Wilfried P. Schmitz

Mr Schmitz has always provided me with excellent advice and service. He is extremely knowledgeable, hard working, trustworthy and compassionate. Going through a divorce is extremely difficult, especially when children are involved. Mr Schmitz and his staff have always treated me very kind and reall...y listen to what is important to me. His ethical approach to child custody matters really sets him apart from other attorneys. Mr Schmitz always puts the best interest of the children involved first. Without hesitation, I strongly recommend Mr Schmitz. He really fights for you and your children and goes above and beyond for his clients.

If you are looking for a lawyer to feed your belly full of all the fluffy promises your heart desires keep looking. If however you want a lawyer that will be honest with you and set you with a realistic set of expectations, which he can and will deliver on; you will be hard pressed to find a be...tter lawyer than Wilfried Schmitz. Wilfried was recommended to me by a very close friend who had worked with him in the past. My friend told me that he had used a different lawyer in the past on his case and that he wasted a lot of money because he should have used Mr. Schmitz the entire time. My case was to gain primary custody of my child due to a severe change in living environment with her mom. Wilfried was very deliberate and realistic in giving me a good idea of what to expect throughout the case and always gave advice that turned out to be true and helpful to the situation we were working with. Needless to say we won our case. I will absolutely use Wilfried Schmitz for any future legal needs and would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone in need of legal help.

Wilfred Schmitz represented me in a divorce proceeding involving my adopted teenage son and his (biological) mother (my wife) who emotionally abused him and has now since deserted her son. I am also a business owner. The case was complex due to me being a business owner and extraordinary due to me,... an adoptive father, getting custody of my wife’s child having only been married 6 years and being his adoptive father only 4 years. Despite the opportunity to pit one against the other, as most divorce cases present, Mr. Schmitz was level-headed, diligent, professional and primarily used a problem solving approach as opposed to a confrontational style. I never sensed he was only in it for the money. I was tempted to go to trial to prove the truth to the Court, which would have resulted in significantly more money for Mr. Schmitz. However, he advised me the settlement offered by my wife was an incredible opportunity and I’d likely pay her 3-4x more and run up significant legal fees if we went to trial. Additionally, I’d have to potentially split my business income during our divorce process which would have surpassed the settlement amount. Financially it was a grand-slam for me. Again, Mr. Schmitz, although compensated well during the process, could have earned double the fee if we went to trial and I’d have suffered a severe financial setback. As “wrong” as my wife had been it would have been easy for him to nudge me in that direction for his own benefit. Instead he had conversations with opposing counsel which resulted in a settlement that was incredibly favorable. He also could have easily tipped off opposing counsel of my financial position to serve his own financial purpose but he didn’t. My wife put forth a settlement prior to discovery being completed. Mr. Schmitz personally counseled me as well. He told me I couldn’t make her be a mother to her son. Paramount to him is the child’s vulnerability during the process. He frequently asked about my son. It was my only divorce, so his objective, experienced viewpoint of the process and my situation was priceless. His concern was genuine. She now lives 2 miles from her son with no contact; she repeatedly violates the divorce decree. If I engage a family law attorney again it will be Mr. Schmitz. He has proved to be a man of integrity. He is fair and is a comforting influence in a potentially ruinous situation. His staff was professional and considerate as well. With him as your counsel you will not walk away feeling like you were fleeced, either by him or your ex-spouse.

Mr. Schmitz helped me work through a situation where my ex had become VERY lackadaisical in her responsibilities of parenting. As an example, my child didn't want to come to my house after school. After a semester of school last year, he had approximately 38 zeroes and 40 other failing grades. This w...as his last year of Junior High and I could no longer stand by and watch the deterioration of what had been a very good academic career. The process was long and arduous and every case is different, but I felt like that Mr. Schmitz was very open, honest and didn't set expectations that were beyond reason. Go in with full knowledge that Mr. Schmitz won't be taking your case because he wants money. My impression is that he has been in practice long enough. That is not his driver. Mr. Schmitz wants what is best for your kids. He will be tough on you, because that is how he determines what the truth is. I worked with Mr. Schmitz for a year before he finally decided to take my case. It was not cheap, but I was integrally involved in my child's first year of high school. The custody papers were changed. And the freshman grades of high school improved dramatically. It's going to be close, but National Honor Society is pretty darned good and that was the expectation that was set at the beginning of the school year. My original lawyer was lazy and unorganized. Mr. Schmitz is a hard worker that works seamlessly with his staff. It helps if you are the same. Don't go thinking that you are going to give him your sob story, write a big, fat check and come back in 60 days and everything will be tied up in a bow. Treat this situation like - you have a certain amount of time and input before your kid grows up and there is a sense of urgency to get a problem fixed. If you need him, Mr. Schmitz or one of his staff will respond quickly. Give them the courtesy of doing the same. Finally...be prepared to compromise. This is not about you "winning". It's about your child.