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5/12/25 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Cannot explain how disappointed I was with Dianne. I put all my faith and trust in this woman and she ruined me. Not sure if it is because she has ZERO respect in the legal community or if her best before date has expired, but this woman has zero success negotiating. Everything is a court filing or application,back and forth correspondence, hearing after hearing, and one trial after another. She absolutely buried me in legal costs. I believe the courts are fed up with her antics aswell as we had zero success in court. It took me to long to realize that she never really cared about me. She only cared about prolonging things and enriching herself!I wish i would have read her reviews and dropped her sooner than I did. My reputation is shot ,my health in the gutters and my life is in shambles because of this lady. Her staff are no better as they are afraid of her and simply puppets to her. STAY AWAY FROM THIS FIRM!
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1/18/25 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I can’t thank Diann enough for all her help during a tough time. From our very first meeting, she made me feel comfortable and explained everything in a way that was easy to understand. She was always available when I had questions and kept me informed throughout the entire process. Diann’s expertise and approach made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. If you’re looking for a lawyer who is not only knowledgeable but also kind and supportive, I highly recommend Diann.
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1/18/25 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Going through a family law issue is never easy, but Diann made the whole process so much smoother. From the first consultation, I felt heard and understood, and she really took the time to explain everything clearly. I never once felt like just another case. She genuinely care about their clients.
Her firm is responsive, always kept me updated, and answered all my questions (even the ones I thought were silly). The advice I got was spot-on, and Diann handled everything professionally and with empathy.
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1/17/25 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I can't say enough good things about Diann! She made what could have been a really stressful situation so much easier to handle. She went above and beyond to make sure I felt supported and got the best outcome possible. It was clear she genuinely cared about my case and wanted the best for me, not just as a client but as a person.If you’re looking for a lawyer who truly knows her stuff and treats you like more than just another case, Diann is the one you need.
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7/2/24 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
With Diann, you, the Client, will always come first... Brilliant Divorce lawyer ??
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10/15/23 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
WASTE of TIME & MONEY! Totally UNPROFESSIONAL with ZERO Client service (unless they are sending you their overcharged bill) Ignored texts/ voicemails/emails. Kept wanting to meet in person to discuss case, never did,was always declined. Charged over $6500 for extension appeal case, which she agreed with my Ex wife's claims during the appeal..so much, that my Ex could not believe it, and actually started LAUGHING during the proceedings.. BRUTAL.
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SYSTEM: 2 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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10/6/19 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
If you are seriously considering hiring Diann you are likely a narcissistic sociopath. You are unable to straighten up and fly right, even when it is in your own self interest. You hang in there long after the rest of us would throw in the towel. Rules don’t apply to you. You have likely screwed up so badly in front of other lawyers and judges that you need saving. Diann will promise that she can make a difference, and it is seductive to think that things will change course for you. Bail out now. Get help. Things will be significantly less awful for you and your bank account will thank you for it.
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7/20/18 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Made a mistake hiring Diann. Never returns emails, claims she is saving you $. When you ask her to do work, it is rarely done. When she gets email from OC forwards to you saying FYI- but never gives her thoughts. One thing she does well is invoices. Charges min $50 for emails. An ex: Me-Are we meeting at Court House 10am? Her-Yes bring disclosure. Me-Ok I will bring it. Her-See you there. That email cost me $200! Happened over & over. Charges a min of $200 to forward an email from OC. Doesn't comment or give any advice. Was overcharged by $20,000 & NO advances in my case. Hit her peak over 10 yrs ago. Seriously needs to retire & get out of this business. Beware-when you have assets will claim she is equipped to help but what she is honestly equipped to do is drain your assets & leave you broke. Do not hire her. If you have, cut your loss & move on. Listen to your gut-you know what she is doing is wrong-she should read some reviews here & ask herself why her clients are so unhappy.
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3/26/18 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Would not recommend. While discussing a divorce property settlement she advised certain properties did not even exist. I had already given her the land titles. It was obvious my large account was not due to her knowledge of my file. Took my file to someone with knowledge.
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12/17/17 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
My ex-husband hired Diann and created a nightmare for all of us. She preys on people who don’t know any better than to believe her false promises and lies. With her help, he lost badly at every turn, costing him at least 6x what he should have just paid from the beginning, to support his children. Instead, they dragged this on for 2 years, making threats of custody, bringing my health into question and generally treating me so badly that there is no hope of repairing an amicable relationship. He finally fired her, just in time to negotiate costs owed to me due to his and Castle’s despicable behaviour. Diann Castle is unscrupulous, but absolutely inept in her representation. On multiple occasions she cancelled important meetings without notice; the joke in the legal community is how many times she’s had a parent die. She’s a horrible human being, more than just an incompetent lawyer. My hope is the general public gains an understanding of who she is, to save other families this pain.
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6/1/17 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
way to many mistakes that they charged me to fix they let opposing council walk all over us and changed started charging more half way through the process without notice very unprofessional firm that seem to collude to steal your money by dragging things out stay far away from this firm
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2/17/17 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
I hired this snake! Very impressive first meeting, I came out of that meeting thinking that I had struck gold with my decision to retain her. She will make it seem like she will tear the opposition apart, and very convincingly. The general public is not aware that All of these lawyers work with eachother every day, know each other quite well as they appear against eachother quite frequently. She cares more about the lawyers that she opposes than you !! NEVER forget this with Diann. I paid her thousands and she LIED constantly. She went behind my back and conspired against me with the opposition to benefit my ex. I am guessing that Diann was returning a favor to the opposition that was owed to her from a previous favor. To keep it short, Diann's action's allowed my son to conyinue be abused for an additional 3 years until I had the money to get a real attorney. She will lie and do nothing but. If you value your wallet and your children thenstay awayfromthislyingsnakeoruwillhaveneither
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9/14/16 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My experience with Ms. Castle is a good one in that she was always there to listen to what I wanted done. She advised what was possible from the start, and I truly feel that she fought a bit extra every time we had correspondence with my ex's council and especially when we were in court. In the end matters were dealt with fairly and I would recommend Ms. Castle to anyone who doesn't want to waste time on the wrong lawyer
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8/25/16 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Thank you Diann. I used two other lawyers who were much cheaper than Diann, who shall remain unnamed. Over the course of my first year of divorce proceedings there was virtually no progress made at all, except for my stress levels. I finally contacted Diann and sat with her to discuss my case. She was very attentive and told me exactly what the plan was and how long it may take. She was up front about everything, and was realistic in setting my expectations. She definitely commands the court room and this is something that was lacking very much from my two previous lawyers. In the end I am happy with my settlement, and my dealings with Diann.
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8/9/16 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Diann Castle was impeccable to work with. Prior to her, I endured the court system on my own until I could no longer do so. I found a jr lawyer to help with my case only to have her drop me as it was too much for her. I then received advice from another lawyer at that same firm and was advised to give up as my son's mother was too difficult and the battle would be a waste of time and money. Once Diann came into the picture things changed drastically. From the beginning she sat down with me and took the time to listen to my case. She asked what I ultimately wanted as a result of our proceedings. She was thorough in explaining what I could and should expect of the process. Year in and year out she remained communicative throughout all areas. She is very knowledgeable and consistent. She worked hard throughout my entire battle. After what turned into a nasty domestic special, I came out with 50/50 shared parenting. Diann excelled and exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend her!
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8/4/16 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Diann did what she said she would, when she said, and gave me much advice along the way. Things did not go as quick as I wanted but this was due to the other inexperienced lawyer who was severely over matched. Experience is key and Diann has a lot of this. I would recommend to people that want the job done.
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7/29/16 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Diann is a very knowledgeable and competent lawyer. I went through 3 lawyers before I found her, she believed in my case and fought hard. She's the reason why I have my kids on a shared parenting schedule. My ex only wanted the kids fulltime to get more child support out of me and Diann was able to prove that. Thank you Diann for all your hard work and I highly recommend Diann for anyone with a crazy or unreasonable ex.
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6/29/16 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Diann Helped me gain sole custody of my Daughter. I cant say anymore than she did what others said was not possible. Thank you for this. Of course she is quite expensive, but it depends what is important to you.
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1/26/16 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Dont use .Cost way to much , didnt know the case lost because of lack of her knowledge , not that I didn't give her all the details, wouldnt recommend her.
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11/6/15 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Diann has helped me out on various matters and I have been amazed at her on all counts. She is well respected in the courts and is well versed in everything that she does. She has helped me more than I can Thank her. She is not cheap, but you do get what you pay for. Amazing Lawyer. AS.
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10/22/15 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
I used Diann Castle in my divorce and ended up firing her after a few months which was unfortunately not soon enough. Judging from the initial advice she gave me, Diann is clearly knowledgeable, however, I found her to act unprofessionally, needlessly file court documents and make many big mistakes (some so fundamental that appeared intentional) which complicated my case and cost me a lot of money. The worst of it was in a meeting with the opposite side she attacked and undermined my position she took a 180 degree turn from what she told me before the meeting. I filed a complaint with the Alberta Law Society regarding her unprofessional conduct. It took my next lawyer much effort to untangle the mess Diann placed me. I don't recommend her, because although she is clearly experienced and knowledgeable in divorce law and court proceedings, she is unpredictable, unprofessional and seems to use her knowledge against her own clients.
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4/28/15 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Hired Dianne Castle and I ended up in worst shape than when we started.She can Bill like she has an open po but her performance sucks.No warranty with a lawyer I guess.She said I was paying too much and I ended up paying more.Dianne said well we tried!Ya we sure did with my money thanks Dianne great job there.
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11/21/14 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
STAY AWAY!!!! I was never a client of hers so I do not write this with any bitterness and in fact, have been successful against her. Ms. Castle acted on the other side of my file and my lawyer thankfully was aware of her method of practice and did not allow her to do any damage to our hearings and trial. I write this report to warn anyone who might choose to use this woman. She is highly unethical, unprofessional, potentially bi-polar but most definitely a liar with no control. This individual will not help you as you would expect her to, she will simply help to destroy you. Her own law firm successfully sued her for misleading the court. DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND STAY AWAY!!!
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SYSTEM: 2 negative duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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8/11/14 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
I wish I'd read these BEFORE I hired her - I believed that she was the wildcat I needed to deal my ex's lawyers' stalling techniques - but she never showed up ready for a meeting, never responded to my letters, e-mails or phone calls, and wasn't effective in pre court trials. I felt left completely left to the sharks without a word of compassionate or helpful advice. I tried to report her to the legal society but they requested that I "prove" that she didn't get back to me - to which I said I should just provide my whole file, which they refused. I felt so abused, (By both her and the legal society of AB) I couldn't even pull that together. Four years later, I can advise that I tried to move forward with her for three years and I wasted $100,000, and NEVER got to court. She billed for appts she never prep'd for, had no notes for, made excuses for herself, and never answered my questions - I only stopped when I ran out of money! (Don't be such a slow learner is all I can suggest)
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7/21/14 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
This lawyer took my last cent knowing I was stressed over a one sided court system. She promised me the world and left me hanging at court with a no show and a student lawyer to tell the judge she wasn't representing me with absolutely no notice. What a disgrace to justice. Its almost like they created a legal plunder system.
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4/11/14 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
I hired Dianne Castle back in 1992 and I see from these reviews that not much has changed. Lucky for us, we fired her just barely in time and although it took another lawyer significant time and trouble, he was competent and thus able to untangle the legal mess she had created. She was incompetent then and two decades later, she is still incompetent. There are plenty if good lawyers in this city so keep looking because she is NOT one if them.
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SYSTEM: 2 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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10/26/12 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
I had retained this lawyer in 1999 for my case in family law. When it came time to sign the divorce papers, there was nothing on the papers to stop the mother from leaving Calgary. Her comment to me was that the custody is seperate from the divorce and that the mother can not leave Calgary. Your to trust your lawyer so i signed the papers. When it came time to see my daughter, the mother had vanished. I went to Diann's office a fired her on the spot in front of everyone at the firm she was working for. It took me 6 months to find my daughter with the aid of Missing Children Canada. The mother ended up in Whithorse Yukon. I retained another lawyer did my travels for Calgary to Whithorse for the visits. I did 16 return trips back and forth. The last visit, I stayed here in Calgary, got in to court and got the order to have my daughter stay. In december of 2000, i was awarded sole custody of my daughter. Diann is a fake and does over charge for herself. This lawyer (Diann Castle) is a ver
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10/24/12 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
After 4 years and tens of thousands of dollars lost to an idiot lawyer, I hired Diann. I only wish I had been referred to her earlier!! I lost so much time and money with the past lawyer. Diann was on top of it from the beginning, yes she is busy (for good reason!!)things don't happen overnight, but when they do happen she fights for you like no other lawyer in the city. I would use her and refer her again and again! As for using her assistants and other lawyers, she does this because she is so busy. She's not charged HER rate when she uses them, which has saved me time and money. Love her!!
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SYSTEM: 2 negative duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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8/14/12 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Worst Lawyer and person you could ever come across, these ratings of 1's is much too generous for her. I don't know how she sleeps at night, she literally robs people of their money with her manipulation, deceit and lies. She told me that my ex owes me a lot of money, 100,000.00 to be exact. I only received 23,000.00 after a pain staking 3 years with her firm. She charged me 23,000.00 to get it, which means I did not receive a dime of retroactive child support, nor a penny from the matrimonial home. I would have had a better outcome getting a divorce through the Court system on my own, that's how bad she is. $425.00 an hour, repeats herself and charges you twice for it. There should be a Support Group out there for anyone who has had the misfortune of having her represent them, they will need it!
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SYSTEM: 2 negative duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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3/30/11 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Before I chose to use Diann I came on this sight to check her rating. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt comments were written by disgruntled ex's. What a huge mistake! Everything people have said on here is true. She doesn't listen and tells you how it's going to go without knowing the facts. She doesn't get back to you and when she does, gives you a one sentence response without answering questions. It cost me over $2,500 just for docket court and she didn't even show up! She had Chuck Easton fill in for her and I had to try to explain what was going on right before court. Perhaps it wasn't her fault for not being there, but she charged me all the same. Right after court I told her I no longer wanted her services so I could self represent. She is so slow I knew I would be able to start seeing my kids sooner if I dropped her. She has taken nearly two weeks and she STILL hasn't filed a cease to act. There's more, but I am nearing my limit on here. WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY!
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3/28/11 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
Complained to the Law Society about Castle and Associates. Nothing came of it, of course, despite the fact that the other side in the divorce had emailed them about signing over custody and they NEVER followed up on it. I then took Castle and Associates to Taxation (which anyone can do if they disagree with a lawyers billing, etc). I was given money back to go against a bill that I refused to pay until the Taxation process had finished. I think I got about $2000 knocked of my bill. Overall, the work was shoddy, with a lot done by assistants. Diane herself misspoke in court a couple of times, which I expect was due to being unfamiliar with the file. I WOULD NOT recommend her as a lawyer for anyone involved in a divorce.
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1/28/11 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
I used Diann for more than 5 years as she was recommended by someone else. She was hard to reach except by letter (which is abysmally slow). She was very disorganized and often acted only as an afterthought. I had to keep on top of things and remind HER instead of the other way around and since I am not a lawyer I didn't always know what she should have been reminded about or what the options were. One order was filed before I reviewed it and it contained an clause that I disagreed with and had been a key point of contention for years (and I was still billed for this even though it was not what I wanted). Definitely not cost effective for me.
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7/20/10 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
I think she knows what she is doing, but takes awhile to get to the point. Maybe suffers from a little arrogance. Could be she takes on too many cases to be effect and efficient at any of them. Probably is a good one if she is on her game . . . can be a crap shoot in that regard.
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1/24/10 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
I would never recomend Diane Castle, She ripped me off every chance she could. My divorce ended up costing me about 30k and it was a total waste. I had to settle with my ex because she wasnt doing anything she promised. The worst mistake I ever made hiring her. I only hope one day she has to go thru a divorce and I hope she goes thru the same crap I had to. She will take you for every cent she can,do yourself a favor find a different lawyer.
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