Karen K Saminski

Karen K Saminski

also known as Karen Saminski

4.6
Rating: 9.6

Licensed for 37 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at Westfield, NJ
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation, Child Custody, Child Support ... +2 more

123 South Avenue East, 3rd Floor, Westfield, NJ

About Karen

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Alimony 20%

38 years

20%
Child Custody 20%

38 years

20%
Child Support 20%

38 years

20%
Family 20%

38 years

20%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in New Jersey for 37 years

State: New Jersey

Acquired: 1988

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Westfield Office Location:

123 South Avenue East, 3rd Floor, Westfield, NJ, 07090

Karen Kirchoff Saminski, Esq., L.L.C.

221 River Street, 9th Floor, Hoboken, NJ, 07030

Karen Kirchoff Saminski, Esq. LLC

1704 Maxwell Drive, Suite 203, Wall, NJ, 07719

Karen Kirchoff Saminski, Esq. LLC

2500 Plaza 5, 25th Floor, Jersey City, NJ, 07311

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Karen K Saminski's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.6 /5.0

18 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (18) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by John | September 19, 2017 | Child Support

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 fo...r my motion hearing date.

Posted by Saket | October 17, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

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 pro...cess 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.

Posted by Michael | February 09, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Child Support

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 woul...d definitely hire them again. I highly recommend them to anyone needing a lawyer in their field!!

Posted by Ankur Shah | January 26, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Family

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 h...arsh 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.

Posted by anonymous | October 07, 2014 | Child Support

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!

Karen Saminski

Replied last October 07, 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.

See All Client Reviews

Karen K Saminski's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Karen
Christian K. Lassen II headshot
Christian Lassen

Unknown lawyer | Apr 01

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Top-notch attorney. Highly respected in the legal community."

Stanley R Pietruska headshot
Stanley Pietruska

Child custody lawyer | Feb 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Anthony William Dunleavy headshot
Anthony Dunleavy

Unknown lawyer | Feb 04

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer."

Melissa A Fecak headshot
Melissa Fecak

Divorce and separation lawyer | Dec 10

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Karen is an experienced attorney in Family Law. She fights hard for her clients."

Yolanda Navarrete headshot
Yolanda Navarrete

Child custody lawyer | Nov 30

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. She has an excellent reputation in the community. Her answers are impressive. Her colleagues speak highly of her."

John J Scura III headshot
John Scura

Family lawyer | 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."

Daniel A Serratelli headshot
Daniel Serratelli

Family lawyer | 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."

Matthew Shane Coleman headshot
Matthew Coleman

Divorce and separation lawyer | 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."

John E Molinari headshot
John Molinari

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jul 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Karen is intelligent, professional, and practical."

Mark Christoph Curtis headshot
Mark Curtis

Family lawyer | 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."

Meghan K Gulczynski headshot
Meghan Gulczynski

Family lawyer | Jul 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Karen is a tough, well-respected attorney. She is someone you want on your side of the table."

F Thomas Sidoti headshot
F Sidoti

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jul 11

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I endorse this lawyer."

Severiano Emile Lisboa IV headshot
Severiano Lisboa

Unknown lawyer | Jul 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Brian C Freeman headshot
Brian Freeman

Divorce and separation lawyer | May 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. Karen is one of the leading family law attorneys in Hudson County."

View All Endorsements
Maria Blancato headshot
Maria Blancato

Personal injury lawyer

John J Scura III headshot
John Scura

Chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer

F Thomas Sidoti headshot
F Sidoti

Family lawyer

Matthew Shane Coleman headshot
Matthew Coleman

Family lawyer

Daniel A Serratelli headshot
Daniel Serratelli

Criminal defense lawyer

Meghan K Gulczynski headshot
Meghan Gulczynski

Landlord or tenant lawyer

Brian C Freeman headshot
Brian Freeman

Personal injury lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.6 (Superb)

Honors

2016

BV Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2016

Avvo Client's Choice Award, Avvo

2003

Hudson County Family Law Attorney of the Year, Hudson County

Work Experience

2022 - Present

Partner, Saminski Fuller Family Law, LLC

1996 - 2003

Judge, Jersey City Municipal Court

1989 - 2016

Owner, Law Offices Of Karen Saminski

1988 - 1989

Attorney, Hudson County Legal Services Family Law Unit

Associations

2011 - Present

Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Member

1988 - Present

New Jersey Bar Association

Member

1988 - Present

Hudson County Bar Association

Member

New Jersey State Bar Association

Member

2005 - 2007

Hudson County Bar Association

Chair

1996 - 1999

Supreme Court of New Jersey, District VI Attorney Ethics Committee

Member

1995 - 1997

Hudson County Inns of Court

Barrister

Sample of Legal Cases

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.”

Levine v. Levine (Unpublished, 2007)

Representing the defendant mother, we successfully defended the plaintiff’s appeal.

Drakeford v. Rivers (N.J. Super., 2010)

Representing the children’s mother, we were successful in arguing that the court should conduct a full and complete hearing before awarding custody.

Kiely v. Kiely, No. A-0738-12T4, 2013 N.J.Super. Unpub. LEXIS 2784 (App. Div. Nov. 19., 2013)

Representing the Father on appeal we were successful in having that portion of the Motion Judge's Order finding his daughter "unemancipated" reversed.

See More Legal Cases

Education

2002

Rutgers University

Rule 1:40 Qualified Mediator

1996

Rutgers University

Diplomate in Municipal Law

1988

Seton Hall University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1985

Montclair State University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2016

Hudson County Bar Association

Handling Child Abuse and Neglect Issues in Family Court

2014

Hudson County Bar Association

Hot Tips in Family Law Seminar

2009

Family Law

Overview of the Divorce Process in New Jersey

2003

CLE

Equitable Distribution Not Necessarily 50/50

1998

Parent/Family Education Program

Parent/Family Education

1997

Hudson County Bar Association

The New Child Support Guidelines

1996

Hudson County Bar Association

Mock Trial of a Divorce Case with Expert Witnesses

Languages

Polish

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution