BIG DISAPPOINTMENT.
There should be negative marks available on this evaluation scale as attorney left me with feeling used, abused and neglected This lawyer has been appointed by the court against my wishes, Judge Sterne supported her making a good living....
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1. this covetous attorney * muted our my objection* to her appointment swiftly and skillfully before and during time when judge was still making final decision about it .. Probate code sec 1470, 1471 or 2356.5 violations
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2. attorney artificially hiked up hours she spent on FALSE "numerous" meetings with me and tasks that were not requested, engaging for ex on ineffective, unprofessional, lengthy "financial review work" and other initiatives to unreasonable and exorbitant "proposed" payment amount..
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3. attorney neglected very suspicious, possibly abusive activity when a large amount of money: (around $60,000) disappeared, literary evaporated, from my inheritance account under her stewardship and without any explanation.. for extended length of time,
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4. attorney did not give me proper updates on neither necessary nor unnecessary "activities and initiatives" she undertook... while taking time and appearing "chummy" with my opponent and the judge.
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5. attorney defended herself against my complaint ( ! ) by "persecuting me" with slanderous suggestions of dementia or mental illness etc without medical expertise
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I have represented myself in courtroom before with some success and would have preferred to do my own representation or hire an entirely different attorney.
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* I also have a complaint against Judge Sterne who should not be presiding over my case and who appears to keep on 'overlooking' my requests and to keep on ."allowing" procedural errors against my interest.

There should be negative marks available on this evaluation scale as attorney left me with feeling used, abused and neglected This lawyer has been appointed by the court against my wishes, courtroom supported her making a good living....
1. this covetous attorney * muted our my objection* to her appointment swiftly and skillfully when judge was still making final decision about it ..
2. attorney artificially hiked up hours she spent on tasks that were not requested to unreasonable and exorbitant "proposed" payment amount..
3. attorney neglected very suspicious activity when a large amount of money: (around $80,000) disappeared, literary evaporated, from my inheritance account under her stewardship and without any explanation.. for extended length of time,
4. attorney did not give me proper updates on neither necessary nor unnecessary "activities and initiatives" she undertook... while appearing "chummy" with my opponent and the judge.
5. attorney defended herself against my complaint ( ! ) by "persecuting me" with slanderous accusations of dementia or mental illness while lacking medical expertise I have been cleared by professionally trained staff. of these.
I have represented myself in courtroom before with some success and would have preferred to do my own representation or hire an entirely different attorney.

It is my pleasure to offer, without qualification, my highest recommendation for the law firm Barnes & Barnes, and specifically, for Margaret ("Peggy") Barnes. I first met Peggy 10 years ago, when I sought advice from Peggy and her firm, specializing in estate planning. Earlier this year my interaction with her increased significantly, leading up to her creating my Living Trust. Peggy's active assistance on numerous occasions, involving both legal matters and informal advice, was crucial to the success of, and my personal satisfaction with, this activity. It was always a pleasure for me to meet with Peggy, as she provided not only explanations of important legal matters and their consequences, but also advice relating to personal choices that I needed to consider. Peggy always presented a courteous and professional demeanor, as well as personal warmth and friendliness. The advice given and the legal actions taken were always consistent with the highest honesty and professional integrity. I heartily recommend Peggy Barnes and her firm Barnes & Barnes to anyone seeking advice or legal assistance in the area of estate planning. Thank you. Dave

I have worked with Peggy as opposing counsel, and cooperatively. I have also worked with Peggy as court appointed counsel for individuals who could no longer manage their own affairs. I have always found Peggy to be smart, even tempered, and compassionate. Peggy has always proved to have her client's best interest in mind. Being court appointed counsel is anything but easy and Peggy has always carried out her role as court appointed counsel with grace, dignity for her clients, and respect. I would trust Peggy with my own family and affairs without question.

Our experience with Peggy Barnes has been nothing but positive. She has guided us with knowledge and compassion through many years. We have entrusted our children's inheritance to her guidance and have been well-represented. We have the greatest confidence in her abilities and her representation of our affairs. Based on our experiences we would recommend her services to anyone requiring legal representation.

Peggy Barnes has provided exceptional estate planning advice to my financial consulting clients for over 20 years. I can recommend her without reservation.

I've worked with Peggy and her team at Barnes and Barnes for several years and always found her to be compassionate and fair. She is often trusted by the Court and appointed to represent elders needing independent representation in probate matters. She approaches each case/client with kindness, patience and tenacity. She is an excellent choice when you need an attorney well-versed in probate and estate planning matters.

I’ve worked with numerous attorneys over the years in my line of work and can say Peggy is absolutely one of the best! She’s honest, responsive and extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate. I would and have recommended her to many people.

Peggy Barnes is everything you want in a lawyer. She is extremely intelligent and extremely knowledgeable. Her experience and ability to synthesize the legal issues allows her to be efficient, see clear options and advise on best decisions. Additionally she is very well respected in the legal community. She is responsive and a pleasure to work with. And, as an added bonus, once you start working with her, you will find she has a great sense of humor. I have worked with lawyers for several decades and Peggy is one of the best. How fortunate I was to have been referred her name.

Peggy has been an amazing attorney with whom to work . Unfortunately, my sister passed away earlier this year. Peggy had supported my sister in preparing her will and trust over the years. When my sister passed away, as trustee, I met with Peggy. She has given me very clear and sound advice on how to proceed with everything. The very trust she created has been straightforward to execute. I am very thankful for Peggy’s work on behalf of my sister. Peggy, thank you for everything. If anyone wishes to ask questions with respect to Peggy, feel free to send me a message.

I have worked with attorney Peggy Barnes for over 12 years and have always admired her breadth of knowledge, her compassion and her integrity while working with sometimes very difficult clients. I have found that she also works well as part of a team with the other professionals involved in a case. I recommend her services often and have never been disappointed.

Peggy Barnes is one of the best attorneys in Santa Barbara. Not only is she knowledgeable and experienced, she is patient and compassionate. She has helped numerous clients of mine and I have always been so impressed with her integrity and intelligence.