Barton Michael Pokras

Hired Barton due to his reputation for collaborative divorce. However, when my ex retained a litigation oriented lawyer, I specifically asked him if he felt comfortable dealing with this. He bragged about how he has a reputation for being a tough in the court room when need be. Turned out he didn't k...now which way was up. Opposing counsel threatened to file a domestic violence restraining order and he immediately turned tail and ran. He told me I had no choice but to sign my wife's stipulations. Per Barton: during the restraining order hearing, I would have to testify thus incriminating myself for my criminal hearing. I found out later this was completely untrue. The family judge would not have forced me to incriminate myself, she would have just issued a temporary restraining order until after the criminal hearing, which was refused by the DA. Barton had NO CLUE that this is what should have been done, in spite of his bragging. Instead he strongly advised me to sign orders that put me at a severe, severe disadvantage from which I had to spend a lot of time and money to fight back from. When I pointed out my ex violated the very orders she had me sign, When Barton didn't want to make a big deal of it, he didn't want to "anger" opposing counsel! Really?!!? Only after arguing with him for 10 minutes he reluctantly agreed to write a letter to opposing counsel. After he notified me he sent it, he had the audacity to brag about how he is normally easy going except when his client's rights are being trampled! I couldn't believe he said that! It was at that point I decided to switch lawyers. The other big mistake he made was when I initially hired him, I instructed him I wanted to file for divorce while pursuing a collaborative divorce at the same time. Thus if the collaborative process failed the court process would have been started, "hope for the best, prepare for the worst." He advised against it because that would send a bad sign to the other side. He seems to be more worried about opposing counsel than his own clients! So when I did have to go to court to fight the orders to get my rights back and to start the divorce process, it was delayed due to the delay in starting the divorce process. If you're absolutely sure both sides are pursuing a collaborative divorce, then Barton might be for you. If there is any chance whatsoever that the divorce might become contentious, either stay away or switch lawyers immediately!

Words cannot express how tremendously grateful I am to Mr. Barton Pokras for his sincere compassion and legal guidance during the most challenging event in my life. Barton's level of expertise and professionalism went far beyond even my greatest expectations. Mr. Pokras is genuinely committed to hi...s clients while preserving the family bonds during the most difficult of divorces. Regardless of his busy schedule, I always felt that my case was the most important to him. He provided a support system while serving as a mentor, something unheard of in today's field of law. He could take mountains of information I gave him and present it to the courts in a concise and professional manner, which is probably why we never lost one single motion. Simply put, attorneys like Barton Pokras are truly and exceptionally rare and I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a strong and intelligent advocate for their corner.

Barton is a wonderful human being to have in your corner through a tumultuous and emotional divorce proceeding. Before hiring Barton I asked him to keep the focus on my daughter's future interests, and not get distracted by the emotional roller coaster. He did just that~! My daughter's future was pre...served as I intended thanks to Barton's perseverance and patience through the proceedings. I highly recommend Barton.

Mr. Pokras and his staff are second to none. He is extremely knowledgeable and helpful on a legal as well as a personal level. Barton exceeded all of my expectations as my divorce attorney. In a case that can only be described as "difficult", his professional demeanor and patience with the other part...y was a breath of fresh air. I would highly recommend Mr. Pokras to anyone seeking legal counsel in relation to a divorce or separation.