Tarl Neal Johnson

If I could give zero stars I would. I hired Tarl Johnson to represent my son in his divorce case early October 2024. Tarl Johnson of Brown Family Law is by far one of the worse attorney's I have ever worked with. Mr. Johnson was hired based off of his statement that he was a shark in the courtroom. H...e has also stated that he has made respondents and judges cry with his questioning, and he would get everything that was rightfully due my son. Mr. Johnson started out strong but then proceeded to lack luster. He made statements on things that he was going to get handled without follow through. Stated things would be handled in court (community debt and fraudulent house purchase) and then did nothing to bring them up. Was the first to say he would draft the Rule 69 when the judge asked (this was so he could charge us over $3500 to write the order). He gave my son bad advice when it came to him continuing to pay his ex-wife's car insurance and cell phone. He advised him to sell the phone (can't do that while it is being financed) and to just take her off his car insurance (which most insurance companies won't do until proof of insurance for the vehicle has been shown). What attorney gives bad advice to a client? I have spoken to Mr. Johnson with assurances of filing for conferences, extension of dismissal (never done which led my son's case to be dismissed) and filing motion for trial. Nothing that was ever done. I had notified Mr. Johnson that my credit card had expired and to have his office please call me so I can give an updated one which they never did. My son would text the paralegal with questions with no responses to his questions. My son's case was not difficult, 50/50 parenting time, no child support (mind you she would be responsible paying my son child support as she makes more money), community debt, house division and attorney fees. This is pretty straight forward. I communicated with Mr. Johnson on February 19, 2025, to make the decision of continuing with him or retaining new counsel. I reminded him that the case was on the dismissal calendar for February 28, 2025, and he assured me things would be handled (he would file extension, request status conference and motion for trial) and nothing was done. The next thing that was done was mid-March AFTER I told Mr. Johnson I was no longer financing divorce. Second week of March I contacted Mr. Johnson that I would no longer be financing the divorce. $10,000 for temporary parenting time is what we received, and Mr. Johnson seemed very proud of that. This is all that was done in nine months. The opposing counsel was very unresponsive which did not help matters, but instead of filing motions to get this under control, Mr. Johnson did nothing. Allowed the dismissal to go without filing an extension. (He then said the new counsel should have handled the dismissal.) He should have asked for an extension back in February, but... not his problem. We have since hired new counsel and hopeful to get the dismissed case reversed and move forward to getting my son divorced and joint custody of his son. Steer clear of Mr. Johnson and Brown Family Attorney in Mesa.