Arnold & Smith PLLC

“Hiring this law firm was the worst thing that I've ever done they've taken my money, giving me a terrible lawyer named Jeff Thompson, who is very vulgar treats me very rudely and I feel he does not do any work to help me out. He will provide no proof to me of what services he did after demand of proof. I would stay away from this law firm at all costsnI retained this firm after reviewing Brad Smith's advertising and online profile, which indicates he handles cases in my county. I hired the firm with the expectation that I would receive the level of representation being promoted. Instead, I was assigned a different attorney and was never placed in communication with Mr. Smith prior to court. That was not what I believed I was hiring. The written agreement referenced bond being addressed before a judge. That did not occur through counsel at my appearance. I ultimately had to coordinate with my bondsman directly to secure bond myself. On the day of court, I notified my attorney by phone that I was running approximately 10-20 minutes behind due to parking and courthouse delays. When I arrived, I was informed he had already left the courtroom. Regardless of any later explanation, the practical reality was that I stood in court without the attorney I had retained present.nThat experience felt unacceptable.nCommunication throughout the representation was equally troubling. Phone conversations were, in my experience, condescending, dismissive, and unnecessarily abrasive. The tone used toward me was disrespectful and at times vulgar. Email correspondence came across as argumentative and accusatory rather than solution-oriented. I did not feel treated as a valued client. I did not feel supported. I did not feel represented in the way I reasonably expected after signing a written agreement and paying a retainer. Although the initial fee was later refunded, the stress and disruption caused by this experience remain. This review reflects my personal experience. Anyone considering this firm should ask very direct questions about who will actually appear in court for you, how bond matters will be handled, and what level of communication you can expect. I highly recommend staying far away from the firm as you see one thing here but get another when you hire. I expected the advertised lawyer but got a lesser who in my experience was one of the worst attorneys I've ever dealt with and his representation of the firm is poor due how disrespectful he treated me and leaving me on my own when he was informed I was running behind. Also the contract signed specifically mentioned a bond hearing on the day of surrender which was breached in my opinion because of the clear writing in the fee agreement, by him leaving post and leaving me to defend myself after I paid for counsel.nnThe written agreement referenced bond being addressed before a judge. That did not occur through counsel at my appearance. I ultimately had to coordinate with my bondsman directly to secure bond myself.nnOn the day of court, I notified my attorney by phone that I was running approximately 10-20 minutes behind due to parking and courthouse delays. When I arrived, I was informed he had already left the courtroom. Regardless of any later explanation, the practical reality was that I stood in court without the attorney I had retained present.nThat experience felt unacceptable. Communication throughout the representation was equally troubling. Phone conversations were, in my experience, condescending, dismissive, and unnecessarily abrasive. The tone used toward me was disrespectful and at times vulgar. Email correspondence came across as argumentative and accusatory rather than solution-oriented.nI did not feel treated as a valued client. I did not feel supported.nStay away from this firm and seek counsel elsewhere I highly recommend not hiring anyone from here after my experiences.”

“Anastasia Cowan and Jordan Byers were absolute lifesavers in a very difficult time in my life. If you are looking for a professional, thorough, knowledgeable, caring team there is no doubt that you should seek out these two. Anastasia Cowan carries herself with poise and grace in every situation and brings comfort even in the most difficult situation. Jordan keeps the communication lines open and makes sure you are aware of everything going on with your case and answers every inquiry promptly and respectfully.nIf you are in a situation where you aren't sure what your next move should be, or you know exactly what you want to do but need someone to help you move forward, these ladies are the ones! I cannot say enough nice things about my experience with this firm. Anastasia is an amazing lawyer who made sure she fought for me until the very end. She always made sure to explain every option clearly and made sure I was comfortable with moving forward with whatever was decided. The circumstances of having to retain Anastasia to begin with was unfortunate but she made the experience easy and as comfortable as possible.”

“Highly recommended.nThe best attorney ever who treated me with respect from day one. Very confident in court, easy to talk to, and always kept me updated. You can tell they genuinely care about their clients and fight for the best possible outcome.”

“I hired Brad Smith from Arnold and Smith back in April of 2019. From the very beginning they have been so informative, so helpful and so compassionate. Due to my case happening during Covid this case has drug out (at no fault of the law firm, strictly Mecklenburg County) until my final court date today, 3/23/26. Brad was able to get my case dismissed after 7 years. I cannot recommend him and his entire staff enough. Him and Kathryn have stuck by me every step of the way always keeping me informed and letting me know exactly what was going on. If you want someone you can trust and that is going to stand by you every step of the way until the end they are your go to!”

“Attorney Cowan and team are amazing! After our first call I knew that they were the perfect fit for our situation. They are extremely educated on everything that is foster care, guardianship, and adoption. I am recommending them to all my friends that need advice or help. Communication was clear, next steps were provided, and goals were met.”