I retained the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler in early February 2026 and paid a $3,500 retainer…read morebased on their reputation, expecting a high level of professionalism and responsiveness.
It took approximately 11-12 days for the firm to file its appearance, and nearly three weeks before I had a meaningful conversation with the initially assigned attorney, John Fink. During that time, communication was limited and there was little sense of urgency.
In late February, after I raised concerns about communication and the handling of my case, Mr. Fink stated that "we will be withdrawing as your counsel" while my case remained unresolved and an active warrant was still outstanding. I raised these concerns because of the firm's reputation and expected the issue to be addressed by management.
Instead, I was reassigned to Scott Migden and told the matter would be handled quickly. However, over the following weeks, I did not observe meaningful progress. No motions were filed, and I was repeatedly told the firm was "waiting to hear back from the prosecutor," with no clear advancement in my case.
When I requested updates, I was often directed to phone calls instead of receiving written responses, and those calls consistently provided the same information without new developments.
When I reviewed the billing statement, a significant portion of the charges appeared to be for communication, internal discussions, and administrative tasks rather than substantive legal work. I was also told there was essentially no case file beyond what I had provided, yet the billing reflected work on a "case file," which I found inconsistent.
I also later learned that the original attorney remained listed as my attorney of record in the New Jersey court system as of April, which added to my concern about who was actively handling my case during that time.
After all of this, I was informed that continued representation would require an additional $6,500. I had no issue paying additional fees if meaningful work had been performed, but based on the billing and lack of progress, I did not feel further fees were justified.
After I indicated I intended to leave an honest review, I received a response from Joseph Caldarera stating that the firm would respond through legal or professional channels if necessary, which I found concerning.
Based on my experience, I was dissatisfied with the communication, billing practices, and overall handling of my case, and I am pursuing fee arbitration and an ethics complaint in New Jersey.
