Shapiro & Croland - Hackensack, NJ

David Torchin, a court-appointed Parent Coordinator, was tasked with assisting in resolving disputes between my ex-wife and me concerning our children's upbringing. Unfortunately, his services were disappointing. He often canceled meetings at the last minute and double-booked appointments, which led to us being prioritized lower than other clients. His unprofessional behavior extended to using personal insults and intimidation tactics during sessions. Rather than fostering compromise, he tried imposing his views and resorted to bullying. When our issues persisted, we sought mediation from another professional, who provided practical, child-centric solutions—something Mr. Torchin failed to achieve. He differentiated his mediation style from that of the other mediator, claiming not to impose his opinions on what's best for the children, leaving unresolved disputes to the custodial parent of the day. Moreover, Mr. Torchin seemed more focused on maximizing his billings. For instance, while he was on vacation, many of us were billed for supposed "Telephone/International Calls." This approach seemed to prioritize revenue over effective service. These experiences suggest that Mr. Torchin's effectiveness as a Parent Coordinator is questionable. For those needing a family law professional with a calm, effective approach, it may be wise to consider alternatives to Mr. Torchin. I hope he uses this feedback constructively to enhance his future services rather than responding defensively.

David was fierce yet compassionate in handling my case. Besides, I admired his timely responses on either questions from me or my ex's attorney. David kept me posted on what's next in my case, reviewed legal clauses with me, summarized my thoughts clearly on drafts and finals. My case was complex and I was glad I picked David to represent.

I could not imagine a better family attorney than David Torchin. David is an excellent communicator who is extremely well versed in the rules and minutiae of family law. I am impressed by how well David understood the details and circumstances of our family situation - he never forgets anything. His skill with financials are impeccable. David was always available for questions and to assist with difficult decisions. He frequently took the edge off of stressful situations with his excellent humor and even-tempered approach. David would advise mediation and cooperation first, and tried to resolve my many issues to avoid lengthy and costly litigation. In the courtroom, David is extremely well prepared and presents his arguments calmly and factually – an approach that was obviously appreciated by the Court. I could not ask for a better attorney to guide me through what was a very difficult and contentious divorce. After my trial, I continued to rely on David for assistance with additional financial and custody issues that arose. By following David’s example, I took a calmer and more positive approach to resolving divorce issues. David is the attorney you want by your side when the well-being of your family is your first and highest priority. I am forever grateful for David’s assistance.

She was appointed guardian of my mom by the court. In one year she billed my mom for ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AT $400/hour, when if my mom were indigent, she would only be allowed by the court to bill something like $100/hr, I believe Also, because my mom hated the fact that she would not let mom GO TO CHURCH or VISIT THE GRAVE OF MY DAD or LEAVE THE PLACE SHE INVOLUNTARILY COMMITTED HER TO FOR ANY REASON, I filed a motion to have her removed. She then told the judge MANY TIMES in WRITING that she should be due "hardship pay"! WTF! One would think that getting paid $400/hr which is an annualized income of $800,000/year would be enough for her She also hired a lawyer FROM HER OWN FIRM to "defend" her against removal, then paid HIM $300/hr FROM MY MOM's ACCOUNT for a combined fee of SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS PER HOUR. Can't she defend herself, without DOUBLE BILLING MY MOM who has DEMENTIA and cannot refuse, or hire a lawyer OUTSIDE her firm so she does not DOUBLE DIP?!? As guardian, she REFUSED to let me help arrange my mom to see a doctor (I'm a doctor), and claimed she could not get an appointment for ONE YEAR. Once she FINALLY allowed me to call myself, I miraculously got mom an appointment in TWO WEEKS. She also has let MORE THAN HALF A YEAR LAPSE for her to get a simple hearing aid, and not replace her bridge for THREE MONTHS so she looks bad when she smiles. This is NOT the type of "excellent care" that you would expect for a $100k! She also has not applied for getting a 2nd life insurance policy payment for my mom that is in my dad's name, who died last year, despite MANY WRITTEN NOTICES FROM ME THAT SHE WAS NOT DOING THIS, and now that policy is at risk of "timing out" She also REFUSED to use the real estate agent that my mom chose, hired, and promised to sell her condo in Naples, EVEN THOUGH HE PROMISED IN WRITING TO LOWER HIS FEE BELOW ANY OTHER AGENT BECAUSE HE SOLD THIS UNIT BEFORE, and insisted on using "her" agent--and refused to say why, which is a BREECH OF HER FIDUDIARY DUTY TO PROTECT MY MOM's ASSESTS. WHY would she INSIST on using "her" agent--I wonder? Similarly, she REFUSED to use the broker whom my mom worked for for DECADES in Tenafly, who ALSO PROMISED IN WRITING to offer a LOWER COMMISSION out of decades of friendship with my mom, again BREECHING HER FIDUDIARY DUTY and insisting on using "her agent". WHY? What possible reason could she have for not using a broker my mom had a relationship with, and using someone who would CHARGE A HIGHER COMMISSION? WHAT DO YOU THINK THE REASON MIGHT BE?! She also called the COPS when my mom wouldn't let her introduce 24/7 help in her home, when my mom asked to speak to me, she refused, and had the COPS HAUL HER AWAY PHYSICALLY, kicking and screaming and literally spitting at the cops. My mom is an elderly, frail, almost 90 year old lady who weighs under 90 lbs and almost became a CATHOLIC NUN, so you can imagine how angry and upset and confused and sad my mom was at this INHUMANE TREATMENT. She didn't even have the decency to be present herself (probably because she suspected it would go badly), and "outsourced" this "introduction" on my mom's also elderly friend (80 years old) and purposely scheduled this when I could not be present (because I was in court fighting against my mom's soon-to-be-involuntary-commitment) I also believe she only sees my mom every 2-3 months, just enough to meet NJ State's requirements for court-appointed guardians. I also believe she only calls my mom monthly. For $100,000 for a PART TIME JOB, don't you think she could visit monthly and call weekly (she is only a 20 minute drive from mom) I have many audio recordings from my mom begging me to ask the court to change guardians, or to make me her guardian, which I sent to the Court--so Victoria petitions the court to "prohibit" me from recording She is making my mom's life MISERABLE, and is a GREAT EXAMPLE of "guardianship abuse" in my opinion