I hired Tom Tuttle as my family law attorney and he did an excellent job. Tom is a highly seasoned, competent lawyer with a great support team. He was very responsive and although he has decades of experience, he was still compassionate and a good listener. My divorce was amicable but I still felt he had my back and always advised realistically. I would highly recommend him and have several times. read more

I have referred numerous clients to this firm when they require representation in family law matters. They have an unsurpassed reputation in OC for outstanding lawyering. Their lawyers are deeply respected by the bench and their colleagues in the family law bar. read more

Tom Tuttle is the best attorney in the OC. Not only did he protect me from an abusive husband but gave me confidence to fight for what was rightfully mine. Tom always responds and makes you feel like a priority. I highly recommend him. read more

During a stressful family law event there is no one I would trust more than Thomas Tuttle for counsel. Thomas has dedicated himself to specializing in the intricacies of matrimonial law. As a colleague and friend for over 30 years, I highly recommend Thomas and his firm for high-quality advocacy and exceptional results. read more

Tom Tuttle - UGH!! I would avoid this attorney. There are many red flags! This is all my opinion! My experience with him was bad! He lost big time against a one man shop guy who was screwed and clever and Tom is neither. Tom Tuttle represented me for a lengthy 17 day divorce trial. Overall my experience with Tom Tuttle was stressful and bad. He was recommended by my forensic accountant and seemed to be well thought of in orange county so I stupidly hired him despite no positive reviews of him or any satisfied clients to talk to. I found him to be extremely difficult to work with and not capable of producing good results at trial for anything complicated. He would not collaborate with me and arrogantly dismissed my ideas. It seems that the results were worse than what I would've got without counsel at all. My ex ended up getting much more than what she had asked for in her petition. Tom was not capable of communicating well with the court and getting the judge to listen to his arguments. Tom is just out of touch and did not read the court's unhappiness with his presentations. Tom was not coachable or willing to listen to any constructive criticism on how things were going terribly wrong throughout the trial. Tom was like a bull in a China shop and he is reckless, stubborn and arrogant and it all gets in the way of good results. The outcome of my divorce trial was bad and Tom could not explain or be accountable for what went wrong throughout the trial. Instead Tom tried to put the focus and put the blame on the judge and claimed that the judge was biased and that result was poor because of bias that the judge developed toward me. Tom did this to try to take my attention off of his poor defense of me and any thoughts of malpractice suit that might develop given such a terrible outcome. He hence tried to get me to believe the problem was the judge. Tom accused the judge of bias in his objections to the ruling angering the Judge. Tom then filed a motion to disqualify the judge claiming bias. This caused the judge to become angry and the result from this was devastating for my case. All of our expensive post trial motions were denied without any consideration. Tom recklessly did not consider or make me aware of the collateral damage of filing a motion to DQ. I am told that this was just reckless. Tom is defensive of everything that he does and blames everybody but himself. I spent close to $800,000 on fees that I paid to Tom. Tom was not organized at trial and many times I found him filibustering to fill time because he was not prepared for the next witness angering the judge. The Judge frequently had to tell him to move on!! He work from a paper tablet with scribbling on it and was not digitally prepared for his presentations. He seemed to throw his arguments together while waiting for court to begin in the lobby. Several times the judge told him to move on and stop repeating himself. This all caused the trial to last much longer than it needed to and cost me a lot more money than it should have. The attorney representing my ex was quite clever and I don't believe Tom is clever at all and was not able to counter the clever arguments that opposing counsel presented. I believe Tom has relationships with forensic accountants that he nurtures to get new business from and hence is not objective in the way he directs the forensics. My forensic accountant charged me more than double what the opposing forensic accountant charged and Tom would not do anything to hold my forensic accountable for doubling my costs for no value and allowed this waste of 200k to occur. But instead defended all of his puffed up padded invoices. I don't believe Tom cares much about creating a great outcome for the client and certainly doesn't feel bad about creating a terrible out come for me. Tom has very little personality and is not fun to work with at all. He refuses to talk with you after 5 PM and will not share his mobile number so you can reach him when he's not at his office. His communication skills are just poor. After the trial ended there was much to do with posttrial work. The outcome for me was so bad that Tom wanted to run away from my case so he filed a motion to withdraw and abandoned me before all the post trial work was done. Avoid this guy! read more

Divorce is scary and complicated! But Tom Tuttle made mine as easy as possible. The divorce process is a vulnerable time and I always felt safe and protected by Tom. I knew nothing was falling through the cracks and he was always great with communication, explaining everything clearly to me no matter how many questions I had. If you're nervous and looking for the right lawyer, hire Tom. You can put your concerns in his hands and know they'll be taken care of by an experienced, top-of-his-game attorney. Can't recommend highly enough! read more

I had worked with Tom Tuttle during my divorce, and I only have wonderful things to say about his conduct and professional standards. I was suddenly "blindsided" by support issues less than a year after my divorce. Tom displayed the highest skillful and personal standards to resolve the borage of false demands and lies. Tom is a fine person, paying attention detail and to his ethical standards. I truly believe that he firstly cares about each individual and would never compromise on anything that was not ethical. He does not make false promises, or lead down a path for his own gain. His knowledge of the law is unparallel. Also, Tom has compassion for the emotional trama he knows that his clients are suffering from. I would highly recommend Tom to family and close friends. You would be in the best of hands. I am forever grateful for the support, and for the many " battles" that Tom fought and won for me. I was also impressed with all his support staff, including, Mikita Weaver. In addition to the divorce, he has loyally represented me in issues over five years related to spousal support and other debacles. I can always depend on his knowledge, and I have been treated with utmost respect and attention to details. Tom was the best decision I could have made during a difficult and long battle. He is totally honest, and my bills were reasonable. he is looking out for the client's interest and would never mislead anyone. You could never go wrong choosing Tom...I don't know where I would be now without him. Lynn Kendall-Cline read more

I highly recommend Seastrom Tuttle & Murphy. After a short time, Brian Seastrom was able to grasp the complications of my property and support issues and give me a basis for negotiating a settlement. Along with his team, including Nicole Stuntz, they successfully challenged a continual borage of demands and entitlements. He also protected me from the emotional trauma of those demands. He is a thinker, smart, honest, ethical and will fight for what is right. He was highly recommended to me by two different legal professionals for his success in court, negotiating and overall character. I am forever grateful for his services. read more

Divorce is never easy, but my lawyer, Brian Seastrom and his team, made mine better than I could have ever hoped for. I know lawyers get a bad reputation, but Brian was ALWAYS very clear about what my choices were and the consequences attached to each one. With my divorce taking close to two years to finalize, Brian was there with me every step of the way. From dealing with the financial part of my divorce, all the way through custody, Brian and his team were there for me not just as my lawyers, but also as a support system. I was amazed at how hard they fought for me and for what was RIGHT. Never once did I feel that they were wasting my money or time. Even during depositions and trial, Brian demonstrated complete control and handled every issue ethically and on a strong moral ground. I couldn't be more grateful for Brian Seastrom and his team. They saved me. read more

Nicole Stuntz comes off as professional, but she never returns calls, answers emails, etc. It is extremely frustrating when you have a case coming up and cannot even get ahold of her. When she does respond, she constantly refers you to her paralegal to take care of matters. This law firm to me is a huge joke. read more

I just got my final judgement on my divorce case today... Can I get an amen! Nicole Stuntz was paramount to me getting the best possible outcome I could receive. In fact, after my court hearing, I put together in my head what the best possible outcome would be (how much I would owe my ex), and the judgement far exceeded what I thought was even possible. Not only was I released from paying my ex-wife spousal support, the final judgement required my ex to pay me a large sum on a monthly basis for the child support I was and will be owed over the foreseeable future. Nicole's attention to detail was incredible and she was very personable and engaging in the "process" as I had a ton of questions. The entire staff at Seastrom Tuttle & Murphy was a pleasure to work with! read more

Tom Tuttle used to work for Minyard and Morris. He made partner at Seastrom and Seastrom Tuttle. Tom Tuttle is very much linked to Priate Judge Weinberg. He gave Weinberg a judge of the year award; not sure exactly what for other than it bolsters Weinberg on paper and in advertising. Tom Tuttle is linked in with the AFCC. I consulted with him about my case and considered hiring him on limited scope. His consult was too generic and he evaded answering specific questions. He seemed to believe that it is a-okay for California courts to hose women and not comply with community property laws, 50/50 asset division in a divorce. That was hugely upsetting to discover but solidifed my decision to not sign the contract. Booyah. read more

I retained Brian Seastrom as a mediator in 2017. He's the cream of the crop in my book, and this is coming from the perspective as a lawyer myself. I was placed in a tumultuous situation where the disparity between my income and my ex-spouse's was significant. My ex was attempting to "take me to the cleaners" as they say in divorce-land, but Brian was able to achieve a middle-ground and relatively fast result. The best part about Brian, besides his demeanor and personality, is his responsiveness. He's a clearly busy guy, but he definitely responded to all my questions and took care of me graciously. I'm a very aggressive person and even more aggressive lawyer. Brian founds ways to keep me calm and also found ways to keep the ball rolling. All the documents seemed to be well-drafted and without any issue. The costs and fees were predictable and transparent. Often times when the issue of divorce, dissolution or separation come into play, the parties inject emotion into the process. I learned from Brian that it's really important to understand that family law is about equity -- NOT necessarily about fairness. When one realizes the laws are drafted a certain way, and one takes a step back, one will fully appreciate those that help along the way. For me, the person that helped the most along the way was Brian. One last parting thought: Divorce is expensive because it is worth it. Trust me. Go to Brian, do what he says, and move on. read more

Ryan Patrick Murphy chokes under pressure in court. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because we all have our bad days, but the more I talk to other lawyers the more apparent it becomes how terribly he mismanaged my case. Nearly four years and many headaches, sleepless nights, and cringeworthy thousands of dollars $$$$$ later, I am still trying to fix his mistakes. Yes, I am talking tens of thousands of dollars- quite possibly into six figures by the time I am finished. It's not just his courtroom performance either. His inattention to detail has profound and lasting consequences. I'm talking about something as seemingly innocuous as a simple hyphen in a last name on a single document. As an experienced lawyer he should know better. Yet he doesn't. He also fails to fully explain the ramifications of what you are signing. I don't think this is so much a communication problem as it is a lack of understanding himself. His knowledge of the law and procedure is shallow at best. It was shocking to hear other attorneys interpret his work - yes, I got multiple other opinions and a consensus. I'm not one to make rash emotional decisions or trust a good talker. When you are going through something so deeply personal that requires a family law attorney you do not want Mr. Ryan Patrick Murphy on your side. He is a weak litigator, lacks attention to detail, and can't grasp the many complexities of the law. I was also not impressed with his support staff either. read more

Nicole Stuntz is the best attorney I've ever met. She helped me get sole legal custody of my son in a jurisdiction where joint custody is presumed. I literally asked her to be my child's godmother- that's how highly I think of her, and how amazing she was at representing my case. She is extremely detail oriented and responsive, and she will fight for you. read more

Brian Seastrom is a true blessing. He evaluated my situation and gave me realistic expectations from the start. He was always honest and upfront with me, often encouraging me to stay the course. He truly stood up for me and my life will now be much easier on so many levels because of it. read more

I have worked with Brian Seastrom who is exceptional in every way and I just can't thank him enough for what he has done for me. Brian was recommended by multiple sources and he was able to help me successfully through some complex issues and he helped me to mediate my divorce and added tremendous value to the negotiations. Brian is an impressive and consummate professional. He is always available to me and I was made to feel so important as a client despite his being so obviously busy (as he should be). Brian's knowledge is vast and he has extensive knowledge with complex matters like the treatment of RSUs, deferred compensation, etc. His knowledge of these things saved me from making devastatingly poor decisions that I would have made had he not been guiding me and advocating for me in areas that other attorneys missed who I had talked to. Brian continues to provide help me and provide with sound advice post divorce which I am so very grateful for. I continually refer people to Brian Seastrom all of which can't thank me enough. There are thousands of attorneys available in the area but none likely rise to the level of excellence of Brian Seastrom. There is just no need to waste time or money looking elsewhere. read more

I wish to memorialize the extremely gratifiying experience I encountered working with Tom Tuttle and his exceptional staff (Mikita Weaver, Lisa Doumar and Aaron Vogel) under what were understanably extremely stressful circumstances. Tom and his staff always displayed exceptional and unwaivering professionalism of the highest calibre supported by a detailed and unparalled knowledge of the law. Tom was masterful in setting my expectations while detailing the legal process and events well in advance of their occurrence which in turn reduced my stress and in so doing provided extremely helpful levels of confidence. His positive results were directly reflective. Tom is a quality individual possessing the highest professional and personal standards. I would not for a moment consider recommending any other professional is this field to a family member or friend. His steadfast dedication, knowledge, attention to detail and commitment to his clients are unparalleled! M. Perry read more

I was in an extrodinarily abusive (financially, emotionally, and verbally)'marriage. Brian Seastrom came highly recommended by two friends. Not only was he the most careless, he was hostile towards me and viewed my actions as "stealing" money out of my own money market. It was money set aside from ca edd sdi and my ex want a co-signed on the account. He somehow was able to do installment loans through this account for his MBA at UCLA, making me a co-signer. My law firm instead allowed my ex-husband to withhold every bit of real information on his income. Mr. Seastrom cannot see when someone uses their foreign income and fakes a W-2. No matter what I proved other wise, or what the actual employer sent over reflecting he grossed $20,000.00 a month pre salary deferral at 33 1/3, it was so much easier for Mr. Seastrom to blame me. He didn't show up prepared for my OSC. He advised me to move out of my house after paying him a $12,000.00 retainner, without telling me the consequences. My ex threatened my life and was stealing my debit card information, and somehow pulled 12000 out of one account when I wasn't even in the state of CA and then an additional 9000 and this was ca disability money. It was clear on the bank statements I was in NV taking care of my Mom. He claimed my health records were irrelevant which was completely insane. My exhusband was claiming I decided to just quit my job once he became a VP of compliance at his securities company. I never had health problems nor was ever on disability. I of course just sent a record of disability payments and all my W-2 to show a disability history (back surgery) in 2005, 2009-2010, and in 2/2012 (when my benefits were paid) from incidents occurring at work, I was suffered a mental and physical collapse that pre-dated any divorce proceedings (in 9/2011). In 12/2011 I weighed 80lbs and couldn't stop stuttering, was paranoid, and he only made it worse. My doctor placed me on short term disability. Disability income from the state is non taxable income, Brian allowed opposing council reflect me having a taxable income from EDD (unemployment) and claimed "unemployed" on the FL150, and not "on short term disability". In July, though my employer out of retaliation just stopped paying my short term disability even though they had to from 2/2012-/2/2013.. I am stuck paying rent, my car payment, etc when I should've been allowed to stay in my home. I started getting my ex husbands mail, he did drive bys after finding out through family where I was and worst of all, the cyber stalking was horrible. In the end Brian Seastrom told me the house wasn't mine (because I wasn't paying the mortgage..I could've rented it when I didn't have the money), and I literally owed my ex husband $20,000.00. They refused to count the $33,000 he used from MY high yield savings account (securities fraud) to pay his installment loan for school. My view of the online banking didn't sallow me to see any of the activity or that from my high yield savings my ex was moving money (only for himself but in my name and information) into a brokerage account, and had an S-corp, or that everything my exhusband was, is, and built (he had nothing when we met), was in my social security number. Brian Seastroms office must use Lexis Nexis? Well I couldn't figure out why my credit was so bad no matter what I've done to protect it. His social security number and name aren't real, he changed his date of birth after the divorce paperwork was filed, uses the alius Lindsey Craciun and a date of birth in 1977. That person doesn't exist. His SSN isn't real but works because it is tied to mine. What is worse is the income Brian Seastrom claimed my ex didn't make we didn't have, was quantified by expenses spreadsheet our bank did showing $22k a month going to expenses outside the household. He had it, and more but it was pulled from discovery. Brian Seastrom also choose to ignore on my state taxes per the CA FTB I work for PIMCO LLC and it remains this way almost four years later. I Just found out about the fact that over $150,000.00 was not reported as income during the divorce because it was under my social and name for taxes. Here is the thing that will make everyone sick to their stomach. I was forced to just give my ex the house. He did a refinance (each attempt hit my credit including what he does now), using my social security number with Wells Fargo (has a shady friend in lending). I am ordered to sign a quit claim deed or pay his legal fees. I am also pro se at the time. The quit claim deed is presented to me in front of a notary and opposing council on 8/7/13 but the deed says 7/31/13. I crossed out the incorrect date and hand wrote 8/7/13, signed the book and placed my fingerprint. I didn't get one item of furniture from my home and he even kept very personal treasures mementos from my child hood and my birth announcement, creepy. Well in 2017 I find out I still own my home via Lexus Nexis. Bad read more

Divorcing is a life event! Brian was very aware of my situation. He and his office took great care of me !

This review is for a former attorney that has since switched firms and for Bethany who still works there. They took on my case with great confidence. I was able to get the proper support from my divorce and received top notch representation. I learned a lot from Bethany and I have appreciated it greatly. Brian also was very honest about how I should handle my case before I retained them which I appreciate. Divorce is tough but a great learning curve read more

After 21k in fees my ex spouse still got everything she wished for. My Lawyer was UNABLE to show the court the Lies, and manipulation used by the Petitioning party..... Extremely disapointed in the performance and outcome of my case. read more