Mary Kristen is exceptional…
Mary Kristen Galanos is an exceptional attorney, and I recommend her and her firm without hesitation. Her experience, intelligence, judgment, and ability to think several steps ahead were invaluable throughout one of the most complicated periods of my life. It is easy to understand why she is so highly sought after. Mary Kristen has assembled an outstanding team of knowledgeable and capable professionals. Her experienced paralegals manage much of the daily communication, document preparation, scheduling, and case coordination, helping clients receive responsive support without unnecessarily incurring attorney rates for work that does not require an attorney. Charleigh Coleman was the paralegal assigned to my case, and she was truly exceptional. She took a genuine interest in my situation, understood what was happening at every stage, remained organized and prepared, and consistently kept the case moving forward. She is an extremely talented professional and was an invaluable part of my experience with the firm. The firm’s addition of attorney Margaret further reflects Mary Kristen’s commitment to surrounding her clients with talented professionals. Margaret is exceptionally thorough and approaches sensitive matters with patience, tact, and careful attention to detail. Her ability to address difficult issues thoughtfully and respectfully makes her a tremendous asset to both the firm and its clients. My divorce and custody case was anything but ordinary. It developed into a highly contentious and unusually complex matter involving interstate child custody jurisdiction, UCCJEA proceedings, communication between courts in different states, criminal matters arising during the divorce, repeated allegations, and the many financial and custody issues associated with a contested divorce. At various points, litigation was occurring on several fronts at once. Although Mary Kristen’s office is located in downtown Mobile and my case was in Baldwin County, that was never a disadvantage. She understood the local court system, recognized the significance of every issue, and knew how to navigate an extraordinarily complicated case with confidence and precision. Mary Kristen also demonstrated remarkable professionalism, patience, grace, and perseverance. There were times when the emotional strain of the case affected my perspective or when decisions I made complicated an already difficult situation. She handled every challenge thoughtfully and remained focused on protecting my interests and achieving the best possible outcome. I came to understand that when Mary Kristen offered advice, she had carefully considered not only the immediate issue but also the consequences several steps ahead. One of the qualities I respected most was her honesty. She never simply told me what I wanted to hear. She gave me candid assessments, explained the risks and benefits of each option, and told me when she believed a particular course of action was or was not in my best interest. I always felt that her priority was reaching the right outcome, not prolonging litigation or generating unnecessary legal fees. Near the end of my case, she recommended a course of action that ultimately reduced the amount of additional legal work I would need from her. That spoke volumes about her integrity and her commitment to doing what was best for her client. My case ultimately concluded with a settlement after approximately two years of litigation. During that time, I filed for divorce twice within the same marriage after an attempted reconciliation failed, leaving Mary Kristen and her team to manage an unusually complicated history and an enormous number of moving parts. Through it all, they remained prepared, professional, strategic, and steadfast. Family law cases, particularly difficult custody cases, can become intensely emotional, making it easy for a client to lose perspective. What you need in that situation is an attorney who can separate emotion from strategy, tell you the truth even when it is difficult to hear, anticipate the consequences of each decision, and remain focused on what matters most. Mary Kristen did all of that for me. If you are seeking an attorney who is intelligent, experienced, strategic, straightforward, thoroughly prepared, and supported by an excellent team, I strongly recommend Mary Kristen Galanos and her firm. After everything my case involved, I remain deeply grateful that she was the attorney representing me.








