Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson & Hook

If you're going throught a divorce, BEWARE! This law firm overcharged me, my attorney was a complete unorganized mess and is no longer working there! Hellooo.........what does that tell you! Honestly, run.....run as fast as you can. I have pages and pages of correspondence with the owner, a partner and a collection agency (used car sales man) to try and resolve my outstanding debt to them. They charged me over $7000 (in one month) for a job I had done at another law firm for $2500! I swear! So please, RUN! I have NEVER wrote a review about anybody or any business, but because of the stress and sleepless nights that I have experienced, I thought I would pass it on!

Cons: Over Priced - Incompetant

Posted 09/08/09

Jody Stahancyk and her team are the best domestic relations attorney's in the Portland/Vancouver area. If you are willing to pay for it you will receive the greatest value from Jody. She is also the most strategic, creative and competitive leader of the half dozen top attorney's I interviewed. Hiring Jody and her team was the best decision I made during my divorce. Thank you Jody!

Pros: Results, creativity, strategic, hard working, timeliness

Cons: Cost

Posted 04/25/09

Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson, and Hook is a well-run firm made up of stellar individuals. Every member of the firm is committed to seeing their clients through a time of great distress in a caring and respectful manner. The firm's size allows for economies of scale when doing much of the leg work of a divorce, particularly if there are complex issues.
Grace Lee has a keen understanding of both the law and how to most effectively deal with people during difficult times. She has great tenacity in resolving conflict and separating the business of divorce from the emotions of divorce.
Jody Stahancyk leads SKJ&H, and she does it well. She is a smart, energetic, creative, honest, hardworking woman who cares about getting her clients through the divorce process in the best possible manner. She doesn't indulge unrealistic expectations, talks tough when you need to hear it, and listens well as you go through different stages of the process. She is a highly creative thinker and a realist.
Divorce is a challenging time in most of our lives, and I am thankful I had such great people to help me through.

Posted 03/31/09

This review is for Jamie Gerlitz, AAL at the Bend location of Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson & Hook. I previously utilized this firm in 2001 with my first divorce and received superb service so naturally I chose them in the latter part of 2007 when sadly, another relationship dissolved. I am not sure how I feel about being deemed as a ?repeat customer? or that I am racking up frequent flyer miles, which I am, but that is it, that is me. Ron Johnson chose to pair me up with one of his team members, Jamie Gerlitz. I loved her. I could tell her anything. She was so professional. I will try hard to describe what I saw in her. She was resourceful, thorough and a fact finder. She was nice, really nice. She made me feel so comfortable. She understood my anxieties and tailored her approach to fit my needs while at the same time always mindful of keeping the firms business objectives in mind. For example, I did not like getting mail. I started avoiding the mailbox actually. The legal verbiage was hard to understand and scary. Jamie would always email me to prepare me. She would always tell me not to worry but to expect such and such correspondence in the mailbox. I really appreciated her personal touch. We ended up settling and avoiding a trial but I always imagine that she would have been stunning in court. You can just tell by the way she talks, the look in her eye and that smile that she is a stellar attorney. She worked very hard on my behalf and my case was not easy. It was quite complicated. I am very pleased with the outcome. You get what you pay for. I have a Nordstrom quality attorney, not some Kmart flake in a strip mall. That last comment was for her, I know she will laugh when she reads it. The SKJ&H firm is lucky to have her on their team.

Posted 10/22/08

Normally I don't write reviews. However, this was such a good experience I had to put it out there. A year ago I was going through a tough time with child visitation and child support. I was told that because I was a guy it really didn't matter what i did, I was hosed. I was told by a lot of people that men in Oregon always get a bad deal in court. I have to say this was my second appearence in a family law courtroom on this matter. And I had already experienced those words to be true. However, Grace Lee at Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson & hook proved that it really comes down to legal repersentation! She was amazing!!! I wish I would have used her the first time I ever went to court. She turned everything around for me. I see my son all of the time now. I actually get more time with him than we asked. His mom said, "I never want to see your attorney in a court room again." Grace doesn't look tough by anymeans, but get her in a court room and it is a totally different story. She commands the respect from Judges and other attorneys by her intellect and demeanor. From the moment we walked into court I knew i was in great hands. She always gave me a straight forward story. Most importantly she came through for me. Everything that she said would happen, happened. Thank you Grace Lee for being my voice when I didn't have one. If you are looking for great legal repersentation; you need to call this firm. You have to ask for Grace Lee because she is the best in the business. When you first walk in to this firm you will meet Karen Wood. She is awesome and makes you feel right at home. She is part of this great team as well. If you have a problem (which you most likely won't there) just ask Karen. She knows. What a great experience! I never met Jody, but the apple can't fall that far from the tree! They have hired great people. Net/Net if you are not with this firm you are not with the A team. You are on the B team.

Pros: Everything is perfect with this firm!

Cons: None!

Posted 09/21/08

They say that you should always trust a referral. Laurel Hook and Jill Brittle epitomize what they mean. I found Laurel and the Stahancyk team through two independant referral sources. She and her associate Jill Brittle did an amazing job helping me navigate a frustrating custody modification. Their attention to detail was amazing and their strategy resulted in an outcome beyond my expectations. If you need help - this is the team to call!

Posted 09/17/08

Divorce is bad

I was unprepared for the process. Laural and her team did an outstanding job of communicating with me. I knew they were ready, willing, and able to win any fight if it came to that. Knowing they were there allowed me to mediate and initially avoid a huge fight. When the fight was unavoidable they knew exactly what to do.

If you have to go through this process make sure you have a professional in your corner. I still don?t know how I made it through. I do believe that without Laural and her team I wouldn?t have made it.

C

Posted 09/10/08

I have been working with Grace Lee for far longer than I would have liked to. However, that is not a reflection on her. She has been an incredible advocate for me and has made this process, though incredibly stressful, much less hard on me. She is sweet, funny, intelligent and do not be fooled by her appearance. While she appears young, she is highly knowledgeable and impressive to watch in court.

I have also been working with Heath Sandoe. While not an attorney, he and Grace are a great team. Heath is sweet, intelligent uplifting, gets back to me immediately and very charming. He and Grace are a killer combo.

Posted 09/01/08

I am a senior citizen and have never been in litigation. I came into my divorce action under considerable stress facing the unknown. Matthew Cohen not only expertly handled my legal matters but carefully guided, clearly explained, and caringly reassured me throughout this procedure. I?m extremely satisfied with his professionalism and his compassion.

Posted 08/28/08

While divorce is never easy, the staff at SKJ&H and in particular Brian Kulhanjian, made this experience one of grace. Brian guided me through the process with a tremendous amount of compassion, humor and sound advice. People tend to get pre-conceived notions about attorneys and Brian quickly evicted all stereotypes from my brain. He treated me as if I was his only priority, and his compassionate approach made me feel I was more than just ?a client.? Brian provided me with sound advice through out the process, never pushing me to ?get more? but never being afraid to ?lay down the law? when he felt strongly about something. Within moments of meeting him I felt completely at ease, and after our first meeting I actually gave him a hug. Truly, as an attorney and as a man, Brian is exceptional. He and the staff at SKJ&H made me feel cared for and comfortable during a very uncomfortable time in my life and I am eternally grateful.

Pros: People, parking, atmosphere, knowledge

Cons: None

Posted 04/03/08

Teresa Foster is one hell of an attorney, and she can work in both Washington and Oregon with the same level of professionalism. I had the privilege of working with and for Teresa for 13 months. She is a passionate professional who can quickly size up a problem and cut to the chase. If I ever find myself in need of an attorney in a high conflict family law matter, I would call her straight away.

Posted 01/07/08

BRIAN KULHANJIAN: maybe not the easiest name to pronounce, but well worth learning how! Brian makes you feel like you're his only client. During our first conference, he picked up on small details immediately, getting to the heart of the matter Not just thorough, incredibly bright and easy to talk to, with a warm sense of humor, but (and this one's a huge plus when concerning the infammatory nature of divorce) ... emphathetic. Near the close of our first hour, after sincerely asking us how we were doing, Brian diplomatically suggested that if either of us needed any counseling help, he had references readily available.
Like any metropolitan city, Portland offers many choices. Happily, luckily, we happened to find the very best.

Pros: Great parking, lovely reception area, always nice people behind the front desk.

Posted 08/20/07

I wholeheartedly recommend Teresa Foster. Unlike other attorneys I've worked with, she can take a very complex case and cut to the chase with some grounded, successful approaches. She listens extremely well; works very collaboratively with her clients and other professionals; maintains sound boundaries, when responding to other parties representing themselves pro-se; and sustains a consistent strategy to achieve some important goals. She has helped protect my child from some serious risks: I'd particularly recommend Teresa is your divorce case involves any situations which place your child at risk or involve unusual complications or challenges.

Posted 07/26/07

Laurel Hook (and the Stahancyk firm) proved to be one of the silver linings of my divorce. Laurel went above and beyond to explain the legal process, was an excellent advocate on my behalf and artfully walked me through every aspect of my divorce with excellent results. She is an outstanding attorney who demonstrated a real genuine concern for me and my children. Laurel, Jody Stahancyk and Laurie Krachtovil didn't stop providing first class support with the signing of the judgement - they went on to assist me in finding a new home, car and employment! From my first telephone to the firm I felt understanding, compassion and confidence that I'd found the attorney (attorneys) and staff with the legal knowledge, experience and ability to advocate on my behalf which would result in a positive outcome.

Posted 07/25/07

The lead attorney on my case was Grace Lee, however I ended up working primarily with Brian Kulhanjian. Grace was a delight to work with. Brian is who saw me through a long and nasty divorce. Brian was incredibly thorough and always responded promptly to my questions or phone calls. He made sure I was comfortable with the terms of the divorce and understood everything. My emotions were running high and he helped maintain a sense of order in a devestating time. I so appreciate Brian's professionalism and also sincere thought and care for my and my son's well-being. I highly recommend this attorney.

Pros: Easy parking, the office is warm and everyone is inviting

Cons: It is a little spendy, but well worth the money

Posted 07/23/07

Teresa Foster served as my attorney through a recent divorce and I couldn't be happier with her or the results of the settlement. I not only felt very comfortable working with her but was extremely confident in how she handled all of the matters involved. In addition to her professional demeanor and actions in the courtroom I truly appreciated the personal approach she exhibited in guiding me through the process. Hopefully my future will not include another divorce but if it does I would not hesitate in making Teresa the first attorney I would call.

Posted 07/22/07

As a Father of two young girls, custody was my primary concern in the settlement of my divorce. The first attorney I hired told me that, as a man, I had little chance to get custody and that I should negotiate with that in mind. I fired him. I was then referred to Grace Lee and to make a long story short I now have 50% custody with no child support or alimony payments. Grace got the results that I wanted and she did while maintaining a high ethical standard and a professional demeanor.

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of an impending divorce then you need to call Grace before your spouse does.

Pros: Professional, Ethical, Knowlegable, Tenacious and Efficient

Cons: Downtown office makes Washington county court visits spendy

Posted 07/22/07

I have had a great experience with Teresa Foster as my attorney. She is a true professional with a good heart. She has an incredible way getting results when a situations calls for it. I admire her professional and personal opinion. She has been worth every penny. I suggest using her if you want to get things done. Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson, and Hook has done a good and complete job for me in all phases. I can't say enough about Teresa. She is someone you want on your side.

Posted 07/18/07

Philip Andrews has been upbeat, positive, and has shown a working knowledge of the law. He listens and shows by his actions--follow through. I have experienced integrity with him. This has been very important, since my experience has, in the past, with other attorneys been just the opposite.

Posted 07/12/07

I went to Jody Stahancyk because I was told she was the best. I was told wrong. At my first meeting with her, she was rude and actually yelled at me, telling me I was an idiot. That cost me $350. Then my case was handed off to a brand new associate, who quit after two months. My case then went to yet another associate, also fresh out of law school. I never saw or talked to Jody again, although I tried to call her several times and she never returned my e-mails. She did care about my case enought to bill me over $3500 for "reviewing" my file. While the representation was not horrible, it is not what I expected, especially for the hefty price tag that came with it. In all, I could have gone with another attorney without Jody's reputation, done better in my divorce, and had money left to put towards my children's college rather than another Beemer for Jody. I would not recommend her to anyone unless you have money to burn and you just want to fight.

Pros: Big reputation

Cons: EXPENSIVE, get passed off to inexperienced attorneys

Posted 06/20/07