Joseph Wallace Howington

Mr. Howington was by far the best attorney I could have ever asked for, he helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life. My ex husband was trying to gain full custody of my (2) yr old while he left me during my pregnancy with our 2nd daughter. My ex put me through so much and Mr. Howi...ngton was there to fight for me every step of the way. There was a time when I hadn't even been served to appear in court, due to my ex doing things illegally, Mr. Howington happened to be in court on another case, thankfully and was able to run interference and represent me without my even being there. Throughout the long battle, in the end I wound up with 100% physical and legal custody and a very fair amount of child support, my ex was ordered to pay all attorney fees (not that I've ever seen the $$) that's beside the point! Mr. Howington knows the law, he knows how things will go and he gives excellent advice, he actually comforted me which was next to impossible. I would refer anyone to him without hesitation, he is by far the best attorney!!!

Mr Howington and his excellent staff did a great job with my divorce, and was very effective at preventing any successes from the opposing counsel. His immense knowledge and long years of experience were very invaluable in helping me. His staff are very courteous and professional. I highly recommend... him. (he's also a nice guy)

I was extremely pleased with the service from my attorney, Joseph Howington, and his staff. They were very professional and kept me informed through the entire proceeding. His staff was responsive to my questions in a very timely manner. When I met with him, he explained everything that would happen... in detail and answered all my questions.

Joe was retained over four years ago on a case involving enforcement of an old settlement, poorly written. He was chosen after the recommendation of individuals closely involved with the court and interviews with 4 other attorneys. He is a decent, honest, caring person, and a competent attorney. But ...competence did not translate into success for this case. Here are some things to keep in mind when retaining an attorney for a family law matter in San Bernardino, as they relate to our experience with Joe. The case will most likely take years to resolve, if multiple court dates are needed. Joe did his best to expedite the case, but a case that was originally thought to be resolvable in one to two years took over 4 years. This was not Joe's fault, but it has become a reality in San Bernardino that the courts are clogged, judges overworked and cases take many years longer than they should. This meant that the expense of the case grew by over 3 times the original retainer. Had we projected the case would take at least twice as long and cost over 3 times the original estimate, we would have never proceeded. It would have been clear that the risk and cost of losing would outweighed the benefits of winning. Ask any attorney you are considering to give you details on cases they have recently won, and how the cases were resolved, i.e. settlement, court decision, appeal. You need to gauge where the attorney's practice is headed, because you will likely be waiting years to see a final resolution. And those years of working on the case and waiting will impact the attorney. There may be health problems, staff turnover, and evolution of the attorney's relationship with judges, and evolution of the courts. All these factors work against those with the lessor resources. In our case, Joe overcame many obstacles to proceeding with our case , but there was a lot of staff turnover, which at times made it tough on us. The relationship of the attorney with the judges is the most important factor in the resolution of your case. Joe's relationship with the judges was said to be outstanding when he was retained. But this was years ago, and it appears that these relationships deteriorated over time. To have our case won, with a clear judgment in favor, and then to have the same judge reverse that ruling, and after years of delays, not based on law, but on equity, seemed strange. To learn of similar reversals in several other cases all around the same time speaks to some hidden issue with the judges, likely not Joe's fault, but still devastating to the outcome of our case, and presumably the other cases too. Be prepared to put in significant time yourself on your case, many, many hours. Or be prepared to spend a lot of money on staff time. The average attorney bills $500 per hour. This works out to $1,000,000 per year. Joe was fair in his rates and billing practices, but also tough. When interviewing Joe or any other attorney, ask yourself these questions. Can you afford 3 or 4 times the original retainer?Does the opposing party have greater resources than you? Where will you be in 4 or 5 years? Where do you think the attorney will be in 4 or 5 years? Lastly attorneys and judges will always push for settlements. But settlements need enforcement mechanisms and these are hard to obtain. We received a settlement offer of 20% of the value of the case. Joe's opinion was to accept. We deemed it in bad faith and had to make the difficult decision to reject it. This is not a reflection on Joe's competence as an attorney, but of a changing reality in which cases are dependent less on the law than on relationships between judges and attorneys, and very much on the cooperation of the opposing party, making receiving a fair outcome difficult if resources between parties are unequal. Joe, and all attorneys, need to be clear from the outset about the costs and time of cases, and the difficulty in getting a fair outcome absent large resources.

If you are reading this review then I must assume you are entering or are already going through a divorce or custody battle. I am so sorry. You will need a great deal of support and an extraordinary legal team to help you handle the countless requests, emails, opposing council crap, court dates and... the overall aggravation that undoubtedly will be caused by your ex. This process will most likely push you to your breaking point and evoke so many emotions but through it all, it is crucial you stay focus on all you need to do. You will need someone who will advise you and direct you from doing something that can potentially be devastating to your case. Number one advice I can give you is that you must have the utmost confident in the person who is representing you. To that I say, "LOOK NO FURTHER!" Mr. Howington is the embodiment of everything you will need and want on yours side to help you fight for what you think is right. He will never sugar-coat anything and he will always give you the benefit of his 34 years of experience. His staff is awesome (Shout out to Heather)! They all are extremely professional, expedient and very friendly. They seem to work tirelessly for you and make you feel like you are the most important case they are working on. I am so grateful I was referred to Mr. Howington from a former client of his. Although the outcome of my situation has not been resolved I am more than confident Mr. Howington and his staff are doing all in their power to get me a favorable outcome. As much as it can be, given that my divorce/custody battle is the most detestable situation I have ever gone through, I can still say it has been a pleasurable experience working with Mr. Howington and his staff.