Stephen Ernest Penner

Stephen Ernest Penner

4.7
Rating: 7.4

Licensed for 48 years

Family Lawyer at Santa Barbara, CA
Practice Areas: Family, Estate Planning, General Practice, Criminal Defense

1215 De La Vina St Ste K, Santa Barbara, CA

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 1990
See Details

About Stephen

Biography

Practice Areas

4

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 48 years

State: California

Acquired: 1977

Active

Lawyer disciplined by state licensing authority in 1990

Location

Penner & Purves, PC

1215 De La Vina St Ste K, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101

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Stephen Ernest Penner's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.7 /5.0

27 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 4 of 4 reviews | Responsiveness

Posted by anonymous | March 17, 2018 | Estate Planning

Rude, poor communication, waste of time

Consulted with Mr. Penner on estate planning and to draft a simple will. We had come to him because he was recommended by our legal plan and he had a previously negotiated rate with them. Ignored us and made us wait for nearly an hour for our appointment even though nobody else was there, then took d...own our info and at the end proceeded to tell us that he was going to charge many times the previously negotiated rate. We asked him to try to straighten it out with the legal plan but... Nothing. No follow up, didn't return phone calls, total radio silence for weeks. Once finally reached by the legal plan, he said he was 'no longer available'. If you want someone to waste hours of your time for nothing, he's your guy. The least he could have done was call us back and apologize for the confusion or to at least tell us directly he no longer wanted to do the work.

Stephen Penner

Replied last September 29, 2016

We only met on 7/23/2016 for a free half hour consultation that was very cordial and educational, and you left our office without voicing any complaints or concerns. Thereafter, we were informed that LegalAccessPlans.com had, without our consent, incorrectly informed you that we charged $170 for an entire husband and wife estate plan. We would have worked with you had you called our office to clarify this misunderstanding. Instead, you chose to post an inaccurate and unfair review on multiple websites despite the facts that you were never a client of our office and that we have an established and proven track record with a long standing clientele who have expressed satisfaction and gratitude after our assisting them with family law, estate planning and probate matters. In an attempt to resolve your negative experience, Steve took the time to call you and offer to do your estate plan free of charge to make up for any misunderstanding caused by LegalAccessPlans.com, which offer you declined. We understand that legal issues are stressful, and we sincerely hope that you find someone outside of LegalAccessPlans.com (with whom we have never been affiliated) to complete your estate plan portfolio. Cordially, The Law Offices of Stephen E. Penner

Posted by Chris | October 26, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Estate Planning

Deepest Gratitude

I went to Mr. Penner to help with my Aunt's estate documents. I am in deep gratitude to him and his legal staff for the exemplary work they did on our behalf. The fact that they went out of their way to expedite our request and to make a personal visit to our home was greatly appreciated and unexpect...ed. Efforts like that were truly a gift for clients like myself. I highly recommend Mr. Penner and his firm.

Posted by alberta | May 27, 2015 | Family

Outstanding, Hard working, listings to your concerns, is willing to go the extra miles to keep your child safe.

My daughter had a very complex case that involved Dependency/Juvenile, Criminal and Family Courts. There were elemments of domestic violence, Child Abuse and most importantly the safety of my only grandchild was at risk.. Throw in a move away order and a restraining order and you have a complex cas...e. Attorney Steve Penner and his legal staff Noel Garcia and Sara were outstanding. They were alway available to answer questions calm my daughter down explain legal terms and procedures. They always went the extra mile to do research and come up with creative solutions to help our case. They also had to deal with a very difficult apposing counsil but in the end they saved us from a very costly trial that met all our needs and MORE . Most importantly my daughter and I can both sleep with peace of mind now knowing my grandchild will be SAFE because of the hard work of Attorney Penner and Ms. Garcia. I highly recommend this law office if you want results in a cost effective manner with a team that will treat you with dignity and will treat your case with care as if it were their own.

Posted by Ms Linda | October 16, 2014 | Criminal Defense

An Attorney Worth Retaining

I had a complex case that involved Dependency/Juvenile, Criminal and Family Courts. There were elements of Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Substance Abuse and most importantly the safety of a child was at risk. Throw in a Move Away and Restraining Order and you have a complex case. Attorney S...teve Penner and his legal staff Noel Garcia and Sara were outstanding. They were always available to answer questions, explain legal terms and procedures and they returned calls/messages promptly. They also have an after hours answering service. I felt well taken care of. They listened to me. They went the extra mile to do research and come up with creative solutions to help my case. At times I was emotional, dealing with difficult opposing counsel, and they were always patient and understanding with me which I appreciated. They strategized my case in a cost effective manner and in the end saved me from a costly trial by negotiating a settlement offer that met all my needs and more. Most importantly I can sleep with peace of mind now knowing my child will be SAFE because of the hard work of Attorney Penner and Ms. Garcia. I highly recommend this law office if you want results in a cost effective manner with a team that will treat you with dignity and will treat your case with care as if it were their own.

See All Client Reviews

Stephen Ernest Penner's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Stephen
John Henry Hunter headshot
John Hunter

General practice lawyer | Nov 11

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Attorney Stephen E. Penner is extremely competent, experienced and hard-working. I have worked together with him on cases for over 30 years, and he has always obtained exceptional results with optimal client satisfaction. We have worked together on complex cases involving a huge amounts of legal research and preparation. He has been a pleasure to work with, and has always been extremely conscientious and considerate of the clients' needs and interests. John Henry Hunter, Esq."

Steve Robert Balash Jr headshot
Steve Balash

Family lawyer | Oct 31

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Family law is not easy. That is why I do not do it. Steve has the patience to listen to the complaints and work to find a solution. Not many lawyers can do that."

Glenn Alan Dorfman headshot
Glenn Dorfman

Personal injury lawyer | Oct 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer wholeheartedly after knowing and watchng him practice law for 35+ years. He is not afraid to take on the difficult cases and when he does, the diligence and committment that I have seen devoted to such cases is impressive. He has fought for justice against the largest corporations for product defects and in other areas of the law, where his client has suffered grievously from fraud or some other kind civil wrong, he has gone the distance and usually won. In another recent case, he prevailed on behalf of grandparents who were denied visitation with their grandchildren when they would be the only stable influence in the children's lives. I have noted how Steve has become more selective in the cases he accepts and now realize how this has allowed him to go the extra mile in the sometimes very difficult cases that he does accept. If you have Steve Penner as your attorney, you will be in very good and competent hands. I recommend him highly.l"

Dana Francis Longo headshot
Dana Longo

Family lawyer | Oct 27

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Penner is an excellent trial lawyer, family law practitioner, and regularly and capably handles trust and estate matters. He and I recently worked together on a Will Contest during which he successfully presented our case at trial, and we prevailed. I wholeheartedly endorse Mr. Penner"

Tracey Rangel Cruz headshot
Tracey Cruz

Family lawyer | Oct 27

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Stephen Penner is extremely experienced and represents his clients diligently and effectively."

View All Endorsements
Steve Robert Balash Jr headshot
Steve Balash

Criminal defense lawyer

Tracey Rangel Cruz headshot
Tracey Cruz

Family lawyer

Dana Francis Longo headshot
Dana Longo

Estate planning lawyer

Bradford Dozier Brown headshot
Bradford Brown

Personal injury lawyer

John Henry Hunter headshot
John Hunter

Class action lawyer

Glenn Alan Dorfman headshot
Glenn Dorfman

Personal injury lawyer

Experience

Rating:  7.4 (Very Good)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 1990.

Discipline with Actual Suspension issued in CA, 1990

updated on 01/20/2016

This sanction means the attorney lost his or her license to practice law for a period of time. The attorney typically returns to practicing law when the suspension expires.

Discipline with Actual Suspension issued in CA, 1986

updated on 01/20/2016

This sanction means the attorney lost his or her license to practice law for a period of time. The attorney typically returns to practicing law when the suspension expires.

Honors

2007

Annual Award, Vietnam Veterans of America

1998

Trial Lawer, Santa Clara Bar Association

Work Experience

1977 - Present

Senior Attorney, The Law Offices of Stephen E. Penner, PC

Associations

2004 - Present

La Tierra Owners Association

President & In-House Legal Counsel

1995 - Present

Vietnam Veterans of America

Member

1992 - Present

Military Order of World Wars (MOWW)

Member

1977 - Present

Santa Barbara County Bar Association

Member

2012 - 2013

Veterans Coordinating Council

President

2005 - 2005

National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys

Member

2005 - 2010

Military Order of World Wars (MOWW)

Judge Advocate

2004 - 2008

Santa Ynez Valley Hounds

President

2000 - 2002

California Public Defenders Association

Member

1992 - 1994

Santa Barbara County Riding Club

President

1988 - 1995

Hearts Therapeutic Equestrian Center

Legal Counsel

Sample of Legal Cases

Grandparent Visitation

Grandparent Visitation Awarded to Paternal Grandmother

See More Legal Cases

Education

1977

California Western School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1971

U S Naval Academy

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

2014

US Government Class

Guest lecturer at Dos Pueblos High School

2014

U.S Government Class

Guest lecturer at Santa Barbara High School

2014

U.S Government Class

Guest lecturer at San Marcus High School

2013

Legality of Vietnam War on religion and government

Guest lecturer at University California Santa Barbara

2012

U. S Government class

Guest lecturer at Carpinteria High School

2012

Legality of Vietnam War on religion and government

Guest lecturer at University California Santa Barbara

2005

Santa Barbara Bench/Bar Conference

Stress Management for Lawyers

Publications

2014

Santa Barbara Lawyer Magazine Grandparents Have Visitation Rights, Too

1986

Santa Barbara NewsPress Sandinista Government & Law in Nicaragua

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.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline
    This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 1990
    Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
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