Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein

Alaz Tanyeri

2 months ago

This is a predatory law firm. How can you trust them to take care of your legal interests when all they want is your money? They told me an hourly rate of $560 without telling me how many hours the service would take. I thought it would take 2-3 hours, then during my intro call, for the first time, they told me it's a $5000 retainer. They have competitors charging $2500 retainers btw. After the call when I realized they are the expensive ones I decided I would go with the other guys and they billed me for our discussion. No pricing transparency at all... They have competitors with much more integrity

A Post

5 months ago

Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein review of Kieth Rieger (retired) in case other attorneys in the firm use the same tactics. I switched divorce attorneys and hired Rieger. Rieger used a bait and switch telling me what he would do differently from my old lawyer that would save time and money in my case - then after getting the retainer, Rieger kept the same course as my old lawyer which prolonged my case and meant more fees for him. Rieger then antagonized the judge during initial talks which I believe caused the judge to order me to pay the maximum in temporary maintenance. Now with my ex getting big checks from me, my ex was in no hurry to settle which meant more fees to Rieger. Rieger told to me that in NY there is "equitable distribution" of marital assets - but he never explained that "equitable distribution" does not mean "equal" or that I could pursue a larger share of the marital assets since I was the primary breadwinner and covered almost all the expenses during my marriage. Instead, Rieger pushed me to settle for a 50/50 asset split. I think Rieger did this to burnish his reputation as a lawyer that 'gets along well' with other attorneys. I now believe that based on my financial contributions during my marriage and the fact that I had sole custody of my kids, there was a strong chance the judge would have awarded me a larger share of my marital assets, but Rieger never (I mean never) pursued that angle. In hindsight, I received poor advice across the board from Kieth Rieger. He may be retired now, but I would caution anyone dealing with this firm to be wary of similar experiences. Good riddance.

Corey Cohen

11 months ago

The team at Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein have been nothing short of amazing. Evan Schein was constantly available, led with compassion, and helped to navigate a very complex issue. I cannot recommend this team more.

Ryan Forman

5 years ago

Michael Fried is an excellent attorney and I would highly recommend him to anyone who needs help with a family matter. Michel is responsive to emails and phone calls, timely, compassionate, understanding, knows the law and great at explaining, in simple terms, what could otherwise be a complicated process. Michael handled my situation with professionalism and remained level headed throughout the process. Most of all, Michael made me feel comfortable. I can't thank Michael enough for his work.

Marcus Kline

9 years ago

Jacqueline and her staff are the most knowledgeable and professional team in the industry. The level of individualized client service that I received was second to none. Jacqueline’s experience was evidenced in every aspect of our interactions and I would highly recommend her to anyone that is looking for a top notch matrimonial attorney.