Find a Lawyer Indiana Fort Wayne Divorce
Paul R. Sturm

PRO

Paul R. Sturm

also known as Paul Sturm

4.5
22 reviews
This is an aggregated review score of Avvo and Lawyers.com reviews.
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 31 years

Divorce and separation Lawyer at Fort Wayne, IN
Practice Areas: Divorce & Separation, Child Custody, Family

229 W Berry St, Suite 400, Fort Wayne, IN

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Overview Reviews Experience
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About Paul

Biography

Getting the Job Done Right the First Time

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Divorce and Separation 50%

50%
Child Custody 30%

30%
Family 20%

20%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 15 minutes

Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Awards

Silver Client Champion
AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating

Silver Client Champion

Silver Client Champion

Client Champion awards recognize those attorneys who excel at service as affirmed by their clients. The awards, based on the quantity and quality of an attorney’s Martindale-Hubbell client reviews, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to delivering excellent client service.

This attorney has received at least 3 client reviews, and has an average score of 4.0 or higher.

AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating

AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating

An elite group of attorneys who have been rated highly by their peers as having Very High Ethical Standards and an A grade (4.5 or higher).

This is the highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.

Licenses

Licensed in Indiana for 31 years

State: Indiana

Acquired: 1994

Active in Good Standing

No misconduct found

Location

Shambaugh, Kast, Beck & Williams, LLP

(260) 422-9038

Fax

229 W Berry St, Suite 400, Fort Wayne, IN, 46802-2200

skbw.com/paul-r-sturm/
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Paul R. Sturm's Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (18) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.
Star rating
5 stars 14
4 stars 0
3 stars 0
2 stars 0
1 star 4
Practice Areas
Divorce & Separation (11) Child Custody (4) Family (2) Mediation (2) Child Support (1) Litigation (1)
What Clients Mention
Advocacy (11) Recommendation (8) Case Results (7) Professionalism (7) Character & Conduct (6) Communication Style (6) Practice Area Knowledge (5) Compassion (4) Cost of Services (3) Responsiveness (3) General Knowledge (2) Staff & Support (2) Trustworthiness (2) Punctuality (1)

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews | Communication Style

Posted by Casey | June 05, 2018 | Divorce & Separation

Good advice

I contacted Paul during a messy divorce and he listened to me, considered the facts, asked questions and was able to give me the advice I was looking for. His legal staff are friendly, caring, exceptionally knowledgeable and willing to go above and beyond for clients. I would recommend him to anyone!...

Posted by Jeff | February 06, 2014 | Divorce & Separation

Top Shelf divorce attorney.

Paul Sturm is an EXCELLENT divorce attorney. He morphs into some kind of possessed animal in the courtroom and if the opposing attorney drops his guard for one second Paul will leave nothing but a spot on the chair where he was sitting. I actually felt sorry for the opposing attorney and my ex as he ...shredded her too. He is very easy to work with and makes sure everyone is totally prepared for the entire divorce experience. Not inexpensive by any means but you get what you pay for and Paul is “top shelf”. I had a friend that was going through a very difficult divorce and he was getting it handed to him at every angle. He asked me if I knew of a good lawyer and I mentioned Paul Sturm. He dropped his head and holding back tears he whispered “he’s her lawyer”. I felt bad for him but knew he was in big trouble. It's been a while since my divorce but have since talked to several people who either had Paul for their lawyer or were on the opposing side of him. Those opposite him ( 2 people I know) wish he had been their lawyer. I would highly recommend Paul to anyone that wants to protect what they have or get what they want.

Posted by Perry | September 09, 2013 | Divorce & Separation

Paul is excellent attorney

I am another attorney specializing in divorce and family law in this area. Paul is often the opposing attorney. I am only submitting this review because I came across it while reviewing mine and my partner's mike setlak, and I don't believes it does anywhere close to justice for Paul's efforts and sk...ills. Paul is an outstanding, hard working, driven family attorney. If the opponent is not prepared Paul will run over him/her like a Mack Truck. If you are prepared, then Paul will be cooperative and help the preparation and process. Paul is outstanding in the courtroom and i can never remember a time when he wasn't completely prepared to win there.

Posted by anonymous | October 28, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Family

Terrible choice

He no showed the first appointment. He also did not respond to my emails, did not return phone calls, and was very unprepared for my mediation. He finally called me the evening before. And then still seemed confused in mediation about details I specifically addressed with him prior. There is no way ...someone can be that absent minded considering it was a discussion the evening before. This may just be just his job but this is my life and my children’s life. His indifference during my mediation affected the outcome. I unfortunately have experience in law/court with my situation and this is the most unprofessional experience yet. Just for the record, this is the first review I have felt incline to write. Attorneys are very expensive and the clients case should be taken seriously. The whole situation was weird, uncomfortable, and did not benefit my case in anyway. There are far better attorneys for family law, make a different choice.

Posted by anonymous | June 02, 2018 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation

Hire someone else

Paul seemed very attentive to my divorce case up until the provisional hearing, after which I rarely heard from him unless absolutely necessary. He did not respond to messages or emails. I started to feel like he didn't have interest because my case was not profitable, and there were times we spoke... in which he was down right demeaning to me. Despite hiring Paul to help me through the darkest time in my life, it was clear that to him I was just a number. He then quit my case before it was over.

Paul Sturm

Replied last June 02, 2018

I have been practicing law for over 22 years and I value the relationships I have with my clients. Please contact me directly if you have an issue with my representation of you.

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Paul R. Sturm's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Paul
Edward E. Beck headshot
Edward Beck

Divorce and separation lawyer | May 16

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

John David Cowan headshot
John Cowan

Divorce and separation lawyer | May 11

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Stephen J. Williams headshot
Stephen Williams

Family lawyer | May 01

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer as a conscientious lawyer who serves his clients extremely well."

Michael A. Setlak headshot
Michael Setlak

Family lawyer | Sep 10

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I endorse Paul as a family law attorney and a mediator. Paul and I have been opposed to each other in many family law related matters, and Paul has served as a mediator in family law cases I have had over past several years. Paul is always prepared, professional to opposing counsel, and is a very strong advocate for his clients. While Paul seeks to work toward a settlement, which is usually in a client's best interest, Paul is always ready and is prepared to litigate the matter in court."

View All Endorsements
Ann Michelle Brown-Stohler headshot
Ann Brown-Stohler

Family lawyer

Edward E. Beck headshot
Edward Beck

Family lawyer

John David Cowan headshot
John Cowan

Family lawyer

Stephen J. Williams headshot
Stephen Williams

Estate planning lawyer

Tracey L Rosswurm headshot
Tracey Rosswurm

Family lawyer

Michael A. Setlak headshot
Michael Setlak

Family lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2025

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2025

America's Most Honored Lawyer, American Registry

2018

AV Preeminent Rating™, Martindale-Hubbell®

2017

AV Preeminent Rating™, Martindale-Hubbell®

2016

AV Preeminent Rating™, Martindale-Hubbell®

2015

AV Preeminent Rating™, Martindale-Hubbell®

2014

AV Preeminent Rating™, Martindale-Hubbell®

2011

Indiana Certified Family Law Specialist, Family Law Certification Board

1994

National Member of the Order of the Barristers, The Order of Barristers

1993

Participant - Domenick L. Gabreielli National Family Law Moot, Albany Law School, Albany, New York

1993

First Place Hon. Walter H. Rice Moot Court Competition, University of Dayton School of Law, Dayton, Ohio

1980

Eagle Scout, Boy Scouts of America

Work Experience

1996 - Present

Partner, Shambaugh, Kast, Beck & Williams, LLP

2000 - 2002

Deputy Public Defender, Allen County Prosecuting Attorney

1996 - 2007

Adjunct Professor, Concordia University Wisconsin

1994 - 1996

Senior Account Executive - Professional Sports Division, K&K Insurance Group, Inc.

1993 - 1994

Director of Marketing, National Sports Underwriters, Ltd.

1988 - 1993

Account Executive - Parimutuel Racing Department, K&K Insurance Group, Inc.

Associations

1997 - Present

Indiana Trial Lawyers Association

Member

1997 - Present

American Association for Justice

Member

1994 - Present

American Bar Association

Member

1994 - Present

Indiana State Bar Association

Member

1994 - Present

Allen County Bar Association

Member

Education

1994

University of Dayton School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1987

Indiana University-Bloomington

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2016

14th ANNUAL FAMILY LAW INSTITUTE

Ethics of Collecting Fees

2015

Advanced Family Law (North)

How Lawyers, Litigants and Courts Can Maximize the Tax and ACA Benefits

2013

2013 Allen County Bench-Bar Conference

Discovery and Social Media

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

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