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Showing 11 - 15 of 276 reviews

Posted by anonymous | May 05, 2025

Best lawyer I've talked to

Nice, Really modern person and knows how to talk to people. Sincere, anonymous

Michael Haber

Replied last May 05, 2025

Dear [non-] Client, I can't be entirely certain that you're the person who "found" me on AVVO earlier today, read my Legal Guides on Theft & Diversion, took a shot at calling me to discuss the same directly, left a voicemail for me which I returned within moments & then with whom I spent the next 40+ minutes discussing your situation or not, but I have a very strong suspicion that this (#HaberPA's 266th 5-Star Client Review on AVVO) was you, & even if it wasn't then I know that my response "as if" it were you will be worth the time & hopefully of value to the folks who read it (aside alert: I apologize for the "Grammar FAIL!" as that was both an unnecessary run-on sentence which I inexcusably ended with a preposition, but I digress...). Most AVVO "Askers" get a response to me after posting a public question to which I respond & which may or may not result in further discourse, be it via subsequent public comment or by follow-up email or a phone call; but then there are some, like [presumably] you, who prefer to go straight to the source & either email or call (in your case, assuming again that "you" & "you", as stated, it was a phone call). The point that I'm trying to make (if I'm making any point at all) is NOT (caps intentional) to suggest that folks call instead of publicly posting a question (in fact posting questions can help not only the Asker but also anyone else who reads it, not only from my reply but also as other lawyers may chime in either validating my response or offering another perspective - another aside alert: you can put 5 lawyers in a room, ask 1 question & get 5 answers); rather it's that however you reach #HaberPA we will do out best to respond. Disclaimer: It's plain as day to any AVVO user that I am a Miami-based Criminal Defense Lawyer (in fact that's patently stated right under my name) & anyone who looks further at my AVVO profile will see that my practice area / "comfort zone" is Southeast Florida (more specifically The 305, The 954 & The 561) yet all too many folks from far parts in this very large Sunshine State apparently fail to acknowledge the geographical reality, opting to "blow me up" from from places like The 904, The 407, The 850, etcetera, & so for the benefit of anyone who wants to call me from North, West or Northwest of Palm Beach County I say this: Please [pretty please even] don't waste either of our time; instead call a lawyer who's office is in your area & who may be able to both offer informed opinions & actual, real-world help. The reason for this is simple (if not obvious): As I've regularly appeared in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale & Palm Beach over the course of decades I'm very familiar with the idiosyncrasies, proclivities & protocols of those Judges, their Judicial Staff, the State Attorney's Office, many individual Prosecutors, Diversion Programs, Deputy Clerks, Corrections, Probation and the various relevant vendors (e.g. IID companies, places to complete Community Service Hours, etcetera) whereas I am completely in the dark as to all of those critical factors in areas where I don't regularly practice, but local lawyers are "in the know" & it's to them (not me) that you should turn for advise, information & or representation. Disclaimer complete let me return to you, the presumptive non-Client who so kindly authored this brief, succinct & greatly appreciated Client Review: The grateful, positive feedback that I got from you, both about my AVVO Legal Guides that you read & then the productive conversation that we had, is absolutely refreshing. Sadly I field far more criticism (albeit mostly from ingrates / asshats who choose to take offense at honest replies to their questions rather than to take them for what they are, to wit: "honest replies to their questions") than I do props & so when someone takes the time to express their gratitude I feel compelled to reply in kind. Whether you are who I think you are or not you are clearly one such person. Gratefully, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA

Posted by Lisa | April 24, 2025

What every attorney should be!

I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with attorney Michael Haber this evening about a civil demand letter I received from Macy's Department Store. Although this was not a call I was looking forward to having, Mr. Haber immediately put me at ease. Mr. Haber is incredibly intelligent, non-judgmental..., and straightforward. He lets you know every option, then gives you his opinion on your best course of action. I am truly happy I found him and would recommend him to anyone in need of an incredibly experienced attorney. In this day and age, it sure was nice to find someone like Mr. Haber. Thank you so much!

Michael Haber

Replied last April 24, 2025

Dear Lisa, Thank you so much for taking the time & expending the effort to submit your 5-Star Client Review (#HaberPA's 265th on AVVO) after our recent conversations. As no one can possibly identify you I'm quite comfortable in providing detail as to "the how, what & why" of our contact / consultation. You recently experienced an issue at a retail establishment where you were stopped by a Loss Prevention Officer, detained & then accused of having committed Retail Theft. You were taken into a "back room" where, upon "interrogation" you stated that you hadn't stolen anything, in fact that you were still inside of the store (i.e. you had not "tak[en] possession of or carr[ied] away [any] merchandise, property, money, or negotiable documents; alter[ed] or remov[ed] a label, universal product code, or price tag; transferr[ed] merchandise from one container to another; or remov[ed] a shopping cart, with intent to deprive the merchant of possession, use, benefit, or full retail value"), had not passed any "last point of payment" & therefore had been irresponsibly & unlawfully accused & detained. Management responded, pulled & reviewed the surveillance footage which, unlike most folks in this situation, substantiated your claim, resulting in both an apology & your immediate release. Fast forward a few weeks & you received a "Civil Demand Letter" in the mail from a Law Firm representing the retailer & demanding payment of $200.00 for your Civil Theft. (Aside alert: Per F. S. 772.11 Florida retailers are statutorily entitled to seek monetary relief from folks for acts Civil Theft; but, so as to get the penalty either you have to succumb to their demand - i.e. voluntarily pay them - or the retailer has to file a Civil Lawsuit which will cost them hundreds to file, then hundreds or thousands more to prosecute a claim that must ultimately be proven in Court by "Clear and Convincing Evidence" of their injury from your Theft; thus the "Demand Letter" is nothing more than an offer to settle a lawsuit which has not yet & which may never be filed.) You ignored the letter (as many folks do) & shortly thereafter received another, ergo bumping the settlement amount higher & then a 3rd letter (now up to about $600.00) after which you did some research into the subject leading you to #HaberPA on AVVO. You didn't follow the traditional path of asking a public question; rather you opted to contact me directly via email, in which you advised me of the following 2 aggravating factors: First, you had 2 prior Arrests & Prosecutions for Petit Theft, both of which were ultimately dismissed & second that you hold various professional licenses from the State of Florida, none of which were aware of the prior dismissed Misdemeanors. I received & replied in a timely fashion, inviting you to call me as your situation was more complicated than "the usual" / "par" Civil Theft (i.e. I felt that an actual conversation would be quicker & more prudent than what would likely be a prolonged email dialogue) & so it came to pass that we spoke. You initially wanted to retain me to handle this for you but I suggested an alternative tactic designed to both save you money & increase the odds of a swift, acceptable resolution, to wit: That you contact the Law Firm directly, apologize for not responding sooner (perhaps conjuring an excuse like a terminal family member) & humbly & with contrition asking for an accommodation on dollars so that you could pay with haste & close the matter. You followed my advise, got a 20% discount (which is better than nothing), paid it immediately & the matter's now behind you, with your State Licensing Agencies remaining in the dark as to any theft allegations (note that this was key for me as had this somehow been reported, had The State become aware of 3 Theft allegations, then you likely would have lost your licenses). In the end I'm glad I was able to help you & appreciate your kind, unsolicited Client Review. Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA

Posted by Alex | April 17, 2025 | Hired Attorney

THANK YOU

Mr. Haber is the best attorney I have dealt with in my life. I say that as this was my 4th DUI arrest, 3rd conviction (along with some other minor disorderly conducts) that have spanned over the past 20 years of my life. Mr. Haber received my call immediately and spent a good couple of hours talkin...g to my wife and I regarding my case the day after my arrest. He took the time to hear out my details and walk through several scenarios and potential outcomes, all of which led to a path of a felony charge and mandatory jail time. Mr. Haber did not “sugarcoat” anything, however, did provide comfort in assuring he would do his best to find the best possible outcome for my situation, which he did. It was either I go into a mandatory 30 day in-patient rehab, which I could not do at the time because of my job and financial responsibilities to my family. Mr. Haber provided alternative options and came up with immediate alternative game plans and we chose another path that consisted of an intensive out-patient rehab over the course of the next 90 days, and AA meetings. I followed Mr. Haber’s instructions in detail and immediately took action and admitted myself to a 90-day IOP recovery facility and followed Mr. Haber’s other instructions in detail. Mr. Haber also helped me identify the root cause of my problem and I also got my own therapist to help me identify that I did in fact have a drinking problem, and for that I will be forever grateful. In this darkest time where I thought I would lose it all, Mr. Haber stayed with me every step of the way, with guidance and subject matter legal level expertise that is of the highest quality. The way he broke down the legal system into layman terms was extremely comforting. Mr. Haber always accommodated time for follow up questions that my wife and I had and never rushed any session. My case has been closed, and although a guilty misdemeanor conviction (NOT a felony) was given by the court (however this was inevitable due to the overwhelming evidence against me), I did not spend one day in prison. Aside from some minor inconveniences associated with a conviction (i.e. penalties, license suspension, etc.), I still have my job, my family, and my life to look forward to. I thank God every day my irresponsible action did not kill someone or myself. I’m happy to report I’m 203 days sober since writing this, and I’m continuing my treatment without court mandate. So, to Mr. Haber, I wish I could do more, but the best I can say is THANK YOU.

Michael Haber

Replied last April 17, 2025

Dear Alex, Thank you for authoring #HaberPA's 264th 5-Star Client Review on AVVO! As "Alex" is a popular name & no one but I knows whether that's your name or an alias I have no problem discussing "the why" of your Client Review. You came to me after your 4th DUI arrest involving a singe car accident, 1 of your prior DUIs was "broken-down" so for charging purposes this was a 3rd & for DMV purposes this was a 4th. (Aside alert: DUI is a "bifurcated offense" which must concurrently be defended in Court & at DMV, either of which can be "won" or "lost" without effecting the other & for both of which I was responsible.) Armed with nothing more than your Probable Cause Affidavit & your recollection of events I suggested that you enter a residential treatment facility for 90 (not 30) days, & I did so as the State was likely to seek incarceration, you were facing up to a year in jail, completion of in-patient treatment can be substituted for jail time & also having fully vetted your personal life with you & your wife, irrespective of Court I believed that in-patient treatment would benefit you & your family. You advised that in-patient was impossible so I suggested "Intensive Outpatient Treatment" at a bona fide facility, coupled with multiple AA/NA meetings per week, private therapy with a Clinical Psychologist whom I referred & also that you retain my Forensic Psychologist. You agreed with all of my suggestions but more importantly you followed through will all requests, spending the next 7 or so months in meaningful treatment which (as I suspected) assisted you personally & ultimately both of us professionally. Because you were ineligible for a "Business Purposes Only License" I set & conducted a Formal Review Hearing at DMV. Through an admitted stroke of luck (albeit meticulously following of the many FLHSMV protocols) I got your Administrative Driver License Suspension for Refusal to Blow set-aside after which you were able to drive restriction-free (i.e. not subject to BPO License restrictions) during the pendency of your case. I also gathered & reviewed all Discovery materials (i.e. Police Reports, required DUI forms - e.g. Miranda Rights Form, Implied Consent Form, etc., & most importantly the Body Worn Camera footage from your arrest). We initially agreed that your primary goal was to avoid a sentence that involved even 1 day in Jail yet the State (predictably) began with an offer of 180 days incarceration (ergo my initial suggestion for in-patient treatment), Jail was therefore a very real possibility & this was even truer after you & I (& others - both someone on my end & another on yours, i.e. 2 independent "sets of eyes") reviewed the BWC footage. Despite there being no Field Sobriety Tests / FSTs & your refusal to blow into a Breathalyzer / Intoxilyzer your extreme level of intoxication was patent from the approximate 8 hours of BWC footage which from multiple angles captured your appearance, demeanor, speech & behavior. After that I simply stalled your case long enough for you to present an undeniable treatment regiment to our forensic expert which he then ethically parleyed into compelling mitigation for your Prosecutor, who ultimately agreed to a non-Jail plea offer which you jumped on. We arranged an in person appearance to take the plea at your convenience, on a day where you'd have both someone to drive you & the time to go from the Courthouse to Probation for registration. While we didn't "beat" your case (i.e. we neither got a breakdown nor an acquittal) anyone who viewed the BWC would agree that you were absolutely smashed, lucky that no one was injured or killed in your Traffic Crash & with this being your 4th DUI Arrest avoiding Jail under these circumstances is a "win" (more importantly you view it as such). Reaching your goal was as much on you as on me & you doing your job allowed me to do mine. I congratulate you on your sobriety & hope that it's permanent. Wishing you the best! Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA

Posted by Mr Smith | March 25, 2025 | Hired Attorney

Excellent Lawyer and Great Person.

I was facing Domestic Violence charges do to a complicated divorce and a Jealous Ex. I was referred to Mr Haber, by my divorse attorney who set up a meeting in between is. After reviewing everything and a long hour of conversation he agree on taking my case. This gentleman took on my case and d...id what a good Lawyer do. Insure justice gets done and clearly had the charges dismissed on the first day of the trial.. I didn't know where will I be today if has not have been for him. This is not a paid add or fake news ..this men literally belive in me when no one did, not even the Police Detectives and Law enforcement of North Bay Village who arrested me only on the false allegations by the Ex and was able to show and prove my innocence at the Court room.. I will recommend Mr Haber and he's Team any day to anyone.. they get the job done.. Si tienen algun problema donde sienta que su derecho esta siendo violado y su inocensia puesta en dudas por favor comuniquense con esta firma y se acordaran de mi. Suerta y Gracias Michael por lo que hizo por mi.

Michael Haber

Replied last March 26, 2025

Dear Mr. Smith, Let me offer tripartite congratulations: First for the successful resolution of your case; second for your clever use of a moniker that can't be traced back to you (thus allowing me to speak freely with the folks about your case); & finally for your heartfelt words in the form of #HaberPA's 263rd 5-Star Client Review on AVVO. Your familial situation was bad yet you & your wife were cohabitating in the same apartment (in different rooms) while you were litigating a Dissolution of Marriage in Family Court. Arguments were frequent , albeit verbal, & you did your best to avoid the same by leaving early & returning late. Still, after a heated early morning incident & after you had left the house your wife called the Police, accusing you of committing Domestic Violence Battery. You became aware of this when a Detective called you, asking you to respond to the Police Station to discuss the matter. Certain that you'd done nothing wrong you went, met with Detectives, were read Miranda Warnings, gave a statement in which you wholly denied your wife's allegations, explained your marital situation, offered explanation / motive for your wife's claim of DV Battery & you did all of this without the benefit of a Criminal Defense Lawyer. (Aside alert: Had you "lawyered-up" then your attorney would've likely told you that nothing you say to The PoPo would deter them from arresting you, as almost every such situation - to wit: an after-the-fact voluntary appearance at the Police Department, with or without a statement being made - almost always results in an arrest.) Still you did what you did & then you turned to your Family Lawyer for guidance. Unfortunately you made yet another bad decision by allowing your Family Lawyer to handle all of your legal matters (i.e. the Divorce, the Criminal Case & a civil DVRO / Civil Injunction that your wife secured against you the day after your arrest). Not surprisingly your Family Lawyer was singularly focused on getting the Prosecutor to offer a Diversion Program, which, based upon your aged (1980s) out-of-State prior Criminal History, wasn't forthcoming. After 6 months your Criminal Court Judge said "no more continuances", set the matter for Trial & prompted your Family Lawyer (who had no - nil, nada, zero, zip - Jury Trial experience) to withdraw. The Judge gave you a 4 week reset to find new counsel, indicating no more extensions would be granted. Your Family Lawyer referred you to me, we spoke, arranged a quick meeting & your Family Lawyer sent the Discovery materials to me so that I could be fully versed. When we met we discussed the case, the time frame & agreed upon a strategy to be ready to get to Trial in line with the Judge's schedule. I followed up with your Prosecutor to ensure that we weren't missing anything, secured a few items that hadn't been tendered as well as disclosure of 2 previously unlisted Police witnesses, attended Sounding & announced "ready". Not wanting to disclose anything to the Prosecutor I waited until the morning of Trial (we we were #1) to proffer our Motions in Limine (i.e. State Evidence that I sought to exclude, specifically any testimony from your minor child, any mention of your alleged Criminal Past which the State alleged via a NCIC printout but couldn't "prove" & a demand that the Body Worn Camera footage be redacted as it was rife with unnoticed "William's Rule" Evidence - i.e. allegations of uncharged alleged "bad acts"). The State had a lousy case predicated on a spurious arrest by average-at-best Police who did a lousy job of documenting the scene & who based their Probable Cause calculus upon your wife's unsubstantiated, uncorroborated statement & within minutes they chose to dismiss rather than proceed to Trial. That said: "De nada me alegra que hayas obtenido justicia, me alegra haber podido ayudarte. Te agradezco tu confianza al permitirme el privilegio de servirte y también tus amables palabras en esta reseña." Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA

Posted by anonymous | March 19, 2025 | Hired Attorney

I Know the Difference Between the Right and Wrong Lawyer—Because I Hired Both.

The first attorney I hired barely looked at my case. He said nothing could be done, that I had to turn myself in and hope for the best. Had I listened, I might still be in jail. I was wrongfully accused of a serious felony, one that was typically non-bondable. I could have spent weeks in jail, una...ble to see my children, with my future on the line. That’s when I left a voicemail for Michael Haber—late at night, the evening before I had to surrender. I had no expectation of a response, but he called me back. Not just to acknowledge me, but to spend hours dissecting my case. My previous attorney had done nothing. ⸻ The Moment Everything Changed The morning I had to surrender, I sat in the police station parking lot, feeling like a ghost in my own life—watching from a distance, powerless to change what was happening. The reality I braced for—weeks in jail, my kids wondering where “Papi” went—felt inevitable. Then the call came. Michael’s voice was steady. Unflappable. The felony was wiped away. Reduced to two bondable misdemeanors. Not because he simply called the detective, like my previous attorney had done. He challenged everything, dissected it, and forced the truth to the surface. It was like a South Florida storm. One moment, the sky is blue. Then, in an instant, dark clouds roll in, the rain pours so hard you can’t see your own feet, and just as suddenly—it’s gone. Instead of a jail cell, I faced my children that weekend, holding their hands at the beach. ⸻ More Than A Lawyer—An Unwavering Champion Michael didn’t just reduce my charges. He dismantled the case entirely, forcing the prosecution to drop it. But he saw beyond that. He recognized a pattern—cases where a criminal charge and a family law battle intersected. Instead of advising me to hide from it, he recommended confronting it head-on. Most attorneys would have worried about self-incrimination. Michael took the opposite approach. He knew avoiding the case wouldn’t help my custody fight—it would only make it worse. This wasn’t just about me—this was about my children’s future. They were too close to losing me because of overzealous police work and lazy defense. If my first lawyer had his way, I would have been another statistic—another father trapped in a system that punishes first and asks questions later. Instead, Michael fought with precision, dismantling the accusations piece by piece. He had to navigate a complex family law case with international litigation—understanding that my case wasn’t just about clearing my name; it was about securing my children’s future. He worked with my family law attorneys, helping build the strategy that ultimately won me custody. And when it came time to fight back, Michael didn’t just defend me—he went on offense. He built a strong case that showed the prosecution why the charges didn’t hold. He laid out the facts, the evidence, and the flaws in the accusations in a way they couldn’t ignore—leaving them no choice but to drop the case. I believe Michael calls this a proffer. Whatever it’s labeled, it was effective. The Assistant State Attorney dismissed one charge immediately—after weeks of legal sparring, the second charge was dismissed as well. Michael knew the system, but more importantly, he knew how to fight it. ⸻ The Difference Between Losing It All and Winning Everything A legal battle is an excruciatingly lonely place. Your future, your children, your freedom—held hostage by a system that doesn’t care. I don’t have the words to describe what it feels like to have Michael Haber in your corner—preparing, challenging every assumption, and fighting for you. What I do know is this: When everything is on the line, you need more than just an attorney—you need someone who will fight relentlessly for the truth. Michael Haber is that attorney. Forever grateful, M

Michael Haber

Replied last March 20, 2025

Dear Anonymous, Thank you for your amazing 5-Star Client Review (#HaberPA's 262nd on AVVO). I'm elated that you didn't ID yourself so I can freely discuss your case (although sadly the 4k characters allowed for my response can't capture the gravity of your situation). During the course of more than a year of vicious Family Court litigation your wife sought to remove your twin 6 y/o boys to a distant country. Your wife was a citizen of that country & your boys were dual citizens, having been (shout out to Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA") although they only had U.S. Passports & she employed all sorts of unethical & even illegal methods of accomplishing her objective. From day 1 she tried to remove the kids to her home country (e.g. she tried to secure foreign passports from her country's Consulate, she secured an Ex Parte Domestic Violence Restraining Order which was later dissolved by the Court and petitioned both Family and DV Judges for permission to relocate) but you were able to parry all such efforts & secure an Injunction preventing her from removing the children from the Court's jurisdiction. She railroaded you with regard to support, custody, visitation, etc. to the point that you were homeless for close to a year, literally crashing on friend's couches. You ultimately got your support obligation cut by almost 85% (from $6k to $1k / month) at which time things radically changed for your wife. Within 3 months she was formally evicted, you secured an apartment outfitted for your kids 1 block from the home that their mother was ordered to vacate & your wife got desperate enough to conjure a bogus, unsubstantiated Criminal Complaint against you for which your then-lawyer agreed to serve you up to the Police (more on that at the end). Fortunately your Divorce Lawyer referred you to me. Via intensive, immediate discussions with you, your lawyer & reviewing the family case Clerk's online docket within a few hours I had a good enough understanding to reach out to the Detective. While I couldn't stave off an arrest I was able to proffer facts sufficient to raise doubt as to your wife's 1-sided statement & thus to radically effect the booking charge (i.e. I convinced the Detective to reduce "Burglary with a Battery", a Felony Punishable by Life in Prison to 2 misdemeanors, i.e. DV-Battery and Trespass). I arranged a prompt surrender, for bond to be posted & when you were released we got to work on piecing together a cogent history of the facts leading to your Arrest, as well as identifying an undeniably provable pattern & practice by your wife which clearly established her motive & tactics (including illegal / unethical acts by her family lawyers). Armed with facts & proof I went to work on the Prosecutor who agreed to "No Action" / dismiss the Trespass charge at Arraignment. Over the course of the next 2 week you & I worked together on specifics, gathering the necessary paper trail & equipping me to prepare a highly detailed proffer to the State Attorney intended to secure a dismissal. (In the interim I "coached" your family lawyer as to strategy that could be employed to both help me to help you in Criminal Court as well as inure to your benefit in Family Court.). It took about 3 weeks to convince the State that your wife (their alleged victim) was entirely lacking in credibility, that they couldn't ethically put her on the Witness Stand & as such the remaining misdemeanor was dismissed. It was about 60 days from your voluntarily surrender to a misinformed Detective for a "PBL Felony" to being booked & released on 2 Misdemeanors to having all charges dismissed & being en route to expungement, not to fail to mention you securing Primary Residential Custody of your boys. I wish I had more time to explain to the folks how badly your 1st Criminal Defense Lawyer almost f*cked you but I must stop here. I'm thrilled for you & your sons, am proud of myself (this was 1 in a million) & we're now family. With pride, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA

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