Reviews

When I first called this law office and set up my initial consultation with Michael Peterson for my pending divorce, I was impressed with how professional and straight-to-the-point he was. He asked all of the necessary questions and summarized my situation very quickly. His assistant, Jordyn, was also very efficient with scheduling and ensuring they got me in quickly whenever it was needed. I then hired Michael to help me draft a divorce agreement (i.e. settlement offer). We worked together, in person, to think through all of the angles and ensure that my interests were protected. Michael was very realistic, reasonable, articulate, and easy to work with. As much as I thought working with a lawyer might be a miserable experience, I actually enjoyed hanging out in Michael's office and working with him. In the end, I felt that I received solid guidance from Michael throughout the entire process of the divorce and felt confident, despite all of the uncertainties and "what ifs", that he had helped me get through the divorce as quickly and smoothly as possible. He also made phone calls to other experts / consultants / lawyers for advice related to real estate law, since my divorce involved some complicated issues regarding a home my ex wife and I owned together. Compared with other local attorneys - some of whom wanted over $7,000 right at the start - this law office was extremely reasonable with their rates, billing by the hour with full transparency and printed breakdowns along the way. Even after the divorce paperwork has been all signed off and completed, Michael has continued to help answer my questions as they arise. I am extremely grateful to have found Michael and Jordyn, since they saved me a lot of money and made my divorce as painless as possible. I would highly recommend them!

I’m pro per and needed a second opinion on my complex court filing. Mr Arnold gave me exceptional advice, highlighting the weaknesses and strengths in my arguments ( immediately targeting and prioritizing the critical aspects, and then backing up his review with an impressive knowledge of the law) I was genuinely impressed, not only with his expertise, but his compassion and kindness in dealing with my difficult circumstances. He took time to make sure I understood, gave exemplary advice and saw the case from all angles. Don’t hesitate to contact him for a second opinion, you won’t regret it.

Thank You The advice I received 01/04/19 form Mr. Arnold on my legal endeavors, as one quoted is "as good as it gets." Mr. Arnold gratuitously assisted me with the next direction to re-file my request to reduce or terminate a prior award of spousal support with great optimism. Patient to listen. Second Opinion Client. Northern, Ca.

I am writing this review of the Law Firm of Thurman W. Arnold III to express what I can only describe as stunned joy. I was married for 18 years, and had to file for divorce to have my spouse removed from the home to keep the State from removing the children. Following that initial action, I had nothing but bad experiences with the court system. By the time the divorce was granted, several years had passed. I had changed jobs at reduced income, but was not allowed any relief in alimony. My experience to that point led me to conclude I would never be successful in court. This year I suffered a layoff that led me to search for an attorney who could help me reduce or eliminate the ongoing financial burden. Online research led me to Mr. Thurman Arnold. I cannot be more pleased with the process and the result. When I first met with Mr. Arnold, he was extremely knowledgeable and honest. He asked all the right questions and listened to my situation. He didn’t try to conclude any approach at the time, just listened to my situation and confirmed the laws and the process. He, and his staff, located my earlier court transcripts, did their research, and found the correct approach to presenting the case. My experience overall has been extraordinary. The support team, Diane and Kristin, stayed on top of everything. They kept me aware of the process, and ensured we would not miss a paperwork deadline. They confirmed I would be able to attend the hearing by telephone, as I now live over 1,400 miles away. They provided the correct forms, filed on time and scheduled my visits with Mr. Arnold in the most efficient manner. These ladies really know their stuff and handle everything extremely well. The result of the court hearing was beyond any expectation I could have had. Mr. Arnold was prepared, and his presentation was impeccable and assertive. The result was very favorable. In short, I highly recommend the Law Firm of Thurman W. Arnold III to anyone. Randy J., 10/4/17

The Law of Office of Thurman W. Arnold III, specifically Mike Peterson, were a god-send during my divorce. My wife separated and filed for divorce while I was deployed and Mike provided professional and personal advice that helped keep on track on a, relatively speaking, drama-free divorce w/ children. I was a bit concerned at first considering the retainer fee and the hourly rate however, Thurman Law Offices don't waste your time or money. Professional and stream-lined, I have owe much to Mike Peterson and his staff's handling of my case... while I prefer not to be divorce and a single-dad, Mike set me up for a future unencumbered by the financial woes inherent to divorces. Highly recommend and would refer the law of offices of Thurman W. Arnold III anytime to anyone.

This is an honest five star rating I am happy to give, with some length, for the benefit of those who are facing real legal situations that can have real long-term consequences: I spoke directly with the chief attorney, Mr. Thurman Arnold himself, Feb. 1st, 2016. He gave me a second opinion on my legal case, divorce with children, discussing several aspects at some length, a case that has been protracted for coming on three years with numerous difficulties and anomalies. As is not uncommon in divorce, "Oh that I knew then what I know now." I was relatively new to California and certainly did not know which attorney to choose at the outset in 2013. Wish I had known at the outset about Mr. Arnold's law firm ... which is WHY I am giving this review and recommendation ... perhaps others searching the internet for attorney reviews can benefit from this and all the other reviews that paint a consistent (hard worked for) glowing review of this Law Firm, from experience. Had I been astute enough to check reviews of my former attorneys, I would NOT have hired them, but divorce is a dark tunnel so often entered with many pressures and much ignorance of the road ahead. WEBSITE! I first have to say that I was already impressed with Mr. Arnold from his amazing website! Wow! Here is an attorney who not only is an obvious consummate professional with exceptionally broad and deep understanding of Family Law, but a man with ethics and perspective. I believe he even uses the word "holistic", which is to imply a perspective that Family Law deals with actual people, parents and children, adults, who have had a life before and will have a life after legal dissolution. MEDIATION! His firm also offers "mediation", which I truly believe is the BEST route whenever possible, and that is a big whenever possible. Initial Mediation at the outset of divorce, at the worst: would educate parties to the law and options and typical outcomes in the real world, still leaving open the option to pursue adversarial litigation, trials, emotional and financial affliction [think about that option!]. At best, Mediation can resolve the entire matter in the most timely, least hostile and most cost-effective manner, preserving and mapping out considerate livable outcomes for everyone. I used to be a Real Estate Broker on occasion doing Mediation, and have raised many children and done plenty of mediation between spouse and Ex, (I am 57 yrs young), so I have some experience with the role. Most of us know there are cases where it is not possible to be reasonable, amicable or fair in dissolving a relationship that has all kinds of tangents to it, as in my case. EDUCATION & PERSPECTIVE: Did I say Mr. Arnold has an amazing website? I have had two previous attorneys in my case, at the outset, then of necessity going self-represented ("Pro Per") for the bulk of time including two lengthy separate Trials addressing Custody/ Visitation & complex high finances. I am the "out-spouse" as Thurman calls it, the one without the money after separation, but a fairly well-educated pro per at this point of Appellate filings, extensive litigation with documentation in law and case-law studies, evidence and briefs, "blah, blah, blah" (as Thurman would realistically say). Mr. Arnold's website is loaded with so much valuable information it is outstanding among outstanding loaded websites, going FAR beyond a sales pitch, offering, FREE of charge, knowledge and insight that is incredibly useful and educational. I have used some of his shared knowledge already in my filings. Again, his 'holistic' approach is one of being strong to secure a decent lawful position in a dispute, but an approach that is sensible and cognizant of the big picture and what is realistically going to come from the rights and views of "the other side" in courts. His discussion with me reflected this in person, giving realistic while encouraging advice. I wish you well, Sincerely, Doug H.

I live in Northern California and I recently hired Thurman Arnold III as a "Second Opinion Lawyer" for my long drawn out divorce case, and particularly for my upcoming hearing on modification of spousal support. While I have previously had three other attorneys, I could not find competent legal help from anyone for my latest legal issue in my Family Law matter. That is, until I conferred with Mr. Arnold. Mr. Arnold is not only an expert in the field of Family Law, but also courteous and compassionate. I received answers that I had never received before from my other attorneys. I found Mr. Arnold's website while searching the internet for legal help and had one of those gut feelings that he was the "real deal." I was correct! Mr. Arnold's website has a wealth of information regarding Family Law which is very helpful for those who have not had luck with former attorneys or those people that are representing themselves, particularly for complex situations. In addition, Mr. Arnold performed extra work for me, at NO charge showing his dedication to his profession. It is obvious that he is experienced and wants to help people. He is an honor to the legal profession! I urge anyone that is looking for a competent, knowledgeable and experienced attorney to consider hiring Mr. Arnold and read his reviews here at Avvo. I am sure you will see the same that I did. I am so very glad I found Mr. Arnold and I now feel I can move forward with my case with the legalese and expertise Mr. Arnold gave to me. I can't say enough wonderful things about this great attorney! I only wish I had found him a few years ago, but am so very glad that I found him now to help me with my case. Thank you Thurman Arnold!

As a young and now an old family law attorney, Mr. Arnold is my go to on getting the concise and up to date "low down" on developing family law issues. I am so grateful for his generosity in reaching thousands of practitioners and lay people in his selfless efforts to simplify and streamline the practice and participation in family law litigation. Thank you Mr. Arnold!!

Thurman Arnold represented me in my prior divorce. He did an incredible job at representing me and I was more than pleased with the outcome. I had met with several other attorneys prior to retaining him and was told basically I would be paying much more than I expected in the settlement. Mr Arnold assured me he would do everything in his power to help and that he did. Saving me a great deal of money. He was always there to take my calls and when he was not his staff was very polite and helpfull. Mr Arnold would also return phone calls after hours. Divorce can be a horrible thing to go through, Mr Arnold made it so much easier. So I recently seeked him out on my recent divorce. I live in Nevada but he was able to help me quickly serve my wife in Calif. before she was able to serve me. The same day the case was filed she was served by his office within 2 hours. I couldn't be more grateful to him and his staff for all there help. Owning busnesses in the Palm springs area and living there for over 17 years I would highly recommend Thurman Arnold for your Family Law needs.

This is a long overdue review of Mr. Arnold and his team. Like a lot of same-sex couples looking to dissolve a long-term domestic partnership, I was shocked and overwhelmed by the vastly complicated and rapidly changing laws regarding California same-sex domestic partnerships/marriage laws. After meeting with several attorneys throughout Southern California, there was no doubt in my mind that Mr. Arnold was not only the most literate and up-to-date with current laws, he truly is an advocate for those who may have been mistreated and do not have the same level of resources as their ex's. Mr. Arnold was amazing at explaining the process each step of the way and offered me options for proceeding with an extremely complicated and far less than amicable legal process with the other side. Mr. Arnold is genuinely empathetic but is also completely forward and honest with realistic settlement/process expectations, unlike many other lawyers I met. Honestly, he is the first lawyer that I have encountered who I could describe is having integrity. His legal assistant, Diane deserves a medal. She has been so helpful and kind but also very straightforward and responsive. Without hesitation, I would recommend Mr. Arnold to anyone seeking representation for divorce or dissolving a domestic partnership. He is certainly the most experienced and knowledgeable attorney for any LGBT person in California to have on their side.

There are few legal resources for In Pro Pers and Mr. Thurman's website has been my go to site. The site has been tremendous help as a starting point for my research and spot on for the information I need. The man behind the site is just as amazing and is certainly ahead of his field in integrity, insight and experience. He is the peoples attorney.

Thurman and his great team were there for me when I really needed someone on my side. I was being bullied by my wife's attorney and was completely overwhelmed. Thurman and his team stepped in and took over immediately. Everyone from Thurman on down were professional, thorough, compassionate, and all around top notch. They weren't in it to just collect a fee; they listened to what I had to say and put together a first class plan to work through my divorce. Going through a nasty divorce is an absolute horrible experience! Thurman and his team communicated and guided me through every step, staying positive and aggressive in their approach. They kept me strong and focused on the tasks; always communicating with me so I could completely understand. I honestly don't believe anyone else could have taken me through this experience as pleasantly and thoughtfully as Thurman did; it was as if we were family. His ethics and compassion for what he does are unparalleled. I've never dealt with an attorney with so much heart, yet still such vigor and determination when dealing with a case. He stood up for me when I wasn't able to stand up for myself. Great character, great ethics, great knowledge, great attorney, great guy! You won't regret having him on your side.