Paul J DeBast

Paul represented my in divorce in 2013 and did little more than quote standard law which I was able to read from the internet. My ex-husband spent joint funds on a girlfriend, gambling, and expensive life style. Edited documents he provided and more. Any mention of recovering funds received the resp...onse "getting to the point of diminishing returns" and was reminded of his fees. I heard more about his divorce than mine and he consistently confused my case with another client by the same first name. By the time I realized he would do nothing I could not afford to start over with another attorney. Find someone else.

Paul was my attorney during my recent alimony modification case. It quickly became evident that my case would not be settled out of court. At every stage of the process, I felt I was getting very sound legal advice and expert representation. He prepared my case carefully and presented it superbly in ...court with integrity and a very professional demeanor. At the end of the case the judge went out of her way to compliment him on his case presentation and I believe the court's decision reflected this. He has my strong recommendation.

I am truly thankful for Mr. DeBast's services. I worked with Mr. DeBast for several years. I was faced with a number of new legal motions by the opposing side, which Mr. DeBast handled thoughtfully and diligently. He always listened to my concerns and then first gave his take on the big picture an...d then my legal options. He was not only highly knowledgeable and experienced, but also caring and concerned about our entire family's well-being. I would highly recommend Paul DeBast's services.

Paul DeBast is knowledgeable and highly experienced in divorce law. He can be charming and his office is well-organized. He also responded promptly to queries I sent him by telephone or email. Unfortunately, he has a rather thin skin, a hair-trigger temper and is not a good listener. Clients who ...are shy or not skilled at argumentation may find him overbearing. In my case, things went well early in the divorce process. Court filings were performed correctly and on time, and my paperwork appeared well-managed. Problems arose, however, when I questioned the length of time the process seemed to be taking. At one point, my wife mentioned that she was working on a required budget document. When I asked DeBast if this was something I needed to fill out, he immediately sent me the form, leaving me to wonder why I had had to request it and what, if any, other forms I might be missing. Later, his office made no effort to contact me prior to an important court status review. When questioned about this, DeBast pointed out that he had sent me a letter (*over two months earlier!*) telling me to contact him two weeks prior to the court appearance. Although I did not question his competence or experience, he took my questions as an attack on his integrity and reacted by summarily terminating our relationship. Another issue, revealed only after I met with a different attorney, is that DeBast is exceedlingly slick in responding to questions about likely outcomes in the areas of spousal support and division of assets. In place of direct responses based on his long experience, he prefers to hand out documents summarizing the results of many “typical” divorce cases. If you need a lawyer who will guide you carefully, quickly and pro-actively through the divorce process, making sure that you understand what is needed at each step, and giving you sufficient lead time to prepare, you may wish to look elsewhere.