Fischer & Van Thiel, LLP

Craig Van Thiel recently represented my ex-wife as we re-negotiated custody and support. I actually filed to rep myself, simply asking for an increase to 50/50 custody and guideline child support. It was that simple. My ex-wife hired Mr. Van Thiel, which then led me to hire an attorney as well. Mr. Van Thiel submitted ridiculous exhibits including photos of people gambling in Las Vegas, that were not even me. He also submitted photos of my wife walking through the common areas of the Forum shops (not inside stores) and told the court I should pay his client more since my wife shops at fancy boutiques. It was ridiculous, hearsay, unfounded and unsubstantiated and not effective. Mr. Van Thiel called our son by the wrong name throughout the entire first court hearing. It was very uncomfortable to watch him call our son Andrew, by the name Matthew repeatedly for almost 2 hours.. over and over. I can't imagine how I'd feel if he were my attorney did that! Furthermore, he repeatedly disregarded the judges requests. For example, at the first of two live hearings, we were issued a second court date three weeks after the first. The judge was new (Torres) and took it under review since he wanted time to make sure he was making a decision fair to both parties. The judge specifically told both attorneys to submit three disomasters ONLY. He specifically said he did NOT want further arguments about why mom or dad should have this or that, as he had enough information to make the decision. In court at the second hearing, Mr. Van Thiel did exactly what the judge asked him NOT to do. Which is sanctionable. My attorneys respected not only the judge, but her attorney Mr. Van Thiel, my ex-wife and her new boyfriend. From our end there were no character assassination attempts, no defaming or slandering her character, and no attacking of her new significant other. My attorneys and I decided to stay 100% high road and class. From Mr. Van Thiel, it was quite the opposite. If you want an attorney that attacks the other parent of your children, he's your guy. But watch out. That most likely will come back at you. Behaving that way just makes matters worse. And, that is this guy's style. It is my belief that our case went as long as it did, and cost as much as it did (probably 4 years at SDSU) because of Mr. Van Thiel. Throughout the entire case, he inflamed, attacked and misbehaved. He did nothing to try and bring my ex-wife and I to common ground. For Mr. Van Thiel, it is all about keeping the conflict going, it is all about money, and how long he can keep you arguing and litigating to line his pockets. He's slimy. He either lies to the judge, takes terrible notes, or has a poor memory. He also manipulates everything he writes by using generalities, inaccuracies, exaggerations and things that didn't even happen in court. He's either shady, or not very bright. His attempts to assassinate my character, and that of my wife (whose been my son's stepmom for almost 4 years) didn't work. Nor did his sanctionable antics that continued through the end of our case. Thankfully, my ex-wife and I began communicating well, and co-parenting wonderfully. She and my wife were able to meet three times to hash things out so everyone walked away at peace and able to get along. We now share custody and equal support of our child. My ex and my wife even gave each other a hug. Today they communicate often and well. It was taking the matter back into our own hands that helped us resolve things in a way we were all at peace with. And, so we could avoid a final litigation date, and the heavy expenses of that preparation and appearance. My wife and my ex drafted the final agreement, which was submitted and finalized by the judge. Our story ended well. Happier than we could have imagined. But not because of Mr. Van Thiel. He was the one standing right in the way. Custody of your child is no joke. Choose wisely. And take the high road, it will pay you back in good things!

From our initial meeting, attorney Mike Fischer and paralegal Andrea, calmed our nerves and gave us the greatest confidence that they were the right choice for our legal needs. I was impressed on the professionalism and understanding they showed of our complex case. They were up front keeping great communication throughout the entire process resulting in being able to continue life as normal. The compassion and understanding that Mike and Andrea showed gave us the confidence that we were in great hands. I would recommend Mike Fischer to anyone going through a difficult period in his or her lives and are in need of an experienced family attorney.

I hired Thomas Fischer to represent me in a child custody case in San Diego. He and his paralegal Andrea worked on my case tirelessly for two years. They were amazing! We won the case and I received full custody of my oldest son. Even with all of the stresses of the legal process, Thomas helped me to understand everything that was happening and I am eternally grateful. He was also able to work with me on billing and that alone helped to relieve some of the pressure inherent in the Attorney/client relationship. If you need an intelligent, effective, and tenacious attorney, you will be extremely happy with Thomas Fisher.

I highly recommend this law firm. Elizabeth VanThiel helped me tremendously with my divorce and Michael Fischer helped me with my previous divorce which were both difficult. They both helped smooth out custody issues, child support and gave me the reassurance that everything would be taken care of and gave me peace of mind. If you are looking for a divorce lawyer, then look no further. Their knowledge, experience and drive for what they do each day definitely shows. I will forever be grateful for both Elizabeth and Michael’s dedication and hard work on both of my divorce cases.

Fischer and Van Thiel have been a great law firm. From the beginning of my consultation up to my final divorce proceedings and anything asked after has been nothing short of professional and courteous. They ensure clarification and are responsive when handling your case. I'd recommend them to anyone.