Jan Lenore Bernstein

Jan is a superb matrimonial attorney: experienced, thoughtful, objective, confident and hands-on. I also find her to be personable, unpretentious and caring. She represented me in two divorces in Bergen County, over the past 15 years, spanning her time at Riker Danzig and now Sills Cummis & Gross. Th...e work involved all financial matters (alimony, child support, property distribution, retirement plans); custody was not in dispute. Jan coordinated well with other experienced professionals on my behalf, such as my estate planning attorneys (from another law firm) and managers from my employer firm (a private partnership). Jan is currently representing me in seeking a modification of alimony due to retirement, in which she prevailed against another highly respected matrimonial attorney in a hearing on a new interpretational question of law. Jan’s professionalism has been consistent in all of her work with me. It has also been apparent that Jan is held in the utmost high regard by colleagues and judges, including many mentees with whom she maintains positive relationships. She has my trust, confidence, admiration, and friendship.

While Attorney Bernstein came highly recommended by a friend who had used her more than 15 years ago, I found her to be all sizzle and no steak. Her tirades with her staff, her associates and her clients are legend. She does not give you options as to what you your choices are but dictates to you ...as to what she thinks you are entitled to. At best she will get you most (not all) of the low hanging fruit and then try to convince you that's the best deal you are going to get. Without fail she shows up to court late and unprepared. Despite requesting and subpoenaing many financial documents, the records were never reviewed by anyone not even a secretary. This became obvious when crucial documents were missing and it went unnoticed. Nevertheless I was billed tens of thousands of dollars for a financial review by the Hunter Group, the accountants Ms Bernstein uses. Ms Bernstein would have meetings or discussions with my husband's attorney and never bother to inform me when the discussion occurred let alone what they discussed. I only learned of the meetings and discussions when I got the bills from Riker Danzig. Things finally got so bad I quit her in disgust. This despite not having replacement counsel and a looming court date. Since, then I have heard from three friends of friends that have had a nearly identical experience to mine with Ms Bernstein and likewise have all quit her in disgust either before or shortly after talking to me. In the interest of fairness I feel I should explain the low grade I gave Ms Bernstein for knowledge. While I do think she is likely very knowledgeable, it did me no good since she would not share it. It is inconceivable that a lawyer with over 30 years experience could mistakenly provide the bogus legal advice she attempted to foist on me. When confronted with the facts and the law she would go on the offensive with one of her harangues. It was then that I realized that no attorney at all was better than this attorney. It is 8 years since I quit Ms Bernstein and I am still cleaning up the mess she made of my divorce. Ms Bernstein is an adherent of the philosophy that anyone can attain their goals if they set them low enough and she is going to convince you to set them as low as possible while convincing you this is the best you can do. Beware of any attorney that counsels you to accept less than you deserve--you wont get what you settled for.