Passionate E.
5/5
Colorado Legal Services was nearly my sole support during the most critical time of my daughter’s life for our APR case. When I first consulted with them, I was told my case was too easy and I was deferred to their Pro Se Clinic. I was connected with a handful of different attorneys whom I could meet with for an hour on a semi-weekly basis. One of those attorneys was so personable and considerate, she even extended her personal time remotely outside of the clinic in helping me file and respond to motions sent by the malicious OP. As the case ramped up, I sought significant emotional support from CLS paralegals, Beatrice and Alisiana. I wouldn’t have survived the Pro Se clinic process alone without Beatrice! Beatrice held space for my watery emotions on numerous occasions and Alisiana was super friendly and supportive, extending much of her time toward helping me pick apart false arguments from the other side. About two weeks away from the final hearing, managing attorney Brett Landis scheduled a meeting with me, attended by a volunteer paralegal, Miles, and another Attorney, Ricki Palmisano. After looking into my files and progress Pro Se with Beatrice and Alisiana a week prior, Brett acknowledged my case had suddenly become more complicated than it had been when i first sought help from the clinic. She offered for the clinic to represent me at the upcoming permanent orders hearing. I’ll admit after handling my case on my own for so long it was rather difficult to hand it over, but I’m very thankful I did. Brett Landis has an incredible Legal Team. Receptionist Abby attended to all my walk-in worries. Sabrina, another volunteer paralegal, with Miles helped sort through all my files, banking statements, and 80+ exhibits that I’d compiled over the course of 8 months. Malicious OP didn’t stand a chance. Oddly enough, as we were meeting and running a mock trial, preparing for the hearing, OP’s Brother actually called my attorney’s office asking if my own attorneys at CLS would represent him. We never had the satisfaction of confronting him in court, he was avoiding a warrant and trying unsuccessfully to further stall the orders another 3 months. After Ms. Landis fired back a phenomenal rebuttal off-the-clock on a weekend, my OP’s ridiculous demand to delay the orders was wholesomely shut down. Needless to say, my OP never saw my CLS Legal Team coming. This office has the best personality and team spirit. We even have inside jokes now, complete with a parody rap to the nitty beat. Ms. Landis has a warm, personable demeanor and comedy-style take on tragedy, which made my nightmare APR case a blast in the end. So, I will recommend, if you are seeking support at CLS, first make sure there isn’t an obvious conflict of interest, second, ask about their Pro Se clinics if your case is not qualified for representation. Lastly, check out books at the library for self-represented parties and don’t be afraid to do some of your own research. This extra reading I did really bolstered my objective understanding of my own case and prepared me for the nuances of trial, helping me create my own unique parenting plan in the process! I learned so much Pro Se for seven months and was connected with legendary attorneys like Patricia Riley and Josh Anderson. Every attorney has their own flair and the beauty of the Pro Se clinic is you get a wonderful variety of ideas and opinions which all tend to help balance out the crazy emotions you feel handling a case alone. Love you, CLS!
