Ruel Burns Feldman Kukucka & Britt

Reviews

• AH

  Aaron Haberern

  Feb 8, 2026
  5.0
  I highly recommend Josh Feldman and his firm to anyone going through a divorce. He is extremely professional, knowledgeable, and experienced, and he takes the time to explain each step of the process in a clear, straightforward way. During what can be a stressful and emotional time, his calm approach and practical guidance made a significant difference. If you’re facing anything divorce-related, this is the team you want in your corner.
• MM

  Mani Meiyappan

  Jan 21, 2026
  5.0
  I would highly recommend Josh and his team to anyone looking for a family lawyer. My case was complicated and lengthy, and during an incredibly stressful time they showed genuine compassion, patience, and understanding. I always felt heard and supported, not just legally but personally as well. They focused on the long-term well-being of both the children and adults and worked to ensure the outcome was as fair as possible given the circumstances. Communication was excellent—I was kept informed every step of the way. Debra, Josh, Jim, Katie, and the rest of the team were wonderful to work with and extremely responsive, even on weekends or at odd hours.
• SW

  Sandy Wolf

  Apr 20, 2024
  5.0
  I'm a psychotherapist on the shoreline, and one of my clients used this firm in an unfortunate divorce. He seemed to have an excellent experience with his team, as they made him feel heard, hopeful and respected. Their approach was family centered, advocating firmly for him without creating war with the mother of his kids. They were supportive and realistic, and guided him through the grueling process feeling whole. Given how rare this is, this firm is top of my mind for referring people going through a divorce. They take a bad situation and make it better.
• RB

  Robert Brandner

  Nov 15, 2023
  1.0
  Evaluation of Attorney James Ruel - A Disastrous Experience In summary, engaging Attorney James Ruel proved financially and legally damaging. Ruel initiated a series of actions that violated his fiduciary and professional duties as a lawyer and permanently destroyed my financial health in ways that are still being felt today. Here are the specific complaints and their impacts. Caution is advised before considering his services **Mediation Proceedings 4/21/15 Engaged Atty James Ruel to review mediated Lump-Sum (LS) settlement. Ruel advised client that paying 11 years of alimony via 132 monthly checks was better option than LS without supporting evidence. Client directed Ruel to pursue LS agreement only 9/28/15 Parties approved mediated LS settlement pending closure of minor issues Mediated LS (near final) settlement total cost = $15K **Ruel Abandonment of Mediation The mediated LS agreement was on the 1-yard line when Ruel falsely justified abandoning it and pursuing costly lawyer-led negotiations. Ruel’s numerous failures of his fiduciary duty to act in my best interest & professional duty to provide competent representation Ruel turned a near final LS settlement that cost $15K into a traditional alimony agreement with 132 monthly payments for 11 years. The cost for this agreement increased to $350K. Actual post-divorce cash flow was significantly lower v. amount predicted in financial modeling SW Consequently, I had insufficient funds to pay modelled expenses much less the new amounts $350K of new costs & retirement asset reductions relegated client’s standard of living to subsistence level **Ruel Competency Issues Post-divorce financial models were run by colleagues with no accounting certifications or expertise, resulting in inaccurate cash flow models The accuracy of these models was critical to ensure my modelled expenses were affordable Financial model errors and new expenses forced me to cash out a 401K fund to avoid bankruptcy & $1000/Mo/36 months to pay tax penalty Overlooked pre-marital funds, resulting in a $30K loss. **Ruel Advocacy Shortcoming Failed to protect me from frequent antagonization by OC. Ignored my pleas for intervention Refused to support my request to verify OC’s billing against retainer funded by plaintiff is in legal compliance Violated fiduciary duty by joining with OC to belittle me regarding above request Allowed OC to cover constant missed deadlines with last-minute actions including prior approval withdrawals & cancellations of scheduled meetings and court appearances. Above caused > time and expense for interstate travel, wasted PTO & months of > time to finalize divorce. Ruel failed to inform me If your spouse is trying to waste your time and money, you can petition to have them pay for a portion or all your divorce attorney fees and that the fees must be consistent with normal industry parameters When my financial nightmare from Ruel’s negotiated settlement became clear, I called Ruel several times to discuss options appeal the settlement Ruel said, live with it, there’s nothing you can do about it. Fortunately, I was able to hire a new, competent, caring lawyer who saw numerous avenues of going back to court. James Ruel is his own biggest fan, just ask him