I recently experienced marital problems with my wife... She (my wife) filed for divorce and moved out of my house quite suddenly.
As I was confused and did not know what to do, I sought out
an attorney though the telephone book yellow pages.
Constance W Hasting
AKA Constance Lynn Wyatt
California BAR Association Member# 78655
5011 Golden Foothills Parkway Suite 4
El dorado Hills California CA 95762
U.S.A.
Phone: 916-933-2235
Constance W Hasting was the only attorney in the book who was able to schedule a consultation anytime within the next several weeks.
She was able to see me that very next afternoon. I soon found out why she was so "available" when all other attorneys were unable to take on new clients for weeks.
During our first "free" consultation, we discussed grounds for an annulment and Constance assured me that she was able to ague my case and could in fact win. I explained to her that I did not want this divorce and that if my wife was willing to work this out or settle I would much rather give my wife the money that I would be paying in attorneys fee's.
I told her that I hoped that she could understand my position. She stated that she did and asked for $400.00 retainer fee...
With a total cost of 1500.00 for the representation and $200.00
dollars in additional filing fees.
I offered to pay the $1700.00 amount up front in cash
thinking that it would gain me better representation. Constance
had me sign a document titled "Hourly Retainer Contract". She told me that the hourly fee would be $175.00 and hour.
She pushed this contract in front of me and said "sign here". She handed me some response papers to take home and fill out. This meeting lasted for 1 hour. I left her office.
I called the next day to let her know my wife and I worked things out and found that she had left on vacation for two weeks. The administrative assistant gave me that information.
Several days later I was again in contact with the lawyers office and repeated that my wife and I decided
that this had been a mistake and that we had work things out. I immediately called the law office and told the administrative
assistance that I would drop off a letter the next day for
Constance. The letter stated that I would not be needing her
services after all... And I gave her all my contact numbers home, cell, pager etc, and address for her to send my money back deducting the cost of the single visit (or what ever seem reasonable to her). I was expecting $1500.00 to be returned. I also stated that my wife and I would be leaving for 3 weeks vacations to sort things out, for her to please send the check to my home.
At my return from vacation there was no check from the law office. I called and asked the admin to have Constance call me back. She (Constance) never returned my calls... I tried for several days but found that she was avoiding me. I attempted to go to the office in person to talk to Constance. I called in advance to say that I would like to come to the office hopping to catch Constance before she left for court. I arrived to find that I was physically locked out of the office... The administrative help was inside, but would not come to the door. This was during regular work hours. At some point over the next few days the administrative assistant working for Constance quit
because she did not like the tactics the attorney was using.
Constance was forced to answer her own phone for a few days while she found a new administrative help... This gave me a chance to talk with Constance directly for the first time. During our conversation Constance blamed the poor administrative help for the passed poor treatment... She suggested that she should prepare a nuptial agreement for my wife and I to use as protection for any future problems. I told her that might be a good idea if she could do it for a reasonable amount of money... I was also thinking that this would be the only way that I would ever get any of my money back.
I dropped off the details of what my wife and I wanted in the
agreement in her mail slot of the office the next morning. She
would not give me a quote for the service at that time, but during a later phone conversation she stated that it would take four or five hours or so of her time... Telling me that it would cost$800 dollars to prepare. I said that was too much for what we had asked for. She then stated that she had to leave for court. That was the last time I ever spoke with her.
... I called later that day and attempted to set up a meeting
with Constance at her office to again ask for the return of my
money. She was not in, but her new administrative assistant set up the appointment for the next day. I arrived at the
office at the scheduled time and was met at the locked front door by her administrative assistant. She handed me an envelope
containing a check for $200.00 dollars and a note form Constance.
The note read that the check was for the filing fee refund, and
that the $1500.00 retainer fee would not be returned. The person
handing me the envelope sited a paragraph 4 on the original "Hourly Retainer Contract" agreement that I had signed when I first visited Constance, stating that "all moneys given are to be considered earned at the time they are paid".
The letter went on to say that even though the original agreement was for her to represent me for the Annulment / divorce only, if I wanted she would prepare the nuptial agreement for no charge.
I asked the administrative assistant to have Constance call me to discuss this, but Constance never called. She avoids any calls from me as before... When I call the office the admin will just hang up on me as soon as I give my name, or states that Constance is out of the office.
I have yet to speak with Constance again and still have not
received any services or the nuptial agreement from
Constance W. Hasting / Constance Lynn Wyatt "rip-off" artist.
Is there any help that you can provide?
Please help me get my money back.
Additional information for anyone that is willing to help me:
Connie is a graduate of Brigham Young University SaltLake City Utah, (Undergraduate) and Hastings School of Law (San Francisco) for her Law degree.
Seems kind of funny the morals that they teach these days in Law school.
Signed
David J R
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