Reviews

When you get into a situation where someone someone takes legal action against you, it's a nerve racking experience. For me, living half way across the country, it was especially challenging. I knew nothing about New Jersey law and I looked at and spoke to a lot of attorneys and when all was said and done, I hired Mr. Fortunato. I am not necessarily the most patient person and I was quite nervous and upset about what was happening. I had all these things I wanted to do and say and since I was out of state, I was never able to meet him in person before we were in court, but when I did, I knew I had made the right choice. Watching him in court was like watching a composer produce a new masterpiece. He knows the law. He knows what to do. He has a calm presence. I made the right choice. I am extremely grateful for the help and time Mr. Fortunato gave me as he protected me and won my case. I would highly recommend him if you are in need of an attorney.

In my first consultation with Joseph, I almost thought it was too good to be true. He was calm, straightforward but confident and at no point did I ever get the feeling he was blowing smoke up my you-know-what. He was on top of my case every step of the way and the outcome was better than anything I could've ever hoped for. It's not just hindsight bias, this is a trustworthy and skilled attorney and I would hire him again in an instant.

Mr. Fortunato is utterly untrustworthy and fails to fulfill even the most basic duties as a lawyer. Once you pay him the retainer, he will simply abandon your case. I hired him to send a response letter to the opposing party to establish legal representation, but after three months, he had done absolutely nothing. When I followed up, he didn't even remember who I was. He took no action and completely cut off communication regarding the retainer. He may have the title of lawyer, but in my experience, he is nothing short of a thief. I strongly advise against hiring him for any legal matters.

Mr. Fortunato has saved my life with his expert skill in law. I was falsely accused for sexual assualt and he proved my innocence. I was able to walk out the court room stress free with all charges dropped from my name, I am truly grateful for his help in my case and recommend him to anyone that needs a lawyer

My family member had a DWI case, which was dismissed thank to Mr. Fotunato's best efforts. So I recommended my colleague to use him for the similar case, which also brought the same great outcome. It takes time and patience to work with any lawyer and their office, but it was worthy for us at the end.

It is unpleasant for me to think about my experience with Joe Fortunato, but I feel honor-bound to write this as a public service. When people hire an attorney they are often doing so in order to address an abusive situation in their lives. They don’t need more abuse from the attorney they hire, and this is what I encountered with Mr. Fortunato. Problems began immediately as he indicated he would have the case ready to file in about 30 days after I engaged him. Six months later, nothing had been done, and in discussion it seemed like he even forgot what my case was about. The case was finally completed and filed in a panic, as the statute of limitations was about to expire. Then he did some good work. My case had two defendants, and they filed a motion for summary judgement and motion to dismiss, respectively. Mr. Fortunato’s responses beat both of those motions, and the first defendant settled with us quickly. However, the second defendant was unwilling to settle. We had a meeting and still no settlement. At this point, Mr. Fortunato began to neglect the case. He said he did not want to go to trial because he felt the case was weak. When things dragged on and on he explained that he had an emotional block against working on my case because he didn’t like it. He felt it was weak. This is not what a client wants to hear after paying a retainer fee, but it seemed like he actually expected me to be sympathetic. He directed me to find a mental health professional who would be willing to testify, thereby making the case stronger. I went to several sessions with a psychologist. Mr. Fortunato never contacted the psychologist. A year later he gave me a HYPAA form to sign, and then he still never contacted the psychologist. Time dragged on. The court dropped my case. Mr. Fortunato had the decency to file a motion to restore, which was accepted. Communications with Mr. Fortunato were difficult. He didn’t seem to receive mail, whether certified or regular mail. He often ignored e mails, and rarely answered his phone. It was impossible to leave voicemail because his message bank was always full. When we did manage to connect, he became abusive, on one occasion actually screaming at me over the phone. He indicated I was a “difficult client”, and bragged about having more important matters to attend to. Finally the court dropped my case a second time. Mr. Fortunato refused to take action, and so I paid a $50 filling fee to file my own motion to restore, pro se. My motion was denied, and that was the end of my case. Justice was not served. The best advice I could give to anybody looking for an attorney in northern New Jersey is this: Do not hire Joe Fortunato.

Joe has handled me personally and the work we have done together as activists. He is outstanding as far as I'm concerned and I will continue to use him as my advocate. I highly recommend him.

Mr Fortunato represented me after I had received DUI. I thought my life was over he worked with me he was understanding of my situation and the circumstances. In court he spoke very highly of me and had my my suspension reduced. His cool calm and level headed only wanted the best for all his clients.

Unfortunately, I have a led foot. I've used Joe roughly 6-7 times. Knowledgeable, reliable and most importantly, able to keep me calm in court. Don't be fooled by his calm and cool facade; he doesn't take no for an answer and always got me the very very best outcome possible. I would not use anyone else.

Joe has been my lawyer on several matters including a child support matter. In every case he was highly professional, exceptionally ethical and always puts his clients interests first. Joe is a"people's" lawyer, offering a wide variety of services from financial to family and criminal. I highly endorse.