Zachary Thomas Townsend

I hired Attorney Townsend to handle what I thought would be an amicable, civil, simple case between two people who just needed to get the paperwork done for custody and child support. It quickly became evident that my ex's goal was to drag out the case as long as he could as a means of having as muc...h contact as possible with me after our breakup. Attorney Zach Townsend was the perfect lawyer for this sort of case. He was calming, reassuring, and always able to de-escalate tense emotional developments in my case. I had to attend court ordered mediation and I felt so completely prepared and ready to make important decisions to move forward when we were stuck. He was also very responsive - I called or texted him several times at odd hours for advice because my ex didn't show up for exchanges and involved police in his attempts to bully and intimidate me. He answered and provided quick and helpful advice and reassured me that I was doing everything I was supposed to per my court orders and parenting plan. Many of my friends have complained that their attorneys have been most concerned with extending the case and maximizing their payments. I felt the opposite - Attorney Townsend was focused on taking care of my problems as efficiently as possible. I can't recommend him enough.

As the title states, avoid this attorney and anyone associated with him at all costs. It would be difficult to list all the issues of professional misconduct this "lawyer" engaged in during his representation of me during my divorce, but I'll try. For starters, upon receiving his retainer, he advised... me to immediately stop paying anything to my ex spouse, as "child support is determined by a judge, not by what your estranged spouse decides it should be". Before my divorce was even finalized, I was already paying back-child support. When I asked him how this could happen, he simply said, "well... you haven't been paying any child support". When I reminded him that I did so on his advice as my attorney, he quickly changed the subject. He would routinely set up conferences with him during the proceedings, keep me waiting 30-45 minutes, and when his iPhone buzzed during our conferences, he literally got up and walked out of the room while I was in mid-sentence. Getting him to return a call during the divorce was worse than pulling teeth. After the divorce, when I called him with basic questions about the standard aftermath of the case, he wouldn't return my calls at all. The only thing he seemed to want to discuss during my divorce was when his next check was coming. I can assure you from personal experience that should he decide that today is the day he needs payment, he will not even discuss the case with you until payment is made. During the conferences we did have, I essentially had to bring him up to speed on the developments he was supposed to be seeing to and protecting me through as my hired attorney from square one - each time we met. It was obvious he wasn't working on my case at all. His basic strategy, to paraphrase, throughout the divorce was "we're going to give them everything that they ask for, so that they don't ask for anything more". When you hire an attorney, you do so because you do not understand the legal system and need someone to protect your rights. If you didn't have this lack of knowledge and need of services, you would obviously represent yourself. I can assure you - I would have done far better going into court without an attorney than going in with Townsend's representation. I've spoken to other attorney's in the area and members of the IL Bar Association since my divorce, and they have all informed me that Townsend and the Crosby Law Firm are constantly under review by the IL Bar Association's Ethics Committee for just such issues as I brought to their attention. I would urge you - Look into it yourself. I can just about accept the code that a lawyer's job is not to see that justice is served, but rather to ensure that the best outcome possible is achieved for their client. I cannot accept the code Townsend and his associates follow, which seems to be that it doesn't matter whether or not their client's best interests are served, only that their client's checks keep coming in. When I told Townsend this was costing me far too much for the results I was getting, and I was having to take out bank loans to pay him, he casually replied, "Well... lots of people live beyond their means"! Unbelievable. At that point I was too far invested in him to retain another attorney, but I know wish I had simply "lived beyond my means" and fired him, because the end result would have been the same. He took me for over $10K and got me nothing I stated I needed in our initial consultation. On the day the divorce was finalized, he didn't even read the final settlement until we were in the conference room outside of the courtroom 20 minutes before we were to go before the judge. After the papers were signed in court, I was never able to contact him again, despite numerous attempts. Save yourself the money and the disappointment you'll feel from knowing the attorney you paid to protect you has no interests in your best interests, and go to court without representation rather than retain this man.

I had used the American Law Firm to gain custody of my four children. I met with attorney Zachary Townsend explained my situation to him, and he let me know the flat out the good points of my case and the bad things that might be a issue. I liked the way he didn't beat around the bush and fill my hea...d with crap. Once I decided to go on with the case Attorney Townsend was right there on track getting things filed asap. Also He kept in contact with every step of the way either by phone or text every time I needed to talk to him he seemed to be available and if not I was receiving a call back in a short time, usually due to him being in court witch is understandable meaning that it is him job, witch I understand completely. I Just want to think Attorney Zachary Townsend for making my dream of having custody of my four children come true, also taking the time to help me get the child support for my children. I would recommend American Law Firm to anyone and if your looking for a attorney that's going to be hard working and takes pride in his work just ask for Attorney Zachary Townsend. Thanks again Attorney Townsend...