Daryl W. Laatsch

I have been a client of Attorney Laatsch for a number of years and have sought his legal advice in a number of situations, including traffic representation, real estate transactions, and drafting of a will. In each matter, Attorney Laatsch took time to walk me through all of my options so that I had ...the information needed to make the best decisions possible. Attorney Laatsch was very timely in responding to my questions and was well-prepared for every meeting we had. I found him to be very knowledgeable and experienced in each area of the law we needed to discuss. He always explained what was going on and provided information that was easy to follow, even though some of the subject matter was complex. Attorney Laatsch’s knowledge and expertise made me feel confident in knowing that my interests were well-represented. I highly recommend Attorney Laatsch for anyone who is looking for a highly competent and experienced lawyer.

This man literally robbed my of a $5000 retainer, did a bait and switch tactic, meaning I hired him to pursue forgery against a bank that robo signed a continuing guaranty. He came recommended from Mahaney and Ertl and was of co-counsel there. Not only did he not read the info, he didn't get the ha...ndwriting expert approved, said three words in court, with his head down, and told me I was a "sucker" when I learned he filed all documents too late. In fact, it was too late when he accepted the retainer. I am disabled and had to borrow funds to hire him, thinking he would counter sue the bank and retain my $1,800,000 commercial property. Instead, he switched, because he is utterly lazy, and didn't want to do the work to win against the bank and wanted to charge me 40% of a an illegal personal guaranty that was forged. He didn't know the case, read the binders I dropped off with 1.5 years of pro se work in it, open any emails that would hang the bank, but took the $5000 and ran. I had to fire him after he said the lawyers and judge played me like a sucker and laughed about it. He refuses to refund my money and he lost my property, didn't pursue the counter claim against the bank, and now I have a judgement in excess of $138,000 against me personally from the fraudulent appraisal used at the sheriff's sale. This guy is a joke. If you want someone to show up with spaghetti sauce on his shirt, a half hour late and talk about all his losses, he is the guy! I am turning him into HUD and the lawyer regulation. His lack of work ethic and is inability to abide his oath is enough evidence for him to lose his license! He told me of his money problems, and simply stole mine. Filing two documents, knowingly very late....and then threatening me if I didn't get him the second half of the retainer he wouldn't be my lawyer....well that is EXTORTION! I own three businesses and worked with multiple lawyers over the years and he is the absolute worst! Lies to get money and then doesn't work! Could not care less about stealing retainers. He also was written up when he was a municipal judge. If it was not for Brian Mahaney who I previously respected, I would have never hired this guy.

Daryl Laatsch recommended my husband and I file Bankruptcy in SE District of Wisconsin. He lacked the expertise needed to evaluate our situation adequately, and filed the Petition without meeting with us, letting us review the Petition and without obtaining our signatures on it. We have lost more t...han $500,000.00 in cash and assets as a result of his poor legal advice. He failed to inform us once filed, it could not be withdrawn and as a result many of our assets were taken by the Trustee. We asked Laatsch to withdraw as counsel, so we could retain competent counsel, but due to his games and delays, we were left to fend on our own for several months until the Court heard the Motion to Withdraw. He incorrectly listed assets, values, debts, amounts, etc. He completed the Petition "In front of the tv while watching the Sunday football game and having a few beers" (Sept. 16, 2012) according to what he said to us. We lost our homestead and are now virtually on the streets. We are both retired, and one of us is disabled with serious health issues. He has refused to return our personal financial documents, tax returns and other sensitive documents, although he was allowed to withdraw as counsel. This man is poorly organized in his office, had no secretary, and all the mail sent to him by the Bankruptcy Court Clerk was returned as "undeliverable" although he provided the court with his address. He filed false Affidavits, including an Affidavit of Mailing. The postmark on the envelope was five days after he stated under oath he had placed the envelope in the U.S. mail. He was a Municipal Judge who had a Judicial Complaint filed against him by the Wisconsin Judicial Commission for misconduct while serving as a judge. Although the Supreme Court reprimanded him (the voters did not return him to the bench after 2007) and the Rules of Ethics prohibit him from advertising himself as a judge, former judge or using that position for financial gain, he continued to show himself on the bench in his ads until recently. He was in dirty shorts, wearing a stained shirt, and sandals when we first met him at his shared office space on Main Street in West Bend. We were referred to him by another law firm who specializes in fraud cases because they were too busy to meet with us before an upcoming court case where we alleged mortgage fraud. We did, indeed, incur extraordinarily high legal fees straightening out the schedules and ultimately paying through the nose under Bankruptcy laws. Our legal fees exceeded $40,000 not including all the federal taxes we have paid and still owe to cover the IRA distributions which we needed to take to cover the assets seized by the Trustee.

Attorney Laatsch was helpful and responsive for several traffic citations that I had to deal with over the course of the past few years. He made sure to present all of my possible options at the outset of each of the proceedings and he was timely in his responses. I appreciate all of the work that he... did on my behalf and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for legal services in the greater Milwaukee area.

I hired Atty. Laatsch to represent me relative to a traffic citation I received. Mr. Laatsch followed up promptly on needed court hearings and communications with the assigned municipal attorney and was able to negotiate a stipulated resolution of my case resulting in a reduced fine and reduction i...n points. He kept me informed and up to date on progress and status. His help was greatly appreciated.