Terry Ann Zundel

I worked with Terry during a seemingly impossible divorce and custody case. My ex was impossible to work with, missed required court dates, threatened her and her staff frequently, refused to be cooperative or even decent and ultimately made a tough situation near impossible. Terry worked on this c...ase for 8 months, provided both legal advise and emotional support and ended up getting me full custody of daughter. She dealt with my ex- a malignant narcissist with professionalism and was able to see through his scary façade. She understands the law and fights for what is right. I would have been lost without Terry.

Had a phone consultation with Terry Zundel. I tried to provide the background of my case and asked questions that came across my situation. I sent her a list of my questions prior to the appointment and my divorce petition hoping to go over them during the consultation. But Terry was not friendly and... sounded unprofessional. She said "I don't know your case and you just need to response to the petition" and "I don't know your husband..". She didn't seem or intend to ask questions to learn about my situation. The first very question she asked during my consultation was my other pending case, and her attitude changed dramatically. As an immigrant who doesn't know any Family law, I wish to have a helpful attorney but I just didn't get that vibe from her. If you do not make a good impression and show compassion towards your client, how do you expect someone to hire you?

Terry was not only and exceptional lawyer who is intelligent, knowledgeable about law, steady and stalwart, but she is also ethical and did what was right. One of the challenges I felt like I faced was not being dragged down and allowing this process change who I am and what I consider to be morale a...nd she never came close to suggesting that we do anything outside of good decent behavior. She was a strong advocate and kept in mind the most important concern for our case which was what the best outcome for the children would be. Several reviews of other attorneys suggested that they stepped outside of their bounds, overcharged or mishandled their cases and she did not. She also has a humanitarian, compassionate side that communicates her understanding of the difficulties and challenges that can come with a divorce. She wasn't jaded or cold. She didn't lose her cool in the face of tactics clearly designed to throw both her and I off base. After 15 months of what was a grueling and very contentious divorce she always rose to the occasion and somehow managed to be thoroughly organized despite the significant complexities presented in such a lengthy, difficulty and convoluted case. Again I didn't ever get the sense that she was reactionary, operating from a place of retribution and she maintained compassion as proportionate to the situation and those involved admirably.

In May 2008, I found myself in a very scary situation. I was 8 months pregnant, separated from my husband, caring for our 2 year old, and holding down my full-time job. I came home from work one afternoon to find a ladder leaning against the deck of my home. I phoned police and told them I thought... someone might have broken into my home. I stayed in my car with my 2 year old until police arrived. The officer searched my home and confirmed someone had entered the home through the sliding glass door on the deck. The officer asked me to look around to see if anything was missing. I discovered my wedding ring was gone and that's when I knew it was my husband. (He and I separated in January 2008 after he was arrested for domestic violence, at which time he was ordered to vacate the home.) The police officer called my husband's cell phone, identified himself and asked him if he had broken into the house that day. My husband admitted to being in the home, and the office clarified to him that was breaking and entering. The officer then asked my husband if he had taken my wedding ring. My husband's response was that he had bought it for me, so it was his. The officer clarified that the ring was in fact my property, and that was stealing. When the officer asked my husband where the ring was, my husband said he pawned it that afternoon. After ending the call, I told the officer I wanted to press charges. He told me there was nothing he could do - this was a civil matter and would have to be taken up in civil court. That's when I found Terry. She went into immediate action, helped me obtain a restraining order, and had my husband served immediately. He was actually caught by the police crawling through a downstairs window into my home 24 hours after service of the restraining order. After breaking into my home, stealing my ring, getting served a restraining order and getting caught by the police breaking into my home again, my husband was never arrested. The law is very frustrating for those who follow it, while trying to deal with those who don't. Terry was my lifeline. She handled my divorce, which was final at the end of 2008. I trusted her with my life, and the lives of my children. She made sure we were protected, and 8 years later she is still my attorney.

Having never gone through a divorce before, I was initially very intimdated about seeking counsel and how all of this works. Terry could not have been a better attorney let alone calming force throughout the entire process. She was very methodical and consistent in all of her efforts and I would so... highly recommend her that a review via my laptop does not do justice. I sincerely appreciate her and cannot thank her enough. A true professional and genuine individual. Thank you!!