She is absolutely the rudest person I have ever come in contact with. She is extremely belittling and intimidating. Everything in court worked out in my favor but dealing with this human being was a nightmare. If this sorry excuse for a lawyer is appointed as your GAL, request a new one!

The worst GAL in history of law. Please don’t hire this woman

Ms. Newman is a disgusting excuse for a person being held responsible for the well being of ANY child. My experience is that she's unprofessional, argumentative & rude, bias & a flat out LIAR while under oath. If you're looking for a GAL that has the best interest of your child/children she is FAAAAR from what your looking for! This woman's reviews are so devastating that on her website when you go to reviews it states that her firm has declined to show the reviews from previous clients! The proof is in the pudding people. Not everyone can be lying and saying the exact same thing about one person. My best advice to you is to go in another direction when searching for a GAL bcuz she is NOT a good person & definitely has no type of morals PERIOD!
Disappointment is what she offers, smh!

This woman is one of the most unprofessional, disrespectful, rudest person I've come across. The first time in her office she looked at me and talked to me as if I was a 15 year old kid giving his mom a bad report card. She kept cutting me off mid sentence every time I said something. I had to actually ask her if she was working for my kids or their mom, in which she promptly ended the conversation and put me out her office
How in the world can you represent someone's child and not respect their parents? She didn't even speak to my kids about nothing. Definitely the worst GAL they could have come across. She needs to participate in etiquette training. And as an employee of the court, she has no problem swearing under oath and telling a flat out lie. If she's ever appointed to represent your child PLEASE request for another GAL. I had to call her phone, and curse her out. That got her to resign from the case. I was ecstatic. I hope you don't have to go that far.

Newman gets such rave reviews for her stunning personality, attention to cases and families she destroys. Way to go Newman.

Very disappointing she is not interested in helping her clients. She has no compaction she didn't offer any solutions, she told my son that in her twenty years of experience he was going to jail

Had court today and of course had to encounter this rude, disrespectful, and incompetent individual of a GAL......she stood in court and lied and the crazy part about it is that the judge I had cosigned. I called her office repeatedly to speak with her and she never retuned my call.....her assistant finally called me back. It just amazes me how a person can be so mean and ugly for no reason. But look at the world we live in, smh. Im sooo disappointed with Chesterfield County court system. I thank God im a Christian and believe in Jesus. Jesus is who kept my composure today. Going to make some serious adjustments and when I return to court they are gonna wish they had not have treated me the way they did.

My experience with Mrs. Newman was basically the same as all of the other negative reviews below. She treated me with nothing but contempt. She was appointed the GAL in my custody case. You can tell she doesn't even want to be a GAL. It's obvious that she just wants you to go through the motions, and she does not want you to call her office to arrange an appointment to discuss the welfare of your children, she wants you to answer the questionnaire you get in the mail and that's it . You can't even ask her a simple question with out her flipping out. If Mrs. Newman happens to be your GAL you should ask to have her removed.
Also it's pretty obvious she that the 5 star review below has been solicited by Mrs.Newman as they are friends on Facebook!!!!

Jennifer helped my brother and I get out of a terrible living arrangement with my biological father and his wife. Without her help I would've grown up with miserable, abuse-filled, summers in a small town over a thousand miles from my amazing mother and step father, who I consider more of a father to me than anyone. I'm very thankful that Jennifer took our case and got the ruling that was best for us.

In my opinion, being a guardian ad litem is NOT about the parents it's about what's best for the CHILDREN and any child that had, or does have, Jennifer on their side is truly lucky. Jennifer will do what is best for every child and if a parent complains about a ruling then they should blame themselves and not Jennifer. Being a bad parent is a parent's fault and I'm sure the children that Jennifer has worked with are as grateful and relieved as I am. There is no amount of praise or thanks I could give that I would feel is enough. Jennifer is truly amazing.

Ms. Newman was the GAL, for my daughters, in a very emotional custody battle. I received a packet in the mail, filled it out and met with Ms. Newman. She explained her role as a GAL, stating that she was the attorney for my daughters. Naturally, I had many of my own questions, however Ms. Newman stated she was looking out for the "best interest" of my children. Ms. Newman gave me the legal definition of best interest and even though I was quite emotional, she took the time to explain that if I had any legal questions that I should consult an attorney. She met with my children, both at their school and in my home. She was terrific with the kids. My children are very interactive and social and Ms. Newman took the time to play with them and answer all their questions. The Judge made her decision, taking into account Ms. Newman's recommendation and I can say that I am satisfied. My children still ask about Ms. Newman. I highly recommend Ms. Newman for GAL in any family law case!!!!!

My experience with Ms. Newman was nothing short of disappointing. Ms. Newman sends you a packet to fill out, which is basically a waste of time. She did not contact any references, make any home visits or do any follow up phone calls. She actually did not return my attorney's phone call until the day before court. During the two times that I had contact with her, which was during the court hearings, Ms. Newman met with son a total of 20 minutes. Yes, total. During our first hearing, Ms. Newman had no idea who my son was, until he said something to me during our recess at the hearing. She then met with him for about 10 minutes only to ask him how was he doing but nothing that pertained to our custody/visitation case. The next time that she met with my son was at the appeals hearing where she met with my son 10 minutes before our custody/visitation case. During her closing argument, she basically chastised me for wanting my 15 year old son to have a voice in court. Saying that if we allowed him to speak, we were empowering him...seriously?? Ms. Newman then went on to state that she had no concerns for either home. But she never came to either home. She only knew that my son slept on a futon at his fathers home because my son and I told her. She then had the nerve to get offended when I told her that she had no right to make an assessment of what my son's needs and wants were, because she hadn't done her job has a GAL. It amazes how this woman can continue to practice law and what's even more scary is that she continues to represent the best interest of children.

If Ms. Newman is presented on your case as your GAL, please request IMMEDIATELY! And to think regardless of the outcome, I still had to pay this woman.

RUN. RUN away FAST!
Ms Newman is a disgusting excuse for someone who is supposed to uphold the law and be a "neutral party" in custody cases. She was assigned as the GAL in my custody case. She never interviewed my witnesses. She never did home evaluations like I asked numerous times. She literally wouldn't give me the time of day but was quite buddy buddy with my ex. She wouldn't return my phone calls unless I pestered her. She believed my ex's lies, even though I had PROOF they were lies. She twisted everything against me. During the actual hearing, she would not allow me to say anything (I couldn't afford a lawyer so I had to represent myself). She flat out lied to the judge as well. In the end, he was rewarded physical custody (which Ms Newman left a voicemail on my phone about the "immediate" order & would NOT return my calls about it!) & I was ordered to pay child support. The amount I'm ordered to pay is based on a job that I never have but the judge says I should "have no problem getting." (with the economy as it is and the jobs unavailable? I TRY and have proof but that doesn't matter to them.) Chesterfield County Courts have failed too many kids, listening to people like Ms Newman who are GAL's. Kids who rightfully belong with the better parent but were given to the worse one for bogus reasons and lies.

I often see unfavorable posts from parents in custody battles directed at attorneys and can understand the volatile nature of these situations. As the grandparent, though, we rely on competent lawyers and the court system to protect the best interest of the child. It is my opinion that Jennifer Newman is NOT THE BEST CHOICE for this responsibility and other attorneys should be considered. My personal contact with her on 8/06/13 was very unpleasant, and as the other posts indicate, she is condescending, rude, and abrasive. She quickly becomes defensive and annoyed with questions or misunderstanding. Her assistant is very pleasant, although she seemed somewhat confused and misinformed in our case. As the GAL, Ms. Newman does not screen Supervised Visitation designees, involve them in the process or provide them with legal information/guidance. These folks, however, can be held legally accountable so be aware, ask questions, and be informed.