Michael T. Ungar

Worst Attorney ever! Failed to act on time, an amicable divorce is still not final after 4 years! He doesn't follow through, make promises to send documents but not follow through, short on phone. I am planning on filling a complaint with the State Bar as legal malpractice. DONT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MO...NEY he just doesn't care about how he will affect his customers. Check yelp for more reviews like this one

Michael was recommended to me by a friend as a "good attorney who works cheap." I hired Michael in June of 2009 to handle the divorce from my psychopathic wife - we were married 18 months, had no kids, no common property, she didn't even officially take my name. She wasn't working and continu...ally insulted me to the point where I was going crazy, but I couldn't throw her out of my place until the divorce was final. Michael said this should be an easy divorce that should take six to eight months. She was served sometime in August 2009 with the divorce papers, and never responded to the summons. Then the waiting game started. For the next year all I heard from Michael was that the courts were having layoffs, mostly in family court, so it may take a little longer. I spent the next year leaving messages on Michael's answering machine, and the few times I was actually able to talk to him, he would try and pacify me with small talk about sports and how frustrated he is with the court system. But, as he always concluded, "I can't do anything until I hear from the court... We're waiting to hear from the court, but everything is moving along the last time I checked.. " In November of 2010 I decided to take the afternoon off and go down to the courthouse to see where my case was. After waiting in line for an hour I asked the clerk, "Why am I not divorced yet?" She said, "You're just getting started, she hasn't even been served." What? I opened the door for the process server, she had been served but they didn't have the paperwork. I called Michael and he actually answered. Well, he had copies of everything and as Michael put it, "I think it's time we go to court." So, sometime late in 2010 or early in 2011, I met him at the courthouse and watched him walk to one window and then to another window - that's it. No judge, no courtroom, I don't think I even signed anything - why was I there? Long Beach court is notorious for losing paperwork, but Michael's inattention to my case resulted in my file basically rotting in the clerks' office for over a year. But, I was reassured by being told, "I've had divorces go on for two and a half years." In mid-February of 2011 Michael gave me a court date - March 22, 2011. Finally, a court date! The end seemed so near! I was going insane, couch surfing and sleeping in my car because my psychotic wife refused to move out of my condo. But finally, a court date that I could look forward to! I called Michael on March 21 and asked where and at what time I should meet him. "Oh, that's not happening tomorrow, we'll try next week," Michael said. What? I thought we had a court date? Michael said that was simply the date he suggested to the court, but the court never confirmed it. OK, my BS meter was fully in the red - I've always thought you either had a court date or you didn't. Having the day off anyway, I went down to the court and asked for status. They didn't have any record of a request for a court date and there was no Default Judgment filed - my divorce was rotting again, and this was 21 months after I originally hired Michael. Enough was enough, I really couldn't take it anymore. I hired a paralegal (who actually was slightly more expensive than what Michael charged) to basically get done what Michael was unable to do. Michael was more than happy to sign the Substitution of Attorney paper and faxed it within minutes to my paralegal. My wife was re-served, with the stipulation that she moves within three months of the divorce being final - something that wasn't even mentioned in the original petition. But, unlike when Michael handled my case, my paralegal actually followed up and followed through with what was a simple, non-contested and default divorce. A judge signed off on June 2, 2011 - my divorce was final three months after basically firing Michael.

I had gotten involved in a small hit and run case. The other party alleged that I left the scene of an accident and the CHP believed her and decided to press charges against me. Mike did an okay job in a defending me, not great. He didn't invest the time nor the effort to clear my name really. Bu...t then again, I got what I paid for. In the end, I got off with a plea bargain and did 80 hours of community service and I had to pay restitution to the "victim". My case was fortunately expunged from the records after 1 year. This was many years ago, like 17 years ago.