Tess M Reutzel

Tess M Reutzel

5.0
Rating: 8.7

Licensed for 17 years

Family Lawyer at San Diego, CA
Practice Areas: Family

101 West Broadway, Suite 1970, San Diego, CA

About Tess

Biography

Practice Areas

1

Practice Area

Family 100%

18 years | 350 cases

100%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Retainer

Always


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 17 years

State: California

Acquired: 2008

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Tess Reutzel, LC

101 West Broadway, Suite 1970, San Diego, CA, 92101

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Tess M Reutzel's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

8 Client Reviews

5 star (8)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Jeffere | December 10, 2023 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Caring, firm legal advice

Tess was exactly the legal support I needed through a difficult divorce involving child custody. She and her team provided the warm support I needed, as well as the toughness to go toe-to-toe with a tough opposing lawyer. She helped me navigate a less than transparent ex-wife, and stonewalling on ...key items of discovery. I remember one conversation between opposing parties where my ex was attacking me and not offering compromise, where Tess stepped in sternly and set the ground rules. I always felt she had my back. She and Anna brought a light to a dark time. They executed a strong, consistent approach to various opposing legal maneuvers, such as my deposition, custody orders, and inappropriate contact between opposing counsel and my son. I felt a lot of care and will recommend Tess to anyone!

Posted by Norma | October 9, 2015 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Superb Attorney -- Dedicated

I consulted with several family law attorneys, and I was extremely fortunate to have found Tess Reutzel. Ms. Reutzel is intelligent, well learned (she is a certified family law specialist), and totally committed to her clients. I was extremely impressed with Ms. Reutzel's work ethic and lawyeri...ng skills. She always kept me informed regarding the status of my case. My calls and e-mails were always responded to promptly. Ms. Reutzel always took the time to explain my options and was extremely honest and realistic in addressing my concerns and expectations -- but was always respectful. She was fearless and aggressive in protecting my interests but was always professional. I learned that she is highly respected by her peers and the legal community. Her great reputation is well deserved. I owe her my sincere gratitude for the very positive results that she obtained for me and for making this life-changing transition easier.

Posted by Shannon | December 1, 2013

Professional, smart, and the Lawyer you want in your corner!!!

I don't usually write reviews, but working with Tess has been such a positive experience that I feel obliged to do so. Background: I am a civilian contractor working overseas on a military base, my ex-husband is in San Diego. We had a nasty divorce in 2010 and are still going back and forth regarding... personal property/finances. I will spare the details, but my ex was not making payments on a vehicle that I was joint on a loan on. If the car had gotten repossessed I would lose my security clearance; hence, my job because a secret security clearance is required. I had gone to court regarding the vehicle in 2011-2012, but in July 2013 that order needed enforcing. I made some calls to San Diego and was referred to Ms. Reutzel by another firm. After talking to a few different lawyers I hired Tess. I was sold after one email;she had a plan and she wasted no time getting things taken care of. This case resulted in my getting the vehicle back, and she managed to do all if this without my being in the United States. She definitely went above and beyond by making several phone calls to the sheriffs dept, she went to the holding facility and signed for the vehicle (after taking several pictures of it for me) when the towing company picked it up. She completely surpassed my expectations. Even if the case had not gone in our favor, I would still leave her a good review. She kept me informed and always responded to my emails within a day. She is smart and most definitely the lawyer you want in your corner. If I could give her 10 stars I would!!

Posted by Erick | March 9, 2013

A lawyer who looks out for her client's interests

I feel confident facing my upcoming court appearance with Ms. Reutzel as my attorney. I have had more productive communication with her in the past week than I had with my previous attorney in over three months. Ms Reutzel is dynamic, positive, and makes me feel that she will look out for my inte...rests and will fight for what is right. I recommend her highly to others who are dealing with difficult family law cases

Posted by Jenáe | November 2, 2012

Passionately determined lawyer.

Tess did such an outstanding job with my case. She alway kept me in the know about what was needed from me. Tess is very knowledgeable about family law and is very trustworthy. If I ever had a question Tess would respond to my call or e-mail right away. I have found a friend in Tess and would tell an...yone who needs an amazing attorney too use Tess.

See All Client Reviews

Tess M Reutzel's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Tess
Adam J Ford headshot
Adam Ford

Family lawyer | Aug 03

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Mrs. Reutzel is highly focused on getting positive results for her client. She is able to balance both the big picture along with the small details that come along in a legal proceeding. She is an excellent advocate and I highly endorse her."

Kristine Carole Blagof headshot
Kristine Blagof

Family lawyer | Feb 17

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Wonderful well-trained attorney with attention to detail. No non-sense attorney that works very hard and effectively to meet her client's needs."

Omar G Nassar headshot
Omar Nassar

Family lawyer | Nov 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Tess is a fantastic family lawyer who really cares about her clients and strongly advocates on their behalf. Any client would be lucky to have her."

Aaron Michael Olsen headshot
Aaron Olsen

Family lawyer | Oct 31

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Bernard Francis King III headshot
Bernard King

Family lawyer | Apr 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Natalie Brynn Declusin headshot
Natalie Declusin

Family lawyer | Jan 20

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ms. Reutzel is as hard-working and intelligent as they come! She is the only family law attorney I recommend to those seeking a referral. She knows the law, and works tirelessly to serve her clients' needs and obtain the very best possible outcome in all of her cases."

James Nelson Dicks headshot
James Dicks

Family lawyer | Nov 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"This attorney works very hard for the clients and keeps up with the law by attending legal seminars to assist them in this regard. I endorse this attorney."

Michael Shemtoub headshot
Michael Shemtoub

Family lawyer | Sep 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Your resume speaks for itself and I consider you a valuable member of the attorney community. I would recommend you to anyone and everyone who needs your services. I whole heartedly endorse this lawyer!"

Luiey Ghaleb Haddad headshot
Luiey Haddad

Family lawyer | Apr 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Tess is a savvy attorney with significant experience in Family Law. Her expertise and ability to adapt to differing personal styles garners her respect from clients, colleagues, and even opposing attorneys. She has a tireless work ethic and compassion for her clients. She is very personable, fights for her clients and gets the job done extremely well. Additionally, her background in mediation allows her to be an effective advocate for her clients. I highly endorse this lawyer's great work."

Joseph Daniel Raskin headshot
Joseph Raskin

Family lawyer | Mar 01

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Ms. Reutzel represented my ex-wife in my divorce, which included a number a difficult custody and business valuation issues. Ms. Reutzel was extraordinarily professional even during very acrimonious points in the divorce. I could tell that she kept herself fully informed, was well-prepared, and frankly that resulted in a lot of settlements of issues and reduced overall costs as we avoided prolonged litigation. Ms. Reutzel is a tough advocate, to be certain. But I am confident that she is also a helpful counselor at law. Her client, my ex, began to demonstrate a much better understanding of the issues of our case, on a day-to-day basis after Ms. Reutzel began working with her. She is a sharp attorney that can identify the issues quickly, and get to the bottom of things with assertiveness, disarming charm, or both. I particularly recommend her to clients that were not involved in day-to-day business/finance issues during the marriage, and when custody of young children is involved."

Jason B Christmann headshot
Jason Christmann

Family lawyer | Feb 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ms. Reutzel is a devoted attorney who always puts her client's interest first. I would highly recommend Ms. Reutzel for any family law matter."

John Joseph O'Brien headshot
John O'Brien

Family lawyer | Aug 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ms. Reutzel is a highly intelligent, energetic, and compassionate San Diego family law attorney. She zealously represents her clients' interests in court, and also spends the time out of court getting to know each client on a personal level. I have had the pleasure of knowing her for years and I recommend anyone with family law needs contact this attorney."

Brian Michael Holm headshot
Brian Holm

Family lawyer | Aug 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Ms. Reutzel is a hard worker, intelligent and compassionate--the three most essential qualities you want to find in your family law attorney. I recommend her anytime my clients are in need of a top notch family law expert. You will not be disappointed."

Arie Ebrahimian headshot
Arie Ebrahimian

Family lawyer | Jun 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Reutzel knows what it takes to build a winning strategy both in and out of the courtroom and has earned a reputation for her unwavering dedication to her clients. If you are in need of an experienced, reliable, and aggressive family law attorney, contact Ms. Reutzel. You will be in good hands."

View All Endorsements
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Experience

Rating:  8.7 (Excellent)

Honors

2017

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

Work Experience

2008 - 2012

Associate, Brave, Weber & Mack, Aplc

Associations

2008 - Present

San Diego Bar Association

2008 - Present

San Diego County Bar Association, Family Law Section

Education

N/A

California Western SOL

law

N/A

Univ of Iowa

undergraduate

Speaking Engagements

N/A

Solutions- Exploring Success- Post-High School

Legal Fields

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

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  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution