Reviews
Overall rating
Anonymous
03 May, 2019
A close family member was arrested and charged with a serious felony. At the time of their arrest, they were diagnosed with serious mental illness and went to a cell in the forensic section of the state mental hospital. When their case came up they were transferred to a mental health section of the county jail. Although I was the victim and hoped to get treatment for my relative, the state automatically pressed criminal charges under the state's domestic violence laws.
Initially, my relative was defended by a public defender, which was a relief given the cost of hiring a defense attorney. But the public defender was so overworked and overloaded with cases I am surprised he could remember my relative's name. Neither my relative nor anyone else in the family could find out much about how the case was going because the public defender spent so much time in court defending a great pile of case-after-case. Little by little I learned that the prosecution's case was relatively strong. The prosecution piled on every possible charge the prosecutor could imagine, and remained adamant in pressing for maximum, non-concurrent sentences for all charges -- up to 30 years in prison. The public defender conducted negotiations with the prosecutor and was slowly working toward a deal. All my relative had to do was plead-out and they could get off 'light' -- with only eight years in state prison. This seems to be the way law works these days. Forget all about all the lawyer and cop shows you might have seen on tv or in the movies. Very few defendants risk going to trial in our legal system which has become so heavily weighted in favor of the prosecution.
I couldn't fault the efforts of the public defender given his situation but I didn't need to learn any more. I started hunting for a private attorney to defend my relative. Finding a good criminal defense attorney is not as easy as I expected. There are many attorneys who practice criminal defense -- for shoplifting or DUI charges -- but relatively few who will practice and are experienced at defending in serious felony cases. My search was further complicated by my relative's mental illness and the state's insistence on treating their case as a criminal case. I feel very fortunate to have found Ryan Gilbert, LLC. He was both experienced with handling criminal cases like my relative's and knowledgeable in the special case law involved in what is called a Krol case -- named for the defendant whose defense case pioneered this area of criminal law. In addition, Ryan Gilbert knew what expert witness to retain to best forward my relative's defense. I believe the testimony of this expert witness together with Ryan Gilbert's patience and expertise was crucial in determining the outcome of this case.
There were several difficult personalities Ryan Gilbert had to deal with in handling my relative's case. I remain impressed by his ability to understand and skillfully maneuver through the often delicate relations with these difficult people. Unlike the public defender, it was easy to reach Ryan Gilbert and he was forthcoming and plain spoken about how the case was progressing. Ryan met with state prosecutors in court and in side negotiations for over a year. At the end of this ordeal the state finally recognized that my relative suffered from mental illness and the state's interests would be best served if this relative were placed into the state mental health system as a Krol patient.
Mounting a criminal defense requires considerable time and energy in addition to resources like the expert witness Ryan Gilbert obtained to further this case. Hard work, and great skill and expertise deserve adequate compensation. The defense of my relative was neither free nor exorbitant, and worth more than every penny it cost. How much would you value each year in the life of someone you love?
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Andrew
20 Oct, 2017
Mr. Gilbert gets the job done. Due to medical reasons, my case was handled with me on the other side of the continent! Mr. Gilbert was able to expedite my case and have it settled in what I consider record time. Fees are more than reasonable, especially given the excellence in representation that Mr. Gilbert is able to provide. As long as Mr. Gilbert remains in practice, I will always have a lawyer in NJ.
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George
19 Jan, 2015
Ive been using Ryan Gilbert since 2009, Ryan is a very good trustworthy lawyer. I currently retained Ryan in the most crucial time of my life a custody case in which im trying to keep my son. I used another firm and it was costing me ridiculous amounts of money with little to no work done on their end. Im not saying custody cases arent expensive nor Ryan is going to work for free but he wont rob you he will be fair and work hard for you and thats all i asked. I highly recommend Ryan for anyone seeking a professional/fair attorney!
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Antonio
12 Jan, 2015
Mr. Gilbert has made my case easy and clear to understand without all the legal jargon. He took time to help me clearly understand my case and kept me updated with all occurences.
Also, the case had been postponed and he waited alongside and had a friendly chat at the nearby Starbucks and besides giving me a great case result, he made me feel as if I had someone by my side. Patient, honest, and soft spoken, Ryan is not someone else whom just told me what to do and I just say yes too, like previous attorneys I had.
I will always suggest and use Ryan Gilbert as my attorney.
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Anonymous
30 Dec, 2013
Ryan was a trusted adviser throughout the course of my legal issues. I was unfamiliar with legal proceedings and Ryan was able to explain to me my legal situation, and risks associated with various defenses and decisions I had to make. He took the time to explain all the scenarios to my satisfaction which gave me piece of mind and comfort. Ryan was also very responsive through various forms of communications (phone, email, text) which made keeping in contact convenient throughout the process. Ryan showed up on time (early in fact) to various appointments and appeared to handle relationship building effectively with opposing attorneys and the prosecutor. At the end of the day, I was very satisfied with the work done by Ryan as the outcome of my legal matter was better than I had expected and kept my reputation in tact, which undoubtedly will help me pursue my future career/professional ambitions.
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Mike
18 Dec, 2013
Looked for a lawyer via the internet and WOW, did I get lucky with Ryan Gilbert. He helped me with a few cases and I couldn't be any more satisfied. I was so worried about the process, legal ramifications, and of course, fees. He expedited every case and made me feel at ease the entire time. All of my fears and pain went away rather quickly. Remember, you get want you pay for and Ryan was worth every penny.
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Dee
18 Dec, 2013
Ryan represented me contesting a will. His attention to detail and patience to explain matters to me made me feel very confident of the outcome (which was in my favor). He promptly returned my calls and emails and was genuinely interested in my case. He submitted documentation timely, unlike the opposition .
I sincerely recommend him for any legal matter you may have.
Dee
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Terry vidal
11 Jul, 2011
Ryan is a very thorough attorney. He knows the law and he keeps you well informed of all the details with your case. He will work very hard for you. I would definately use him again for any legal matters and would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a excellent attorney.
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John
09 Jul, 2011
I was moving to Jersey area and needed a good lawyer to handle my purchase. Ryan came highly recommended from a friend I truly trust. We conversed several times by phone to exchange information. I was kept informed about all details of the purchase. I plan to use him again and would recommend him to anyone in need of a very good attorney.
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Linda
08 Jul, 2011
I have used Ryan on a number of occasions and have referred him to family and friends. He is one of the best attorneys I have come to know and I have been in the legal field for over 25 years. His character speaks for itself. I recommend him highly to anyone who is need of legal representation.
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Anonymous
08 Jul, 2011
I was recently widowed and being laid off, and needed help on a property tax appeal. Ryan was compassionate, intelligent, efficient, and thorough; he gave good advice, represented me in court, and was successful in winning a reduction in my property taxes. I wholeheartedly recommend him.
I know he handles other types of cases as well.
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