276 Client Reviews
Showing 31 - 35 of 276 reviews
Posted by anonymous | July 15, 2024 | Hired Attorney
Boutique Lawfirm - true empathy and attention to every detail! Doesn’t miss a beat!
Mr. Haber stepped in at a point where I had spent the whole of 2022 and 2023 waiting for justice and freedom to move on from a case where I was the victim. He made sure my case as a victim was resolved at my satisfaction whilst simultaneously helping resolve a case where I was the defendant... I a...
Dear Anonymous, Thank you for your fantastic & generous words in the form of #HaberPA's 246th AVVO Client Review! You provided me with an opportunity to speak to the folks about how #HaberPA can serve not only in our traditional role as Criminal Defense Lawyer but also a a Victim Rights Advocate / VRA. As to the latter, per "Marsy's Law", a/k/a "The Florida Crime Victims' Bill of Rights", both constitutionally (s. 16, Art. I of the Florida's State Constitution) & by statute (see: Chapter 960 Florida Statutes) in Florida Crime Victims enjoy a bevvy of rights. The law empowering crime victims came into effect after Marsalee (Marsy) Ann Nicholas, then 21, had been stalked & murdered by her ex boyfriend in CA, triggering nationwide attention & a call to action. More specifically, 1 week after her murder & while on their way home from the funeral service, Marsy’s family stopped at a local supermarket & while in the checkout line Marsy’s mother was confronted by her daughter’s murderer. Marsy's mother, Marcella, was utterly shocked as she hadn't received any notification from either the Court or the State Attorney that her daughter's killer had been released on Bail just a few days after his booking. Marsy's Law protections vary from State to State but, & sans diving too deeply into it, suffice it to say that here in Florida Marsy's Law effectively “giv[es crime] victims constitutional standing equal to that of the accused and convicted.” That observed, when #HaberPA is retained to serve as a VRA we do so with the same tenacity, zealously & comprehensive care and concern for the victim as we do for the accused in our more traditional role as Criminal Defense Counsel. In your case, while you were initially pleased with your first VRA after a while you felt that his commitment had waned, your were entirely certain that the Assistant State Attorney was not advocating on your behalf & you essentially felt both abandoned & helpless. Your passion for justice led you to seek new counsel, your research led you to #HaberPA, your impression after reading many of our Client Reviews led you to retain me & I happily took over. I will close this aspect of my response by stating that my heart is swollen with pride because of your selflessly telling others that "I am eternally grateful to this man who treated me with respect and like a sister at a time when previous lawyer and prosecution had failed me as a victim." I simply can't imagine anyone penning more meaningful, wonderful words. As to "Act 2" of your saga & as you are Anonymous I can go into some detail. You were stopped for speeding in The Florida Keys (a proverbial capital offense down there, especially as you were in a "Key Deer" area) & upon smelling marijuana a search of your vehicle turned up a felony amount of plant and gummy based THC as well as paraphernalia. You were taken into custody, given both Felony and Misdemeanor Possession charges and detained overnight until your Initial Appearance and Bond Hearing. Because we already had a relationship you contacted me upon release (pro-tip for the folks: you wisely used "your phone call" to contact someone to post bond) & I quickly mapped out and put into place a plan to quash everything. I immediately contacted the Felony Prosecutor & agreed to Waive your Speedy Trial right so as to afford you sufficient time to secure a Medical Marijuana Card / MMC, upon which the State agreed to abandon the felony and instead file a misdemeanor for which you'd be eligible for Diversion / PTI / PTD. Once I provided the State with proof of your MMC they honored their agreement, filed the MM charge at your belated Arraignment (you were never charged with a felony) & agreed to Pretrial Diversion. You successfully completed, we're in the Expungement process now &, amazingly, I got your speeding ticket dismissed. With all of that said, I thank you once again for your astonishing & touching Client Review & wish you the best! Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA
Posted by Alexander Ripa | June 17, 2024
Honest and knowledgeable attorney
In 2020, at age 17, I was pulled over and cited for Running a Stop Sign (an infraction) and Knowingly Driving on a Suspended License (a criminal traffic offense). I was going through a rough time and failed to deal with the citations in a time, a Bench Warrant and a Driver License suspension were i...
Dear Alex, Thank you very much for your detailed, procedurally spot-on analysis & gratuitous mea culpa (in the form of #HaberPA's 245th Client Review on AVVO). As you've given the folks more information about your case than I would have chosen to do (which is your privilege, literally, not mine - as, knowing that you chose to identify yourself, absent your express permission I would be bound by attorney-client privilege to maintain confidentiality & I would thus have been limited in what I could have disclosed) rather than expounding on the facts and circumstances of your case instead I'll focus on the learning opportunities that your case presents to the folks (& there are several). I suppose the most logical starting point would be to observe that sh*t happens in life (aside alert: contrary to Hollywood legend Forrest Gump didn't invent that phrase during his cross country run in 1979, upon which he embarked after Jenny had exploited him for sexual favors & then left him in the wee hours of the morning) & how we choose to deal with that sh*t can sometimes be more important than the sh*t itself. Here, had you 'fessed up to Pops & asked for his help upon receiving the citations (1 of which was an infraction with a worst case scenario of points being assessed to your DL but the other was a Criminal Traffic offense which carried not only the possibility of Jail time, Probation and Fines, but, far more importantly, & most especially for young people who are just embarking on the fantastic journey called "life" but really for anyone, a permanent Criminal Conviction and Scarlet Letter on your non-erasable Driver Record) then while you may have gotten a well-earned chiding what you would have avoided was a Warrant (or in your case 2 Warrants), points or the concurrent & inconvenience aggravation of having to deal with this mess years after-the-fact & amidst a time crunch. (Second aside alert: You're lucky that you got to deal with the Warrant on your terms because you could have just as easily been taken into custody, thrown in a cage and had to face a Judge in another County with Extradition as a possibility, & please believe me when I say that that would've seriously sucked.) Next, your father directed you to someone (me) who knew the procedural hurdles like the palm of his (my) hand, & that knowledge is what allowed me to assist you in a rapid, precise & flawless fashion. Again I ask for a leap of faith in believing me when I say that the only thing that blows more than screwing up your own situation is hiring "the wrong guy / gal" (i.e. paying someone who screws things up in your stead). Following that last point & as Jack Reacher sagely says: "Details matter!" It'd (generously) be arrogant, haughty, pompous & pretentious of me were I to fail to point out that "but for" your paying meticulous attention to my many instructions (which is painfully obvious to anyone who reads your Client Review as it pretty much tracks everything, soup to nuts) all of it would've been for naught. You could've easily blown off any or all of my directives, tried to cut corners or take shortcuts but you didn't; instead you diligently, faithfully & perfectly treated my mandates with the respect that they deserved. Some might attribute that to Darwinism but I attribute that to humility & maturity, which are 2 characteristics that any young person must develop should they want a happy, productive life & to be a responsible member of society. Finally I'd be remiss were I not to point out that while some things in life are inexcusable & incapable of being fixed far more things are forgivable & repairable if ("if") you have the guts to face & tackle them head on. While I wish that you'd've done so immediately the way things shook out you learned a valuable life lesson, & in hindsight you managed to do so at little personal cost. I know that your Dad is proud of you & for what it's worth so too am I. Wishing you all the best Kiddo. Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA
Posted by Mardoche | June 15, 2024
Criminal citation
My experience with Mr.Haber was incredible definitely has the time and patience to deal with his clients if you want an attorney that will do things the Right way, Mr. Haber is the guy for that job the whole entire process went very smooth. I’m glad I chose Mr. Haber as my criminal attorney.
Hello Mardoche, Thank you for your kind Client Review (#HaberPA's 244th on AVVO). Although you used your first name your surname is unknown, per the SSA there were 13,260 babies given that name in the US in 2022 (I didn't dig deeper as that's anonymous enough for me) & so I'm comfortable in sharing some of the facts & circumstances of your case with the folks. Like many in today's America you tried to supplement your income by purchasing a vehicle from a friend (a used car dealer who had bought it from an auction), cleaning it up and flipping it for a profit. Having no clue about the rules you relied upon your pal for advise, &, unfortunately, that advise sucked as you wound up getting cited for driving an unregistered car with an improper tag & sans insurance (2 criminal traffic offenses and 1 infraction). As you reached out to me within 48 hours of your arrest I knew that it'd be approximately 30 days before your Arraignment (i.e. a hearing which marks the formal commencement - or dismissal - of the criminal process & where a Prosecutor either formally files charges or opts to dismiss / "No Action" the case). Given your charges we had a nice window within which to take proactive action. With that backdrop, & as you promptly provided me with your Arrest Affidavit, I was able to rapidly digest it, we spoke, you offered me your take & I then mapped out a pathway for you to earn a flat out dismissal (noting that this avenue required you to accomplish a series of tasks which I had outlined, none of which were particularly complicated but each of which took significant time & effort on your behalf). To your credit you followed my instructions both to the letter & in a timely fashion, allowing me to file a "Notice of Compliance" together with my Notice of Appearance, your Not Guilty Plea & our demands for Trial & Discovery. Shortly thereafter I appeared at your Arraignment (at my instruction you didn't have to attend), where I highlighted the previously filed proof of compliance & secured a Dismissal of all 3 citations. During the interim period (i.e. the time wherein I had tasked you with accomplishing a bevvy of chores) you had many questions &, accordingly, we had much communication. Over the course of about 2 weeks you & I spoke over the phone & texted, as well as exchanged multiple emails, all of which were either fielded in real time or in very short order (note that I'm quite comfortable in proffering to the folks that I never kept you waiting, that I consistently made myself available, was both prompt & precise &, perhaps more importantly to the the folks not to you - this is an integral ingredient of #HaberPA's proverbial mission statement, to wit: to be easily reachable by phone, email or the internet, to engage in open, honest, direct & frequent communication, to be readily accessible, to never leave the Client waiting in purgatory for her / his lawyer to field questions, to alleviate stress & to demonstrate that we've adopted our Clients' interests as our own) & in that regard I am proud. Again, given both the relatively uncomplicated nature of your case (but noting that 1 man's misdemeanor is another man's murder case) & your extraordinary cooperation with my instructions, I'm also proud of the net result, but I'd be remiss were I not to (for the 3rd time I believe) give you accolades & props for being a literal bellwether of a client (i.e. a premier example of a stellar client) without whom I could not have possible been successful & thus earned your kind words in the form of this Client Review. That said, I once again thank you, congratulate you, wish you the best moving forward & remind you that now that our business is concluded you are no longer a client; rather, & not unlike a caterpillar who transforms into a butterfly, you've now morphed into a friend who's most welcome into the #HaberPA family. Thank you again Mardoche. Wishing you the best! Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA (where "it's all about #ReasonableDoubt!")
Posted by anonymous | May 13, 2024 | Hired Attorney
A wonderful lawyer who gives the best service at the best price
was arrested for DUI and needed to find a lawyer. I found many lawyers on the internet and talked to some on the phone. Some of these conversations were short and some were long, but no one gave me the confidence I wanted until I found Michael Haber, the lawyer with the most reviews and the best thin...
Dear Anonymous, Yours (which is #HaberPA's 243rd Client Review on AVVO) is now one of my hands-down favorite explanations by a client as to why I was hired & how I performed as an "advisor, advocate, negotiator & evaluator" (those being the "roles" delineated by The Florida Bar as to "A Lawyer's Responsibilities" in the Preamble to Chapter 4 of the Rules of Professional Conduct) on your behalf. Noting that you've perhaps provided the folks with the best, most heartfelt explanation that I could've ever imagined, still I'll chime in, point by point, as best I can, although recognizing that I won't compare to your categorical & civilian, real-world analysis. When I answer a cold-call from a potential client I explain that before we discuss the case I need, at a minimum, to review the Probable Cause / Arrest Affidavit (that way I know the client's "worst case scenario" before I hear the accused's version of events). Once I've digested the Arresting Officer's justification then I eagerly listen to the potential client, asking relevant questions with a design to identify possibilities & probabilities, offer options & suggestions &, of course, to be able to quote a fair fee for anticipated services. I'm not the least bit surprised that other lawyers with whom you spoke didn't offer that sort of time, effort & analysis; in fact one could argue that I count on my colleagues being short, terse & "blowing sunshine" (as opposed to my approach, i.e. taking a "leap of faith", calculating that my taking the time & offering honest analysis is well worth the while). In fact I'm so certain that most - not all but the far larger percent - of my colleagues will be short, pithy & unrealistically rosy that I encourage potential clients to speak with other lawyers before making a hiring decision. That said, once I'm hired it's "game on", & in DUI cases (yours was an accident with both property damage & injuries, albeit minor injuries) that includes expediting services in light of the unavoidable & imminent DMV component. In fairness to me (& given the rare exception where I believe that intentional delay is a sage tactic), I don't dilly-dally in any aspect of any case, instead opting to operate with a "SOP" of preferring to work quickly so as to try to simultaneously catch the State off guard & to get the client closure sooner as opposed to later; but in your case (given the DL suspension, your need to drive & the brief window within which to act) a rapid response was absolutely necessary & so it pressingly came to pass. This mentality (of getting things done, stat) pervades all aspects of #HaberPA's representation, which is why I do my absolute best to field client's calls, texts & emails as close to immediately as is humanly possible. While I enjoy my life as best I can I also empathize with my clients, who themselves need answers, guidance, information & feedback in real time, & so I also do my best to be accessible, available & responsive. After 32+ years in this industry I've leaned many things but perhaps the most fundamental is that each case & each client is sentient, unique & must be addressed & treated accordingly. Having inquired about your legal status in the US I knew that immigration concerns existed & when you advised that you had an immigration lawyer I suggested a waiver of confidentiality such that I could bring her into the loop & thus ensure comprehensive action with regard to both criminal & immigration concerns, without compromising one at the other's expense. I won't presume to either consider myself to be "a legend" or to have written "the book on DUI law" (although anyone who follows #HaberPA's #PSAOfTheDay on Facebook, X, YouTube & MeWe might disagree, arguing that I author a "book du jour") but I will both gratefully accept your perception of me as such & defer to your impression as you explain it to others. Thank you again for your sincere & kind words; they truly mean the world to me. Most gratefully, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA
Posted by anonymous | May 09, 2024 | Hired Attorney
Outstanding legal representation
Can’t thank Michael enough in representing me and providing outstanding guidance and outcome on a minor but very serious matter. From the first call, Michael came up with a strategy to ease any further actions against me and ultimately fought strategically to get the case handled in a manner that bot...
Dear Anonymous, Thank you for your kind words (in the form of #HaberPA's 242nd Client Review on AVVO). Yours comes on the heels of your wife's review & as I prophesized when replying to her (to wit: that I'd wait until you chimed in, hopefully anonymously), I can now discuss the facts & circumstances so that the folks will understand the pitfalls we had to traverse, what we accomplished & how we got from Point A to Point B. That said it all started by your having "found" me via a referral from another lawyer who doesn't handle criminal cases. You called me soon after you had gotten notice that the Police were looking to arrest you on a series of Retail Theft charges. I promptly met you, vetted the situation & quoted you an initial fee to reach out to the Cops, make inquiry, confirm the status of their investigation, determine if an arrest was imminent & if so then to arrange for your convenient, safe surrender. Once I was certain that The PoPo were going to effect a Probable Cause Arrest, charging you with 1 Felony & 1 Misdemeanor, I prearranged for bond (i.e. I put a surety in place) & then appeared with you & your wife at the Police Station where I ensured that your rights were both invoked & respected. During what I can best describe as "congenial conversation" with your Arresting Officers during the surrender process (you had 2 separate albeit related cases) I managed to convince them to charge you with a series of Misdemeanors as opposed to the expected Felony & Misdemeanor charges. (They initially intended to "aggregate" 4 of your 5 Petit Thefts into 1 Felony Grand Theft, & they had even contemplated charging you with Organized Scheme to Defraud, a more serious felony which would've kept you in jail overnight for a mandatory appearance). Once bail was posted & you bonded out we regrouped to discuss the options & lock down legal fees (noting that I credited you for the pre-surrender fee which you had paid against a fee to handle the cases through disposition). I then engaged the State Attorney's Office in an effort at securing an agreement to "consolidate" your 2 cases into 1 case. There were several reasons for this but, projecting forward into the future, my primary concern was that Florida Law limits citizens to seek 1 Seal or Expunge in their lifetime. Noting that I'm mathematically challenged I need not be Pythagoras to calculate that were we to "beat" both cases we could only Seal or Expunge 1 & you'd be stuck with the other. Now anyone who knows anything about Criminal Defense Litigation is aware that the State generally doesn't concern itself with such matters (i.e. they don't care about you, your future, your record, etc. - all that matters, especially in Criminal County Court to many a young, inexperienced Prosecutor, is convictions) & so I was prepared to file a Motion asking the Court to consolidate if the State shut us down. Long story short this was so critical that I agreed to waive your Speedy Trial rights so as to delay Arraignment long enough for me to piece together a "mitigation packet" which would, hopefully persuade the State to do right by you (kinda like the Cops did when they abandoned Felony charges). It took several weeks & I had to climb up to the top rung of the ladder before the Chief of County Court Prosecution agreed that had the Cops arrested you for a Felony then the cases would've been consolidated in Circuit Court & you'd be Diversion eligible (which was a problem in County Court given your multiple cases). A Consolidated Information was filed, you wisely jumped on a Diversion offer, soon enough you'll complete & then we'll file a Petition to Expunge. This is not braggadocio; rather it is an excellent example of what a skilled & experienced Criminal Defense Lawyer can do, in this instance tactically manipulating the Rules of Criminal Procedure & making artful, persuasive argument which inures to the Client's benefit. I'm both proud of myself & happy for you. Fondly, MAH/Esq. #HaberPA