James A. Abate

James was extremely helpful during a difficult and emotional situation for me. While leaving a long-term abusive relationship, I had a mini bout of craziness and keyed my now ex's car. He had me arrested and I was charged with criminal mischief, which is a felony. James could not have been nicer o...r more empathetic towards me. He was very understanding and non-judgmental about what was really a kind of crazy thing for me to do - I"m not the kind of person who loses her temper and does stuff like that. Anyway, James was able to move my case from Superior to Municipal court and then was further able to move my case from one municipality to another so I wouldn't be embarrassed in my community by having this incident make the papers or be overheard in open court by someone who knows me locally. This was a very difficult time for me and James was so helpful in relieving much of the stress and anxierty (and embarrassment) this court case brought me. I appreciated his sensitivity, and that of his staff, in this matter and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome, which was a full dismissal of the charge.

I chose James because of all the reviews saying how much he cares about clients and his legal ability. I'm glad to add my voice and confirm it is true. I did something I am not proud of and was facing close to a decade in Jail for a case in Union county. The prosecutors were initially refusing a no...n custodial sentence. But James had a great relationship with the prosecutor and knew what experts to hire. He was able to hire psychologists and forensic people who had actually worked for the prosecutor. They literally changed the prosecutors mind and showed that I was not a bad person. It also didn't hurt that the Judge and prosecutor seemed to really like James. If you are looking for an approachable guy that knows what he is doing, then he is your guy. The fact that I got a non custodial sentence is due to James' hard work, knowledge and perseverance. I'm thankfull for that. But the care that he showed me caries on to everyone in his office. Megan was very reassuring and calmed me down when ever I called in. Thank you so much to everyone at the firm!

Mr. Abate represented me for a speeding ticket (plus careless driving) in New Jersey. I'm not proud of it -- a New York driver in Jersey doing 50 mph in a 25 mph zone, plus changing lanes without signalling ("careless driving") -- but thanks to Mr. Abate, it turned out well: two points on my license ...and a reasonable fine, but no car insurance consequence, and no black mark on my New York driver's record. Of the several attorneys who offered to represent me, only Mr. Abate did not over-promise and gave me the right advice: accept two points and the fine. Others told me I could walk away with a fine and no points, but they did not tell me about the possibility of New York registering "careless driving" as "wreckless driviing" on my record. Mr. Abate gave me excellent representation with the district attorney and during the short court appearance. His fee, although not the lowest, was reasonable and comparable to others. I especially liked his style -- not "Mr. Slick," but straightforward, approachable, and clear. And his office handled the paperwork, including managing my documents and handling my payment, quickly and competently.

I hired James in November of 2014 for a domestic dispute issue. Long story short I got into a relationship that was doomed from the start. I was with someone who all is only in it for money and the house we rented together. In short one night she started a fight I got an assault charge and restrainin...g order against me. Just as her way In getting the house and out of the relationship so she could start over with someone she had been seeing. James saw all this and was able to negotiate on my behalf so that we went our separate ways and the charges were dropped. James and his staff got me through a very difficult time and scary as well. He always kept me up to date and follow through with everything. His staff was kind and very helpful with anything they could. He is by far the first person I would ever go to for anything again and would recommend him to anyone needing real help. He not only knows what he's doing he cares about what he does. Thank you again for everything you've done.