Palmer Rodak & Associates

WARNING!!! Would never ever recommend this firm ever!!! ABSOLUTELY CROOKED!!! I went to Mathew Palmer with a huge Child protective service case in which my children were removed from my custody. My self and my fiancé went to Mathew with my case because we needed help. We set up an apt to discuss my case and Mathew proceeded to tell myself and my fiancé That the department of Riverside child protective Services are nothing but crooks, and what the department was doing to myself and my Children was absolutely illegal, And that he would be able to get my children back immediately and after he did he would help me file a lawsuit against the Department of Riverside child protective Services. He proceeded to tell myself and my fiancé to start a case like this usually cost about 5000 $ for his services, and That he would give us a break and only charge us 3000 $ for everything until my children where back into my custody. I about cried because I was so excited that actually someone wanted to help myself and my children with what cps was doing to us. So my fiancé and myself paid Mathew 3000 $ upfront and he proceeded to tell us that the next court date my children would be back in my custody like the judge had ordered previously, since cps refused to do. On that court date I was shocked when Mathew him self was not present, he had sent his paralegal, in which had no clue to anything about my case so I had to fill her in. I had asked her why Mathew was not present and she proceeds to tell me and my fiancé That he had another big case he had to be in court for, I told her then what did I pay for his services for then? That court hearing nothing had changed like Mathew had promised myself and my fiancé, That he would personally get my children back. We’ll that didn’t happen like promised, the girls where still in the same situation, and another court date was set. I proceeded to contact Mathew office to ask why Mathew broke his promise and sent his paralegal… he apologized and promised he would appear on the next one. A few days before that next hearing I got a phone call from Palmers office stating that if I wanted to save some money from my retainer, that this next hearing they didn’t have to be present since the girls were being released back to into my custody, except my oldest who wanted to stay in the home she was in at the time. I told Matthew office that if they felt I didn’t need them to present then I would love to save the money for when I needed them to be in court for my oldest one who stayed in the system, When I got to that court hearing, I was shocked in what the judge stated to me on record. The the judge had asked me” why Mathew was not present”? …that Mathew should of known that in a juvenile dependency case like this he has to be present… or he could be held in contempt of court for something like this. I told the judge I wanted to save money and that it was my fault, He proceeded to tell me, Mrs Garcia for as long as Mathew Palmer has been an attorney he should of known… The judge gave me a few options, 1 I could continue the case and wait for my attorney of record to be present or 2 I could fire him on record and have a public defender represent me. With what Palmers office has done to myself and my children so far I decided to fire him on the spot and hired the public defender that was initially a singed to my case that was May 19 2015. I contacted Palmers office the next day to let his office know that they were no longer my attorney of record and the reason why. About a week later I received a bill in the mail stating I owed Palmers office 2554 $ dollars still for all the paperwork cps continued to send him after that may 19 hearing, I proceeded to contact Matthew’s office and told him how can u continue to charge me when u were no longer the attorney of record as of may, his office continues to send me a bill, when in reality his initial consultation he stated on paperwork everything will be done for 3000 $ So where did all these other fees come from? LOL strait COOKED!!! I have now contacted the bar association to report this!!! Just waiting for my packet to come in the mail… I would never recommend this business to anyone, they are THIEF’S !!!

Today I went in for a consultation regarding child custody. I can’t remember the name of the man that helped me but he gave me the advice that I was looking for. I’m very thankful that they provide free consults. If I need a lawyer in the future this is where I will go.

Matthew and his parallegals were very wonderful. They’ve been helping me with my divorce. They were more than happy to answer all my questions and got back to me asap. They fought for me when I couldn’t. I’m so glad I found them to help me. I highly recommend their office if you are going thru a divorce.

Going through child custody can be emotionally draining. The fear of having your kids no longer in your custody is a Mother’s worst nightmare. Knowing that you are up against a giant can leave you with sleepless nights and anxiety, you are going to battle every time an issue comes up and just like going into any battle you want to be protected and advised by a Spartan like team of elite warriors. Even better yet, a team that treats you with the compassion, patience and respect you would find in an ally. That is what this firm brings to the table.
There is nothing more important to a heart than family, especially children. This firm has the bedside manner to deal with the difficult issues that arise from the draining process one goes trough when dealing with child custody issues yet they are an aggressive team at the same time.
My case has been going on for over an year and we are no done yet. I feel confident that the people who are handling my case are able to bring what is necessary for a successful outcome/​victory and i look forward to putting all of this behind me and enjoying the future with my family.

Worst service ever, Matthew Palmer promised my child custody and support case wad going to be settle with in 4 months he gave me a set price. That was on September of 2014, now a year latter the case still not done not even half way the price has more than tripple. Matthew never showed up at any court appointments he always sent a paralegal to get a continuation on the case. His office is always loosing of misplacing documentation.
If you need help look somewhere else, Mathew Palmer law office will only rip you off and never settle your case.

Dont use this place you will be taken for your money. I paid 3000 up front being stupid and believing this place. I had two court dates in which i never saw the attorney i talked to you when gave the 3000 dollar check he sent his secretary. She had no clue what was going on. I had to go to the child social services to get legal paperwork thats what i paid him for. Two court dates trying to get any kind of visitation for my son. His secretary did nothing but agree with the child social services not once did she speak up on my behalf. She was late for one. I was in and out of court in less than 20 minutes for both appearences and he charged 3000 up front when i had to do all the work. He still trys to charge me to this day for services and he did nothing but take my 3000. Im in a worse scenario now than i was when i hired palmer and associates. Dont use this guy for anything total rip off and bold face liar. He wont show to your court dates he sends his little trolls with no experience at all. I give one star because hes a con artist.

I used Palmer Rodak’s services for some legal help as well some notary services. Staff was excellent and very helpful with everything I required. Would recommend to friends and in the future to others.

I have used multiple lawyers during my years of long custody battles with the ex-​wife. Mathew Palmer was the first one able to get real results. He is also the first to say «I can do that, but it would be a waste of money» where others just ran up the billable hours. He is also obviously well known and respected by the Superior Court Judges in North County, which I believe was a big help for me. I cannot overstate my great satisfaction with this firm.

Divorce can be tough. At first I thought I could get by with mediation, but all that did was waste time and money. I was married for 25 years. I didn’t want to get divorced. I thought my ex was going to be easy on me and not try to take me for everything she was «entitled» to, but that’s what she tried to do.
I originaly found my attorney and legal secretary at another firm and followed them to Palmer Rodak and it was the best move I could have made. This whole office is amazing. Mr. Palmer’s experience really helped along with the way I felt he looked over my case. My attorney Mr. Pene did a great job and I always felt he cared for what was in my best interest. My legal secretary, Danielle Flowers, also did a great job.
In the end I had to go to the courthouse twice, but really Mr. Pene and Mr. Palmer prepared me for it well. That’s all it took was two trips to the courthouse. My attorney did all the work! The way my ex was being I didn’t thinkthere was any way I was going to get out of a trial, but I did and I’m really happy about that.
My attorney was invaluable. If you’re getting a divorce I highly recommend that you hire an attorney even if you plan to do mediation. My experience with the Palmer Rodak staff, and especially with Mr. Pene, Ms. Flowers and Mr. Palmer was unbelievably great considering the circumstances. I sincerely appreciate their efforts and the way I felt they looked after my case.
I highly recommend this firm.
Jerry H.

I had one a very complicated case. I am an alcoholic and I made a lot of mistakes as a parent. Once I decided to get sober I left my ex and took my daughter. About sixty days later he took my daughter and sent her to his parents house in Michigan. He filed for divorce and my daughter couldn’t leave Michigan. I went to Matthew Palmer’s office and I had a stack of evidence for him. He worked with me on my retainer payment. He wanted to help me get my daughter home, but he told me that family court was a marathon not a sprint. Long story short, after almost two years fighting I finally got my order granted and my daughter is coming home in August. I can’t thank everyone in this office enough, Elizabeth and Matthew are the best! Without Matthew Palmer and his team I don’t think I would’ve ever gotten my daughter home. I highly recommend this office and I have nothing but good things to say.

This firm is great. I’ve had a set back due to a secretary that didn’t realize I was a client from way back but other than that its a great place. They have experience more than you know and have been in good business and growing for many many years. I’ve had to use them more them once unfortunately. Matthew could be a judge and should be. And his wife is also an attorney and a very smart one at that! Don’t let her beauty fool you, she’s not stereotypical. Fees can seem steep when you’re broke but they really aren’t. They are very fare. But the reputation of this is reflected where it counts. They know what you’re going through and they’re compassionate about it. I vote for MATTHEW PALMER!

I had a tough case contesting my sole physical custody of my son. Even though the case was awful to go through, I think that Mr. Palmer did the best job possible and the outcome was where I am able to keep my son in a safe situation. As for his honesty and integrity, his office always provided monthly statements that were accurate and fair. In addition, I felt that Mr. Palmer used the less expensive paralegal services at all possible times. I know for a fact that my ex-​husband paid double what I did through the same case. Going through a court case is never fun, but I felt good knowing that I was not being taken advantage of in any way. Mr. Palmer was always fair, supportive and responsive. I would highly recommend his services for someone going through a court case and would use him again if there was a need to go back to court.

Don’t use this guy!!! He takes advantage of military families… he stole 3 gran from me… Closed my divorce case and no divorce … He’s a thief!!! beware!!!

My experience with this firm was less than expected. It took forever to get the ball rolling and there were a few mistakes made along the way but all in all, I am happy with the results at the end of the day. Matthew Palmer contacted me directly after hearing that I had quite a horrible experience, and put Colleen on my case who quickly rectified everything. Colleen was a pleasure to deal with, and always answered my questions thoroughly and right away! Elizabeth was amazing as well. Had I only dealt with Colleen from the beginning, my rating would most likely be a 5-​star rating!

Horrible HORRIBLE horrible!!! I went here desperate after my children told me they were being abused by their father during summer visits in Indiana. The original judgement was in Indiana and HAD I KNOWN THEN i would have just researched a good Indiana attorney to fight for me. HOWEVER everyone in this office basically assured me we could get jurisdiction moved to California since this was where all the kids teachers friends counselors etc were and they have been living here 90% of the time for 5 years. After wasting over $ 3000 the judge ruled that jurisdiction would stay in Indiana and at this point it was may and my kids had to go to their father in June! At no time did ANYONE advise me to set money back in case we didnt get jurisdiction it was always «oh we just have to wait for the judges to talk and then jurisdiction will be settled» so I exhausted all of my time and money and the two judges from the two states basically told me that I had to send my children to their abusive father or i would be held in contempt of the previous order and be arrested! they said if there was an immediate threat to call CPS! so my children left devastated and my oldest son says to me «see. this is why i never told you. it doesnt matter anyway»

very helpful and reliable. they helped me a few years ago and today i needed a copy of some paper work and they had it to me within minutes!