Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Sterling Lawyers, LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Sterling Lawyers, LLC

  N56W13405 Silver Spring Dr Menomonee Falls, WI 53051-6149

  
• 

  Sterling Lawyers, LLC

  2300 Riverside Dr Suite 118 Green Bay, WI 54301-1900

  
• 

  Sterling Lawyers, LLC

  3701 E Evergreen Dr Ste 500A Appleton, WI 54913-7402

  
• 

  Sterling Lawyers, LLC

  250 E Wisconsin Ave Ste 1830 Milwaukee, WI 53202-4299

  
• 

  Sterling Lawyers, LLC

  17 Forest Ave Ste 110 Fond Du Lac, WI 54935-4152

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/19/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I retained legal services from this firm in 07/2022 in regards to a family court case. The attorney which was assigned to my case recently left their firm and went to another practice. I have to date paid $20,097.40 to the firm and after multiple attempts to contact "*****" the billing administrator, none of my attempts to get a breakdown of costs or refund for services for which they were paid have been successful. None of the money already paid to this firm was transferred to the new firm for which the attorney I'd dealt with transferred too, and they are now requesting another retainer to continue services. They claim to charge for "phases" of case, however after months and months of no proactive representation, it is my understanding this money has been stolen at this point. I am demanding at a minimum 50% of the $20,097.40 that have been paid to date as well as requesting an itemized invoice for what they claim to have billed to date. My attorney (now at another firm) has stated her documentation does not support the current invoiced amount for which they have been paid, and at this point in time it is my belief they have stolen these funds. I am not looking for a 500$ discount, I want my money back or I will leave a detailed review with screenshots, emails, and documentation supporting how horrible of an experience dealing with this company has been on every website and place that I am able. It is absolutely disheartening that a firm of this size has such little concern aside from their profits. Emails don't get returned, attorney doesn't show up for scheduled court dates, required multiple phone calls and emails to get a response to any questions, etc.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/11/2024

  Based on rules of client confidentiality we cannot respond to this with any substantive information. We address all concerns with our clients directly.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/16/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I hired Sterling Law to represent me in divorce proceedings in May of 2023, wherein I paid them an initial deposit of $3000. Thereafter, I paid them $650 twice a month to pay the remaining balance on the first Phase of our agreement, which would last for the first 150 days of the proceedings. Over the course of our partnership, Sterling did absolutely nothing to move my case forward aside from file a few forms; they even neglected to provide to the courts the evidence of a suicide attempt of my exwife! Every step of the way, Sterling did nothing to service me and essentially gave the opposition everything they asked for without a fight (which I paid for). To resolve this, I would like at least a partial refund of the money I paid them, as they did not fulfill the terms of service which I had paid them for.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Dear *******,
  
  I hope this message finds you well. Firstly, I want to express my sincere understanding of the challenges you've faced during this difficult time, and I appreciate you bringing your concerns to our attention. We take every client's feedback seriously, and I want to assure you that we are committed to addressing your issues promptly.
  
  I would like to provide you with some insight into the efforts made on your behalf. We engaged in extensive communication with the Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) to secure additional placement time with your child. Despite the complexities of the case and actions by parties which escalated the situation, we were able to successfully negotiate continued gradual placement with your child. We acted diligently and fulfilled the terms of the agreement to the best of our ability.
  
  However, we understand the frustration you've experienced, and we genuinely regret any dissatisfaction with our services. In light of this, we would like to offer a gesture of goodwill. We are willing to provide a $500 refund as a partial reimbursement for the concerns you've raised.
  
  Please let us know if you would like to accept this resolution. Our aim is to ensure your satisfaction and that your legal needs are met with the utmost professionalism.
  Thank you for your patience and understanding.
  
  Warm regards,
  *********************
  Director of Operation
  Sterling Law

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/06/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/15/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Transaction date was *** 1st. I paid a retainer fee in hopes to be fully represented. Before *** was even over I realized with my situation I would have to withdraw. I emailed and contacted the team immediately and was contacted by billing to sign papers withdrawing my case. When I spoke with the lawyer on the phone she informed me they keep 10% and the rest would be refunded. Filing was the only thing that happened. The rest of time I was speaking with her paralegal who was more helpful and on time with me. I barely kept the lawyer on for 30 days and now I'm getting the rub around from billing, the lawyer, etc. There is no way $2777.00 was used in that short amount of time as we had one 15 minute meeting and only filed. I am really disappointed as I chose this company specifically for their "dedication" to family and children. I have discussed that I had to flee and my situation was also being handled with Safe Haven. I feel taken advantage of. The contract clearly states the withdrawal process as well. I just feel like I can not get a hold of anyone. I withdrew *** 27th and it's **** and I still have to email every single day.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/03/2023

  ****, 
  
  Thank you for reaching out. I hope to provide some clarity on what was accomplished on your case prior to withdrawal. ************************* and her Paralegal ****** drafted 4 separate pleadings;Confidential Petition Addendum, Summons and Petition with Minor Children, Proposed Order to Show Cause for temporary Orders, Affidavit for the Order to Show Cause (those are not attached to this response due to confidentiality issues). These docs were circulated  to you before the end of the first week of representation and we were successful in obtaining an initial hearing date. Additionally, ************************* was able to coordinated the execution of service upon the other party prior to her departure. 
  
  I understand that you believe these docs were simply "filed" however there is work involved with the drafting, reviewing and service upon the other party that is encompassed in that process and as I understand your complaint, you are not arguing that those things happened. 
  
  However, in an attempt to resolve this issue for you I would authorize an additional $500 refund. 
  
  Please let me know if you would like to accept that resolution to your complaint. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I was looking to have my case transferred from Outagamie County to Milwaukee County as my children primarily live in Milwaukee County & neither party live in Outagamie County. I met with Atty ******************** in the *************** location. She had with her Jr. ********************** ****. We discussed my case and some potential items that would be beneficial is there is a lot of post divorce litigation & a very high conflict case. Submitted a $1200 payment to transfer the case, was assigned ********************** ****. She failed to discuss this motion with the other ********************** and was reprimanded verbally by the judge. Request denied filed a De Novo. I prepaid for level 2 6K, even though we weren't through the level 1 stage. More litigation was filed by my ex & my contract was moved to the Outagamie team. Was assigned ********************** ****** whom didnt call until 2 days before the original hearing date. My wife was in the hospital so he had the date moved. 2 business days later we receive an email he is leaving the firm. I chose to stay with Sterling despite this as I had already prepaid close to ****k. Was assigned ********************** *********. She was condescending & rude always. Essentially it appeared she was working for my ex wife and not myself. She canceled the De Novo hearing without my consent as I was wanting to go to trial. All requests I put in she refused, including negotiation dates. She badgered me the morning of court to give my ex what she wants and not even defend me as she was paid. She didnt have the authority to offer make up time and did that anyway. I have contract copies, payment receipts, messages and emails. I requested she speak with my wife as these items impact her as well and then she determined the best course of action was to drop me as a client. On a holiday weekend Friday and to sign by Noon Tuesday. The services I paid for were not met. I have requested a statement of account on multiple occasions and call from a Managing **********************. All requests have been ignored.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/27/2023

  **************, 
  
  
  I apologize that you have not received the communication from the Managing Partner of out *********** Partner ********************* will be reaching out to you today regarding your concerns. Please reach back out if you are still in need of assistance after that conversation. 

   

  *********************
  Director of Operations
  Sterling Law Offices
  ************

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/31/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I hired Sterling Law Offices to represent me in my divorce. My ex filed in **, so I needed representation there. (I live out of the country) I chose them because they offered a flat fee for 150 days of representation ($8,550 with discount). I was told this would be enough to get me through pre-trial, where if there was both party agreement we would be divorced. This did not happen. My attorney was uncommunicative, late on filings both sending mine and receiving my ex's to each other and the court, she didn't even tell me I could get maintenance during the divorce process while knowing I needed it, didn't get me the car that was in storage I kept asking about, didn't do whatever was needed because my ex had been jurisdiction shopping, didn't freeze up accounts so that my ex couldn't hide more money, and delayed and delayed until I was past 150 days. The pretrial date was not set until too late. I doubt I spoke to her for more than an hour total. They wanted way more money to continue ($11,615). They wouldn't give me any extra time for their lateness. My complaints were met with distain all the way up to the *** who wrote, "I am not interested in talking to hear you vent and complain".I quit them and went elsewhere. It was so frightening. My new attorney had to catch up on everything, yet she did it. I found out that I should've been getting maintenance, how the juridiction shopping problem should've been handled, etc. I got calls and emails from my new attorney! I got the car! We followed the money drain. She took me thru pre-trial mediation. After a few months with her, I will be divorced in a few days. I would upload screen shots etc. but Sterling already knows and has them.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/19/2023

  *****, 
  
  I'm sorry to hear about your experience with your firm and I'm sorry your initial concerns felt like they were not validated. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Based on what I am seeing with your case file, I believe a 40% is warranted, which is $3,420.00. Please let me know if that is how you would like to proceed. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/20/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me, despite Sterling not taking any responsibility for the issues and referring to it all as my "feelings", and acting like Sterling didn't know about the issues before the complaint. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/06/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I retained attorney ******** for 90 days with the confirmation from her that my case wouldnt take long and could probably be completed in 30 days since its a contempt order. The website and other paperwork say a contempt order is $3000 I was charged $3500, no work was done on my case until 60 days after retaining, 30 days before the contract ended. The attorney worded the motion incorrectly despite my warning, pointing out the distance between the two parties prompting the commissioner to change the venue instead of hearing out my case. The case was transferred and now 6 months after retaining Sterling Law Officer I still have no results on my case. The company is very unresponsive and rude. The administrative staff convince people to retain the services and hound them for payment then once youre paid in full everyone stops reaching out and responding Ive contacted several managers at this office about my concerns and unacceptable service and my messages go ignored. I made it very clear when I retained services in October that I needed my daughters passport by January for her birthday and I was told it would happen. I requested a different attorney several times starting 2 weeks after retaining because nothing was being done and I was unable to reach my attorney or supervisor or her paralegal. This is my 2nd time dealing with Sterling Law and experiencing something like this, in 2019 my attorney wasnt helpful, she kept triggering new stages resulting in more fees because she didnt want to do the work she eventually quit after 2 months on the retainer and the company still charged me over $6000 for services that werent completed. The company charges flat fees and not by the hour or task so they make money off clients regardless if they do the work or not

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/07/2023

  *****************, 
  
  Thank you for reaching out. I'm sorry that you believe you did not receive the service you hired Sterling Law for. It appears there are several misunderstandings as so the agreement that was signed and the service provided based on your feedback.Your assertion that nothing was completed within the first *************************** the **** record which I have attached here. ********************* filed her Notice or Retainer and the proposed motion for Change of Venue the day after you signed your contract (November 8th). In fact, based on the attached **** record there was substantial work completed on your case within the 90 days. The $3425 quote covered all of the work completed within those 90 days and is a separate and distinct amount from the $3,000 you're citing in the agreement.
  
  That aside, in order to resolve your concerns I would be happy to issue a $1,500 refund to you. Please advise if you would like to accept that refund to resolve your concern. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/09/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  The motion for my order wasnt drafted until December 16th when I emailed the 7th compliant regarding lack of progress on my case. I received the confirmation that the order was submitted to the court on December 21st, with a court date of January 31st. On February 10th I received the email from Sterling ********** saying the 90 days of days of representation had been fulfilled and that my case with Sterling was closed despite still having an open motion with the court. When I requested to appeal/dispute the closure since my case could have been completed in the 90 days allotted had it been started after retaining services, I was told I could be provided representation for the hearing for an additional $500. My concerns regarding the funds already paid for 90 days of representation that ended up being 30 days werent addressed. 
  I have attached the December 16th compliant, the drafted motion, confirmation of filing and closure of case notice with response to lead attorney. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/05/2023

  ******************, 
  
  I am sorry for your experience with our firm.  As a result I have initiated a full refund of your agreement in the amount of $3,425.00. I hope this resolves your concerns. I have attached documentation to demonstrate that refund has been executed. 
  
  We wish you the best of luck on your family matters moving forward. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/20/2023

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Initial Contact - 12/18 Spoke with their contact people and on 12/19 agreed to a $150 dollar fee that would establish them as initial consult. 150 dollar receipt reviewed however did not receive any documentation of what the $150 gets me.Set up initial meeting for consult after filling out their info sheet on 12/19. First consult was to be on I believe Jan 6th. First lawyer contacted me to advise that they would not be the best person to help, they were unsure and bounced me around. Eventually they set me up for an appointment on January 12th, but did not provide me any new meeting links until I emailed and called to get the link.January 12th the meeting was to be at 10 am. The lawyer ***************************** was late to the meeting, yawned through out and seemed disinterested in my case. I reviewed the lawyer's website after the meeting. At the time of the meeting the lawyer's website had spelling errors including his own name.January 13th they sent the contract they wanted me to sign, committing to ******* as my Lawyer. January 16th I emailed with my initial concerns asking who to talk with. I was told to call, but given the nature of my issues I did not call them, I keep a paper trail where possible with lawyers. January 17th I emailed them to express concerns regarding the lawyer they had me meet, and asked if there was a different individual who I could work with at their facilities instead, as I was not comfortable with the lawyer they initially put me with.January 18th I was told effectively to contact ********* Bar. Later they then reached out to ask if I was having payment issues, disregarding previous emails and concerns about the lawyer. I sent another email on January 18th regarding my concerns and how no services have been effectively rendered beyond a 20 minute call with a lawyer who was late.I have not received any follow *** since and they ignored my initial follow up inquiries.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2023

  ***********, 
  
  I am so sorry about the experience you had with our firm, thank you for bringing it to my attention. It does appear based your case would be better suited for an hourly attorney, the names of a few should have been sent to you already. In these instances it is our policy to refund your consultation fee, I apologize as that appears to have been overlooked. I have processed that refund for you. You should have already received a receipt of your refund, but I have attached a copy here as well. 
  
  If there is anything else I can do to assist at this point, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/24/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  C.L.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I went in to meet with ********** about a stipulation change. I told her that we had a problem with one not being done correctly before so I hired them to make sure it was completed correctly this time. I made the payment of $350 in May. I meant with her in June 2022 and she assured me over and over again that it was done correctly this time. It took child support a good 4 months to get our account updated where I could see that the changes were not accurate. According to child support I am not liable for either of my kids insurance as it states that my ex is supposed to be paying even though its his new wife's insurance plan. That is not correct and that is what I was afraid of when we did the paperwork. I have sent multiple e-mails within the past month to ********** but have not gotten a response on what we should be doing to fix this. I would like a full refund of my $350.00 since the job was not done correctly and feel like she or someone else there should fix their mistake instead of making more work for me. Thank you!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  I am so sorry that you've had this experience and its certainly something I'd like to help you remedy. If you could provide me with a little more detail I'd be happy to look into effectuating a refund for you. If you're not comfortable providing your name/ contact information here, please reach out to our Director of Operations, ********************* at *************************************** who will assist you immediately in getting a resolution. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  I have also sent an e-mail to *************

  Good Morning, ******, 
  My name is ****************** and I am getting back to you in regards to your response on the BBB site.   I had received the refund which is very much appreciated and am looking forward to working something out in regards to getting the situation resolved.   I would much prefer not to have to sign another stipulation but to have you call the child support agency to tell them what was supposed to be done with the Stipulation and what it was supposed to state and ask them to kindly update their records.  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******************