Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett, P.C. - Birmingham, MI

I do not recommend James “Jay” Cunningham or Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett, P.C. based on my experience in a divorce and custody matter. My experience with this representation was extremely poor. In my opinion, the preparation, communication, billing clarity, judgment-drafting, and client advocacy were far below what should be expected in a serious family law case. The problems began early. I was quoted one hourly rate during the consultation, but the written engagement terms later reflected a higher rate. I cannot say whether that was intentional or the result of poor communication, but it was my first concern about the firm’s billing and client practices. As the case progressed, I repeatedly felt that Jay was underprepared and difficult to communicate with. His explanations were often unclear, incomplete, or dismissive, which made it difficult to understand what was being done on my behalf during critical stages of the case. The final straw was Jay’s handling of my refusal to sign the proposed Judgment of Divorce. I had provided written redlines and made clear that I did not believe the draft matched the recorded mediated agreement. Instead of feeling protected, I felt pressured to move forward. Jay then communicated with opposing counsel in a way that indicated he would tell the Court the draft conformed to the recorded agreement and that he personally did not believe my signature was necessary. After I terminated him, opposing counsel used that correspondence as an exhibit against me in an attempt to move the judgment forward over my objection. At that point, I concluded the representation had become so inadequate that I was better off terminating Jay immediately, even if that meant appearing without him. After retaining new counsel, many of the same concerns I had raised were submitted again and addressed, which reinforced my belief that my concerns had merit. I also had concerns about billing and accounting, including attorney fee equalization, later invoices, and communications about balances that created unnecessary confusion and stress. I am not claiming to know whether those problems were intentional or the result of poor internal handling, but either way, they further damaged my confidence in both Jay and the firm. This review is directed at the firm as well, not only Jay. I raised my concerns with the firm’s managing partner and gave the firm an opportunity to review and address what happened. In my view, the response minimized the seriousness of the situation by treating it as a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship rather than meaningfully addressing the drafting, communication, billing, and advocacy failures I had documented. In my opinion, this representation lacked the preparation, clarity, attention to detail, and advocacy required for a complex divorce and custody matter. I would not recommend Jay or this firm to anyone facing a serious family law case.