Grenadier, Duffett, Levi, Winkler & Rubin P.C.

I paid $250 for a custody consultation with Katherine "Kitty" Smith at Grenadier, Duffett, Levi, Winkler, and it was a huge disappointment. She did not seem knowledgeable, and I even had to correct her at times. Rather than advocating for me, she came across as working against me, which was frustrating and unhelpful. We discussed moving forward with a retainer, but she never followed up as promised. For a professional law office, the lack of follow-through was unacceptable. Overall, I left the consultation with more concerns than answers and felt my money was completely wasted. I do not recommend Katherine Smith or this firm. STAY AWAY. Total mistake. ***Edit: She sent me an email today 09/11/25 and apologized. I’m guessing due to the fact she saw this review.

Carolyn Abbate came highly recommended to me by an attorney friend and she is an outstanding attorney. After speaking to other family law attorneys, I was so impressed by her that I decided to retain her on the spot. I have never once regretted that decision. She has represented me on a number of complex legal issues throughout the years, both litigating in the courtroom and negotiating out of court agreements. She is very professional, responsive, organized, thorough, and well prepared. She is someone I trust and highly recommend!

Mrs. Ilona Grenadier and Mrs. Carolyn Abbate saved my life by helping me navigate the very complicated system of getting divorced in VA and cope with the very nasty attorneys my husband had represent him. Mrs. Grenadier was always fierce but polite when dealing with the nonsense his attorneys would constantly throw at us. She is a brilliant attorney and professional always. Her experience and personal relationships are bar none. It was the worst two years of my life, and I would recommend the firm to anyone. I am grateful I had them on my side.

A divorce, even uncontested, is hard on a family and difficult enough without dealing with an unresponsive, slow-moving attorney. After over a year of delays and excuses, I fired him and followed up on a recommendation to contact Grenadier, Starace, Duffett & Levi P.C. Carolyn Abbate thoughtfully explained the steps and court processes. Recognizing my desire for a harmonious post-divorce relationship, she helped smooth out issues that could have become points of contention. Ms. Abbate also sped things up enormously, guiding me in providing her with relevant information, feeding back documents for review and promptly passing them on, which had the added benefit of encouraging my wife’s attorney to match her pace. The outcome was a swift, amicable resolution that allowed family relationships to heal.

Carolyn Abbate is an excellent attorney. She was thorough, efficient, considerate, and very helpful throughout my case. Highly recommend this law firm.

I was referred to this firm by a friend when I needed a divorce attorney. That was 6 years ago. From the very beginning of my divorce to today, I have been very pleased with the professionalism, compassion and results.

John Winkler represented me on a number of legal matters spanning more than a decade. I very much appreciated his knowledge of the law, professionalism and fairness.