Howard Michael Van Elgort

Howard Michael Van Elgort

4.9
Rating: 9.2

Licensed for 64 years

DUI and DWI Lawyer at Soquel, CA
Practice Areas: DUI & DWI, Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence

2820 Porter Street, Soquel, CA

About Howard

Biography

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

DUI and DWI 60%

46 years | 2,500 cases

60%
Criminal Defense 30%

DUI (Alcohol & Drugs) Drug Cases (possession, sales, cultivation, UI) Domestic Violence DMV hearings

46 years | 2,000 cases

30%
Domestic Violence 10%

46 years | 250 cases

10%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 60 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Looking for an attorney? Avvo can help.

search module image

Search our directory

Quickly connect with top attorneys through our legal directory to get help with your legal issue.

chat module image

Avvo's live chat agents can help coordinate a consultation with a local attorney.

Chat with a live agent who can match you with the right attorney for your legal needs.

Chat with

Licenses

Licensed in California for 64 years

State: California

Acquired: 1962

Not Eligible to Practice Law (Not Entitled)

No misconduct found

Location

Law Office of Howard M. Van Elgort

2820 Porter Street, Soquel, CA, 95073

Ad

Transform legal challenges into solutions.

Connect now to review your situation.

The Avvo Rating explained

display-bg

The Avvo Rating explained

Howard Michael Van Elgort's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

9 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (9) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 5 of 9 reviews

Posted by Victor | February 06, 2012 | Lawsuits & Disputes

Very Happy with Mr. Van Elgort's handling of my case.

What stands out in our mind for my wife and myself, is how patient Mr. Van Elgort was in explaining every detail about my case to us, and how we felt we could ask questions as many times as we needed to until we understood. The way he handled my case, made me feel as if I was his only client, an...d doing his best for me was his main focus. I would return to him if I needed to consult an attorney, and I highly recommend him. We interviewed a couple of other attorneys who offered a free hour, before we decided on Mr. Van Elgort, because he seemed so experienced and knowledgeable. His demeanor made us feel like the outcome of my case, was in good hands.

Posted by anonymous | July 10, 2011 | Criminal Defense

Extremely Reasonable and Sincere Legal Counsel

I felt like I was in quite a bind and didn't see any foreseeable positive outcome from my case. Howard got 5 of my 7 charges dropped and it was all for an extremely low price. He saved me 10X the money that I would have spent if I had been charged. He's also trustworthy, honest, and reliable. Kudos!

Posted by NICOLE | December 17, 2009

ABOVE AND BEYOND!

MR. VAN ELGORT NOT ONLY PROVIDED ME WITH PROFESSIONAL AND COMPLETELY HONEST, ACCURATE LEGAL ADVICE; HE ALSO WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND BY BEING A SOURCE OF ASSISTANCE EVEN AFTER MY LEGAL MATTERS WERE TAKEN CARE OF. HE IS A MAN WITH EXTREME KNOWLEDGE, A MAN OF INTEGRITY, &SOMEONE WHO HAS YOUR BEST INTERES...TS AT HEART. HIS FEES ARE EXTREMELY REASONABLE ESP FOR SOMEONE WITH HIS EXPERIENCE AND HE ALWAYS KEPT ME UP TO DATE RE:MY CASE AS WELL AS NEVER MAKING ME FEEL THAT ANY OF MY CONCERNS/QUESTIONS WERE TOO SMALL. I NEVER HAD TO WORRY ABOUT HIM NOT GETTING BACK TO ME OR RETURNING CALLS/EMAILS. I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT MR VAN ELGORT. I RECOMMEND HIM HIGHLY!

Posted by Frank | December 14, 2009 | Criminal Defense

Howard

I offered him more money if he won the case to try and meep the motivation fresh. He declined my bonus and won the case on a motion to suppress. He costs himself 5 + grand for his honesty, hard work and integrity.... And he saved my ass.

Posted by Justin | December 14, 2009

Mr. Van Elgort

Mr Van Elgort was always there to answer any questions and worked very hard for me. He is also a very nice man to boot.

See All Client Reviews

Howard Michael Van Elgort's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Howard
Douglas MacMillan Borthwick headshot
Douglas Borthwick

DUI and DWI lawyer | Dec 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

John Wesley Burdick headshot
John Burdick

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 25

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Joshua Matthew Dale headshot
Joshua Dale

DUI and DWI lawyer | Dec 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I've known of this fine lawyer for many, many years and you can trust his opinion of your case - or your client's - Attorney Van Elgort will reliably strategize your best defense designed to minimize your exposure to punishment. Add him to your short list of lawyers to interview."

James Denson Wells headshot
James Wells

Criminal defense lawyer | Dec 09

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have had a close professional relationship with Mr. Van Elgort for well over ten years and know him to be a very competent, knowledgeable and dependable attorney. I have referred numerous of my clients to him for needed criminal defense representation without reservation. Results have always been as positive as possible."

View All Endorsements
James Denson Wells headshot
James Wells

General practice lawyer

Joshua Matthew Dale headshot
Joshua Dale

DUI and DWI lawyer

Michael James Kennedy headshot
Michael Kennedy

Criminal defense lawyer

John Wesley Burdick headshot
John Burdick

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.2 (Superb)

Honors

2018

AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2010

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2001

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

2000

Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell

1981

Resolution of Recognition as Judge, San Bernardino County Superior Court

1981

Resolution of Recognition as Judge, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors

1961

Top of Class in Constitional Law, UCLA Law School

1960

Top of Class in Security Transactions, UCLA Law School

Work Experience

1983 - Present

Attorney, Law Office of Howard M. Van Elgort

1977 - 1982

Supervising Judge, San Bernardino County Court

1973 - 1976

Assistand Public Defender, County of Riverside

1972 - 1973

Deputy Public Defender, Federal Public Defender

1966 - 1972

Executive Director, Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach

1965 - 1966

President and General Manager, Westland Escrow Compnay

1963 - 1965

Deputy City Attorney, Los Angeles City Attorney

1962 - 1963

Attorney, Law Office of Marvin A. Freeman

Associations

2000 - Present

Santa Cruz Criminal Defense Bar

Member

1999 - Present

Santa Cruz County Bar Association

Member

1999 - Present

California Public Defenders Association

Member

1989 - Present

California DUI Lawyers Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

People v. Frank R.

Case dismissed, license not suspended

People v. Edwin H

Felony Fraud Charges Dropped

Schlick v. Superior Court

Charges of manufacturing meth dismissed

People v. Gregory S

Case to be dismissed - theft diversion

See More Legal Cases

Education

1961

University of California at Los Angeles School of Law

Juris Doctor

1958

University of California - Los Angeles

BS - Bachelor of Science

Speaking Engagements

1980

Rotary International - Joshua Tree

California Court System

1979

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Training

Constitutional Law and Law Enforcement

Publications

2004

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 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