Harry Trainor
N/A
Licensed for 26 years
Law Degree
Awards
Primary Practice Area
Criminal Defense
Language
English
About
With more than 25 years as a practicing litigator, Ms. Smith has the skills to help clients obtain their goals. Ms. Smith has extensive litigation experience handling court and jury trials in nearly every type of case from complex homicides to contentious divorce and custody matters. As a felony prosecutor in Anne Arundel County for 20+ years, Ms. Smith specialized in Famlily and Domestic Violence cases and developed a uniquely successful approach to litigation which combines legal knowledge, good judgment, negotiation skills and compassion. Ms. Smith focuses her practice exclusively on Family Law, representing clients in a wide range of counties in Maryland for cases involving, divorce, custody, child support and protective orders. Ms. Smith appreciates the complex emotional and logistical stressors that come with such cases, and is able to provide sound legal advise and persuasive advocacy on behalf of her clients when they most need a strong voice. Ms. Smith understands the need for a balanced and compassionate approach to address the needs of her clients in these emotional circumstances. She works diligently to assist clients in attaining their goals outside of litigation through well drafted agreements and orders; however, if litigation is required, she brings her extensive experience and skills to present a well-prepared and persuasive case. Ms. Smith is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association Family and Juvenile Law Section Council which directs Family Law policies and practices statewide and she regularly testifies on behalf of the Council before the House and Senate of the Maryland General Assembly on bills related to Family law. Ms. Smith is an Adjunct Professor for the Post-J.D. Certificate Program at the Univeristy of Baltimore Law School. Ms. Smith has received numerous awards recognizing her work in Family and Domestic Violence, including being honored by two Maryland Governors with Citations for outstanding service to Maryland Crime Victims. Ms. Smith is also listed in Martindale-Hubble's Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Lawyers, among the select lawyers who have earned the AV peer review Highest Possible Rating in both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards.
Practices Areas
Criminal Defense
Family
Domestic Violence
Language
English
Contact
Trainor, Billman, Bennett & Milko, LLP116 Cathedral StreetSuite EAnnapolis, MD, 21401
Office: N/A
Website: N/AReviews
My past experiences with lawyers have been poor. When I began the search for a child custody lawyer for my adult daughter, there was much trepidation. Her son’s father lives out of state which complicates parenting time more than normal. Little did I know that Michelle Smith would restore my faith in the integrity of our judicial system. My daughter and I are ecstatic that Michelle was able to win every single thing she asked for in the custody agreement. Equally as important were her wins in knowledge, compassion, responsiveness, professionalism, straightforwardness, and honesty. Her first priority was the best interest of my grandson when he visits his father and the father’s financial accountability. I highly recommend her.
Michelle Smith is incredible. She listens to your concerns, sees all the potential issues and guides you through them thoughtfully with wisdom and experience. Correspondence and communication is clear, and she works to get you your favored outcome. She represented me through a divorce and custody and it was extremely expeditious.
Michelle was a true professional in handling my divorce. She knows Maryland Law and was able to help me in settling the matter. There were no details too small that she looked at and considered for mine and my children's future. In addition to her professionalism, she was very empathetic to my situation and helped me through it. I couldn't recommend Michelle more!
By far the best experience I have had yet. Michelle Smith is a top attorney. I'm not sure I can say enough about her. She led me through one of toughest battles of my life. I am so thankful for her and her firm's hard work on my case. Michelle was such an inspiration to me. This is who you want in your corner. I highly recommend Michelle Smith.
I retained Michelle at the advice of a friend who used her services for her divorce. I called Michelle on a Sunday afternoon and left a message and she returned my call within 30 minutes. That simple display of customer attention confirmed that she would be my lawyer moving forward. Michelle and her staff made a very traumatic event in my life unfold smoothly with little to no stress. Her efforts on my behalf were astounding and she kept me informed throughout the entire process. If your seeking legal representation to settle a divorce, then look no further.
Michelle Smith is an amazing lawyer. She is very knowledgeable and competent. She helped me with multiple cases over a couple years time. I know she was looking out for my best interest every step of the way never letting me down. Michelle made herself available to answer any questions or concerns I had at any time day or night. I could not have asked for a better professional service. I feel like Michelle loves her job and was willing to work very hard to help me with any problems that I had even when It was something she didn't have to do, she went above and beyond what I expected. My family and I are very thankful and could not be happier with her service as well as the outcome of our our cases.
I have been working with Michelle for about 4 years now with family and custody issues. Anytime I have a problem Michelle has been there to help get things straightened out. She is very responsive to emails and calls. She knows the legal system inside and out. She has never given me bad advice. She has been more than prepared for every court date we have had together and I have never lost a legal hearing with her on my team. A million thanks to Michelle and her legal team!!!!!
After a thorough research of divorce attorneys in the Annapolis area, I decided to retain Michelle to handle my case. As stated in the other reviews, she is incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, and communicative. She was invaluable in helping me thru the divorce proceedings, and I would highly recommend her to anyone.
I hired Michelle to represent me in a complex custody battle where I moved out of state with my son. Michelle was amazing! Words cant even begin to describe how grateful I am that I hired her and for all her help. This was the most stressful time of my life and I wouldn't have been able to get through it without her help and guidance/representation. The calamity that I felt on a daily bases was always put to ease after talking with her on our approach. She always knew exactly what to do and what our next steps were. Not only did she get me everything I asked for and achieved every single one of my goals, she also had this case closed and resolved within 3 months of me being served and hiring her! She was stern and to the point whenever advocating for me. I know in my heart no one else would have been able to get me the resolution that I deserved as a mom. She always had my son and I best interest when navigating through this process. She was professional, caring, smart, passionate and never once steered me wrong. I was never neglected when trying to reach her, which is important when you're in the mist of panicking over a situation. She had my defense and protection, took my case under her care and ran with it. I thank God everyday that I choose to hired her for representing me. Everything was always organized and laid out which took so much unnecessary stress off me. I put my sons living situation in her hands and trusted her without a doubt. Side note, Paul was amazing. Every time I called he knew who I was and it was very personable and welcoming. He had a very sincere calming way about him. The efficency that was proven from Michelle and this office is rare to find. I cant say thank you enough!
Michelle made all the right moves, and we now have primary custody of and final decision authority for my daughter. After receiving Michelle's name and firm through two different and unrelated recommendations, we decided to switch lawyers in the middle of what had become a long and drawn out situation in court over child support and custody issues with my daughter. Due to the nature of the evolving issues in our case, there were multiple motions filed, starting simply with legally required child support changes, then complicated and complex out-of-state jurisdiction issues, and finally culminating in a motion for a change of custody. Every step along the way, Michelle was thoughtful with our situation, confident in her decisions, and swift with her actions. Michelle spent the time required to know our case. When it was argued that this case should move out of Maryland, she fought for the case to remain here, despite our child residing out of the state full time with her other parent. She won jurisdiction for us. Then, when we needed to know how to thoughtfully and carefully bring in the opinion of our daughter, she provided the evidence appropriate to have the court appoint a best interest attorney for our child. This made all the difference - and Michelle's expertise was invaluable. Michelle's follow-on actions over a period of months resulted in us receiving a settlement offer out of court, granting us primary custody. This was the most valuable of all - as our daughter was able to hear that her parents had agreed that the best place for her to be was with us, where she wanted to be. Michelle's involvement in this sensitive issue has forever impacted our lives for the better. She was an answered prayer, a blessing, and we are forever grateful for her efforts. Choosing a lawyer to handle a child custody case over internet reviews is not easy. We would absolutely recommend Michelle to anyone dealing with this most important issue.
My past experiences with lawyers have been poor. When I began the search for a child custody lawyer for my adult daughter, there was much trepidation. Her son’s father lives out of state which complicates parenting time more than normal. Little did I know that Michelle Smith would restore my faith in the integrity of our judicial system. My daughter and I are ecstatic that Michelle was able to win every single thing she asked for in the custody agreement. Equally as important were her wins in knowledge, compassion, responsiveness, professionalism, straightforwardness, and honesty. Her first priority was the best interest of my grandson when he visits his father and the father’s financial accountability. I highly recommend her.
Michelle Smith is incredible. She listens to your concerns, sees all the potential issues and guides you through them thoughtfully with wisdom and experience. Correspondence and communication is clear, and she works to get you your favored outcome. She represented me through a divorce and custody and it was extremely expeditious.
Michelle was a true professional in handling my divorce. She knows Maryland Law and was able to help me in settling the matter. There were no details too small that she looked at and considered for mine and my children's future. In addition to her professionalism, she was very empathetic to my situation and helped me through it. I couldn't recommend Michelle more!
By far the best experience I have had yet. Michelle Smith is a top attorney. I'm not sure I can say enough about her. She led me through one of toughest battles of my life. I am so thankful for her and her firm's hard work on my case. Michelle was such an inspiration to me. This is who you want in your corner. I highly recommend Michelle Smith.
I retained Michelle at the advice of a friend who used her services for her divorce. I called Michelle on a Sunday afternoon and left a message and she returned my call within 30 minutes. That simple display of customer attention confirmed that she would be my lawyer moving forward. Michelle and her staff made a very traumatic event in my life unfold smoothly with little to no stress. Her efforts on my behalf were astounding and she kept me informed throughout the entire process. If your seeking legal representation to settle a divorce, then look no further.
Michelle Smith is an amazing lawyer. She is very knowledgeable and competent. She helped me with multiple cases over a couple years time. I know she was looking out for my best interest every step of the way never letting me down. Michelle made herself available to answer any questions or concerns I had at any time day or night. I could not have asked for a better professional service. I feel like Michelle loves her job and was willing to work very hard to help me with any problems that I had even when It was something she didn't have to do, she went above and beyond what I expected. My family and I are very thankful and could not be happier with her service as well as the outcome of our our cases.
I have been working with Michelle for about 4 years now with family and custody issues. Anytime I have a problem Michelle has been there to help get things straightened out. She is very responsive to emails and calls. She knows the legal system inside and out. She has never given me bad advice. She has been more than prepared for every court date we have had together and I have never lost a legal hearing with her on my team. A million thanks to Michelle and her legal team!!!!!
After a thorough research of divorce attorneys in the Annapolis area, I decided to retain Michelle to handle my case. As stated in the other reviews, she is incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, and communicative. She was invaluable in helping me thru the divorce proceedings, and I would highly recommend her to anyone.
I hired Michelle to represent me in a complex custody battle where I moved out of state with my son. Michelle was amazing! Words cant even begin to describe how grateful I am that I hired her and for all her help. This was the most stressful time of my life and I wouldn't have been able to get through it without her help and guidance/representation. The calamity that I felt on a daily bases was always put to ease after talking with her on our approach. She always knew exactly what to do and what our next steps were. Not only did she get me everything I asked for and achieved every single one of my goals, she also had this case closed and resolved within 3 months of me being served and hiring her! She was stern and to the point whenever advocating for me. I know in my heart no one else would have been able to get me the resolution that I deserved as a mom. She always had my son and I best interest when navigating through this process. She was professional, caring, smart, passionate and never once steered me wrong. I was never neglected when trying to reach her, which is important when you're in the mist of panicking over a situation. She had my defense and protection, took my case under her care and ran with it. I thank God everyday that I choose to hired her for representing me. Everything was always organized and laid out which took so much unnecessary stress off me. I put my sons living situation in her hands and trusted her without a doubt. Side note, Paul was amazing. Every time I called he knew who I was and it was very personable and welcoming. He had a very sincere calming way about him. The efficency that was proven from Michelle and this office is rare to find. I cant say thank you enough!
Michelle made all the right moves, and we now have primary custody of and final decision authority for my daughter. After receiving Michelle's name and firm through two different and unrelated recommendations, we decided to switch lawyers in the middle of what had become a long and drawn out situation in court over child support and custody issues with my daughter. Due to the nature of the evolving issues in our case, there were multiple motions filed, starting simply with legally required child support changes, then complicated and complex out-of-state jurisdiction issues, and finally culminating in a motion for a change of custody. Every step along the way, Michelle was thoughtful with our situation, confident in her decisions, and swift with her actions. Michelle spent the time required to know our case. When it was argued that this case should move out of Maryland, she fought for the case to remain here, despite our child residing out of the state full time with her other parent. She won jurisdiction for us. Then, when we needed to know how to thoughtfully and carefully bring in the opinion of our daughter, she provided the evidence appropriate to have the court appoint a best interest attorney for our child. This made all the difference - and Michelle's expertise was invaluable. Michelle's follow-on actions over a period of months resulted in us receiving a settlement offer out of court, granting us primary custody. This was the most valuable of all - as our daughter was able to hear that her parents had agreed that the best place for her to be was with us, where she wanted to be. Michelle's involvement in this sensitive issue has forever impacted our lives for the better. She was an answered prayer, a blessing, and we are forever grateful for her efforts. Choosing a lawyer to handle a child custody case over internet reviews is not easy. We would absolutely recommend Michelle to anyone dealing with this most important issue.
My past experiences with lawyers have been poor. When I began the search for a child custody lawyer for my adult daughter, there was much trepidation. Her son’s father lives out of state which complicates parenting time more than normal. Little did I know that Michelle Smith would restore my faith in the integrity of our judicial system. My daughter and I are ecstatic that Michelle was able to win every single thing she asked for in the custody agreement. Equally as important were her wins in knowledge, compassion, responsiveness, professionalism, straightforwardness, and honesty. Her first priority was the best interest of my grandson when he visits his father and the father’s financial accountability. I highly recommend her.
Michelle Smith is incredible. She listens to your concerns, sees all the potential issues and guides you through them thoughtfully with wisdom and experience. Correspondence and communication is clear, and she works to get you your favored outcome. She represented me through a divorce and custody and it was extremely expeditious.
Michelle was a true professional in handling my divorce. She knows Maryland Law and was able to help me in settling the matter. There were no details too small that she looked at and considered for mine and my children's future. In addition to her professionalism, she was very empathetic to my situation and helped me through it. I couldn't recommend Michelle more!
By far the best experience I have had yet. Michelle Smith is a top attorney. I'm not sure I can say enough about her. She led me through one of toughest battles of my life. I am so thankful for her and her firm's hard work on my case. Michelle was such an inspiration to me. This is who you want in your corner. I highly recommend Michelle Smith.
I retained Michelle at the advice of a friend who used her services for her divorce. I called Michelle on a Sunday afternoon and left a message and she returned my call within 30 minutes. That simple display of customer attention confirmed that she would be my lawyer moving forward. Michelle and her staff made a very traumatic event in my life unfold smoothly with little to no stress. Her efforts on my behalf were astounding and she kept me informed throughout the entire process. If your seeking legal representation to settle a divorce, then look no further.
Michelle Smith is an amazing lawyer. She is very knowledgeable and competent. She helped me with multiple cases over a couple years time. I know she was looking out for my best interest every step of the way never letting me down. Michelle made herself available to answer any questions or concerns I had at any time day or night. I could not have asked for a better professional service. I feel like Michelle loves her job and was willing to work very hard to help me with any problems that I had even when It was something she didn't have to do, she went above and beyond what I expected. My family and I are very thankful and could not be happier with her service as well as the outcome of our our cases.
I have been working with Michelle for about 4 years now with family and custody issues. Anytime I have a problem Michelle has been there to help get things straightened out. She is very responsive to emails and calls. She knows the legal system inside and out. She has never given me bad advice. She has been more than prepared for every court date we have had together and I have never lost a legal hearing with her on my team. A million thanks to Michelle and her legal team!!!!!
After a thorough research of divorce attorneys in the Annapolis area, I decided to retain Michelle to handle my case. As stated in the other reviews, she is incredibly knowledgeable, compassionate, and communicative. She was invaluable in helping me thru the divorce proceedings, and I would highly recommend her to anyone.
I hired Michelle to represent me in a complex custody battle where I moved out of state with my son. Michelle was amazing! Words cant even begin to describe how grateful I am that I hired her and for all her help. This was the most stressful time of my life and I wouldn't have been able to get through it without her help and guidance/representation. The calamity that I felt on a daily bases was always put to ease after talking with her on our approach. She always knew exactly what to do and what our next steps were. Not only did she get me everything I asked for and achieved every single one of my goals, she also had this case closed and resolved within 3 months of me being served and hiring her! She was stern and to the point whenever advocating for me. I know in my heart no one else would have been able to get me the resolution that I deserved as a mom. She always had my son and I best interest when navigating through this process. She was professional, caring, smart, passionate and never once steered me wrong. I was never neglected when trying to reach her, which is important when you're in the mist of panicking over a situation. She had my defense and protection, took my case under her care and ran with it. I thank God everyday that I choose to hired her for representing me. Everything was always organized and laid out which took so much unnecessary stress off me. I put my sons living situation in her hands and trusted her without a doubt. Side note, Paul was amazing. Every time I called he knew who I was and it was very personable and welcoming. He had a very sincere calming way about him. The efficency that was proven from Michelle and this office is rare to find. I cant say thank you enough!
Michelle made all the right moves, and we now have primary custody of and final decision authority for my daughter. After receiving Michelle's name and firm through two different and unrelated recommendations, we decided to switch lawyers in the middle of what had become a long and drawn out situation in court over child support and custody issues with my daughter. Due to the nature of the evolving issues in our case, there were multiple motions filed, starting simply with legally required child support changes, then complicated and complex out-of-state jurisdiction issues, and finally culminating in a motion for a change of custody. Every step along the way, Michelle was thoughtful with our situation, confident in her decisions, and swift with her actions. Michelle spent the time required to know our case. When it was argued that this case should move out of Maryland, she fought for the case to remain here, despite our child residing out of the state full time with her other parent. She won jurisdiction for us. Then, when we needed to know how to thoughtfully and carefully bring in the opinion of our daughter, she provided the evidence appropriate to have the court appoint a best interest attorney for our child. This made all the difference - and Michelle's expertise was invaluable. Michelle's follow-on actions over a period of months resulted in us receiving a settlement offer out of court, granting us primary custody. This was the most valuable of all - as our daughter was able to hear that her parents had agreed that the best place for her to be was with us, where she wanted to be. Michelle's involvement in this sensitive issue has forever impacted our lives for the better. She was an answered prayer, a blessing, and we are forever grateful for her efforts. Choosing a lawyer to handle a child custody case over internet reviews is not easy. We would absolutely recommend Michelle to anyone dealing with this most important issue.