Joel Michael Grafstein

When I called for a consultation with Attorney Grafstein in the fall of 2014, I was in extremis. Debt was swallowing me whole, and I had exhausted all options (applications for personal and debt consolidation loans, debt counseling, 3rd party settlement which I was cautioned against, negotiatio...ns with individual banks for repayment terms.) I even succumbed to receiving a tribal web loan to pay my past-due vehicle taxes and renew my registration, thinking I could repay the $400. principal in a couple of months with my tax refund, not understanding that the diabolical interest was calculated up front. As I fell behind in my payments, even though I contacted each creditor every month, the late fees piled up and the APR’s increased. No matter how much I reined -in, no matter how I tried to “do the math”, the numbers were humanly impossible. Then, a dear friend referred me to Joel Grafstein, whom she’d consulted when her house was in foreclosure. She said he was “calming”, and I needed calming: unable to sleep, unable to breathe. When I met with him, he was indeed calming, and after I disclosed my situation, he suggested that petitioning for bankruptcy was not just the best but my only option. He assured me that the laws had changed, that I wasn’t permanently destroying my future credit, and mostly that it need not be a shame-based decision. Having grown up with a strong work ethic, I needed to know that that bankruptcy would not brand me a deadbeat. It proved to be a daunting process for me. But especially once the wonderful Lynne Morgan, Paralegal, was assigned my case, I had all my questions promptly answered. I was shepherded through the process and the course requirements, and encouraged throughout. It probably took months longer than for most clients, but the delays were entirely mine; it was difficult to report finite numbers for budgeting and expenses, as my income was variable, and for more than a year I’d been “robbing Peter to pay Paul”, often going without. (When I lost my job, there was no income to report and so the numbers were less complicated.)Finally Attorney Grafstein was able to file my bankruptcy petition. I was not a little nervous about the bankruptcy hearing last March, but Attorney Grafstein’s presence in court was both bracing and a comfort to me. I do not have adequate words to express my gratitude toward Attorney Grafstein and his firm, especially the kind and competent Lynne Morgan. Attorney Grafstein’s wise counsel, and yes, his calming effect as I navigated foreign territory, enabled me finally to get my head above water. And breathe again. Bankruptcy was for me, literally, financial rescue, and I would heartily recommend the services of Grafstein & Arcaro to anybody.

Attorney Graftstein is excellent, straightforward,patience, very easy to talk to. I felt very comfortable with him when I met him in 2012. He explained the bankruptcy procedure in very easy terms to understand. He was always available to answer any questions that we had. The bankruptcy went through v...ery well and we achieved a peace of mind. He is still working with with a questionable loan servicer that bought our mortgage from BOA. This place has upsetted me very much but with Attorney Graftstein he has communicated with them. It is a complicated situation and I trust and appreciate all the time and communication has given us. He is the greatest.

Robin and I are very happy with Joel’s work representing us in our Chapter 7 bankruptcy process, and are pleased to recommend him to others. We considered bankruptcy because of very substantial credit card and medical debt. He was recommended to us by a local attorney and it became clear in our in...itial consultation that he was knowledgeable and friendly. He answered all of our questions and spent more than an hour with us, setting us much more at ease than when we arrived. We only realized when leaving that this generosity with his time had cost him the better part of his lunch hour! The initial consultation served its’ purpose – it was clear that we should proceed with the bankruptcy and that Joel was the man to do it. During the process, he was careful to explain the information we needed to provide, steps to take and actions to avoid. He gave advice on specific points when we asked and on various topics when he thought it was in our best interest to hear it, whether we had asked for it or not. He took us through the steps and paperwork, explaining the whys and wherefores. He determined the best time to file the petition and both prepared us in advance and supported us during the court hearing. His skill in the field allowed us to receive our discharge promptly and to retain assets important to us – house, car and household effects. His common sense advice about how to avoid getting into financial trouble in the future was delivered with humor and graciousness. Joel was also thorough and adaptable. He responded and helped us when a family matter changed our circumstances late in the process, and has continued to advise us about it even after our discharge. We are also very pleased that the fee for his services quoted in our initial consultation held, despite dealing with the above wrinkle. Finally, he performed a great service by helping to keep what could have been a traumatic episode in our lives in perspective. In one of our meetings he said “there is life after bankruptcy”, and we have found this to be so. In summary, highest ratings and best positive feedback.

Atty Grafstein did not complete all of our paperwork and failed us. He did only what he had to in order to complete our Bankruptcy and collect his check. When it came to completing paperwork after the bankruptcy, something that we paid him to do, he failed. Our calls and emails were ignored. His work... was far from thorough. Don't waste your money with him.