Trope and Trope LLP Sorrell Trope Trope and Trope LLP Sorrell Trope Prey on their Clients - Malpractice Los Angeles California

WARNING - DANGER - STAY AWAY - DANGER!!!!!!!

I could not agree more!

When I came to Trope & Tfrope, my divore and property settlement were done, and I had been awarded temporary sole custody of our three children up in Sooma County.  Because niether my ex-wife nor I still lived in Sonoma County, the matter was bumped down to Los Angeles.  The ONLY remaining issues were to get the temporary custody order made permanent (which should have been a matter of one hearing given my ex-wife had 7 DUI's, 3 with childe endangerment charges as she had 5 children under the age of 5 in the car with her when she was arrested), and also a child support order which should have been a matter of plugging numbers in the disso-master to determine the amount of child support she would be ordered to pay to me.

When I signed the retainer agreement, I was told by Steven Knowles (senior partner) that I would need toi pay their standard $5,000 retainer, but he felt it was unlikely Trope and Trope would need to use the entire retaiuber and I would iikely in the end be getting a refund.  5 years and $1.2 MM later, the matter was sent back up to Sonoma County as I had relocated back up to Northern California, in essentially the same place it was at when I hired Trope & Trope!, with one exception.  Ihe same temporarry custody order from Sonoam County remained unchahanged (still temporary), but Trope and Trope did manage to  get a support Order. though when I heard it, I wished they hadn't.

My ex-wife and her husband had reported on their taxes a mid-six figure income generated by two dental practices they owned, and income from my wife's ownership in a (family owned) high-end boutique hotel on the beach in Pismo Beach, California.  For five years, since the day I took custody of the children, she had not paid even one penny in child support.  Legally I should have been entitled to 5 years retroactive child support and also a monthly child support payment for future months, based on my ex-wifes $500,000+ annual income.  The entire 5 years that Trope & Trope "represented" me, I was continually asuured (more like guaranteed or promised) that I would be awarded between $3,000 and $5,000/month in support, for roughly $180,000 and $300,000 in retroactive support, and future payments in the aforementioned amount.

What wsas I actually awarded?  a total of $97/month for all three children, and 5 months of retroactive support.  A grand total of $485 plus $97/month in future support.  Not what you would call a stellar return on the $1.2MM CASH I had paid to Trope & Trope in legal fees, which was every penny I had in the world, my home (which I'd owned free and clear with no mortgage), my 401(k), IRA, stock protfolio and automobile.  I had nothing left and Trope & Trope knew it, because when I asked them to file an appeal on the ridiculous child support order, I was told that before they would proceed with an appeal I would need to pay them $10,000 toward their future fees (I had paid my account in full and owed them nothing for their past services.  I had a $0 balance on my account).  I told them fine, but I would need to sell my car first (or sign title to them as collateral), but as they only had 30-days to file the appeal I asked that they proceed with the appeal and I'd pay them soon as possible.  Rather than file or evem prepare an appeal, without telling me they filed a substitution of attorney and withdrew as counsel,  I didn't find out they had done this until 1 week before the 30-days had tolled, not nearly enough time to retain new counsel and prepare and file an appeal (if i'd even had the money to do that).  Trope & Trope left me high and dry, completely drained of energy, emotionally raw and penniless.

Why would I ever even consider paying $1.2MM when the most potential return I MIGHT receive was $300,000 and $5,000/mponth in support?  I wouldn't..  ever.. not knowingly or itentioally.  But remember, I was told the entire matter would be over and done with in less than $5,000.  I of xourse never expecged that to happen, but to go from $5,000 to $1.2 MM, that's quite the underestimate in the number of hours billed!n, but by the time you realize it, it's too late.  Trope & Trope has sucked you in, dropped a nuke on your case to blow it wide open again, they lie to you, lie to you ex to cause distrust and animosity and worst of all play on your fears and convince you that if you don't continue on and fight you will likely lose your kids to your alcholic ex-wife and she will likely kell them. 

Sorrel Trope and the attorneys employed by Trope & Trope are crooks.  They are without conscience, without integrity and care nothiug abouyt their cliens other than how much oney they can rob them of.  Sorrel Trope is referred to as "The Grandfather of Family Law in california" (which would explain a lot as to why the family courts in California are such a nightmare).  Rather then the "grandfather: of family law, he should be known as The "Godfather" of family law in California.  Personally, after my experiences with Trope & Trope, I would chose to do business with Don Corleone over Sorrel Trope or Trope & Trope, any day of the week!