James Edward Klotz

MY Review of Attorney James E. Klotz — Massachusetts “Representation that destroyed my life, career, and family — a warning to others.” I retained Attorney James E. Klotz for overlapping criminal and family-law matters in 2022–2024. What followed was the collapse of everything I had worked for.... Because of his negligence, misrepresentation, and lack of preparation, my professional career, income, and parental rights were erased in a matter of months. What began as a divorce case should never have become a criminal prosecution. There was no criminal intent, no ongoing threat, and no legal basis for escalation. Yet under Attorney Klotz’s ineffective guidance, the situation spiraled. He allowed the Commonwealth to build a criminal case out of private marital recordings that were obtained unlawfully and admitted without proper authentication. Mr. Klotz failed to challenge key evidence — videos secretly recorded on my own property, later edited and presented in court as proof of “abuse.” He filed no motion to suppress, made no request for forensic or metadata review, and allowed the prosecution to present those recordings without objection. He ignored discovery obligations and failed to obtain the financial and business records that would have shown my former spouse’s concealment of assets. As a result, my business was lost, my savings were seized or inaccessible, and years of earned income disappeared while he stood silent. During my divorce, he allowed the 209A restraining order to be expanded to include my own children, cutting me off from them completely. My children were effectively deleted from my life, and he misled me into giving up my parental rights entirely. He even brought to court’s attention that my former wife was living with a known sex offender, but because he lacked the experience and ability to argue the 209A properly, yet Attorney Klotz allowed the fraudulent 209A to stand unchallenged. He failed to argue that the 209A itself was fabricated — built on false statements that never met the legal threshold for an abuse order. His inaction let those lies define me as “dangerous” when the facts said otherwise. He also disregarded my documented disabilities and ADA rights, forcing me through proceedings without accommodation or protection. His communication was erratic, his preparation minimal, and his loyalty questionable. At one meeting at Lynn District Court, he even asked if “everything was alright,” a remark that felt like gas-lighting rather than accountability for his failures. He misled me about appeal options, assuring me we could “fix it later” if I accepted a plea. I relied on that false promise and served 2½ years in jail. He took $10 000 in fees and delivered nothing but excuses — acting more like a second prosecutor than a defense attorney. Because of his conduct I suffered: • Loss of my business and professional reputation • Depletion of personal and family savings • Permanent estrangement from my children • Irreparable emotional and financial harm If you are facing a serious case — especially one involving both family and criminal overlap — do not trust Attorney James E. Klotz to protect your life, your rights, or your future. In my experience he lacked the knowledge, honesty, and skill required of competent counsel. (Representation 2022 – 2024 | Newburyport District Court and Salem Superior Court | Updated Dec 19 2025