The Tom Simpson Law firm is GREAT ! IF you are a person (man in this case) who wants to harm your family and bankrupt the mother of your children. The Simpson Group stop at nothing to file dozens and dozens of needless motions and paperwork production to exhaust the 'other party.' Extensions ? No problem, it is what they do best. Our little circus went on for four years to keep the petitioner tied up and unable to buy a home, secure a loan, invest in anything meaningful or get a suitable amount of child support for the 4 children produced during the marriage. In our case, defendant claimed he would have the 4 children (ages 7 to 13) 3 nights a week AND on weekends to keep his payment low. Oh, and he would pick them up from school, feed them, do homework and deliver them back to school the next day. Of course that was not realistic due to his new work hours. And, he never did this throughout the 14 year marriage. Turns out, they were not getting their homework done, mama was getting the calls from school, they had no lunches with them, and when the only toilet in his home was not working, the boys had to pee in the sink. (Reported by the giggling sisters.) Then for fun, the little paralegals will flip some documents upside down and backwards in the middle of the stack to make you go in another direction and lose focus on your reading. After that, they demand that all the scheduled courtroom chats be taken into the judge's chamber to exclude the other party who might have a comment, question or fact to offer before the judge renders a decision. They employ Forensic Accountants who only take the information VERBALLY offered by the defendant with zero supporting documents. Then, the Child Support is is quantified based on that erroneous information. Petitioner is not allowed to weigh in on the facts with any supporting documentation because it is all handled in chambers with, ''no documentation was provided by the petitioner, so we have to rely on what the defendant had given us." Smoke, mirrors, lies. Yeah, if you want to really ream a former loved one, hire the Simpson Law Firm. This is decades later and our 4 children have made their own decisions about seeing him. He blames me for their current adult decisions. He is actually riding a bike at 69 years old because his license was suspended due to non-payment of the remaining child support that was ordered for the youngest child . . . IN 2009. If this all sounds appealing, then YEP ~ Simpson is your guy. read more

Domestic Violence victims have certain basic needs from their attorneys: trust, communication, respect (not being referred to as "problem client" behind their backs), and attorney experience to aggressively defend against abusers (waivers of mandatory face-to-face mediations, filing criminal charges). Also, a good attorney would not measure a case's progress solely by how much money the client has left (refusing to take an offer to opposing because "discovery" isn't complete, yet waiting until the client is broke to recommend that same settlement--discovery never having happened.) A little coaching and advice would also be helpful; for example, telling her not to cash out her IRA or her kids' college funds to pay attorney fees, which would have been untouchable by the opposition. This firm failed me on each of these I recommend to anyone, hire a divorce coach first before committing to an attorney, or join a support group and make a legal plan in addition to your DV escape plan. Attorneys won't tell you, but once they are hired, everything is set in motion and you cannot legally transfer assets to assist your escape, lock an abuser out of your home, pay to move somewhere unknown to him, dispose of his weapon, or personally serve a restraining order on him. You can't even legally clean up his unhealthy mountain of garbage in a cluttered fire-trap house for the sake of your kids. You are apparently not allowed to touch or change anything for the months and years the divorce is underway. If anyone is being abused and wants to avoid some of what I went through, I recommend consulting attorneys that are referred through a support group. Those attorneys were unable to even speak with me once I hired someone else, so I don't even know what I missed. I thought hiring an attorney immediately would protect me. It didn't. Knowledge and planning ahead is what will protect you. The support group I attended was "Peace Over Violence". I cannot vouch for their attorneys, but I suspect every one of them would have been better than this firm, at the time, which failed me on all counts. The worst thing was, I felt victimized a second time. I failed to write this review for many years for the same reasons I failed to leave my ex: dependence, fear, and a desire to forget. Dependence on the attorney for the future in case my ex returned, fear of reprisal at work because I got an entry-level job and the firm was its client, and my desire to forget the whole thing replaying in my mind, just like every time I had to go to court (reliving it), which made me feel ill. It takes some courage for me to write this review, and although it did happen years ago, I want to help others avoid the hell I went through. This firm apparently lacked members with Domestic Violence experience. They never communicated with me the potential for criminal charges; didn't seem to believe I couldn't "just leave" describing abuse that wasn't physical (imprisonment, threats against kids, killing pets, violent destruction of property) or perhaps because of my wealthy status; didn't respect me (called me their "problem case" behind my back). They didn't pursue my claims of hidden money, ignoring my repeated requests over the years for them to file a subpoena on the bank, and they did not protect me from mandatory face-to-face mediations with my terrifying ex (they looked at me like I was crazy when I asked, but I now know these face-to-face court meetings could have been waived - and they aren't even his kids!) Finally, they never considered my ability to survive financially (age 52, no resume, 2 traumatized children), continuing their wastefulness at my expense and to their enrichment. They billed me for my "free consult" and billed me for the call asking about it, while "passing the message along". I should have heeded the red flag during my "free" intake meeting Simpson: "You'll soon stop micromanaging the expenses." Also the psychological toll of them dragging my case along - prepping repeatedly for numerous court appearances (with PTSD) only to find out in court they were requesting continuances on my behalf. Each continuance required new file reviews at my expense (as did the hours of file review when they shifted my case back and forth between attorneys). And of course I paid for the filing requesting the continuances for their vacations. I paid for scanning of the paperwork they INSISTED I provide in hard copies, despite my offering electronic versions numerous times, they billed me to re-scan everything back to electronic form. When I called again to try to offer my thumb drives, my concern "passed along" and they continued scanning, and I paid for that call as well. On a good note, however, Stephen Calwetti, who finally was assigned my case, is a gem, and did make me feel heard and safe, in spite of all these other issues. read more

I hired Simpson Law Group midway through my divorce case. All opening paperwork was already filed with the courts. Simpson law group charge me 32,000.00 over one year time on a simple divorce with one house and no children. After getting final judgment I had questions about some things. Still cannot get call or email back but still sends me bills. You can get the same result I got for a lot less money doing your homework before hiring. read more

Now it's 2017, and I just got the signed Order After Hearing for the most recent time my ex took me back to court. He requested to reduce or eliminate his child support and the childcare he is ordered to pay half of. What a relief to have Stephen Cawelti representing me once again. Mr. Cawelti not only prevented my ex from reducing his support obligation, he got the child support nearly doubled and no reduction in the childcare amount. Wow! It is hard for me to adequately describe how nervous I actually get when I have to attend court. With Mr. Cawelti there by my side, I must say I feel prepared and ready. I cannot say enough about his professionalism and supportive nature. Stephen Cawelti has quite a presence in court during the hearings, which makes him the very best advocate. I genuinely hope this is the last court go around. Hopefully my ex has had enough. If not, I know to call Simpson Cawelti!! read more

Simpson and Cawelti are TERRIFIC! They were by my side through all of the typical (and non-typical) divorce challenges and provided constant emotionally support. They are very detail oriented and thorough in all areas. Stephen and Tom are highly regarded in the Family Law community and work with excellent resources (in needed) such as forensic attorneys, mediation experts, etc. Having interviewing other firms, and having started my process with another group, I would hire Simpson Cawelti LLP over ANY OTHER Westside or DTLA firm, anyday. read more

Worth Every Penny! Tom Simpson and his office of attorneys and support staff did a great job handing my divorce case. When a contentious issue came up, they were available to calm my fears and talk me through it. Sometimes you have to do a cost-benefit analysis, and sometimes it's not worth fighting every fight. I saved a lot of money focusing on what mattered, instead of smaller issues that made me crazy. It was comforting to know that Tom would give it to me straight and help me make the right choices in moving through my case. I think Tom and his attorneys would be great for any case, small, medium or large. They've got the experience and knowledge to go up against anybody. This really makes the difference when negotiations get tense. They settled my case and helped me move on with my life. I can't thank them enough! read more

I was referred to Mr. Simpson and was looking forward to working with him. I spoke with him on the phone first, and then made an appointment to meet with him. I met with him for an hour and a half. During that time Mr. Simpson was very matter of fact, not exactly the manner as he had on the phone with me. I should of gone with my instinct. We decided we would proceed forward on a certain date. I called his office SEVERAL times with no return phone calls, left him messages, sent him information with no response. Each time I called I was told he was busy and would get back to me this transpired over several days. When he finally did get back to me, I had already decided to discontinue his service, he then presented me with a bill for $2393.50. When I told him I didn't think it was a fair bill I would be willing to pay for the office consultation only, as he never contacted me on my calls to him. He responded by saying, "He had done work on the file and billed me accordingly and as far as he was concerned the case was closed." I feel he is a horrible attorney and would never want him representing me in anything, he has no compassion and clearly is out to take ones money!!! D Green read more

Great For Damage Control I came to Simpson Cawelti when my ex got into a physical altercation with our 14 year old and then filed to increase child support. Previously, we'd gotten along okay but the drama was getting worse and then she had a meltdown. My attorney, Stephen Cawelti, managed to establish a rapport with her and guided my case through the system. He helped me switch custody and get child support at a reasonable amount in spite of her resistance. I'm so grateful that I had Stephen on my side, it made all the difference. read more

Integrity in Spades!! Integrity is the quality that stands out most for me when I think of my experience with Tom Simpson. Tom and his associates, as well as his support staff, displayed the utmost professionalism and care throughout my divorce. Tom displayed impeccable honesty whether it was in good news or bad news he may have needed to communicate. Tom never overpromised a potential outcome, and always gave me the reality of every possible outcome, both positive and negative. In my particular legal situation, Tom thwarted each and every attempt by opposing counsel for a litany of legal gyrations. Tom prevailed on my behalf in each and every situation. Tom's demeanor is warm, kind, reassuring, confident, and wise. These attributes became so helpful and welcomed during many of the highly emotional moments during this process. In addition, Tom always kept uppermost in his thoughts the welfare of my daughter. In every conversation and meeting, he first asked about my daughter. Lastly, but certainly not least, Tom was always cognizant of expenses and made great effort to keep them at a minimum. I never felt taken advantage of or felt he took frivolous legal actions for his own financial benefit. This is a unique attribute in the legal world!! I would, without hesitation, recommend Tom to anyone! read more