Claery and Hammond firm withheld filings, protected misconduct, and caused harm to me and my disabled son. Los Angeles California

I retained Claery and Hammond LLP to represent me in a high-conflict custody case involving my disabled, nonverbal son. I paid them over $150,000, secured through a lien placed on my home. Despite repeated emergencies and documented evidence of abuse, fraud, and retaliation, the firm failed to act and ultimately abandoned me without filing any motion to withdraw.

My attorneys, including Kai Lucid and Timothy McArdle, received clear documentation of restraining order violations, emotional abuse, financial abandonment, and tax fraud by my ex-husband. I also submitted verified evidence of SBA loan fraud, unreported income, and communications related to IRS and FBI concerns. Despite this, Claery and Hammond did not file a single motion to protect me or my child. They allowed false ex parte filings to proceed without response, and never objected to damaging misrepresentations made in court.

Attorney Timothy McArdle knowingly lied under oath by claiming he gave notice of hearings and filings when he did not. I received no legal updates and was cut off during active litigation. I was left alone, unprotected, and exposed to retaliation, including police intimidation, defamation, and emotional harassment, all while the firm continued to bill me and kept the lien on my home in place.

Their conduct amounts to legal malpractice, breach of contract, professional negligence, and willful abandonment. They also ignored formal complaints and escalations I submitted to the State Bar, California Civil Rights Department, and the State Auditor’s Whistleblower Program (Case No. I2025-1787). Additional filings were made with the IRS, FBI, and SBA Office of Inspector General related to financial crimes they had a duty to report or address.

This firm did nothing to protect me or my child and enabled further harm through silence, deception, and willful misconduct. I am seeking full accountability and public warning for others, especially vulnerable parents navigating high-conflict family court cases.

This case is also connected to a separate civil matter involving financial misconduct and unreported income: Civil Case No. BC660106, Los Angeles Superior Court.