Seth David Schraier

Looking for a good lawyer was one of the most overwhelming task I've ever expericed, but once I spoke to Seth Schraier I knew he was the lawer I wanted to hire. He adviced me as if he was already representing me. He was friendly, patient, knowledgable and obove all honest. I called him for advice ...a few times before officially hiring him and every time he was just as nice and willing to give me advice as the time before. It did not matter the time of day, he always returned all my calls, emails and even text messages within minutes. He was not only knowledgable on custody issues but about child support as well. All my questions were answered with such confidence that I had no doubt he knew his information. Being in the middle of a custody battle my stress level was high and I was emotionally all over the place but knowing that seth was on my side and always available when I needed advice gave me and still gives me a sense of assurance and peace. I trust him Mr. Schraier and I know he only has my best interest in mind.

Seth was an excellent lawyer, we exchanged phone numbers at our first meeting and he answered all my texts and phone calls right away. I have worked with other lawyers and I always felt like they were too busy to talk to me or they would have their paralegals talking to me but Seth spoke to me direct...ly every time, I was going through a divorce and Seth handled my case, I was divorced in months with No issues.

I hired Seth for a custody and support. Seth is fairly new in his law practice and offers very attractive and economic price due to his low overhead. Seth works out of his home and also alone. Although its a minor critique, his home office was a bit unprofessional and definitely untidy. If I wor...ked out of my home, I would ensure it was at least clean and professional. Anyhow, I was impressed with Seth's calm and firm demeanor. He was also willing to meet on weekends, which is helpful for those who work. However, as my case progressed there were multiple red flags. He failed to show up for a hearing, which left me in a complete panic. Luckily the judge adjourned it for another date. In addition he often came late and/or unprepared. Bc of his high volume/low cost business model, he often scheduled multiple hearings in one day and I felt he barely knew any case specifics and always arrived rushed/breathless from another hearing. Further his written documents were lacking to say the least, and I found out later often not filed. For example, he failed to request financial discovery for my support proceedings so I was stuck months on end with a low support figure. Moreover, my ex was abusive so I wanted full custody. I felt Seth was unwilling to go to bat for me during the custody proceedings and pressured me to settle for "joint custody with final say" suggesting that there was no difference between that and full custody. When you are dealing with an abusive spouse, the concept of signing up joint custody is signing up for two decades of continued abuse and power struggles, even though its a pseudo-joint custody situation. I insisted on full custody due to history of abuse and Seth argued with me that there is no difference. Seth was not interested in understanding the detrimental mental/emotional impact this would have had on my life or more importantly on my child's well being. I also felt Seth was so wrapped up in not "rocking the boat" with the judges and staying on their good side on a personal level, that he failed advocate on my behalf as my attorney. Moreover, Seth is bias toward father's rights in my opinion-he blew off a lot of my concerns as frivolous and was not willing to hear out my concerns regarding the past abuse. I started to lose sleep over the fear of my future and more importantly my child's future. Finally I bit the bullet and ended up hiring a law firm and legal team. I paid for it-But there was a huge improvement and well worth it. The legal documents filed on my behalf were a complete 180 improvement- I had no clue legal proceedings could be so much more organized and better. My new attorneys went to bat for me -they knew every single story every single concern and detail in ways I had wished Seth would have cared to know. I ended up with full custody and 2.5 times the child support Seth suggested I settle for. I'd say if you are dealing with a straightforward, healthy ex who acts in the best interest of your children, then Seth would be a great attorney for you. But if you have a high conflict ex - particularly with pathological personality disorder, don't waste your time and hire a firm that will advocate for you and your children.

Seth D. Schraier was assigned to represent me in or about 2024 in a New York Family Court child support violation matter. Throughout the representation, communication was inconsistent. Calls I was asked to make went unanswered or were not returned, and requests for updates often went unresolved. D...espite being counsel of record, I was repeatedly asked what actions I wanted taken, rather than being provided with clear legal strategy and proactive guidance. I had a confidential address on file, and Mr. Schraier stated he would redact my medical records before submitting them to the court. That was not done, and this failure contributed to serious consequences in my case, including a purge demand of $10,000 and the court’s warning to prepare for possible incarceration at my next appearance. After the Support Magistrate issued a willfulness finding in 2025, I asked counsel to file objections and submit properly redacted medical documentation. This was not done as requested. At a later appearance, counsel stated on the record that certified medical records had been subpoenaed, which had not been done when initially requested. These delays and omissions contributed to adverse outcomes in my case. Communication regarding upcoming court dates often occurred only a day or two beforehand, and my case did not appear to receive the attention or preparation it warranted. I expected proactive advocacy and follow through, especially given the seriousness of the potential consequences. Clients deserve timely communication, clear legal direction, and follow through. My experience fell well short of that standard, and I do not recommend this representation.

3+ years after using him. Bad custody agreement that is WORSE than the original he was to fix. Abandoned paid contract for a support agreement & lied about it being settled for months. His incompetence & lies still cause serious problems & costs. Result: damage to child & myself. High costs to f...ix if it can be. Reviewed all email & notes for accuracy. Research lawyers thoroughly. A bad choice can be devastating. Look at ratings on this & other sites. Interview 3+ references from good & bad reviews. If you have any doubts, or can’t get references, go away! Do not chose under pressure or confusion. CASE SUMMARY: 2 parts: 1st: Custody agreement: Violations of visitation, etc. led to need for a new one. 2nd: Support agreement: Lower support due to income. Many violations by Ex. I was given bad advice to unilaterally lower support. Merited, but court must do it. DETAIL: 1 - ABANDONED A PAID CONTRACT: Ignored 20+ emails to get support agreement. Lied 2+ times - it is coming “next week or Monday". Stopped responding to all emails & calls! Result: huge costs to fix problem. * Not sure he had an agreement or lied that he did for months & planned to abandon case. He had a letter from opposing lawyer offering to lower the support! 2 - CONFLICT W/ OTHER LAWYER: He had upcoming cases w/ her. Asked if there was conflict. Result: It is suspicious. Was he influenced by the conflict? *Said "There was no conflict". Do not know if it is common but can be bad for the client. 3 - DISHONEST FEES: Bid low to get case. Reliably told he bid too low for required work. Result: Cut corners. Now huge costs to fix scam. * Chose on reviews. I suggest you check lawyer's old clients. Look at ratings on this & other sites. Ask to interview several references w/ good & bad reviews. If you have any doubts about a lawyer, find another! Do not decide under pressure or confusion. 4 –UNPROFESSIONAL & SLOW. Result: Bad custody agreement (he skipped out on support agreement.) * Other lawyer had to send Schraier a note requesting promised work after he didn't respond! * Incomplete/no answers to many questions. * I requested guidance prior to court. He waited to the last minute and talks to you outside the court room - if he is on time! You are unprepared. He's not fully prepared for court. 5 – TERRIBLE CUSTODY AGREEMENT THAT HE PRESSURED ME TO TAKE: Ex violated most of old agreement. He didn't fix compliance in new agreement or ask court to protect child. Result: A WORSE custody agreement with less enforcement & even more violations. * Support & Custody agreement deals got worse due to delays & a good opposing strategy. * OTHER lawyer drafted a bad custody agreement. He negotiated from HER draft! Did not propose changes unless I told him! * It is likely his negligence led opposition to propose a bad agreement at the last minute - just prior to court. He did not object to the trick! Pressured me to sign! I should not have. My fault. * Weak agreement led to Parental Alienation. (That means that the child is turned against you by threat, fear, manipulation, and slandering the other parent. Child can get false memories, be afraid of you, etc. Symptoms can be loss of confidence, self-esteem, etc.) * He did not address alienation, but dismissed it as a past, uncorrectable issue. The word "Parental Alienation" was not used but he said he got it. He still did nothing despite available remedies. Schreier’s work was negligent and he was dishonest. He secured a WORSE agreement that hurt me and my child. It has and still costs more money. He abandoned the custody agreement - a PAID contract! I suggest you research potential lawyers thoroughly. It is important. A bad choice can be devastating. Look at ratings on this & other sites. Ask to interview 3+ references from reviews that are good & bad. If any doubts about a lawyer, or cannot get references, find another! Do not chose under pressure or confusion.