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Thomas S. Durst

Divorce and separation Attorney at Princeton, NJ

3.9   7 reviews

also known as T. Sandberg Durst, Sandy Durst

Virtual consultation available
Virtual consultation available
  • Licensed for 23 years
    State NJ
    Acquired 1999
    Status
    Active No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

About Thomas

Learn Thomas’s areas of practice.

EFFECTIVE, AGGRESSIVE REPRESENTATION FOR YOUR DIVORCE. LET MY EXPERIENCE WORK FOR YOU.

I continue to practice family law because I truly care about families who find themselves facing divorce.  By combining a thorough understanding of the law with zealous advocacy and common sense I hope to bring some order to an otherwise chaotic and scary set of circumstances for my clients.

 

Awards

Top Contributor 2013,2012
Top Contributor
2013 2012

Contact Thomas

The Durst Firm, LLC
100 Overlook Center
2nd Floor
Princeton, NJ, 08540
The Durst Firm
Shore Crossings
3600 Route 66, Suite 150
Neptune, NJ, 07753
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Reviews

3.9 / 5.0
  7 customer reviews
5 Star
 
71%
4 Star
 
0%
3 Star
 
0%
2 Star
 
0%
1 Star
 
29%
Posted by yamil | May 12, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Wow!!!
So many years and wasted money and lost cases thruout 8 years, fighting for my child!!! Finally, Sandy Durst advocated for my child and I and got done what no previous attorney had been willing to do!!! Sandy came highly recommended by a good friend and BOY am I thankful!!!!!!!!!
Posted by Ailiya | October 1, 2020
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Grateful for such a wonderful lawyer!
Sandy has been amazing. We started working together on my case in Feb thinking we would be done in a month or 2, but due to Covid things have been delayed and delayed by the courts. In that extra time he has done a great job advocating for myself and my kids and always working in their best interests. He has shown he genuinely cares about the outcome for my family and that means a great deal. We do not feel like just another client to him. Covid has also made the financial situation difficult but he has been understanding and we are able to make consistent payments because of that. If you need a lawyer who will actually care and work hard for you I highly recommend you talk with Sandy. He won't let you down.
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Posted by anonymous | December 18, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Experienced family law attorney
Mr. Durst is an experienced attorney who knows the ins and outs of family law. He gave thoughtful consideration to every aspect of my case and when it came time to appear in court he brought just the right edge with a dash of NJ tough. In my particular case, he was able to obtain for me partial counsel fees from the opposing side. I highly recommend Mr. Durst.
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Posted by Brian | January 30, 2014
I highly recommend Sandy Durst
As a former client, I highly recommend Sandy Durst. In the field of family law, in the state of New Jersey, there is no one better. I had retained two other family law attorneys prior to Sandy. Neither of them were able to successfully navigate the New Jersey family law statutes the way Sandy did. I wish I had found him years earlier.
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Posted by Sarah | December 19, 2012
Divorce Lawyer-Princeton, NJ recommended highly
Sandy did an excellent job helping me understand the ins and outs of NJ Divorce law and how the process, from separation to divorce, would work for both me and my children. He worked hard to avoid litigation and set the expectation so I knew each step of the way what would be our next step. He kept a level head and helped me stay focused, especially when dealing with another attorney that was unreasonable. I would strongly recommend Sandy to anyone contemplating separation or divorce.
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Posted by anonymous | August 9, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Outrageous Billing
I had a similar experience as another reviewer. Mr. Durst took months to send me a bill and when I finally received it he had trumped up outrageous charges. This attorney does not appear to have any staff and charges attorney rates for things such as copying and printing out documents. I was unable to resolve this issue with this attorney.
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Response from Thomas Durst November 2, 2017
I would be happy to discuss your concerns with you. However, given that you chose to post anonymously I am unable to do so. It is not our practice to charge for copies although it is common for firms to charge per page. If you worked with us at any time during 2017 you almost surely met with, spoke with, or emailed with my staff member.
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Posted by David | April 4, 2017
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
A most unfortunate and hostile experience
I had an unfortunate experience with Mr. Durst. I retained him to represent me in a matter in NJ. He was utterly unresponsive, rang up unreasonable bills after charging me (and collecting) 166% of what he agreed to handle the matter for in the first place, then threatened in no uncertain terms in writing to sue me for additional amounts. This was a real problem, as I needed professional, careful representation in a family matter. The time charges were simply outrageous. Mr. Durst sent me an invoice three times what plaintiff’s counsel charged in the matter. When I brought it up, he simply said, via email, “my billing rate is much higher”. Mr. Durst appears to have no staff ... not even a secretary to answer his calls. Yet his billing rate is that of a senior partner. He charged me -- and now seeks to collect for -- exceptionally high fees for tasks that an administrative assistant or paralegal could easily handle for a fraction of the cost. I have never met an attorney – let alone one who represented my legal interests – be so utterly unresponsive and unzealous in advocating a client’s interests. Mr. Durst did practically nothing. His final emails to me asking for updates were simply thinly veiled excuses to hit me up for payments – I contend that he was not interested in or taking action on the legal matter. This may be the unusual misfire, but the vehemence with which Mr. Durst is pursuing his right to collect unreasonable fees after doing a sub-par job on my matter in the first place, is very troubling. Equally troubling is that when I raised my concerns in writing, his next action was to send me a letter threatening a lawsuit. I wish he had been as zealous in representing me as he is in representing himself.
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Response from Thomas Durst June 7, 2017
You at free to hold any opinions you wish. That being said, you voluntarily executed a fee agreement which set forth my billing rate. If you thought my rate was "exceptionally high" you were free to hire a lower cost attorney. You continue to ignore the mathematical reality that if the adverse attorney had a billing rate of much less than mine your costs, for the same amount of work, would be higher. There was never a flat fee or quote offered to you so your claim that I billed you "166% of what he agreed to handle the matter for in the first place" is without merit. Oddly, you did not dispute the billings until I implemented the required procedures under NJ law to collect the fees once you decided not to pay your bill. I provided the required notice of your Right to Fee Arbitration and advised that if you did not elect to pursue fee arbitration I would invoke my right to initiate collection efforts, including but not limited to a collection suit. It was not a threat. I simply outlined the path this fee dispute would take. You have elected to pursue fee arbitration and we are waiting for the hearing and resolution. Family law matters in NJ are not contingency cases. You reviewed, and signed, all pleadings and filings in your case. As a former attorney it can safely be assumed that you understood the paperwork. Success on the case does not dictate whether you or not you need to pay your bill.
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Cost

Rates
  • Retainer Sometimes
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Attorney / Owner
  • The Durst Firm, LLC
  • 2013 - Present
  • Partner
  • Lynch, Osborne, Gilmore, & Durst LLC
  • 2008 - Present
  • Shareholder
  • Flaster Greenberg, P.C.
  • 2007 - 2008
  • Stark & Stark, A Professional Corporation
  • 1999 - 2007
View all work experience

Education

  • DePaul University College of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 1999
  • Middlebury College
  • B.A
  • 1994
  • The Pennington School
  • H.S.
  • 1990

Legal Cases

  • Confidential

Associations

  • Mercer County Bar Association
  • Trustee
  • 2014 - Present
  • New Jersey State Bar Association
  • 1999 - Present
  • American Bar Association
  • 1999 - Present
  • American Association for Justice
  • 1999 - Present
  • American Association for Justice (New Jersey chapter)
  • 1999 - Present
  • New Jersey Association for Justice
  • Attorney Member
  • 1999 - Present
  • Mercer County Bar Association Foundation
  • Board member and past President
  • N/A
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Super Lawyer
  • SuperLawyers
  • 2018
  • Super Lawyer
  • SuperLawyers
  • 2017
  • Top 1 Percent of Attorneys in the country
  • National Association of Distinguished Counsel
  • 2015
  • NJ Rising Star in Family Law
  • SuperLawyers
  • 2010
  • NJ Rising Star in Family Law
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2009
  • NJ Rising Star in Family Law
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2007
  • NJ Rising Star in Family Law
  • Super Lawyers
  • 2006
View all awards

Speaking Engagements

  • NJAJ Boardwalk seminar in Matrimonial Law
  • Program co-moderator
  • 2012
  • NJAJ - Boardwalk Seminar in Matrimonial Law
  • Program co-moderator
  • 2011
  • Sandy has spoeken at the ATLA-NJ Boardwalk seminar in 2006, 2007 and 2008
  • Domestic violence and various other topics
  • 2010
  • NJAJ - Boardwalk Seminar in Matrimonial Law
  • Program co-moderator
  • 2010
  • Hot Tips in Family Law
  • Prenuptial Agreements
  • 2009
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (5)
Given (1)
Endorse Thomas
Unknown Attorney | Nov 02
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Alimony Attorney | Dec 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Durst's knowledge and experience make him an excellent choice for anyone looking for an attorney in this area."
Unknown Attorney | Sep 25
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Top-notch attorney. Highly respected in the legal community."
Divorce and separation Attorney | Dec 31
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Durst is an outstanding attorney with an exceptional reputation. He is a strong and zealous advocate for his clients and a credit to the legal profession. I highly recommend his legal services."
Divorce and separation Attorney | Nov 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Mr. Durst is a knowledgeable and competent attorney. You would be well served by retaining his services. I endorse this lawyer."
Workers compensation
Princeton Divorce and separation Lawyer Thomas S. Durst
Thomas S. Durst
Divorce and separation Attorney
Princeton, NJ
Licensed for 23 years
Virtual consultation available