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Timothy Brian Rien
39 South Livermore Avenue, Livermore, CA
Practices
3.8
Avvo rating
7 Reviews
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License ID number: -
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Last reviews
Overall rating
3.8
7 reviews
3.8
Anonymous
01 Sep, 2016
I hired Tim for defense in very serious criminal charges I was accused of. Tim worked tirelessly on my behalf. He was thorough, always available and understood that there was a huge amount of emotion involved in my case and handled that part of it with sensitivity. Tim met with me on weekends and holidays. Tim also met my family with me and separately for me to gently tell them things that I did not have the courage to admit myself. I felt humiliated at times and Tim never waivered in his support for me and when all of the investigation on both sides was over and there was no way around it, he sat me down and told me the truth: the accident was simply my fault. Although hard to here it was true. Tim could have and offered to go forward to trial which would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. He told me he would give me the best criminal defense that he could but was honest with me. Although this was a hard pill to swallow it turned out to be the best outcome for me. He was able to negotiate a plea deal in which I served no time in jail and had minimal fines. Going to trial would have cost me thousands of dollars and probably my home. Tim's honesty saved me not just money though. Tim was able to see that my emotion was in the way of the best decision for my case. He was right.
It's been about 10 years. The conviction has been expunged from my record. Hindsight they say is 20/20. Tim led me in the right direction and my life would still be negatively impacted if he hadn't.
Thank you Tim.
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Jim
23 Mar, 2016
I enlisted the Law Offices of Timothy Rien to help a friend of mine that was facing criminal charges. Our initial meeting was with Tim, and he was very non-judgmental and helpful -- explaining the process, the cost, and the likely outcome. I really felt like we had an advocate on our side as his office made multiple court appearances and worked with the District Attorney to hammer out a plea bargain. In the end, felony charges were avoided. Although we initially met with Tim, most of our interaction was with Melissa and Joe. I was very pleased with their prompt email updates on court proceedings, and with quick answers to all of our questions.
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Anonymous
07 Oct, 2015
In 2011 I was referred to Tim Rien and quickly knew I wanted him to represent me in what would be a 4 ½ year case that just recently settled. Tim and his law office team were so helpful and supportive. From the first phone call interaction with Tim I knew I would be in good hands. After hearing my situation, he wanted to meet with me immediately and made time in his schedule for that same day. I was going through a great deal of stress and was very emotional but Tim made me feel relaxed and comfortable. He communicated in layman’s terms so that I clearly understood what was going on and what to expect moving forward. He made me feel like he cared about finding justice with my case. He would give me advice and often encouraged me to be strong and hold my head high which meant a lot during a very difficult time.
From the first meeting I knew Tim was the best choice to represent me. He thoroughly explained every detail of the legal documents, which can be very daunting and confusing. As my situation continued and there were long waiting periods, Tim would check in with me via phone calls and follow my case directly and completely kept me in the loop about everything. That again reassured me that I was in good hands.
There was one day when I needed him immediately on the phone to know how to handle some people that had come to my home. I called the office and spoke with Melissa Adams who assured me in a calming voice that Tim was in court, and as soon as he was out, he would be calling me. She advised me in the meantime, how to handle the current situation until Tim was out of court. I received a call from him less than an hour later.
On another occasion when I needed to visit the office immediately, to review something that was in my file. I called the office and spoke with Joseph who told me to come in as soon as possible. I always felt like a priority and not just another client. This gave me such peace of mind during the most difficult time in my life.
I want people to know that Tim Rien is one the most upstanding people I have ever met. He is professional, honest, dependable, tough, organized and most importantly experienced. He assured me that this would all be over soon and that he would be with me every step of the way…, which he was.
Thank you Tim Rien and your professional law team for everything you have done for me during this 4 ½ year ordeal. I look forward to spreading the word and referring people to you who are in need of a professional and caring legal team that goes above and beyond.
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Top review highlights
Pros
1
Thorough and dedicated in handling client's case
“Tim worked tirelessly on my behalf. He was thorough, always available and understood that there was a huge amount of emotion involved in my case and handled that part of it with sensitivity.”
2
Provides honest and upfront assessments of cases
“Although hard to hear it was true. Tim could have and offered to go forward to trial which would have cost tens of thousands of dollars. He told me he would give me the best criminal defense that he could but was honest with me.”
3
Effective at negotiating favorable outcomes for clients
“He was able to negotiate a plea deal in which I served no time in jail and had minimal fines. Going to trial would have cost me thousands of dollars and probably my home.”
4
Communicates well and keeps clients informed
“Tim and his associates were extremely professional and helped us through a rough time. We were definitely in good hands and I strongly recommend him.”
Cons
1
Inconsistent in availability and communication
“He didn't come to my court dates, was difficult to reach via phone or email, discouraged me from getting legal advice from anyone else, and generally behaved as if my case wasn't a high priority.”
2
Questionable billing practices and transparency
“I chose him because he quoted me at about half the price of any other lawyer I spoke with. A few days later, he explained that this was a 'pre-charging' rate and that I actually owed him twice the initial rate he quoted.”
3
Delegating important tasks to less experienced lawyers
“Tim didn't appear at a single of my court appearances, but sent other less experienced lawyers in his place (and this was for a serious felony charge).”
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I say Superior in the title because I've had the unfortunate experience of hiring and firing multiple defense attorneys. In my experience most of them will first fill you full of (FUD) fear, uncertainty and doubt, giving you the worst possible case scenario to make you more vulnerable, promise you they're your savior and once they've got you - you can't reach them and they plead out your case as easily and quickly as possible. Fatima is superior in numerous ways. She does not give you a bunch of FUD, is very personable, professional, treats you with respect, has key - critical relationships in the courts and doesn't accept no from the DA without trying more than once to get you the best deal possible, Again, coming from someone who has had more dealings with defense attorney's than I care to say, she did an absolutely outstanding job for me and kept me informed promptly on aspects of my case throughout the entire process. I can without question that I highly recommend Fatima as a superior defense attorney.
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