PRO

Licensed for 36 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at Hauppauge, NY
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation, Uncontested Divorce, Child Custody ... +5 more

Virtual Consultation Available

Free Consultation

About Clifford

Biography

Matrimonial & Family Law | 30+ Years Experience to Guide You Through the Tough Choices

Practice Areas

Divorce and Separation 85%

contested, uncontested, equitable distribution, pendente lite, maintenance, child support, custody and visitation

35 years

85%

Uncontested Divorce 5%

Child Custody 3%

child custody and visitation, enforcement, modification, shared custody, grandparent rights, relocation

35 years

Family 3%

child custody, child support, paternity, order of protection, grandparent rights

35 years

Alimony 1%

Appeals 1%

matrimonial and family law appeals

32 years

Child Support 1%

child support establishment, enforcement, modification, arrears

34 years

Marriage and Prenuptials 1%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Payment Methods

Cash
Check
Credit Card

Licenses

Licensed in New York for 36 years

State: New York

Acquired: 1990

Currently Registered

No misconduct found

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Location

Petroske Riezenman & Meyers, P.C.

1393 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 414N, Hauppauge, NY, 11788

petroskelaw.com

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Law Offices of Clifford J. Petroske

1055 Franklin Avenue, Suite 206, Garden City, NY, 11530

petroskelaw.com

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Online Presence

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Clifford J. Petroske's Reviews

Overall Rating
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.

4.7 /5.0

53 Client Reviews

Avvo

4.5

(46)

Lawyers.com

4.8

(7 )

See client reviews from Lawyers.com

Showing 6 - 9 of 9 reviews | Family

Posted by Gina | June 15, 2010

The right lawyer to get the job done!

Cliff and his staff are more than just professionals. They are committed to their client's best interests, and do so with compassion and expertise. I would not hesitate to recommend Cliff and his wonderful staff to anyone in need of a family attorney. Thank you for all you have done for me and my ...family!

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Posted by Deborah | June 07, 2010

I recommend the legal services of Clifford J. Petroske enthusiastically and without hesitation.

Cliff fought hard to get me the best settlement, and his legal expertise in the area of family law made that possible. All my concerns were addressed promptly and fully, and everyone at the firm treated me with respect and compassion. Anyone looking for a lawyer in the area of family law would be wel...l represented by the Law Offices of Clifford J. Petroske.

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Posted by James | February 11, 2013

Attemted to audit my pension and have me pay 80 percent of the bill and other counsel 20,confidentiality?

I hired petroske after i fired my first lawyer who attempted to make a deal related to my divorce without getting full disclosure from my spouse first...Cliff and ryan were handling my case .One of cliffs first recommendations to me was to get a court order of protection against my wife..i declined,s...tating that is beneficial to you, not me as i would be required to go through lawyers to attempt any agreement..my wife had a court order of protection against me with false allegations that i intend to fight in court. I was able to sit down with my ex spouse to be to see what her plan of action was to be.As we did not have a written agreement i made an appt with petrofske of which he decided to talk for 1 hr for a 350.00 fee.during this meeting he brought up my pension,i waited till the end of his counsel and stated "i do not want my pension involved"he replied "I CANNOT HELP THAT" OR A PHRASE TO THAT AFFECT.What he and ryan attempted to do was audit my pension...When i found a letter to that affect i called his office on a friday..his secretary asked who i would like to speak to..ryan who came back to the office and then left did not respond to my concerns and neither did petrofske that friday..they attempted to have an outside firm audit my pension,while charging me 80 percent of the bill and my ex spouse to be,20 percent of the bill..once the other legal counsel pays a portion of the bill they are entitled to see the results... I gave complete full disclosure while petrofse was going to provide the other counsel information to my assets by having them pay 20 percent..i have a right to confidentiality and client attorney priveledge...as anyone who has paid a lawyer over $4000.00 to provide me with his legal counsel...this was not beneficial to me...nor imo was this ethical...On monday when i requested to stop petrofske from representing me, he apologized stating he made a mistake in informing his hired help to audit my pension... i hired him to provide me with complete full disclosure as the other lawyer failed to do.. he did the same though in addition attempted to provide my protected information to the other counsel..i would be wary of petroske's tactics as IMO he is either error prone or lacks ethics in dealing with his clients assets...

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Clifford Petroske

Replied last February 18, 2013

I can understand James’ disappointment at not being able to shield his pension from the equitable distribution of marital assets in his divorce. It certainly would be nice if everything that we came to believe belongs to us could somehow remain forever ours, free from the claims of wives and creditors. However, my job as an attorney sometimes involves telling clients things they do not want to hear when the law does not agree with their beliefs. In this way, a client can make informed decisions designed to better protect his or her assets and interests. It was in this vein that I explained to James that a pension, even a disability pension, can be marital property like any other asset. In his case, his disability pension clearly had a marital property component that would, if the case went to trial, be divided by the Court. I further explained to him, if he wanted me to negotiate a settlement to avoid an expensive trial (and he clearly did), that all relevant legal rights and obligations must be the subject of the negotiation, since a trial is more likely to be avoided if the deal approximates what the parties expect the Court would do at trial. One of the many rights and obligations in James’ case was his pension. His wife, through her attorney, made no secret that she expected to receive a portion of the pension, either by direct distribution, or by trading the value of the asset for some other asset. When I had finished explaining, for the second or third time, how his wife had a right to a portion of his pension if the case went to trial, so that I he had no choice but to somehow include the pension in any negotiation with his wife’s attorney, he again said he “did not want his pension involved” (or words to that effect). James says I responded by saying “I can’t help that” (or words to that effect). I have no reason to doubt that, since it is true. It also appears that James really has no reason to doubt my advice, or he would not have given me a 4 out of 5 rating for being knowledgeable in the law. James is disappointed with more than just the fact that his pension is a marital asset. He is disappointed because the informal deal he claims to have made directly with his wife when she was not represented by counsel — a deal which excluded his pension — was no longer “on the table” after she hired a lawyer and started a divorce action against him. At the preliminary conference, her attorney (with James’ wife seated next to him) insisted on claiming an interest in the pension. In my view, James’ reluctance to accept my advice resulted from his disbelief that his wife had changed her mind. James also wrongly accuses me of violating his alleged right to keep his financial information confidential. Here again, not liking what he heard, James insisted I must be wrong. However, there is simply no such thing as confidential financial information in a divorce. All documents pertaining to marital assets are required to be disclosed to the other side upon a proper demand being made. In his review, James does not specify the “protected information” he feels should not have been disclosed to his wife’s attorney. Possibly, he is referring to an actuary’s report on the value of the pension. However, such a report (which he wrongly calls an “audit”) was not performed, at least while I represented James. In any event, a report is not disclosure of information; it is an opinion of value that uses information. Such a report is not confidential– the opposing party always has a right to it in litigation – and since James’ wife required it before she would negotiate further, there was not much point in refusing. James has also falsely accused my office of not obtaining financial disclosure from his wife. In fact, we were successful in obtaining a Statement of Net Worth from his wife, which James' prior attorney had failed to do, and were awaiting responses to our further disclosure demands.

Posted by Brad | February 10, 2011

Beware of this firm

Retained his firm to handle a simple family court matter. Worst discussion I have ever made. He didn't accomplish anything and never returned a call after burning through my retainer of $1250.00 all I received was a bunch of promises about trying to schedule appointments for which none were ever set ...up. Firm run very poorly, beware. This is why people make lawyers jokes.

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Clifford Petroske

Replied last March 22, 2011

The case was not a simple matter, as the client suggests. The client did not provide me with all relevant information during his initial telephone consultation (the client lives out of state), falsely leading me to conclude that the matter could be resolved with a simple support modification petition in Family Court. It was based on this misinformation that I charged him a reduced retainer deposit of $1,250. After we began work on the file, it became clear that the case was more complex than the client had indicated, and that additional services would be required to resolve the matter that were not covered by the initial Retainer Agreement. The client agreed to these additional services in writing. As a courtesy, I did not charge him an additional deposit at that time. The client falsely claims that I did not accomplish anything and never returned his calls. In order to avoid any appearance of a breach of ethical rules, I will not comment on any details of the client’s case. However, it is the policy of my office that all services are documented as soon as they are rendered, with the date, time and description of the service. My records show that I or another member of my firm spoke to the client on the phone at least fourteen times in a one month period. The client called incessantly, leaving numerous messages per day. His phone calls were returned as soon as practicable. The client received monthly statements showing all services rendered on his case, and he did not object to any of the charges. The client’s Retainer Agreement provides for the submission of attorney fee disputes to arbitration through the local Bar Association. I provided the client with the forms necessary to arbitrate my fees after he relieved my firm, and he elected not to do so. Instead, the client filed a claim with his credit card company for a refund of his retainer deposit. The credit card company denied his claim.

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Clifford J. Petroske's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Clifford

Ingrid Gherman

Family lawyer | Dec 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I am happy to endorse this lawyer. His answers to AVVO questions demonstrate his knowledge and dedication as a family law attorney"

Thomas Benigno

Divorce and separation lawyer | Nov 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer wholeheartedly. His experience and courtroom savvy are invaluable to any prospective client needing representation in the area of matrimonial law or child custody."

Alexander Sklavos

Divorce and separation lawyer | May 27

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Cliff and I have had many cases over the years. I have always found him to be prepared, well reasoned and a fierce advocate for his clients."

Somair Alam

Child support lawyer | Feb 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Exceptional attorney, dedicated to client success. Highly recommended."

Michael Meyers

Divorce and separation lawyer | Jan 20

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"Cliff is a profoundly remarkable attorney who balances zealous advocacy for each of his clients with a pragmatic approach toward settlement -- arts which are rare to find by themselves, never mind combined. Additionally, Cliff has a true passion for the law, as well as compassion for his clients. I highly endorse this lawyer."

Mario Cometti

Divorce and separation lawyer | Sep 18

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer. attorney Petroske is highly respected in his legal community. His AVVO response are well thought out and informative."

Brad Margolis

Unknown lawyer | Dec 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Christian Lassen

Unknown lawyer | Oct 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

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

Penelope Blizzard-McGrath

Family lawyer | May 07

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Cliff is very experienced in family law. He will fight for his clients to the end using not only his expertise in the law, but his passion for helping his clients."

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