Abom & Kutulakis Attorneys At Law

(Accompanied someone here) Very professional, clean and calm atmosphere, Staff was friendly and greeted us when coming in, my friend says the Attorney(s) are very nice.

1/30/26 UPDATE BELOW I am writing this review to warn others. If you are considering hiring this firm, especially Jay Abom or Erin Kraska, pause and get an independent second legal opinion first. In September of 2025 I retained Jay Abom and Erin Kraska to defend me in a felony Interference with Custody case in Luzerne County. They charged me a refundable $75,000 legal fee. What I later discovered, after a paid consultation with another attorney, was that they were providing me with false legal advise. Despite the high stakes - my freedom and my children - Jay and Erin repeatedly relied on incorrect and non-controlling case law, improperly pressured me toward a guilty plea based on that same erroneous advice, and were unable to substantiate their legal positions when I later requested written confirmation. After obtaining a second legal opinion, I learned that the advice they had provided was wrong and, in many instances, directly contradicted controlling Pennsylvania law. On December 15, 2025, I terminated the representation by email after consulting with an attorney in Philadelphia who was unable to confirm any of the legal advice Jay and Erin had given me. Despite the seriousness of my allegation, they never denied it or addressed it. At that point, they should have promptly returned my unearned $75,000 retainer. Instead, they offered shifting and unsupported explanations for retaining the funds. And now, crickets. Under the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct, unearned client funds must be safeguarded and promptly returned upon termination of representation. Fees obtained or retained through false legal advice, ethical violations, or fundamentally deficient representation are not earned fees. An attorney is not entitled to retain a client’s funds merely by billing time when the representation itself is improper. To date, not a single dollar of my $75,000 retainer has been returned. As a direct result, I have been unable to retain new counsel and am now forced to represent myself at a critical motions hearing scheduled for January 29, 2026. UPDATE: 1/30/26 An example of how dishonest this law firm is that they chose to post this response while knowing I was in a motions hearing - the same hearing where I was forced to represent myself because Jay Abom and Erin Kraska had been giving me false legal advice, which was later confirmed by a paid second legal opinion. Their explanation here is misleading and factually incorrect. I will not litigate those issues in a Google review; they will be addressed in my ethics complaints and civil suit. Notably, neither Jay Abom nor Erin Kraska has ever denied that they provided me with false legal advice. If they choose to do so, I will publicly post the details of that advice in an online accessible document. In September of 2025, Jay and Erin aggressively pressured me to plead guilty and prepare for at least two years in prison, claiming the District Attorney’s Office was “pushing hard” for my case. That was not true. At that point, they had not even spoken with the DA’s Office. Yesterday, at my motions hearing, where I represented myself pro se, the judge dismissed the case based on my habeas corpus motion, an argument Jay and Erin refused to even acknowledge during their representation, finding that the DA failed to establish a prima facie case - the lowest standard a DA needs to bring a case forward. The judge said they didn’t even meet that lowest standard and yet Jay and Erin told me that I had zero chance of winning at trial. Had I followed their advice, I would be sitting in a jail cell today for a crime I did not commit. I am free today because of my own work and the support of my family - not because of Jay Abom or Erin Kraska. Finally: Jay and Erin, where is my $75,000? Seems like you spent it. Don’t forget to send me an accounting of the funds from your escrow account. You are safer representing yourself than trusting this firm with your liberty. We are real people with real children. I don't know how you sleep at night.

Things stated out well but towards the end of our case we started feeling very confused what was going on and felt communication was not that great. The way they would word things can be very confusing; and they didn’t do a good job clarifying things. Not to mention we found out that we were overcharged almost $7k more than the person we are going to court against was charged from his lawyer. My new lawyer even confirmed that for what steps it took to get to where we were it would not have cost that much. Way over priced! And not even top tier service. If I’m paying someone an insane amount I would expect to feel confident going to court which we did not and ended up withdrawing from this firm.

I cannot say enough in regards to Attorney Abom, he was thorough as well as patient in my consultation & when it came time for my appearance in court he knocked it out of the park. I would highly recommend him to anyone in need of a good attorney & one in which I can honestly consider a friend 🙏

I was recommended J. Abom from a friend. 5,600 dollars later I should have went with a public attorney. Had a consultation and only time I heard from him was when I met him at 2 court dates. Never met in person to discuss my case or even a phone call. But he did have his secretary call me for more money and the evening before my court date and let me know it was tomorrow which I was on vacation at the time. They said they sent a letter which by the way he charges 40 dollars per letter. I live in a house with multiple units, so letter never arrived in my mailbox. Pretty much a money grab. Beware spending 5,500 when you could have a public defender or even a 2,000 dollar lawyer.

Shannon assisted me with a child support issue and she was great! Very knowledgeable about my particular issue and helpful along the way. Any time I had a question, she was quick to respond. Highly recommend her.

Shannon assisted me with a simple case for a name change earlier this year. From the first consult, she was pleasant, professional and knowledgeable. She was always patient and listened to my questions. I would recommend her to friends and family.

I hired Stephanie for a CYS matter in the spring of 2023. While she was clearly knowledgeable about the law, she completely lacked the drive or aggression needed to defend me. Despite taking a $5,000 retainer, she did nothing to challenge CYS or advocate on my behalf. Instead, she simply went along with everything they proposed. As a result, I lost custody of my daughter to her father for six months—based solely on false claims my daughter made. I ended up placed on the child abuse registry for a year and had to fight the system on my own. I eventually won my case at the state level because even the Adams County CYS attorney admitted there was never sufficient evidence against me. Yet at the county level, my appeal was denied, and Stephanie made no real effort to push back. Bottom line: if you’re facing a serious CYS case, you need a bulldog attorney—someone who will fight tooth and nail for you. Stephanie wasn’t that. I regret hiring her and do not recommend her to anyone in need of strong legal advocacy. Save your money if all you’re going to get is passive representation. Knowledge means nothing without results.

Great Law OFFICE (all the way across the board) leaves no stone unturned! Works well with the Courts (Judges and U.S. Attorneys) and can work past disagreements. Mr J Abom is the Best! And Emily is the Greatest Office Manager I have ever met in my entire life. You can't lose with Abom & Kutulakis...

I wish I could rate Jay Abom more than 5 stars. He is undoubtedly the hardest working lawyer I could have chose to help me. Not only is he extremely personable, he is the not even the slightest bit judgmental and real. He will fight for you hard and very intelligent. This was the hardest thing I’ve been through, and in a way Jay really saved my life. Can’t thank him enough or recommend him enough. It is worth every penny to work with him.

I I recently had the pleasure of consulting with Attorney Abom, and I cannot recommend him highly enough. Our consultation lasted over an hour and a half, and throughout the entire meeting, he was incredibly attentive, knowledgeable, and patient. He took the time to listen carefully to every detail of my situation, asked thoughtful questions, and provided clear, insightful guidance that immediately put me at ease. What stood out the most was his courteous demeanor and genuine concern for my case. He explained complex legal matters in a way that was easy to understand and made sure I felt informed and confident about the next steps. Attorney Abom’s professionalism and expertise were evident from start to finish, and I left the consultation feeling empowered and supported. If you are seeking an attorney who combines deep legal knowledge with compassion and integrity, I highly recommend Attorney Abom. He exceeded all my expectations, and I am grateful for his time and counsel.

Just a little over a year ago I found myself in a situation where I needed the best representation I could possibly get. I can only assume that you’re reading through the reviews because you’re in a similar situation and you need excellent representation and you’re contemplating whether or not Craig and his team at Abom & Kutulakis are a good fit for you and your current situation. I assure you they are. And In the most concise way I can possibly put it, literally from start to finish Craig (and team) not only provided exceptional service, I felt he went above and beyond what most attorneys are able or willing to do to ensure the best possible outcome. And let me just say this, there’s a reason Craig is partner and there’s a reason Abom & Kutulakis have won 5 consecutive awards since 2019. From the moment I first met with Craig I had a gut feeling about him that’s hard to explain, but to provide some context I would say it boils down to his confidence of how to approach my situation based off of the results I wanted. BULLET POINTS: • He’s very confident yet humble. Especially inside the courtroom. • He’s extremely knowledgable and is quick to learn what he doesn’t know. • I never felt rushed during any of our conversations. • I was very impressed with (and grateful for) how Craig prepared for the moment the trooper took the stand to give his testimony on record. The way Craig prepared his questions and the way he presented each question to the trooper was nothing short of a masterpiece. No exaggeration. Towards the end of Craig’s questioning you could sense the trooper was getting a little frustrated and irritated because Craig was able to easily show contradictions and foul play that were hard to refute. • The couple times I sat with Craig in the courtroom he made sure I fully understood what was going on and what was ultimately being discussed. You know sometimes it’s hard to follow legal jargon. 5 Stars across the board!!! I live by the “you get what you pay for” concept and in most cases (especially important ones) it’s absolutely true. In the end Craig got the exact results and outcomes my family and I wanted and needed. Don’t expect a 5 star Micheline fine dining experience on a McDonlad’s budget. I promise you wholeheartedly that you're in the best of care when you have Craig representing you. Best of luck 🙂

The woman at the front desk was incredibly haughty, laughed at me and mocked me multiple times during a brief conversation when I was offering notice of misrepresentation of their business on Google. I was being nice and going out to my way to help them and was met with one of the most outrageous customer service moments of my life. Knowledge puffs up and because I had to go through her (or perhaps she was taking out her emotional frustrations on me) she must have felt being a part of a legal team protected her. This is the 2nd time I've had a negative experience with Abom and Kutulakis. The first time I was quiet and let it go. This time I won't. Some things in the business world are unacceptable. If you want to mock a stranger for arguing with you at Giant or Target in the parking lot go ahead, but never with a prospective client. Don't support this firm, go somewhere else and save yourself the grief. I've had plenty of positive experiences with other firms in the area but only negative ones here.

I had a very good experience with this firm. My lawyer was T.R. Williams, and I had a very good experience with him. He answered phone calls and emails promptly. He also got the outcome we wanted and answered all the questions along the way.

Sometimes in life we get blindsided with an unexpected encounter with the law. I was Fortunate enough to find Privet Counsel, that seen exactly how to tip the scales of justice in my favor. Let face the facts if you been unjustly accused of a crime. This law firm has the expertise to get it done. My Attorney TR Williams has gone above and beyond to get my case resolved with no further action. Thank you TR Williams.

If you're considering hiring this firm for your case; don't. I hired them for a simple intestate estate case. $2,500, 1 letter threatening criminal action and 3 attorneys later and nothing. I ended up hiring another attorney to settle the estate, but I wouldn't choose Abom & Kutulakis if they were the last legal representation in the United States. I'll take my chances pro-se. It can't be any worse than hiring legal counsel that wines and dines weekly with the prosecution and judges.

Super knowledgeable great office and everyone kind, efficient and just make you feel secure knowing they have your back

Best attorney in Carlisle trustable and honest 🙏🙏🇺🇸🇺🇸

I had the pleasure of working with Atty Shannon Costa on a very important case involving CYA that could have had a very big impact on my career. Atty Costa was very professional and made sure to get all the paperwork in on time even emailing me at the start of her vacation to make sure everything was complete. Her fees were very reasonable and she made sure to get the job done and see it through until the end as CYA ended up dropping everything. Thanks Shannon for everything!