Martindale-Hubbell, the international legal directory, has rated the law firm of Smith & Mabley, PLC, as "AV". This means the firm’s Legal Ability Rating is "very high to preeminent", the highest rating given to any law firm. In addition, the firm’s General Ethical Standards are rated as "very high", again, the highest rating given to any law firm. No law firm in the United States has ratings higher than those awarded to Smith & Mabley, PLC.
"I really have the highest praise for John."
John is one of the most highly experienced estate planning and administration lawyers in Michigan. I’ve worked with John for over 10 years. I’ve used him as an expert on both a consultation basis and trial basis. I really have the highest praise for John.
Paul Varchetti,
Attorney at Law,
Pytell &
Varchetti PC
Gross Pointe
Woods, Michigan
"Dave dots every i and crosses every t. Plus he’s fairly priced. I know because I checked."
If you want a complete, thorough estate plan prepared, call Dave. He dots every ‘i’ and crosses every ‘t’. What’s more, Dave is fairly priced. I know because I compared his fees with other lawyers. Dave is easy to reach. I have never had to wait for a return call because he calls me back within the hour. Both my mother and I have used Dave personally. And I have used him for business. I have known Dave for over 20 years and absolutely recommend him to my friends.
Paula May
Canton, Michigan
"John is honest, straightforward, and I would hire him again in a minute."
John is a great guy. He did a great job for me over a period of about five years. I got to know him pretty well over that period. One of John’s abilities is that he can cut to the heart of the matter quickly, get to the point, and express his view very well. That impressed me more than anything else. I’m very pleased with his work. John is very honest, straightforward, and I would hire him again in a minute. And I would definitely refer him to friends.
Ralph Bonkowsky
Orlando, Florida
"Dave is very dependable and on the ball. He is accurate and covers all bases."
Dave Smith is very dependable and on the ball as far as getting things done right away. He does not procrastinate. He is accurate and covers all bases. I’m a CPA and I send clients to Dave. Likewise, Dave sends clients to me if there are taxes to be done. Everybody in Dave’s office is courteous, friendly, and makes you feel at home. I’ve not had any feedback from anyone I sent to Dave that was ever bad. All positive feedback.
Carol Sigler,
CPA
Bloomfield
Hills, Michigan
"It makes you feel better about the law when John Mabley is involved."
In my view, John’s two best qualities are his integrity and strength. John not only has his clients’ interests in mind, he has a good grasp at getting to the total truth. I think he’s great. It makes you feel better about the law when John Mabley is involved. You don’t get trite answers from John. John listens. I would definitely refer John to my friends.
Ron Bethune
Wyandotte,
Michigan
"Dave gave me practical, bullet-proof advice. My assets are well protected."
Your firm is excellent! Your knowledge of asset protection and estate planning is superb. I received practical, bullet-proof advice and concepts. Your explanation of my asset protection and estate plan provided me with a comfortable and thorough understanding of my plan. I feel my assets are well protected and that I am able to carry out our plans. I most appreciated the seamless continuity and attention to detail you used when consulting with my insurance agents, accountants, and lawyers. Your fees were reasonable and a great investment for my family. What’s more, my phone calls were handled well and returned every time, on time. You can be sure that I will return for future services and gladly refer my friends.
John Robison,
DDS
Northville,
Michigan
"We had a serious case and John sure helped us a lot."
I recommend John highly. He’s a great lawyer. We had a serious case and John sure helped us a lot. Plus, he’s a great family man with a nice personality. He’s easy to talk to, quick to answer questions, and prompt at calling back. John has done a lot of trust work with us over the past few years. He’s very good.
June Staff
St. Claire
Shores, Michigan
"Dave is competent and thorough. I completely trusted Dave’s opinion."
Everything I would say about Dave is very complimentary. Dave helped me understand the law. And the suggestions he made helped me decide what action I should take. Most of us do not know what is the best action for our individual needs. I completely trusted Dave’s opinion. Dave is competent and thorough. I enjoyed working with Dave and his office staff. Everyone there is excellent. Dave has done all of our estate work for us. We recently updated everything in his office. I don’t know a higher compliment than to say Dave is a pleasure to deal with. I would refer others to Dave without hesitation.
Jim Clarkson
Brighton,
Michigan
"When you work with John, you get the maximum bang for your buck."
John Mabley has the best probate service in Michigan. He’s easy to deal with, gets the job done, keeps great files and records, appears in court on time, and takes the shortest route from point A to point B. When you work with John, you feel like you get the maximum bang for your buck. And he has an assistant that is thorough and follows up well. I have referred many people to John Mabley.
Bill Zoufal
Grosse Pointe
Farms, MI
"Dave is thorough and friendly and he knows what he’s doing."
Dave is a very good attorney and very knowledgeable. He’s thorough, friendly, and knows what he’s doing. We found Dave to be very accessible. I can call his office and leave a message with the receptionist and he’ll call right back. We would certainly refer our friends to Dave.
Carolee & Howard
Caylor
Commerce
Township,
Michigan
"I trust John’s judgment implicitly. I’m one of those clients who loves their lawyers."
John is one of the most thorough attorneys I’ve ever worked with. I can’t say enough good things about him. I’m extremely happy with how he has handled my case. It has been long and drawn-out. But every time we inched forward, I knew John had done his homework because he was completely prepared for trial. I have every confidence in this man. John is terrific, personable and not condescending. He talks to you as if you’re an intelligent human being.
John’s professionalism is unparalleled. When I’m with John, in front of the judge and with other attorneys, I see such a difference between John and other attorneys. John is always well dressed and he carries himself with confidence. I have never felt that he has tried to give me any false hope. I have always felt that he has leveled with me and managed my expectations extremely well.
In the past, I’ve had good attorneys and bad attorneys. John is exceptional. John was recommended to me by two independent persons who didn’t know each other. John’s reputation is statewide. I was very impressed with that. With every interaction, I have an increased level of confidence in him.
Plus, I appreciate John’s patience with the judicial system. John is so thorough in his research, knowing all the facts and all the litigation that has gone before that the judge might act upon. He is very well versed with the law and previous cases.
In addition, John doesn’t waste my time. When I get in his office, I know the clock is running. John spends enough time with me to get the job done and does not pad his time. I never ever feel rushed. He does this because it’s the right thing to do, not because he’s trying to make money.
Working with John, it’s not about the other side or about John. It’s about doing the right thing. His values are so high, that’s why so many attorneys recommend him. I’ve been around the block too many times to be impressed easily. I would never go to anybody else except John.
I was glad to find a lawyer willing to do his homework and not so full of himself. John has a passion for the law and for doing the right thing. He doesn’t do anything without my approving it. I trust his judgment implicitly. I’m one of those clients who loves their lawyers.
Christine Hebert
VP of a
Consulting Firm
Grand Rapids,
Michigan
"I’m not trying to be all positive, but working with Dave has been a very pleasant experience."
I enjoyed Dave’s personality very much, including how he approached the task. I liked Dave’s fairness and sense of urgency to get things done. He is much more available than most professionals of that ilk. I also give Dave’s staff lots of credit and high marks. They are pleasant whenever you call, as well as quick, thorough and polite.
Working with Dave Smith was a good experience. My impression was that his law practice is very competent and thorough. I think the cost of his services is what you would expect of a professional. Dave is extremely thorough in his accounting of fees, so you’re not paying the blanket cost but, instead, you’re paying the charges for the individual working on your project that day.
Dave taught us that our estate plan is not just documents, but a process that continues for years to come. Dave made us aware of things we needed to do in the future, and how we should conduct ourselves taking into account the assets we would accumulate, how we should title those assets, and what could happen if we don’t title something properly.
I’m not trying to be all positive, but thus far, working with Dave has been a very pleasant experience. My wife and I would absolutely and unequivocally refer friends to Dave. He is a very decent individual and, naturally, this instills confidence in the professional job he’s doing for you.
Bob Jones
Troy, Michigan
"I would definitely refer my friends to Dave."
Dave is very trustworthy and very thorough. I have known him for 13 or 14 years. I met Dave through someone I know at work. He came into our company and gave a presentation. Dave also joined our church. He is highly accessible. I would definitely refer my friends to Dave.
Bob Bauer
Novi, Michigan
"John is an excellent probate litigator. He mows people down in litigation matters."
I have known John Mabley for about 20 years. He’s the former chairman of the Probate and Estate Planning Section of the State Bar of Michigan. John is certainly one of the best probate practitioners in Michigan.
In addition, John is surely within the top 5 probate lawyers in the use of technology. He saves his clients lots of money because he works faster thanks to technology.
John is an excellent probate litigator. He is well known and well respected by probate judges. When I was co-counsel on a case with John, he blew the other litigator out of the water. The other side was represented by a well-known, large law firm. John mows people down in litigation matters. He does his research and does an outstanding job for his clients. John is very concerned about his clients and their welfare and really looks out for them. His clients can’t say enough good about him.
John is more diligent and better than a large law firm. It pays to have someone like him in your corner. John is outstanding when dealing with people, which is sometimes hard to find. Plus, John really puts out the work. When it comes to documents, his technological edge over other lawyers is really helpful. John saves his clients money.
I’ve been in the probate business for 30 years and I have a very high opinion of John. I’m more than happy to endorse him on any type of legal matter, particularly in estate planning, estate litigation and technology.
Brian Howe,
Attorney at Law
Stevens & Howe
Canton, Michigan
"John did everything possible and our case turned out very well."
I have nothing but good things to say about John Mabley. When I was made guardian of my uncle, I lived in Nebraska and my uncle lived in Detroit. Another lawyer referred me to John Mabley. I spoke with John for many months over the phone. Then I met John in the court house. It was like I had always known him. He’s the nicest man. No matter what I asked for, John’s always ready to give it to me. His staff, too, is wonderful.
John is very professional in everything he does. He takes care of everything in a timely manner. John’s character is above reproach. John always answers questions and handles things for me.
When this case first started, we had many mountains to climb. John got through everything. My uncle was mentally incompetent without anyone knowing about it. He was a bachelor who had no children and lived in the same apartment for 35 to 40 years. His landlady decided that, because he was incompetent, she could take over. Before we could do anything, we had to climb those mountains first. John did everything possible and our case turned out very well.
Most of what John and I did was over the phone. Everything John had to do has been done 100%. I can’t say enough nice things about John and his staff. Everyone was helpful in every respect. I certainly refer friends to John.
Charlene Hooker
Grand Island,
Nebraska
"John comes highly recommended from our entire family. He’s a very honest Joe."
John Mabley is a great guy. He’s very knowledgeable, very experienced, very professional, and he definitely knows how to handle himself properly in court.
John’s a down-to-earth kind of guy. And he definitely returns his phone calls. Before I met John, I had experience with a wrongful death case. I had a group of lawyers who were not as polite and proper as John. John is polite and proper.
Several members of our family have used him. My great aunt found John. After she passed away, my mother used John. Then after she passed away, now I’m working with John. He comes highly recommended from our entire family. My mother worshiped the ground John walked on. He’s a very honest Joe.
Marci Rosebrough
Chesterfield,
Michigan
Contact Us
For more information or to schedule an appointment with our experienced lawyers. Send us an e-mail or call us at 248-737-4550.
