Karen and Siobhan have done a phenomenal job in keeping me grounded and in reaching a wonderful settlement for me when trial seemed eminent. All of the staff is educated and highly professional. They work as a team so I got the right answers every time I called. I strongly believe that although my divorce was costly (I hear they are all pricey), it was worth every penny to have this team working on my case. For anyone in a tough situation going through ANY family matter, look no further and hire this team.
My lawyer helped me every step of the way. She was available on weekends, evenings and helped me immensely. You are treated as a real person, not just another client which helps both your case and makes the process easier for all involved.
OVER 33 YEARS PRACTICING DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW - By choosing my firm you can be assured that all of our attorneys involved in your matter are well versed in every aspect of this specialized area of law. My staff is knowledgeable, supportive and ready to help with your needs. Members of my legal team are fluent in Spanish, Polish and Greek. Regardless of the legal problem you face, you will receive knowledgeable and compassionate advice, steadfast guidance and vigorous advocacy. If your legal problem is outside our areas of practice, we will provide you with a quality referral.
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Client
Karen and Siobhan have done a phenomenal job in keeping me grounded and in reaching a wonderful settlement for me when trial seemed eminent. All of the staff is educated and highly professional. They work as a team so I got the right answers every time I called. I strongly believe that although my divorce was costly (I hear they are all pricey), it was worth every penny to have this team working on my case. For anyone in a tough situation going through ANY family matter, look no further and hire this team.
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Posted by anonymous | March 31, 2023
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Very happy with the firm
My lawyer helped me every step of the way. She was available on weekends, evenings and helped me immensely. You are treated as a real person, not just another client which helps both your case and makes the process easier for all involved.
Posted by Michele | October 9, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Divorce Case
Great group of people that took my case and walked me through the unknown.
Very professional staff willing, helpful and compassionate for the
client. Very satisfied with her legal team. Excellent strong and educated they are. Would recommend to anyone in this situation.
Posted by Madonna | June 25, 2018
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Professional
I called asked for consultation
I’m a new client doesn’t know me from before
She deals professionally
I like to retain her, she knows what she’s talking about
And I hope she can fix my case
Thank you
Posted by John | September 19, 2017
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Patient and Caring
Karen consulted with me on a pro se family child support matter and patiently answered all of my questions with kindness, caring and detailed facts. She was able to clarify applicable law and court procedure pertaining to my case. She went above and beyond to reassure me and assist me in preparing for my motion hearing date.
Posted by Saket | October 17, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent lawyer
Karen assisted me with in a contested divorce. From the day I engaged her, she came across as a very knowledgeable attorney who had her facts straight. I went through a very lengthy, unrealistic demanding, expensive divorce and Karen was always present to guide and provide assistance to see the process smoothly. She was available when you needed to speak to her (even on weekends) and provided sound advice that I was able to take. She was very diligent in her work, never gave a feeling that she was trying to extract money out of me by dragging the case and wanted to bring the case to closure as amicably and smoothly as possible. She assisted me in Child Support and custody negotiations which helped me gain custody of my son. I would highly recommend Karen for someone who is going through a bad divorce process. her personality is very welcoming and you will feel connected to her the moment you speak to her. Thanks Karen for assisting me with my case.
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Posted by Michael | February 8, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Exceptionally Bright and Caring
Mrs Saminski and Miss O'Neil are wonderful people and outstanding lawyers. I retained their services for a child support case and the outcome was outstanding due to their extreme knowledge of the family court laws. I am extremely satisfied and happy that I chose them to represent me and would definitely hire them again. I highly recommend them to anyone needing a lawyer in their field!!
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Posted by Cynthia | February 4, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
If you want results hire Karen Saminski and her team.
I have hired Ms. Saminski twice for a child support case. The experience, knowledge and professionalism from Karen and her staff was stellar. Both times I made out with better than expected results, both in my favor. Her staff was on top of everything, very knowledgeable and made clear what I was to expect. I felt very comfortable, everyone on her team was patient and took the time to make sure I understood and was comfortable with the next steps in the process. Thank you Karen, Bill and team for your professionalism and help. I can’t say enough of happy I am with her services that I have hired her again to handle other services.
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Posted by Ankur Shah | January 26, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Attorney - Exceptional services
As a parent whose child had been abducted away to a foreign land half way across the globe, I had a very thin support system here in the US with no knowledge whatsoever around the complexities involved around international parental abduction.As a victim of parental abduction, I had to live with the harsh reality of being estranged from my son , unaware of his well being and basically having no access to him. Totally unaware of the laws around parental abduction and the possible legal options I had, I approached Miss Saminskis office presenting them with my case. I found Miss Saminskis attitude humane, understanding and very honest. At the same time, I found her law firm has exceptional knowledge and past experience in the areas of international family law. Over the next few months, Miss Saminski assisted in preparing my case, obtaining the necessary orders via the family courts system and assisted me with tons of resources around the options I had to try and get the order recognized, used as leverage and possibly enforced in a foreign jurisdiction. Fast forward 10 months, my son has now returned to the United States - his home country, I have reconciled with my wife, and I can sleep peacefully at night knowing he is not more than a few yards away from me.
I sincerely thank Miss Saminski and her entire team of professionals for all the expertise and assistance they have provided. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel towards her and her firm, for helping me get through the roughest phase in my life and seeking justice to help re-unite a father with his son.
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Posted by Kanchan | January 5, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Attorney - Wealth of Knowledge & Experience
Karen Saminski a truly dedicated attorney with strong sense of justice and determination to protect her client. She was sent by god as an angel in my son’s and my life to get us justice. She saved a young child from being snatched away from his mother.
I was married in India and migrated to the US from India with my minor child, who was born in India. Within 6 months of my stay in NJ, US, I faced a divorce, which was filed without my knowledge. I knew nothing about how the laws and the legal system work here in the US.
It started with a contested divorce where my ex-husband had asked for full custody (physical & legal) of minor child, and with several motions filed, ESP hearings. All of them were unsuccessful.
I fired my previous attorney for not handling my case properly.
I hired Karen and her legal team after ESP failed. The details of my case were complicated still Karen took my case with immense speed and dedication. My case had custody evaluation, 3 failed economic mediations and 5 motions before facing an 8 days of trial. Karen helped me with my deposition, trial proceedings and stood by me like my family.
She uncovered my Ex Husband’s financial information from both US and India, which he had refused to disclose. She unfolded how this divorce was planned. She stood with me whenever I needed legal advice and to move ahead with case.
I truly believe in her and will always recommend people who need the right legal counsel.
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Posted by AP | January 4, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Supportive, ethical, accurate and effective.
I cannot thank you enough for standing in my corner through an extremely difficult time, negotiating with and coming to terms with a highly unreasonable and provocative adversary. Your legal advice and support was solid, ethical, and reasonable - values that I sincerely admire. During tough times, you stood your ground, lent me strength, dealt with me with immense patience, and ensured we always stayed above the cackle and took the fair, just and high road through all our interactions with our adversary. To do so even in situations where baseless slander, false accusations and unproductive false accusations were thrown my way was truly commendable. It's been a trying few months, but I've come out on top (we had to, given we were reasonable throughout), and most importantly, in the right mental space, largely due to the way YOU led me through the whole process. Thank you again.
Please treat the above as a testimonial for your services. I hope no friends go through a divorce, but if they do, rest assured I will recommend your services.
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Response from Karen SaminskiJanuary 6, 2016
Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your thinking of us for future referrals. Our entire team is dedicated to provide the services each individual client needs. As you obviously have experienced, we do not just “process” our cases, but strive to become educated about each client’s unique needs and goals, then our strong team works together to meet those goals.
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Posted by anonymous | January 1, 2015
a great attorney and firm
Karen is a very senior knowledgable attorney with a great team. i hired her at the worst of my life but her team help me sail through the hardest phase. a divorce is an emotionally and financially draining experience, where the right people can help yo get justice and i will recommend her for the same
Posted by Ray Rodriguez | January 27, 2014
"One would be hard pressed to find a more able and professional Law Firm anywhere in the Tri-State area. "
I was fortunate enough to retain the services of associate attorney Amy L. Bernstein, and can say, without hesitation, in 15+ years of navigating through the quagmire that is the Union County, NJ - Division of Family Courts, she was easily the best attorney I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Informed, compassionate, and at the top of her profession. She took on my issue without hesitation and, thanks to her tireless work and dedication, I have finally won the deserved relief that I have sought after all these years. Words alone can never express the amount of gratitude that my family and I have for Ms. Bernstein, and for the entire staff at the Law Firm of Karen K. Saminski, for their professionalism and support throughout. Absolute aces in my book!
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Posted by Kim | November 23, 2013
There are three words that come to mind Trustworthy Compassionate and Knowledgeable
Prior to hiring Karen I went through a grueling emotional nightmare of a divorce / custody trial which lasted 3 years at a cost of 50,000 with a different firm. I ended up losing residential custody of my two youngest children 9 & 10 and was forced to vacate the marital home ( I've been a stay-at-home mom for 7 years). I was left devastated and lost all hope and respect for the system that is until I met Karen. Although my ex technically won everything he still wasn't satisfied and filed a motion to stop alimony amongst other issues that still linger. I emailed Karen right away explaining my complex situation to her and I prayed that she wouldn't turn me away . I received an email with her response the next morning saying that she was willing to speak to me. That day we spoke changed my mind set and life! I finally could say that I had some peace of mind after 4 years of torture at the hands of the court system. Since I live out of State I had my parents go meet with Karen and their opinion of her was Outstanding. She showed patience when speaking with them and Karen didn't rush their consultation like most attorneys do. My mom said she was an excellent listener which I feel is most important when hiring an attorney. Karen and I finally met in person at my Nov. 6th 2013 court date. I finally had the chance to enter the court room with confidence and no doubts because I knew I had an attorney that was there for me not against me which was not my experience prior to hiring Karen. I won't get into specifics about my case but I will say everything has been turning around for me. I can't thank Karen enough and her staff for all of their help. I recommend Karen and her attorneys 100% I only wish I would have found her sooner... The outcome for what's in the best interest of my children I believe would have been much different if I had Karen there fighting for me.
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Posted by Rosemarie | November 20, 2013
Exceptional and compassionate attorneys who get the job done!
I cannot say enough about the Law office of Karen Kirchoff Saminski, Esq., L.L.C.! The professionalism,compassion, and a 110 percent attitude in their client's favor is exceptional! I have been a client for over 15 years and know firsthand about hardship while fighting a case of Emancipation. If you need an excellent firm, look no further.
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Posted by anonymous | January 9, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Divorce Matter
If you have engaged her as your attorney then this review is not for you since it would be hard for you to look through the true intentions of this attorney while your matter is ongoing. Ms. Siminski is a well respected and a knowledgeable lawyer, however, her intentions are questionable. During the case I felt that she and her team were working towards my best interest. However, looking back I now realize that my matter was strategically made complicated in order to drag the case so that the billing can continue. The purpose of this review is to make you aware what you are getting yourself into, ultimately decision is yours.
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Posted by anonymous | November 4, 2014
Had a good start, but a dragged out and unprofessional end.
Ms. Saminski is smart, personable, and comes across as a tough advocate. When my case started, I was optimistic. As the case dragged on through the Court system, their interest and work waned. The defending lawyer was more persistent, and in most instances was able to set the agenda. At the end it took weeks to get any work done and my estimated bill doubled due to countless, needless interactions with defending lawyer and others. My experience is different than other posts on Avvo, but don't believe I'm the only one who was been strung along by this firm.
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Response from Karen SaminskiDecember 4, 2014
It is impossible to comment specifically because the poster is anonymous. Often, these posts result from an unhappiness that clients must pay for services rendered. I have a highly qualified legal team and, in addition, an administrative team, accessible to clients at any time to discuss any issues or questions that arise between our clients and our firm during our sometimes lengthy relationships. I am also personally available to discuss any issue my team has been unable to resolve.
Unlike in other businesses, a Divorce and Family law practice often involves a highly charged emotional environment along with the unusual aspect that in contested cases there is another party represented by an attorney who is doing everything possible to undo our work. Despite these unique aspects of running the business of a Divorce and Family law practice, we handle hundreds of cases a year in which the clients are satisfied with the outcome, our legal representation, our ethics, responsiveness and their interaction with our firm. We do not ask our satisfied clients to post reviews. We do, however, when we get an unsolicited compliment from a client, ask them to post their comments or give us permission to use their feedback on our website. In addition, as legal ethics dictate, we must provide our clients with options for various paths, recommendations for strategy and options for minimizing legal costs, if possible. Clients choose the path based upon their personal agenda/goals/budget with our attorneys exercising our legal judgment when appropriate and necessary.
This poster complains that nothing was done, then that too much was done and refers to needless interactions. We do not engage in any needless interactions and strive to provide our clients with value for every legal fee dollar they spend. At times there are tasks that are required by Court Rule which clients do not value highly but must be done. My team and I remain available to discuss this poster’s specific concerns or to answer any questions potential clients may have about our firm, practices and legal team.
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Posted by anonymous | November 14, 2013
Don't use this firm!
I went to meet Ms. Saminski for a free consultation. I hired her thinking that she was going to represent me. The day I went to court she sent an attorney who just barely passed the bar exam. He was horrible to say the least. Instead of representing me, I felt as if he was helping out the defendant. He was supposed to assist me with child support reduction. He insisted that the Child Support reduction case was not on that date and I had to return again. I went to the Child Support department after we saw the judge for the initial case and they told me they were waiting for me for the Child Support reduction case.
So now I had to reapply for another court date, which there was a 3 month wait. I spent thousands of dollars on these attorneys and they did NOTHING for me. I would not recommend these attorneys to my worst enemies. They are not looking out for your best interest, they are only after your money!
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Response from Karen SaminskiOctober 7, 2014
Thank you for taking the time to write your review. We have no way to identify this client as we have not received any direct feedback on any similar issue. All of our clients, however, are required by Court rule to sign a retainer agreement. The retainer agreement explains the different hourly rates for the various attorneys in the firm and also explains an associate attorney may be assigned to a particular matter at a lower hourly rate. If any client specifically requests Ms. Saminski's services, every effort is made to accommodate that client, if they elect to pay the higher hourly rate. All work is supervised by Ms. Saminski. Aside from cost, other issues effect assignment of attorneys in our firm. Those issues include, but are not limited to the clients desire to secure an hourly rate that is lower than that of Ms. Saminski's rate or the rate of Senior Associate attorneys, and whether the client has met their financial obligations to the firm. It is unrealistic for a client to expect that the most experienced attorneys in the firm with the highest levels of experience and therefore the highest hourly rates will appear on matters if the client has not met financial obligations to the firm. In addition, what the child support department allegedly told this client has nothing to do with what the Judge assigned was scheduled to hear that day, so it appears there are multiple misunderstandings about the process, the law and the agreement with our firm which we are happy to attempt to clarify if the reviewer contacts us. We have many satisfied clients and we endeavor to resolve all matters that are brought directly to our attention with fairness and integrity. I encourage readers of this site to review my services and experience as well as the client testimonial page on my website where we are able to identify the source and validity of the information at www.karensaminski.com.
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Representing the Father on appeal we were successful in having that portion of the Motion Judge's Order finding his daughter "unemancipated" reversed.
Blancas v. Blancas (N.J. Super., 2012)
We succeeded in lowering the amount of income imputed to our client for purposes of child support.
Falkowski v. Falkowski (N.J. Super., 2011)
The Court found that our client was entitled to a greater share of the property (in excess of 50%) due to his sacrifice and hard-work, which the judge referred to as “sweat equity.”
Family Attorney | Nov 30
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse this lawyer. I refer clients to Karen for Divorce and Family matters and she does an excellent job. The clients are always very pleased with her services and expertise."
Family Attorney | Aug 24
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"Karen is one of the most knowledgeable family lawyers that I know in NJ. She is someone that people go to when they are dealing with difficult issues. She is also a very nice person who is sensitive to the needs of her clients. I endorse this lawyer."
Divorce and separation Attorney | Aug 14
Relationship: Co-worker
"Karen's years of experience and creative thinking has produced successful outcomes for her clients time and time again. I fully endorse her, as she is an expert in the family law field."
Family Attorney | Jul 11
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse Karen Saminski and attest to the fact that she is a great attorney. she has a reputation for being both professional and caring. She knows her craft and is dedicated to her clients. I would encourage those in need of a family law attorney to entrust Karen Saminski with those important matters involving their families and divorce. You cannot do better."