James E Holmes Attorney Introduce
For individuals in the Atlanta area seeking legal representation or arbitration services and browsing the "Nearby Lawyers" category, James E Holmes Attorney, located at 201 17th St NW, Atlanta, GA 30363, USA, is a listed legal professional. While the platform aims to connect local users with nearby legal services, it is crucial for potential clients to conduct thorough research and consider all available information before engaging any attorney or arbitrator.
Information regarding the specific office environment of James E Holmes Attorney at the provided address is not readily available online. Typically, law offices aim to provide a professional and confidential setting for client consultations and legal proceedings. However, in the absence of specific details, it is advisable for prospective clients to inquire about the office environment when contacting the firm.
Based on the limited information available, it appears that James E Holmes may offer services as both an attorney and an arbitrator. The reviews predominantly discuss his role as an arbitrator in family law cases. Arbitration is a form of alternative dispute resolution where a neutral third party (the arbitrator) hears evidence and makes a binding decision to resolve a dispute outside of court. If James E Holmes Attorney provides general legal services in addition to arbitration, the specific areas of law handled are not detailed in the provided reviews.
The features of James E Holmes's practice, as perceived through the lens of online reviews, present a complex and concerning picture. Several reviewers have raised serious allegations of misconduct and unprofessional behavior in his role as an arbitrator. These allegations include:
Denial of Right to Counsel: One reviewer claims that Mr. Holmes denied their request for a continuance when their attorney failed to appear at an arbitration hearing and ordered them to proceed without counsel, allegedly violating the absolute right to counsel in Georgia arbitration hearings.
Withholding Final Order: The same reviewer alleges that Mr. Holmes refused to release the final arbitration order until his fees for the hearing where the client was unrepresented were paid.
Improper Access to Case Files: Another serious allegation involves Mr. Holmes reportedly opening the client's case file alone and reviewing a confidential letter from their prior attorney without their knowledge or consent.
Failure to Address Key Issues: A reviewer claims that Mr. Holmes failed to make a decision on child support matters submitted to him during arbitration, despite having relevant documentation, allegedly forcing the client to incur additional expenses to resolve the issue.
Unprofessional Conduct: The same reviewer also describes an instance where Mr. Holmes allegedly handed a personal, handwritten note containing a crude joke to opposing counsel to be delivered to a partner in her firm, questioning his professionalism and impartiality.
Furthermore, one review references past public scrutiny regarding Mr. Holmes's fees as a Guardian ad Litem in a family law case, suggesting a history of controversy within the Georgia legal community.
It is important to note that one review expresses uncertainty and suggests that the negative feedback might have been intended for a different attorney with a similar name. This highlights the potential for confusion in online reviews and the importance of verifying information.
However, the majority of the detailed reviews raise significant concerns about Mr. Holmes's conduct and professionalism as an arbitrator. These are serious allegations that potential clients in the "Nearby Lawyers" category should carefully consider.
Given the nature of the negative feedback, there is no positive "promotional information" to objectively extract from the provided reviews. Instead, the prevailing sentiment suggests a need for extreme caution for anyone considering engaging James E Holmes Attorney for legal services or arbitration.
For local users in the "Nearby Lawyers" category who are considering James E Holmes Attorney, it is strongly recommended to:
Exercise extreme caution: The numerous allegations of misconduct and unprofessional behavior in the provided reviews should be taken very seriously.
Conduct thorough due diligence: Beyond these reviews, seek information from other reliable sources, such as the State Bar of Georgia, to ascertain Mr. Holmes's professional standing and any disciplinary history.
Seek alternative legal counsel or arbitrators: Given the serious nature of the allegations, it would be prudent to explore other options within the "Nearby Lawyers" category who have a more consistently positive and verifiable track record.
Ask critical questions: If you do decide to contact Mr. Holmes, be prepared to ask direct and probing questions about the allegations raised in the reviews and his response to them. Request references and thoroughly vet them.
Carefully review any agreements: If considering his services as an arbitrator, meticulously review and understand the terms of the arbitration agreement, including procedures for addressing potential misconduct.
In conclusion, while James E Holmes Attorney is listed in the "Nearby Lawyers" category and located in Atlanta, the publicly available reviews raise significant concerns regarding his conduct and professionalism, particularly in his role as an arbitrator. Local users seeking legal or arbitration services should proceed with extreme caution, conduct thorough independent research, and strongly consider alternative legal professionals with more positive and verifiable reputations. The information presented in the reviews serves as a critical warning that should not be ignored when making decisions about legal representation or dispute resolution.
Location
Customer Reviews
(5 reviews)
Two attorneys have same names down to the middle initial. I wrote a poor review for the other one, and I think maybe Doe is talking about a different attorney than this one. I don't know how to delete it so I had to replace it. I don't know this attorney, but I don't think he's the James E Holmes / Jim Holmes who ran from the reporter after billing $133K to recommend a man accused credibly of child SA have primary custody of his child because the mother wouldn't let the child "move past" childhood sexual abuse. So the best I could do is mark this five stars and replace what I believe is a review of the wrong person.
I do not recommend using Mr. Holmes for any legal service, and I strongly encourage you to hit the eject button if you’ve retained Mr. Holmes for arbitration. He is prone to misconduct and seems to view himself above the law. As you may know, James Holmes was the face of misconduct in the Georgia family law community several years ago after he was blasted by the local news media for charging a male client over $100k as the Guardian ad Litem. While Mr. Holmes thought he would get away with charging a $100k Guardian ad Litem fee to a wealthy doctor, the rest of Georgia thought differently and Mr. Holmes reduced his fee following the public scrutiny. If the fee was appropriate then why did he reduce it? 🤔 I was unaware of Mr. Holmes history of misconduct when I regrettably agreed to hire him as the arbitrator for my modification case. While serving as arbitrator, Mr. Holmes demonstrated a total lack of understanding and concern for the law. Here are some examples. My attorney failed to appear at a arbitration hearing and Mr. Holmes denied my request for a continuance from all hearings without my counsel present. Instead, he ordered me to proceed without counsel and to pay several thousand dollars to him for his time at the hearing. Mr. Holmes subsequently refused to release my final order until I paid him. Mr. Holmes was guilty of misconduct in ordering me to appear pro se at the hearings because all parties have an absolute right to counsel at all arbitration hearings in Georgia. He is aware of this law and knows he violated it but he is unwilling to reimburse me. This speaks volumes about his ethics and concern for the law. By way of another example, it has come to light that Mr. Holmes opened my case file alone in his office and reviewed a letter from my prior attorney to me during the pendency of my case. This came to light as a result of a recent bar grievance against my former attorney before the State Bar of Georgia. When I asked Mr. Holmes why he opened my case file, he was predictably evasive. Mr. Holmes chose not to disclose this misconduct to my new attoney and failed to withdraw from my case. Additionally, Mr. Holmes failed to address the matter of child support submitted to him because he claimed to not have enough evidence to make a decision — arbitrator’s are given great latitude to exercise discovery so they can make a final and definite award on the subject matter submitted to them. Unfortunately, Mr. Holmes chose to punt the issue instead of gathering the information he claimed to need — he had completed DRFAs, resumes, paystubs and testimony. I now have to pay additional money to resolve this matter because he chose not to make the effort. Finally, at the end of my binding arbitration, Mr. Holmes handed a personal hand written note to opposing counsel with instructions to deliver the letter to a partner in her firm. Apparently, Mr. Holmes sends crude jokes to this partner via hand written letters as a running gag. Could you imagine similar conduct from a judge acting as an independent trier of fact? Total lack of professionalism. If you have a strong case and the matters are important to you then use an ethical arbitrator who focuses on the law and not the money.
Wonderful mediator. I always enjoy working with him.
Wonderful mediator. I always enjoy working with him.
Dont use this attorney.. he is just a ripoff.
Dont use this attorney.. he is just a ripoff.
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