Mark F. Borns

Not all attorneys are snakes! Mark Borns is a good, knowledgeable, experienced, honest, and effective attorney. He let me know right from the outset that the process would be a long drawn-out affair (because he was familiar with the pour-gas-on-flames approach of the opposing counsel). Mark handled the situation with skill and a thoughtful strategy. The paralegal, Jenny, was outstanding as well. Her role is critical--providing a great sounding board for talking through strategy. The Borns Law Office team is effective, efficient, and in the end, they saved me thousands of dollars and major emotional headaches, due to their good counsel and successful negotiation(s). I like that I can sleep and night, and not feel bad about our approach. Borns Law is the best in the business.

Mark Borns is a first-rate divorce attorney who is not only an expert in his field but a master of the divorce process who is able to think outside the box. Mark's creative approaches to problem-solving and conflict resolution enable parties to move forward in productive ways rather than unnecessarily wasting time and money. Mark has deep roots in Madison WI so he is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to knowing who to call on when the myriad of accounting, real estate, and tax issues surrounding divorce or separation inevitably arise. Not only does Mark's unmatched intellect and wealth of legal knowledge put him at the top of his field, Mark is easy-going, compassionate, and extremely responsive. Mark is a top-notch attorney who makes the unpleasant process of divorce or separation as humane and painless as possible. I wholeheartedly recommend Mark Borns without reservation.

My family has retained Mr. Borns for various legal matters since 1983, the most recent for estate plannning. Mr. Borns has always impressed us with his knowledge of the law, what questions to ask us, his thorough research, and his calm professional demeanor. Mr. Borns was always prompt in responding to our correspondence, and in any legal filings that needed to be done. We appreciated his no-nonsense approach to what he could do or couldn't do for us based on his experience with the law and the legal system.

This is my second time working with Mark on child custody issues, and there is a reason I went back. Mark simply is one of the best lawyers in Madison when it comes to family court issues, and his reputation precedes him. In 2003/2004 he was my attorney when I split up with my ex, and did a great job for me then, and also helped guide me through the process, and helped me understand the nuances of why things typically turn out the way they do. At the time, my father advised me to find a cheaper lawyer, and I told him that when it comes to issues regarding my daughter, I only wanted the best lawyer I could find. I found that in Mark. When my ex wanted to re-start the custody/placement dispute recently, there was no question as to who I was going to call. The same conversation transpired with my father, with me once again ignoring his advice. I've inherited my family's frugality, but I'm smart enough to know that you save money every day in order to be able to afford the best when you need the best. In part due to the lack of a case on the part of my ex and her attorney, but also, I believe, due to Mark's outstanding reputation, and the quality of the representation he provided me, the motion to dismiss the case was granted before I even had to testify. Mark is not like every other attorney, and he may not carry himself or present himself to you as 'nicely' as you might like. Some attorneys are better at marketing themselves, or might be better at playing well with others--meaning their clients. At the end of the day, I have thick skin, and I also can check my ego at the door. I realize that Mark has years of experience that I don't have, and he has a reputation that speaks for itself. There were more moments 7-8 years ago when I felt like I wasn't being listened to, or that perhaps I needed to be handled with more of a 'kid gloves' approach, but I'm older now, and wiser. You hire a good lawyer because you want a good lawyer. How you 'feel' at the end of the day, or at the end of the case, shouldn't be your primary concern. I presume you hire a lawyer because you want to win your case. Mark is 2 for 2 in my eyes, in my cases, and that's simply perfect. If winning your case isn't that important to you, or if paying more money to a lawyer to have your ego coddled is very important to you, then Mark Borns might not be the best fit for you. If you have a primary goal of winning your case, and that's the most important criteria that you have, if Mark Borns practices law in your specialty--if he is willing to take you on as a client--you'd be very lucky to have him as your lawyer, and I don't think you'll regret it for a minute. Like I said, I can imagine other folks having negative things to say about him, but like all opinions, whether they be online reviews, or word of mouth, you have to take the review with a grain of salt, and see if the reviewer is simply foaming at the mouth because some folks do, or if they have a truly informed opinion, and have made the case for their review. Not all reviews should carry the same weight, so please be a careful customer when it comes to reading reviews. Not all reviews should carry the same weight if this reviewer or that reviewer is nothing like you. This advice is true for lawyers, or products on Amazon.com. Feel free to ignore any bad reviews if the careful scrutiny of them indicates that perhaps the reviewer carries some, or all, of the blame for the bad review. Be an informed consumer, and know what you want from a lawyer. I can't say it enough, because I believe it strongly...if you want the best, then give Mark a call. Check your ego at the door, and hope that he has the time to take your case. I'm a repeat customer, and I think that says a lot. He's simply damn good at what he does.

Mark is a first class attorney who is able to see the big picture of a divorce process and slice the core items down to manageable and logical pieces. He is great at keeping matters from becoming too complex which simply make matters worse for all parties concerned. He is cordial and frank in his recomendation to take a different tact which a client may be attached too much to some part of the divorce process and needs to approach differently. When it comes time to take the needed tactics to protect his client from illogical or unfair tactics on the opposing side he is quickly able to shift gears and cover all the bases fast, direct, and with fair results. He also good at helping encouraging couples to try and discuss key issues to save time, hassle, and dollars for all. He has great contacts to pull in when needed such as an accountant with deep expertise in analyzing tax aspects from both sides and finding the best solution for both parties and making sure each party understand the risks and problems should they not heed his advice and head down their own path instead of joint path in the interrum before and after a divorce. Many, many people in divorce (and attorney) underestimate the taxt/income complexities and the need for top notch assistance in this area. Mark knows. Mark is efficient and his paralegal is very, very sharp and one step away from being an attorney in terms of her knowledge and skills. Great team I would highly recommend. Mark is easy to work with, listens well, offers solid advice, rsponds quickly, and is really able to think "outside the box" based o his experience and intellect as needed, and turn some research over to his clients as needed (and which is notof a legal nature which is his talent) to facilitate the entire process. Top attorney I would highly recommend.

Attorney Borns assisted my partner and me with our home purchase and our wills. He has assisted my partner in business matters for many years. He listened and understood all of the issue involved, and his solutions were creative. He has

When you are going through a divorce, it is a very difficult and painful time. You need someone who is a good listener, someone who responds to your concerns in a timely fashion, and, most importantly, someone who is a very able advocate on your behalf. MARK BORNS HAS NONE OF THOSE CHARACTERISTICS. During my divorce, he constantly had to be reminded of the issues which were a part of my divorce. During meetings with my ex-wife and her attorney, he consistently called her by a wrong name. During one very difficult session with a judge, Mr BORNS announced that he was not going to waste his time dealing with a particular issue because he didn't deem it to be important. PLEASE FIND ANOTHER ATTORNEY OTHER THAN MARK BORNS

Very disappointed. I originally went with Mark based on what I had read about. However, throughout the divorce I found that emails became excessive due to his responses always being vague. I had to constantly ask for specifics and descriptions.. .Each e-mail is costly and they add up fast. I had to ask repeatedly for documentation...ie: DeNovo hearing records..I requested a copy at least four to five times over several months... There was a quick $50 gone..My ex-wife supposedly worked at a hair salon and yet Mark never asked for pay stubs to validate. I did not feel that Mark really fought for me, but rather seemed to agree to whatever my ex-wife's attorney wanted. I found his posture too laid back. I was hoping for him to be more aggressive and fight to win. As a result, I contacted my wife at the time, and we came to an agreement in effort to stop the ridiculous legal fees. ....... There were other issues in which I feel Mark performed poorly. He just does not seem to care for you as a client... I had to contact the court and request a final copy of the MSA and divorce decree. I have withdrawn his services. Thank GOD..... I would suggest to anyone seeking divorce, research and understand processes and costs in detail. Really take the time to read all reviews before selecting an attorney. Based on my experience, if you want to be represented well, Mark is not the attorney for you. I suggest you look elsewhere. If you want vague billing, silly e-mails, always needing to follow up with him, huge stress, poor communication and what seems to be an endless bill for his legal fees...then Mark is the attorney for you.