I cannot adequately express my gratitude for the results Sean Stephens was able to deliver in my litigation with a hostile ex. Sean is an incredible trial attorney that fights for the rights of his clients, while balancing a heavy workload. Because of Sean's preparation and courtroom experience, we were able to increase my time with my children by 110%. If you want results from a family law attorney... I highly recommend you retain Sean Stephens. read more

Sean Stephens stood out as extraordinary from the beginning, a corrective and welcome change from other divorce lawyers I had engaged. I began with several of the most highly regarded divorce lawyers in the city before deciding on Sean and his team. Throughout the divorce process, I felt calm and confident in him. He was astute in understanding the complexities of my case; clear and direct in communication; and, planful, creative, and assertive in strategy. I am thoroughly pleased with the results; he saved me time, pain, and money. His passion and effectiveness in helping people is a truly winning combination. Details follow. I needed a lawyer with incisive mind and moxie determination to cut through the charm and vindictive resolve of my former husband to "make [me] suffer and pay for this divorce...it will be very, very difficult for you." To find Sean Stephens, I went on an unfortunate expensive and time-wasting odyssey. I hope this review helps you save your energy and efforts for the exhausting divorce journey. After years of ambivalence and paralyzing fear in a marriage, I decided to find a lawyer who would not cower or cave to my husband's demands. I started working with JS, a lawyer known for fierce dog-fighting in the courtroom. I felt dread after each meeting, feeling a need to prepare for a battle that would shred any possibility of preserving an amicable parenting relationship for our son. After a few thousand dollars, I left, soured on the process; and, I waited two years before trying again. I met, along with my ex, JO, a compassionate collaborative divorce lawyer, who after hearing of my husband's hidden moves advised me to abort the collaborative process and prepare to protect myself from damage. I then began working with AM, a lawyer with bluster and hubris that might have met my husband on his level, but was nothing I wanted anything to do with, again. I began working with LR, a gentle understanding lawyer who was kind, but seemed a bit in a fog; I lost confidence that she would remember the details or take a firm stance. After over $10k, and considerable time and effort spent trying to find the right combination of traits in a lawyer, I came upon Sean Stephens. Since the first day working with Sean, I never doubted or feared. He understood my ultimate goals were to get money and support I deserved, and to preserve a working relationship with my former husband and father of my son. As I worked with Sean, he managed the complexities and intensities of my case deftly, with aplomb. I observed that with his own office and team, he is respectful, kind, fair, and supportive. His office is a good, balanced, and happy space, doing great work. During the tense mediation day, he let me rest in the yoga room within their office. I loved the representation of women and men, many from underrepresented groups, outperforming other teams I have seen in the various offices. He is an impassioned lawyer effective in helping others, who thoroughly practices the fairness and kindness for which he fights for others. My former husband indeed attempted to burn and destroy, but Sean deftly created a shield, with various strategies, including shuttle-mediation, that ultimately preserved my ability to amicably work with my ex to be parents at our best for our son. My son, family and I could not be more grateful. Dear reader, your circumstances may not seem or be as extreme, complex, or contentious, but Sean Stephens would be there for you, as for me, just in case. I will be nominating him for the SuperLawyer award, as a client/informal nomination, because he is truly extraordinary. read more

For somebody who's only been divorced once, I have a lot more experience with family law attorneys than most people. First, it took almost three years from the time my ex announced that she was pulling the plug on our marriage to the time we actually got a judgment entered into the record. And second, I went through two lawyers before ending up with Sean Stephens. Unlike the first two lawyers, Sean made himself familiar with my case. He was prepared when we met. And I felt as if our meetings were pretty productive. I suppose at $325 an hour they ought to have been. Sean is knowledgeable about the law. He's experienced enough to be well versed in the operation of the courts and the law, but he's young enough to care. It's a good sweet spot to be in. He's also clear. When I first met him, this struck me as potentially off putting and I decided to go with someone who I didn't think would be as likely to come across as confrontational. Big mistake. Clarity is more important than niceness, especially once my ex fired her first lawyer and chose to bring on Michael McGrath. Look him up. Unless you're willing to go slime ball yourself -- and I'm not -- the best approach when dealing with someone of his ilk is to be clear and demand clarity in return. Where Sean failed me is in actually delivering. Granted, he came in after the ball had already been rolling, but there were a lot of things he didn't fix and a couple of things he only made worse. In retrospect, I realize he pretty much supervised my rape: my ex walked away with 100% of our house, 50% of my premarital assets, custody of the children, and a disproportionate amount of the parenting time. Most critically, it never occurred to Sean to put in any sort of enforcement mechanism in our judgment. As a result, my ex was able to disregard seven separate sections of the judgment because even though they required her to do things, nothing was written into it that provided any penalty if she didn't. I just spent an entire year in court with her again, and lost, because of that one simple, amateur mistake. At $325 an hour, amateur mistakes are not acceptable. read more

Family law is so different from any other type of litigation and it takes a special person to be compassionate, knowledgeable, and competent in what are very tough cases. It's hard to find. Family law is messy, emotional and the stakes are high. I worked in the legal field for 30 years in commercial litigation, and it still didn't prepare me for the roller coaster ride I found myself on concerning custody of my daughter. Over a period of 11 years, I dealt with a myriad of issues, including a relocation dispute, with a vindictive and overly litigious ex. Unfortunately, I didn't yet have Dan Margolin on my side, and was represented by a couple of attorneys who seemed more interested in billable hours than the case at hand. There are a number of attorneys who put themselves out there as family law specialists, but in truth, they are really general practitioners who throw family law into the mix to drum up business. Sometimes, even the one who actually specializes aren't much better. Those attorneys are paper pushers but not truly advocates. After the last custody proceeding (lasting two years) was resolved, I was referred to Dan Margolin by a colleague of mine. I was worn out and I really needed someone who was not only well-versed in family law, but who would also be a proactive, assertive advocate for me. I found all of that with Dan. His knowledge and analytical skills were impressive; his ability to put together a strategy and provide me with the pros and cons was immeasurably helpful; his caring and compassionate manner helped keep me calm and able to stay focused on the issues at hand. Quite frankly, for the first time in those 11 years, I felt that I truly had an advocate and that there was hope that the custody issues would finally be resolved once and for all. Thanks to his guidance and expertise, I was able to eventually relocate with my daughter to another state without ever having another court hearing or custody evaluation. Truly amazing. Since moving away, I've had to contact Dan from time to time for the odd custody question. Even after three years, and many clients later, he still makes time for me and answers my questions thoughtfully and thoroughly. I wholeheartedly recommend Dan Margolin and his firm. read more

I really appreciated how accommodating and supportive Sean was from the beginning before receiving any financial compensation. When I met with Sean I immediately felt that I could trust him and that he was not just any family attorney. His knowledge and expertise were evident from the start and I hired him immediately. I had worked with an attorney before and knew that Sean was a complete gem. He brought so much more to the table than the other I had seen before. From start-to-finish of Sean has been with me all the way. He continues to excel in what he does, he is proactive, and we have established a great working relationship. I am extremely pleased with his expertise, confidence, professionalism, and willing attitude. He isn't afraid to advise me on his recommendations even if they are regarding "sensitive" subject matter and he does it in a way that is friendly and good-natured. I believe that more than anything if you are entering into a family law/custody/child support case you need someone like Sean who has the experience, authority, and dedication that it takes to win. He doesn't cut corners and he is willing to put in the time and energy for the long haul. Do yourself a favor and contact Sean for an initial consultation. The money you spend will be worth it! read more

I felt like the old bait and switch hit me in the wallet. Before retaining Jon Trause from this firm, Jon agreed represent the path to resolution which I had I sought. Things like discovery and my request to go back to the custody evaluator we previously used, who in his 2011 report stated that nothing should be done to reduce dad's time. But then in 2015 this is exactly what my daughter's mom sought. Subsequently, after retaining Jon, everything I was legally entitled to was met with reasons from Jon why what we previously agreed to would not work, why I should not ask for things I was legally entitled to, and why I should settle and not risk making the Judge mad, and planting fear in me that that if I lost in court it would spell financial disaster for me. Unfortunately, Jon was not able to get my narrative to the Judge, nor did he help me obtain the things I needed for my case through discovery.. Pay for what you want, get what you don't should be their motto. read more

Before Sean, I had a lawyer who knew the business but insisted handling my case her way without listening to my priorities. The case was getting expensive and dragging out. Many things in a broken relationship and divorce process are out of your control. I switched to Sean because at the initial meeting he left a great impression. He is polite and compassionate. He knows the divorce process, what can be controlled and what cannot. In my case a lot was at stake. Our relationship was 23 years old. Our children were relatively young. I spent a lot of time thinking clearly on my own time what my goals are. Once I was clear what my options are and what I wanted, Sean did a great job settling and avoiding additional fees going to court. His communication skills are outstanding and his writing is crystally clear. And anyone that goes through a divorce knows that clarity saves money. Thank you Sean! read more

I had a caring and compassionate experience working with Sean Stephens and his legal team. I am currently living overseas, so I had to use technology connections to complete my divorce proceedings. Sean and his team were always quick to answer my questions or clarify the process. Using secure emails, phone calls and Skype, I was able to complete the process. I found that they conducted their business in a highly professional way. I give my highest recommendation to this team. read more

Sean was greatly helpful in guiding me through the process of my divorce. He helped me understand the legal landscape in family law and advocated for me with with the opposing attorney and the judge. The judgement I received was fair, and I believe that Sean's experience helped diffuse some of the conflict that that threatened to draw out the case and make it more difficult and expensive for both parties. On top of that, he is highly personable and a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend him to anyone seeking guidance through the challenges of dissolving a marriage. read more

UNWANTED JOURNEY After years of watching my son trying to have a normal relationship with his daughter and years of her mother threating to take her from our family finally happened. Not knowing what to do or where to turn and lots of prayers GOD lead us to Sean. After our first meeting he gave us hope. He walked us through this "unwanted journey" never letting my son give up or lose hope. No parent or grandparent should EVER have to wonder if their child is cold/hungry or safe, and for 1 1/2 years 24/7 that was all we thought about. Sean and Jon both really cared about this situation and kept our hope and faith going. Sean got my son "sole custody" and continues this case since we found her. His knowledge of family laws, his genuine caring of his clients is remarkable. We would recommend him and his team to anyone. Sean and Jon gave my granddaughter a live of stability and happiness. And my son back his life. Watching my son with both his children is amazing and wonderful. In my opinion Sean under charged and over delivered! Melody read more

So, I was lucky enough to be able to hire them. Are they expensive? I guess, having nothing to compare to. It's a pretty hefty retainer. What do you get? Not just a lawyer. You get a legal team. Yes, sounds very hollywoodesque. In my case, this was important. You get a team of three or four people, they answer emails, they pick up when you call. My ex hired a local "celebrity" lawyer and frankly told me that I would be **** and with no vaseline. Yes I was scared to death. He pressured me to settle on many occasions based on the fear he knew I had. Depositions are quite scary. This is important because it was all of us, in a room. Yes I was grilled. If I were on trial for some crime it could not have been worse. Sean, Kaori, and Christie somehow all make it happen to where the ball is always in your court. Sean has a way of turning things into your favour. They have a record for settling out of court. I say thanks and hello to my new life NOT being broke. read more

When I was given Dan Margolin's name as a potential attorney to consult with for my divorce, I had no idea that I had just hit the Family Law attorney jackpot; however, over the course of the year that I worked with Dan, it became plainly obvious that Dan was both a topnotch attorney and decent human being. From our first meeting, it was clear that Dan was an extremely competent and versatile attorney. He was very thorough in outlining the different flavors my divorce could take, from collaborative to contentious, and demonstrated that he would be able to successfully support me in whichever path I chose or whichever path chose me. After some consideration, my ex-husband and I chose to drive our own divorce decisions with the help of a mediator, a choice that Dan fully respected. He was there for consultation, in a very timely manner, every step of the way, did not push any agenda, was very honest and realistic with regard to what I could expect from our divorce judgment, and was very fair with his fees during the entire process. This was in direct contrast to the behavior of my ex-husband's attorney, who almost derailed our mediation process by trying to put a negative spin on all of our negotiations, as well as seemed to be trying to nickel and dime my ex at every turn. In the end, my ex and I were able to successfully come to a final agreement; however, had things turned sour, I feel confident Dan would have been just as competent in a more aggressive role. I cannot recommend Dan enough. read more