April M. Dalbec

April Dalbec was recommended to me by two people and proved a fantastic choice in what had become a protracted divorce matter. She took over from another lawyer who was out of his depth, and throughout provided calm, assured, and timely guidance. In person, she was well-prepared to handle opposing counsel who was determined to try and "win" over helping us reach an amicable resolution. April kept matters on track and we were able to settle fairly without having to go to court. I’m grateful for her expertise and have since recommended her to others.

I retained April Dalbec in 2019 as my attorney for a divorce and I DEFINITELY made the RIGHT choice. Due to my naivety back then, I believed the proceeding would be quick and easy but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The divorce itself was a long process due to my now ex-wife continually changing attorneys and filing numerous frivolous motions. April was professional during every step of the way and was always was available when I had to "vent." Well, in the end, April was able to cut through the legal morass and skillfully negotiate terms that I could live with. I walked away knowing that my interests were represented. However, this is not the end of the story. I am currently fighting my ex-wife’s THIRD post-divorce action she has filed against me and thank goodness April is still in the trenches battling on my behalf. It’s definitely hard not to throw your hands up when it sometimes appears as though the legal system is stacked against you but knowing I have April fighting on my behalf - she has successfully beat back every action to date - gives me a sense of confidence going forward. If you want an attorney who will stand firm and aggressively fight for what you hold dear yet will also be compassionate and understand there is a "human element" involved in these cases, then I highly recommend April Dalbec. She’s a top notch attorney I am proud to say she still represents me.

I highly recommend working with April. As an attorney myself with decades of experience, it is important to me to select the most knowledgeable, accessible, insightful, and level headed professional to represent my legal needs. April and her team have provided unparalleled service. April has also demonstrated unique expertise regarding circumstances of my home county. April is responsive and provides strategy and advice that is so helpful in navigating delicate circumstances. I highly recommend working with April and her team.

April M. Dalbec, Esq. is the absolute best. I retained April for my custody matter during the most traumatic experience of my life. Custody of my children had been taken from me after a false emergency order was executed without cause. April is direct, professional, and tremendously detail-oriented. She knew exactly what to focus on to dismantle the dishonest allegations against me. In the courtroom, April was fire. She never missed a beat and brought a level of professional intelligence that I believe is unmatched. I will never be able to thank her enough for what she has done for my life and the lives of my children. I now have primary custody. I am forever grateful to April. Not only does she have the skill and expertise to bring success, she also genuinely cares about the work she is doing. People often say that lawyers are in it for the money; I know that for April, the work she is doing means so much more. She and her team are moving mountains.

Aside from wholly failing to represent me, in my 40 years in the legal field myself, I have never met a more insensitive, rude, condescending, pretentious and apathetic attorney. I sat in a conference room waiting for Ms. Dalbec to join me for over a half hour for my initial consultation in early November 2023, even though we had a prescheduled time, for grandparents' rights for my young grandchildren. During that conference, Ms. Dalbec made several promises to me which she did not follow through on. She did next to nothing except file a defective Notice of Appearance. I scheduled a telephone conference to follow up with her and called her at the scheduled time - she did not answer. She subsequently called me from a vehicle, apparently with someone else in the vehicle as her conversation was seemingly to entertain the person she was with rather than discuss the details of my case, literally giggling during the conversation, contrary to my stolid state of mind. Should I have not expected that at $450/hour and $10,000 retainer that she would give me the courtesy of her full attention? I received more unfulfilled promises. She did nothing. On November 17, 2023, I emailed her. No response. On November 21, 2023, I emailed her asking what the delay was to which she responded that she would "likely" work on my matter "next week." My response to her email included PLEASE in all capital letters, to which she assumed that this was "yelling" instead of my emphasis as to my desire to move forward. Ms. Dalbec's response included "I highly suggest that you get some counseling to deal with the stress you are under." Seriously? I paid for this? Competent representation? I provided Ms. Dalbec with several inches worth of paperwork relative to my case and she did not review any of it (I was billed over $3,000 against the retainer with NOTHING to show for it, including no billing entries for review of the documentation provided to her). It is my understanding that ethically a lawyer shall not intentionally "fail to seek the objectives of the client through reasonably available means permitted by law. . .". She failed me. Certainly it is ethical that a lawyer shall seek the client’s objectives, without being offensive, discourteous, inconsiderate or dilatory. I have read that a lawyer's professional conduct must include acting with commitment and dedication to the interests of the client and in advocacy upon the client’s behalf. . . because of Ms. Dalbec, my opportunity for a February desired court date was set out until May because of her scheduling issues. She could not have utilized one of the other attorneys in her firm or another colleague to appear on my behalf? On 12/11/2023, Ms. Dalbec billed me $3,096.00 - I cannot begin to express how shocked I was upon receiving that invoice. Over three thousand dollars - for what? She did NOTHING. The detail of the invoice included my chasing her to represent me; my inquiries if she was receiving my communications; her admonishing me for "yelling" at her in my email because I typed PLEASE in all capital letters; over-billing (double charging for time within the same time period); emailing me for documentation that I provided to her previously, etc. I did receive the entirety of my retainer monies back from Ms. Dalbec but the months wasted on waiting for her to assist me is forever lost. Ms. Dalbec's use of the "f" word and other vulgar words during our conversations is wholly uncalled for, highly unprofessional and a discredit to women in general. I started my legal career in the Navy forty years ago - in all of that time never have I experienced such lack of care, empathy or professionalism from an attorney. I write this in hopes of helping someone in the future avoid the difficulties I had with this attorney. Sincerely, Rebecca. P.S. I subsquently hired an amazing attorney out of Clifton Park who quickly got me reunited/visitation with my grandchildren. Please feel free to message me if you would like more information.

We could not be more pleased or satisfied with April Dalbec as our Attorney in a recent family matter concerning our grandchildren. April was professional, compassionate and very well prepared. We will be forever grateful for what she has done for our family. April is not only a fantastic attorney but also a beautiful human being. I would recommend April without reservation to anyone needing legal assistance. Bill & Anne Baldwin

April Dalbec has been representing me in my divorce and custody case. She has been professional and responsive. She’s helped me navigate this case realistically and has been supportive emotionally during this difficult time. I highly recommend April and her team if you are looking for an highly professional team to represent you.