Chris R. Sundstrom Law Firm PLLC

I'll start by saying that Mr. Sundstrom did some parts of his job for me that other attorneys did not believe they could do. For some of that, I am grateful. This gave pause against leaving only one star but still isn't enough to sway me to the middle. My rating comes from a series of problematic interactions. From the start, Mr. Sundstrom volunteered money I did not have to the judge and opposing council to better position me in the case I was in. While helpful at the time, it was unethical and inappropriate - not only to have done so, but to have low-balled the amount it would actually cost me to receive the service he said I'd pay for. I paid. And my representation failed to keep an important box checked that would have kept the case moving in a fair and just direction, rather landing another misappropriated spotlight on me than on the big picture of what was happening before my family ever met lawyers who serve to destruct. Mr. Sundstrom made it clear to me in a phone conversation that he prefers email communication so that even his own clients cannot later "throw him under the bus." He also said to me in a phone conversation that he believed me to ask the same question over and over again when I did not get an answer that I wanted. A trauma-informed professional might have better recognized that I was struggling to understand difficult circumstances I had never before faced in my life and that I truly did not always comprehend the answers I was being given some of the time, hence I kept asking. I'm a smart woman and I'm grateful for the times he did recognize that. Mr. Sundstrom dropped my case twice. He served the required 10 days' notice - the second of which was given the same day I expressed feeling undervalued for the amount of work I was putting into the case and how I was being treated by my own representation. I was not given referrals nor resources from his law firm for how to handle his abrupt interruption of services. I do not trust that Mr. Sundstrom handled all parts of my case with integrity, seemingly at times to be using who he knows behind the scenes to get ahead. Was that for me or for himself? Though I'm unsatisfied with the way my case has been handled and that it remains incomplete, I am glad I did not get through it with someone who willingly uses manipulation tactics with his own clientele (highly doubtful that the background music when you're waiting on call with his office is an unintentional choice, given where else it can be heard in the county within which he does his work). I cannot recommend Sundstrom Law Firm even with the gratitude for how far they did get me with what I was up against. Why this review now? Because I also found out the ugly that was used by Mr. Sundstrom and his team to manipulate a friend out of assets that were rightly hers. Whether he's for or against you, you can be sure you will be kept in the dark about some of the details and that the motivation for that is not for your own protection. Many people who are seeking family law services have been through vulnerable situations and are then forced to spend extraordinary amounts of money they do not have on the risk that their council will be successful. If it weren't for that truth, I might be kind enough to pass up leaving this review. Choose wisely - and be so careful if and when you are made to feel (by anyone) like you have no choices.

Would not recommend! Chris felt ok with bashing other attorneys in the industry the first meeting we had, showed up to our first hearing and started spewing false information to the Commissioner, as I was Mortified in my seat to watch my ex laugh (seemed as he didn’t even review or read the case prior to court). “Played” the game with the other attorney for months before our parenting issues was resolved, actually created more issues to be addressed throughout the process. Chris emailed opposing council without asking me preview- yes, Incorrect information was sent. Then charges you for the time he has to correct his mistakes. Recently my case was resolved, I requested a copy of the case to have a email back from Chris “as soon as you pay your balance” *** Balance is NOT past due- still not due for over a week. I have always paid my balance throughout the 7 months. Was recommended and the only reason I used him. Do your own research. There are GREAT attorneys in Clark county, he is definitely not one of them.

Chris was recommended to me by another attorney when my wife decided to make false accusations about me during our separation. At first I thought I should "play the game" and Chris heavily coerced me to do so, even when I tried settling to make my divorce happen swiftly. Chris only looks to his "experience" rather than facts in front of him thinking he knows how something will turn out rather than looking at new perspectives. IE: He was convinced that I was lying about trading in vehicles when the paperwork was inaccurate for a business decision I was forced to make in order to afford child support, trading in 3 vehicles for one. Chris and his team also display laziness in how they review documents and filings with common misspellings and an overall lack of attention to detail, frequently mixing up children's names, situations, etc. The bottom line is that Chris is a typical attorney you see throughout the field, over charging for simple emails, doing only the bare minimum to get through the day and rarely returning phone calls rather than taking a special interest in you and your case. I imagine most divorce attorneys are like this but it is disheartening to have this experience and see everything works exactly like you think it will. If you can do better than Sundstrom and team, you should. Check out my google profile to see this is the only review I've ever written.

His website says Chris is "compassionate, experienced, and on your side" ! He is the most uncompassionate lawyer I could have ever matched up with! My experience was anything but that with Chris, in fact I came to find out his reputation among his peers confirms my experience as I had to find another lawyer to clean up his mess! The devil is in the details my second lawyer said. Without going into the specifics, I had an appt the night before my mediation to discuss my divorce case with Chris and instead I ended up having to help his staff put my file together to present to the judge and correcting essential wrong dollar figures he had wrong. The next morning at my mediation instead of guiding me through the process, he played on his phone during my negotiation instead of preparing me at $300/hr, when the judge came in with the opposing offer he never spoke up on my behalf to counter I had to do that! Needless to say Chris failed to mention to me my ex was getting a huge chunk of the 401k without my consent during the mediation! He made sure to never demand my ex, who had the affair and filed for divorce, to pay for my legal fees as I was making less than 1/6 of what he made and a 28year marriage. I got absolutely Zero of my wishes including life insurance (free to my ex) to secure my alimony as he was the head of household, the alimony I had a right to. Now, I live in angst and fear if something happens to him I will not get any support. I also came to find out I had a right to many more years of alimony than Chris was willing to fight for on my behalf. I cant help but feel his personal view is that of I did not deserve my legal right to my share of alimony. I wonder how many times he has been divorced and had to pay alimony and if his view is preferential to one side? He definitely was NOT preferential to my side that much I can assure you! To seal the deal he had me verbally and legally in a binding agreement to all the things during mediation without ever explaining that in full. You would think it would never be assumed I have any legal knowledge or why would I have hired Chris to act in my best interest? To add insult to injury he on my behalf, as if he was paying my Bill's, says I will pay for half of the costs of mediation. I was $20000 in debt no thanks to Chris when I confronted him with failing to advise me as my legal hired attorney. When I presented his own email as evidence to how he failed to let me know about the large sum of money out of the 401k I never knowingly agreed to his answer was I was now legally bound to that agreement. He then gave me an ultimatum that if I did not sign the papers he would withdraw as my attorney. So after $20,000 in his pocket for a very simple case that other lawyers confirmed should have cost me less than $5000, he withdrew. I got taken advantage of when I was vulnerable and at the end he kicked me to the curb when he knew he messed up instead of stepping up to the plate and cleaning up the legal mess he was responsible for creating! Honestly, at the end I had to give up because of the emotional distress, anxiety, and ptsd Chris not my ex was responsible for creating in my life! Do Not hire this man and waste your money if you need legal hand holding or are in any way emotionally vulnerable. Chris was absolutely 100% not compassionate in my case.

Outstanding team at Sundstorm Law. I went through a bad divorce and they represented me. They were always advocates for what was best for me. Definitely felt very protected having them on my side. Highly recommend