Highly satisfied with the overall process and outcome. Mr. Stanko was very professional and kind. I would definitely recommend to anyone.

Thanks Mr. Stanko! I appreciate your help! Your amazing!

Paul is absolutely dedicated to every one of his clients! Big or small case he treats everyone the same. It was my first arrest and I was terrified that I wouldn’ be able to move on with my life after this. Paul reassured me that he would do the best he could and that’s EXACTLY what he did! He got my case dismissed for me and on top of that even got my cash bond back. He goes above and beyond for everyone’s individual case . I recommend anyone struggling with the criminal justice system to give Paul a try, he does not disappoint. Thanks again Paul for giving my family and I a second chance at life. God Bless you!

Superlawyer in South Bend!
Judge Stanko is a superb criminal defense lawyer. I doubt there is any criminal lawyer in South Bend with as much experience or as great a standing in the courts. I know he treated me with kindness, dignity and respect (and even welcome humor during stressful times). I recommend him without hesitation!

I can't say enough about how professional and courteous Judge Stanko was throughout the entire process. He has an incredible amount of experience, and when he walks into the courtroom, you can really tell how much respect EVERYONE in the courtroom, including the Judge, has for him. The only thing that surprised me was that he only charged me the same (or even lower) fees than a lot less experienced lawyers had quoted me. I asked him about this and he told me: "I am not in this for the money. If I didn't love my work, I wouldn't do it". I know a lot of people say that they love their work, but I honestly think Judge Stanko really feels that way. He doesn't need to prove anything to anybody, so he just represents his clients.
I can't say enough about how much he did for me. If you have a criminal case anywhere he goes, call him first!

Really shows up on gameday! i received a great negotiated outcome! Would recommend! Thanks again Paul. RW

My 19 year old son was looking at possible prison time with a level 5 felony charge. Paul stepped up to the plate and not only got him out of prison time, but somehow managed to get it knocked down to a year of probation. Throughout the whole process, Paul was professional, honest and kind. His advice and strategy was right on the money every step of the way. We couldn't be more happier with the outcome. Highly recommended!

Mr. Stanko did a great job on my case. This was my second felony growing cannabis and he got me Misdemeanor sentencing with no jail time. I received only one year probation and has helped with follow up problems quickly. He is a genuinely thoughtful and caring person that helped put my fears at bay during a very scary time for me. His pricing was even lower than the so called big names. I've had other lawyers in the past, they seemed only to care about how much they could get out of me under a stressful time. I seriously couldn't recommend him more.

I'm very upset with how horrible this man is returning back to you with answers to your questions. Already paid $1000.00 starting to ask myself why. Not sure if this man will even show up for any court dates , feeling disappointed . He sure is quick to put on a good show just to get your money then decide's he will only call or text you when it's convenient for him. Leaves you just hanging, also turns his phone off when he's tired if you calling 2-3times in a row because you haven't heard from him after he spoke with your prosecutor 3 weeks prior . Idk I'm about to hang up the rag & find someone that takes their job more serious and is more professional !

He promised me i would do no jail time and yet i received a sentence of 3 years incarnation from the judge the maximum amount of time for the dui , hired a different attorney for modification, stanley, and got shock probation, to bad hes gone now, he was an attorney for the people not the system, for anyone that diesnt know, you dont serve prison time for a non violet felony by law, you might get home detention and 10 days in county but thats the most, ive had 6 dwi and paul stanko just took my 3000 and said oh well, dont trust him and he also was suspended from practice for taking his own owi file from the clirks office, dont trust him

I've been assigned Mr. Stanko by Marshall County Superior 1 and he has yet to return my phone calls. I'm getting nervous and can't mess this up! Please contact me via email ([email protected])
You can also find my messages on your voicemail. Thank you.

Brian Ivey

There is no substitute for experience!

My Daughter got into trouble for underage drinking while attending college in South Bend, and I was frantic to find an experienced Indiana criminal defense lawyer to help. I got hold of Judge Stanko on a weekend and he returned my call within hours. His office is literally footsteps away from the courthouse, and he is well-known in the local courts.

His calm reassurance and professionalism eased my mind immediately. He arranged for a pretrial diversion, and a year later my daughter's case was dismissed. I cannot overemphasize how important it is to find an experienced lawyer when your child's future is at stake!

UPDATE: My daughter has now had her case expunged.

I rarely take the time to write a negative review, but this one is necessary. Paul Stanko is a fabulous salesman. He gave me the works in his spiel about why he'd be a great lawyer for me and would love to take my case. I'm sure he's helped many people, as I can see by several reviews. It may be that he's wonderful, LOCALLY. But I'm not local, and he certainly didn't show me any real care or concern at all. It may be that he's been in the business for so long, he thought my case would be easy and a done deal. But for someone who's never had any issues with the law before, I was scared and concerned, and on the rare occasion that he and I did speak, he was typically pretty condescending, indicative that his life and business were much more important than mine.

To top it off, unfortunately, he had hardly any follow through in my case, and honestly my case was fairly simple and straight forward. His communication was great until he received full payment, and at that point, he would rarely return any form of communication (which from my end, wasn't even that much), and never filed my paperwork. I called the clerks office multiple times, as I continued to receive no response from Mr. Stanko, and they'd continued to tell me to wait a little longer to see if my paperwork had been filed, but it never got done. I literally had to track down the prosecutor and call to get them to sign the paperwork and file it myself. Paul Stanko became a ghost - I literally never heard from him again. What's the point of paying a lawyer if they don't even complete what they've committed to do? He always had some form of excuse for lack of communication (like he would respond DAYS and sometimes weeks later or just not at all) - vacation with family, in court, yada yada. But it literally takes 10 seconds to send a quick text, email, or make a phone call. He never contacted me on the day of my court date or confirmed that my paperwork had been completed - BECAUSE IT NEVER GOT DONE! If I hadn't stayed on top of my case, I'd probably have a warrant out for my arrest right now. And Mr. Stanko, if you're going to try and respond that I was never a client or find some form of hole in my review as you have to some of these other reviews on here, I'd gladly post all the proof of communication (or lackthereof).

I give two stars because he did get my case diverted to a pretrial diversion, which was the optimal resolution, for which I am thankful. Unfortunately, because of his consistent lack in communication, failure to respond, and inability to file my paperwork, I refuse to give him a higher rating. I would have LOVED to write a good review on Paul Stanko, but if you're reading this, I would highly recommend looking elsewhere if you want to be able to rest easy, have solid communication, and a completed case.

Great guidance and counsel. Also a very experienced attorney who is well respected by everyone that you'll need for your case. You will not be disappointed!

Mr Stanko great attorney, great man helped my wife and I. I highly recommend Mr Stanko. Thanks Paul!!!

Attorney Paul Stanko helped me through a very complicated situation I was faced with. He gave me and my family peace of mind.I truly recommend his law firm he is diligent, precise, and cares for his clients. I will highly recommend his services he will not disappoint you. He has offices in Crown Point, Plymouth, South Bend, Indiana.

Excellent experience AND exceptional outcome with Attorney Stanko. Absolutely committed to serving his client's, highly recommend!

Great lawyer and really just a great guy too. Paul was there every step of the way for me and talked me through everything in my case to help put me at ease. I went from facing charges that would ruin my life/career to charges that have allowed me to keep my job and life in tact. I’d recommend Paul to anyone facing criminal charges.

Had a horrible experience working with Paul. His communication skills are unacceptable, he is disorganized and failed to explain plea agreement in its entirety to client. Client admitted fault, per Paul's recommendation and got maximum (3yrs) for a DUI. Paul did not respond to our calls or texts until we posed a "new" client. My fiance missed the birth of our child because of the way this legal situation was handled - I believe jail time could have been avoided with different steps taken. How was he a judge?

While I always offer substantial discounts to veterans and active duty service members, during November I offer a further discount in honor of Veterans Day. If you contact me, PLEASE state your service affiliation, and, as always, thank you for your service!

Fights for your justice! :0+ highly recommend

Great communication, very helpful, prompt. Couldn't be happier. Thanks!

Paul Stanko, returned my call immediately ON A SUNDAY, I got into some trouble while in South Bend, very far from home, he absolutely could not be any better, he contacts me frequently. Paul makes me feel like I’m his only client!!! If you need help, call him, no questions.

We needed an attorney last minute. He took our call and guided us over the phone then met us in court the next morning. No idea where we'd be without him. So helpful and so informative

Paul is the one you need!

Want to thank Paul for the outstanding job he did as my attorney. I myself thought the case went very well in our parts as he worked and did a terrific job with coming up with an agreement and settlement for me in my case. I am grateful I hired him and will hire him if I need him in the future! He was precise and committed to making sure I knew all the information and steps I needed to take by staying in communication and connection. Even as his wife was in the hospital for multiple weeks and him getting physically hurt himself was able to get the task and or job done. Want to thank you again for the efforts and actions you have taken for me Paul !

Paul's expertise and knowledge of the law and my case helped me through a very tough situation. My family and I are grateful we choose to have Paul on our side. I am confident without him representing me there could have been a very different outcome. Thank you Paul for getting me through this and keeping my livelihood intact. God Bless you Paul. If you need someone with knowledge and understanding of the laws and our court systems Paul is definitely the man you need on your side!!! I would recommend him to everyone and I pray I won't need him again, but if I do-I know he's there for me and would use his services again.

Paul Stanko is excellent. Even during a very difficult personal time, he went above and beyond a lot of other lawyers I contacted and took care of the case swiftly and made it very manageable for us. I would highly recommend him.

I have no idea how anyone could write a good review about Mr. Stanko.
#1, lack of communication, i understand we are not his only clients. What im saying is a complete LACK OF COMMUNICATION, never responded. In the event that he did "idk"!!! You don't know?! That's what you were hired for, to know!!
#2 appsolutly no drive or ambition. It's like pulling teeth to get him to do anything. A week of asking got an E-file, well i hope, he never responded.
#3 he act's like he could care less. My girlfriend had been attempting to contact him for days. She later appointed me p.o.a. to help. i contacted him, his excuse for not talking to her. "Bad phone audio for the money" apparently the phones are so bad in the Marshall County Jail. He refuses to answer them. The truth is i talk to my girlfriend 2 times a day. With no problems. But if they are that bad get down there and talk to her!!!!
#4 act's so busy. If your that busy, work a little harder or take on less clients.
He has been paid. Not asking for charity work. If you want to waste a bunch of money, while you or someone you love is sitting in jail, by all means hire Paul.

When you go into Caurt with Paul Stanko , you know you are being represented by someone who is smart, respected by peers, loyal and kind. He treated me like I was his #1 priority, when I knew he had much more going on. I felt that I was his only case but when I left the courtroom , I knew he was staying to represent many others. Thank you for your time and professionalism.

I recommend this man for cases in Starke County he’s a good guy smart and trusted.

Attorney Paul Stanko is a well respected attorney and truly cares about your situation. His years of experience will definitely show. Attny Stanko is highly recommended. Thank you Attorney Paul Stanko.

I was charged with a level 6 felony of drug possession my first offense and contacted Mr. Stanko. He returned my phone call immediately. He was interested and engaged in my case. Mr. Stanko touched base and explained every step of the process to me during our meetings. I lived hours away from the county I had been charged in and Mr. Stankos relationship with the prosecutor allowed me to skip one as he was there to represent me. I could not be more pleased with the outcome of my case. Mr. Stanko secured a year of probation and on its completion my felony will be dropped to a misdemeanor and I will serve no jail time. I would recommend Mr. Stanko to anyone who needs a great defense attorney.

I did not even have Paul as a lawyer, but his reputation seemed pretty clear he was the go to guy for cases in Indiana. He gave me completely free and great advice for the predicament I was in. Overall, awesome guy!

Stanko was very prompt in handling my case. He arrived to court on time and had already filed paperwork and made an agreement with the prossecutor that exceeded my expectations, all before even entering the court room. I would recommend him to anyone who has issues in that part of Indiana.

Being charged with a DUI - OUI is a very scary ordeal. Especially, when you are a professional driver as you will no long be able to keep your job. I had never been in trouble with the law before and this was a frightening, difficult time in my life. There were times during my case when I doubted whether or not I could get a fair shake. At one point I felt like things looked hopeless. Paul Stanko stepped up, took the lead, encouraged me to keep moving forward and guided me skillfully through a maze of hearings and procedures. I followed his advice and was able to obtain an outcome that was above and beyond my best hopes, kept my job and NO OUI - DUI on my driving record. Paul Stanko was able to get my OUI charge thrown out, and ultimately got me a reduced charge of Public Intoxication. I have no doubt, that had it not been for Paul Stanko, I would have ended up in a far different, less advantageous situation with no job. Thanks to him and his patient advice, I got everything I hoped for and more.

If you find yourself in difficult legal situation with an OUI - DUI, look no further. You truly cannot find a more powerful, effective advocate to have on your side. The best decision you can make is to call Paul Stanko.