Professional-looking office. One thing that threw me off a little was that he didn't introduce…read morehimself. I had to introduce myself and ask him if he was who he said he was. Other than that, very nice and friendly. He explained everything to me and was very helpful in the details.

It's now six years after my initial review and since then I've had occasion to refer David to many…read moreother close friends who needed a smart, hard-working, caring, and fair-priced divorce or real estate lawyer. I'm basically posting the same review as before -- my friends always thank me later for the referral, having had an excellent experience.

David was great to work with to handle my divorce. He always explained things so that I understood…read morethem and kept in touch with me with updates on the progress of my case. I would highly recommend him!

David understood the complexities of my divorce case and worked for my best interests. He was kind…read moreand patient but still a shrew attorney. I highly recommend him.

While an event requiring an attorney is stressful enough, add to that the grueling task of picking…read morean attorney that actually cares more about their client than their bill rate is next to near impossible. Unfortunately, life is what it is, and I found myself in a dangerous situation with a neighbor whom I had to obtain an emergency order of protection against. I met with attorney after attorney to discuss my case and all but one seemed more focused on telling me/bragging how great they were, who they knew, and how my case was so simple and would be settled quickly. Thankfully, I knew better than to believe any of what I was being told and more importantly, discovered Michael Strauss. While he too believed my case was not exactly complicated, he recognized that the situation could change in a heartbeat and instead of making me promises he would never be able to keep just to sign me on as a client, he discussed best and worst case scenarios from the start so I could adjust my expectations. And as he predicted, my case grew more complicated and eventually put my own personal safety in jeopardy. Instead of focusing on billing me for every minute that he was working my case, he paused all of this to ensure I was safe. He took on aspects that an attorney would normally not and if they did, they would charge substantially more. Not only did Mr. Strauss not charge me anything extra, when there was a time that I had nothing left in me physically, mentally, and emotionally and decided to not pursue the legal matter any further, Mr. Strauss indicated that while that was my decision, he would not stop fighting on my behalf! What attorney continues to work a case even if the client has nothing left in them to fight???? When I could not fight anymore, Mr. Strauss stepped in and fought for me. I have never met an attorney or know of one that was so passionate about their clients and really made them the priority not the retainer or additional potential billing. He was a Godsend. He is the very type of attorney I believe the job was initially created for - someone who gets into law not for the fame nor money but to actually help those who have nowhere else to turn. I cannot recommend Michael Strauss enough. He was not only my attorney, but he also in a truly unforeseen way became my guardian angel. Because of him, his dedication, and ethics, I am now safe, and it did not financially drain me. While this world does not need more attorneys, they need attorneys like Michael Strauss.

You and Gary gave my child the life he truly deserves, bless both of you. Even though it's now been…read more15 years, words cannot express my gratitude. The child's mother to this day is caught up in endless court cases in another state with multiple parents, and never once did you hound me for money even when I owed it. I know you are selective about who you take on as clients, but you may have saved my child's life. Your work showed the courts the truth and protected him from drunk stepparents, and a neglectful mother. Know you have made a difference in someone's lives in ways you will never understand.

Going through a divorce is never easy, but from my first meeting with David Wolkowitz, I knew I was…read morein good hands. David and his team made the process as smooth and stress-free as it could possibly be. He answered all of my questions, walked me through the entire process clearly, and made sure I understood what to expect every step of the way. David remained available throughout the process, and I worked closely with Sam, his paralegal, who was outstanding. Clear, concise, and always timely -- every interaction with Sam was exactly what you need during a stressful time. David's expertise and Sam's exceptional support make The Wolkowitz Law Office one I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone navigating a divorce.

I'm very grateful to Dave and Sam for their support during my divorce process. Both of them were…read moreprofessional, responsive, and sensitive to my need for the case to be completed quickly. Fortunately, my situation didn't involve major complications, and thanks to Dave's guidance everything was handled efficiently and without unnecessary delays. Thank you, Dave and Sam!

Jim is one of few divorce attorneys that is NOT a POS. He is about quick resolution and doesn't…read moredrag things out to up his billable hours.

I almost find it difficult to write this review for James Kelly, as no words can express my…read moregratitude for his services. For one, Mr. Kelly took care of my father's will/estate papers with the utmost care and attention. He made it a priority to finish quickly as my father unfortunately did not have much time. Mr. Kelly also helped me with a very difficult divorce. With his extreme professionalism, expert knowledge and understanding the emotional toll it took on me, he patiently guided me thru and worked everything out perfectly. I find James Kelly to be now not only a friend, but even a family member, and definitely my lifelong attorney.

Needed legal help with first time offense in charges made by police where there were no injuries or…read moreweapons involved. They were incredibly expensive and were unable to get charges dismissed/dropped. Charges were able to be reduced from felony to misdemeanor with 18 months probation. They had a good response time, but Matt seemed bothered & annoyed by our questions. He was rude and condescending many times. Catlin was professional & nice to work with, yet neglected to notice on probation documents that the prosecutor listed a 2 year term when it was supposed to be 18 months. Had I not paid attention & noticed the discrepancy my family member would be doing an extra 6 months unnecessarily. Disappointing when you're paying top dollar & under so much stress that you can't trust them to get the paperwork correct. Overall, I didn't feel that Matt had our back & was not on our team. Didn't work out well for us

Matt Fakhoury assured me that he would take all the heavy lifting from the point of contact and…read morethat's exactly what I needed for the first time in a long time. He allowed me to heal, and focus on my present while he handled the past that got me in this position. There were moments when he believed in my projected outcome as if the case was already done. Moments that I was supposed to hear it, exactly how it was said. The trajectory of my life was significantly altered in a way I never imagined. This is behind me now and ended a few hours ago with a major victory. What I do with it now is be the man Matt believed I was when he decided to stand by my side and give the other side all we got. I have a second chance! Hope, encouragement, and to have the outcome you need are what you hope you're getting from your legal counsel. But what the law firm doesn't advertise, is that you're getting a absolute savage in your corner that's looking dead in the eyes at the other side and will not be comprised for a "easy outcome" but will get you the outcome that doesn't tarnish your name permanently. The best outcome. Everyone makes mistakes. It happens. But you need to realize that you found this review for a reason. Just like I found the review that had me give him a call. I will be referring his services.

My mother was wrongfully accused of an incident that happened in her self licensed daycare whom…read moreshe's run for 26 years. The incident had no evidence and no facts. DCFS was out for blood as that is what they do best. My mother chose to hire this attorney Thomas Hunter, I as her son chose to help my mom by getting a $2000 loan to cover the start up fees for him to take her case. At first there was light and hope, then this attorney Thomas Hunter not only continued to charge my parents thousands of dollars with nothing to show as far as progress or information toward the status of my Mom's case. Excuses and claims that he was at the mercy of how long DCFS would process the case was all my parents kept hearing, weeks if not months would go by and this attorney continued to extort money from my parents. In present conclusion, now this lawyer wants another $5000, my mom can no longer afford to pay. Family has helped and given everything we can to prove her innocence. If you are someone who has had a great experience with this attorney and his firm, you must have deep pockets or any easy case to fight. Money is what keeps this attorney fat and wealthy, not his concern or empathy for his clients. My mom may very well lose her day-care, DCFS will win, and another innocent person will fall victim to how poor our justice system and greedy heartless attorneys like this man are. It's a true fact.....in the beginning it's about helping people.....in the end it's about how much you have to pay to get that help.

I agree with the other negative reviews. Not a nice man and he only cares about getting paid. He…read morewill nickel and dime you into bankruptcy.

Thank you very much Mark Schondorf! Mark had the very difficult task of dealing with my case that…read moreis far from usual. I have already been divorced for several years, but moved out of state for a job teaching third grade. These circumstances made Mark's job extra complicated. Not only did he need to accommodate the fact that I live so far away, but he was left dealing with the most uncooperative ex-husband that walks the earth. To make matters worse, he was also left face to face with the worst, most unprofessional judge in the history of divorce court... Judge Trew. Mark did his very best to talk me through every step of the process involved in renegotiating my divorce agreement to accommodate the fact that I now live in another state than my children. When things in court did not go the way one would expect, he reassured me every step of the way that he would get us through the process with favorable results. When I was anxious and upset, he took the time necessary to keep me calm and explain what was going on in layman's terms. He was very patient with me and went above and beyond the call of duty to show me that he cared not only about my case but about my well-being. Mark was always professional, accommodating, informative, and proactive. He spent hours trying to negotiate with my ex who continued to be unrealistic and unreasonable. There is no doubt in my mind that Mark tried his very best on his own time to find resolution to my situation...... something he most certainly did not need to do. Mark often made time for my phone calls after hours and on weekends. He took time out of his busy schedule and time with his family and children to help me in the best way he could. Mark I can't thank you and your associate Eugene Bilmes enough for everything you've done for me. I highly recommend your services to anyone who is looking for a dedicated, hard-working divorce attorney that won't settle for anything but results. Put yourself in Marks Schondorf's hands... You will not be sorry.

An honest review by a recent client, not a friend or acquaintance posing as one! Let me be clear,…read moreSTAY AWAY FROM THIS FIRM! I have never been represented by such an incompetent lawyer as with Mr. Schondorf. This attorney brings a big fat zero to the table. You will most likely lose your case and waste your hard earned dollars in the process. You will also find yourself doing most of the litigating because Mr. Schondorf really struggles to articulate any type of defense while in the Court Room. He demonstrated little to no skill-set when working on my case. I take no pleasure in writing a negative review, but with my experience I feel that others absohave the right to know when services rendered are so bad that they are simply unacceptable. I wish more people did this, and this is one thing that Social Media and reviews are actually good for. I will not judge Mr. Schondorf, and instead try to provide some details around his professional abilities, or there the lack of. Let us start with the most basic items, Mr. Schondorf has terrible organization skills, he is likely to request information from you that you have previously provided him with on a multitude of occasions, this will not only drive up cost but also play on your frustration levels. His overall Legal skills are subpar, I personally found myself challenging Mr. Schondorf on Legal Statutes to the point where I had to directly point him to it. You are likely to find yourself arguing with your own attorney because his lack of skill and performance will be very frustrating to you. You will find yourself investing a lot of time in keeping a close watch on this attorney as a result of his lack of skill-set, knowledge, accuracy, and overall ability. You will also find that his communication is not timely, and his work often contains errors. Be prepared to spend hours looking over his paperwork, and countless emails, all of which is costing you money. The details of your case are likely to be forgotten, so you'll find yourself having to remind him of them. If you decide to go ahead and proceed with hiring him as a representing attorney, be prepared for a long haul! The one thing that this attorney is good at is prolonging even the simplest matters. He is likely to hide behind "this is the process", so be ready for it. Once the case has gone for some time, he will likely try and advise you on settling. This is especially true when the dollars start to run out! This attorney performed so inadequately that it was necessary for me to file a complaint with the ARDC. In addition, I am now forced to consider Legal Malpractice charges against him as I feel I was totally misrepresented. Honestly there are probably a thousand other lawyers that would yield a much better result for you. Good luck! In addition, do not be fooled by Mr. Schondorf's desperate attempt to save his reputation by posting the below rebuttal. Feel free to read other reviews across the World Wide Web about him and you'll quickly realize that other (real) clients have posted reviews with similar issues. Ask yourself this question, how good of an attorney can Mr. Schondorf be when dealing with a case of no marriage, no shared assets, and only a child custody took him over 2 years and over $25k later with no wins. In my humble opinion, Mr. Schondorf should probably just go back to dealing with cases involving Traffic Court. You can take take your chances with him, but I highly recommend against it. Get a more knowledgeable and competent attorney that will help yield a more successful outcome. By the way, the ARDC is still looking into whether or not there's a case of misconduct with this attorney, so clearly the below response is a lie. Nevertheless, I am in the process of filing a malpractice suit against him.