Lied to the judge in front of me as he was unprepared. Spends a fortune in PR work to clean reviews. Has no scrupulous to all the bad that he is causing to the lives of people and families. In my case it cost me a lot of money and stress, to clean up his mess.
These guys are looking out for only one thing--their own pockets. They cost my ex husband a ton of money, they cost me a ton of aggravation, and because I hired an attorney who was smarter-(Noelle
Halaby-get a consult from her before hiring these schmoes) my ex wound up worse off than if he had stayed true to our mediation agreement. Steven F filled my ex husband's head with visions of making LOTS more money, so got him to hire them. The Only people who made tons of money were attorneys at Fernandez.
Avoid at all costs.
*update: They attempted to remove my review, which I assume they do with all negative reviews—Hence the completely un merited score of “4.7”. My BF is a professor of law—These guys should be disbarred for serving themselves Not their clients.
I am so glad I found Mark H. Karney and his team!
I was about to hire another lawyer for my divorce and just before I signed that contract I decided to get another opinion and I'm SO glad I did.
After speaking with Mark and his wonderful paralegal Tristina I realized I almost made a huge mistake. I found out because I was married for a short time and we were amicable, we could get a dissolution instead of a divorce. An important distinction the other local law firm didn't tell me - even though they knew all the same details.
This saved me over $4,000.
Mark & Tristina were honest, helpful, and responsive. And they treated my case with care. They answered all my questions, and even went above and beyond in helping me get paperwork I needed when I was purchasing a home.
The genuinely cared about helping me secure my home and I couldn't be more grateful.
Owner response
We sincerely appreciate your positive feedback and are thrilled to have been of assistance to you during your divorce process. Thank you for entrusting Mark H. Karney and our team with your case.<br><br>We understand the importance of seeking a second opinion, and we're glad you reached out to us. It's gratifying to hear that our insights about opting for a dissolution rather than a divorce made a significant difference, both legally and financially.<br><br>We take pride in our commitment to honesty, helpfulness, and responsiveness. Your mention of the savings and the care we provided in handling your case means a lot to us. We're pleased to have been able to go above and beyond, assisting you not only with the legal aspects but also in securing your home.
I went homeless and when I was living out of my car this Lawfirm charged me over 30,000 a month. Putting 2 liens on my house that sold. At the end of the extreme stressful divorce and ended up with nothing . I lost my house, car and all bank accounts. It was a nightmare. Greedy and heartless experience. Don’t believe the 5 star reviews ; often placed by people who work for them.
This is the worst law firm I have ever encountered , I sat in a office waiting for a consult and overheard the attorney Fernández talking about a clients ex wife that he will force to work cause he wants to money grab , completely unethical and they really need to understand the law about this , I think that constitutes this attorney violating a law… how can anyone trust this guy !
After close to a year with little to no progress on our case, I made the best decision for my daughter and retained Fernandez & Karney.
The entire team at Fernandez & Karney worked around the clock to get our case back on track.
Karen, the paralegal who I was mostly in contact with was nothing short of empathetic, kind, and professional.
Steven Fernandez and Jean Kim were more than prepared and were able to save me substantial time and money by settling our case outside of court with the best possible outcome for my daughter.
If I ever find myself in that position again, I will not hesitate to retain Fernandez & Karney. I trust every member of their team to handle matters professionally, promptly, and efficiently.