I was arrested on a verbal assault 10/14. I new to being in trouble so I decided to call around for advise all the lawyers I spoke with were more insistent about paying them money but could not give me a real sense that they could or even would try their best to get it thrown out. After watching revi...ews online I decided to meet with Hal he made me feel comfortable about the charges be thrown out and I paid him that day. 12/14 was the court date. They called my name and before I could get passed the swinging doors to approach the bench Hal turned around and said "It's dismissed you can go now." I am so thankful it's over. Hal is aggressive and exudes confidence in the courtroom!

I work at a large law firm in Chicago and when I was charged with a Felony Aggravated Battery one of our attorneys highly recommended Hal Garfinkel. After meeting with Hal and seeing him in action, I understand why. From beginning to end Hal made me feel like I was receiving the best representation p...ossible. His knowledge of the law and his contacts within the Cook County system were astonishing. He knew everyone in the system and he knew how to work within that system in order to get me the best possible result in my case. What was originally a Felony charge that carried a possible prison term, was negotiated to a minor probation by Hal's second-to-none legal prowess. His personal relationships with opposing counsel, his attentiveness to detail and his genuine concern that I receive the best outcome were a tremendous comfort to me throughout the case and I give him the highest marks for his work. If you have any case where you need top level representation at an affordable rate, Hal Garfinkel is the guy you want to call.

My husband and I just finished a 1.5 year relationship with Hal on a case that truly never should have become a case. The state was intent on sending my husband to jail for an accident on his part, which caused harm and danger to precisely zero people or places. Extremely serious consequences, and ou...r lives hung in the balance. The charges were ludicrous, and Hal had no problem yelling about how ridiculous the charges were to whoever needed to hear it. Hal is aggressive, and he's very confident. These are insanely important in a courtroom-- to think on your feet and have a comeback on the tip of your tongue when the judge or prosecution throws a curve ball. Or an insane accusation. I didn't understand the importance of these traits until we sat in court room after courtroom watching other attorneys fumble on their words, file improper paperwork, or annoy the judge with their incompetence. Hal clearly always knew what he was doing. Hal has been in the business for foreeevvveerrrr and his history and experience allowed us to have a lawyer who has worked with most of the people we met. We're grateful for the insight he could offer. He warned us on day 1 that the insanity of the charges meant our battle would probably be long and drawn out and involve a bunch of judicial paperwork and bull. How right he was! While we may have sometimes felt frazzled by his fast pace, or confused by his legal terms, at the end of the day, Hal wins. Instead of prison and felony backgrounds following us around for the rest of our lives, we are completely free to live out the dreams we made 1.6 years ago, before we ever got slapped in the face and treated like the "bad guy".

I received a ticket for unlawful passing of a school bus on Halloween. If convicted I would have faced a minimum mandatory license suspension of three months, possibly a year, and my insurance would have skyrocketed. When I called Hal he talked me through the law, explained my situation to me, and as...sured me that if I hired him I would not lose my license - and he stayed true to his word. Hal was always available to talk about my case and reassure me. He was professional, personable, his fee was reasonable, and he delivered exactly what he promised. My charge was negotiated down to a petty traffic offense, which will be off of my record after a period of court supervision. No suspension. No insurance spike. Hal saved me from a world of stress. If you need a criminal defense attorney, for whatever reason, call Hal Garfinkel. He'll treat you like family.