Elizabeth S. Pagel, PLLC

"Pros: Very responsive, makes you feel supported. Cons: She will hang you out to dry when you need an advocate the most. My husband retained her to represent him in a high-conflict child custody modification case. For nearly six months, we provided her with documented examples of his ex-wife's antics, not to mention that his ex-wife's lawyer repeatedly disrespected the legal system, so we thought we'd be ok come mediation and, if necessary, at trial. A week or two before mediation, Elizabeth told my husband she did not think he had a case for becoming the custodial parent, despite the fact that he has a job and a home, neither of which his ex-wife has (her parents even paid for her scumbag lawyer). Instead, Elizabeth said she would fight to keep the decree as-is (50/50 custody and expenses, no child support). This was the first red flag. Then, two days before mediation she told my husband the mediation was scheduled for only 4 hours, not 8. She said she was confident they could get a deal in that time. I knew that wasn't true because I knew who was on the other side - a high-conflict narcissist who never backs down. That was the second red flag. Then in mediation came the complete 180. The two attorneys mediated for hours on one issue when there were several issues to address. Then Elizabeth blindsided my husband with a MSA that made his ex-wife the custodial parent and gave her the maximum amount of child support allowed by the state. My husband walked out of mediation without signing it. The next day, Elizabeth called me to try to convince me that this was a good deal in hopes that I would convince my husband, even going so far as to tell me things about MY OWN LIFE that I knew were not true. She did not convince me. Later that night, she emailed my husband with an ultimatum: sign the MSA or sign a document that said he won't sue her for malpractice. She also said that if he signed neither, she would withdraw representation. He ended up signing the MSA and fired Elizabeth anyway. We have since consulted with several other attorneys, all of whom were mystified at what happened, said a 4-hour mediation was ridiculous, and that the ultimatum was in very bad taste. Bottom line: Find another attorney. She was outlawyered by an amateur and covered by forcing a bad deal. And everything I predicted would happen as a result of the MSA is happening now. At the child's expense."

"Mrs. Patel was an excellent attorney and was very very helpful. She guided me through the the whole process and her team was great. I would recommend her at the highest honor and she did her due diligence for a desired outcome. I can't thank her enough!!"

"Ms. Elizabeth S. Pagel, I'm writing this letter to you to express my most sincere thanks for the most professional representation during my divorce. You stayed by my side in dealing with this stressful, and difficult never ending divorce case ! I want to say once again thank you for helping to resolved my case quickly. I do admired your professional work ethic and most importantly your excellent representation. Ms. Elizabeth, is honest, good listener, trustworthy. I highly recommend Ms. Elizabeth to anyone who's seeking help for she's an excellent lawyer."

"Mrs Pagel has been my opposing counsel, she’s also a colleague. We have fought hard in court, in complex family law cases. She has treated me with respect, she is timely with her filings, knowledgeable and uses common sense to try her cases. She is fierce, will research the law before opening her mouth and I’ve seen her in action the courtroom. An effective and courteous advocate deserves my recommendation and respect."

"As a fellow family lawyer, I'd highly recommend Elizabeth Pagel to anyone looking for an experienced lawyer who gives no-nonsense legal advice to her clients. She helped my husband's friend and did an excellent job. Her rates were fair. He was pleased and had no complaints with her services."