As a veteran attorney with a significant practice I occupy a fairly unique position among other well-known peers.  I practice without any associates and only an excellent paralegal and office staff. 

Why?  I feel this allows me to work closely with my clients.  In many firms associates handle the bulk of the case, handing off to a partner when trial or settlement nears.  I believe this can be a fallible business model.  During a case many decisions arise that can affect the client.  The client should feel comfortable in knowing that the lawyer he or she retained is completely involved in those decisions.  As the case proceeds from inception to conclusion, I will have walked in lock-step with my client with the intended result that each of us is comfortable with the other.

Matrimonial law is very different from other areas of the law.  The divorce lawyer guides clients through some of the most difficult and emotionally-challenged problems they will encounter in their entire lives.  To do my job properly, I will learn the most intimate details of my client’s personal and financial lives.  The client does not need to adopt me as their new best friend but must feel comfortable that I am offering advice that relates to them as a person and not just as a case.

Through the years I think I have developed a reputation as a formidable attorney.  I know the judges and all of the leading lawyers in this field.  Although 90% of my cases end in a negotiated settlement, a significant portion proceed to trial.  Trials are highly competitive affairs.  I believe my ability to litigate and try cases skillfully is a crucial component to my reputation as a leading matrimonial attorney in New York.

I do not advertise for clients.  Most of my clients come to me through “word of mouth”.  Since New York City is a center for the worlds of finance and the arts, many of my clients own companies, run hedge funds, or are partners in major law firms.  Some clients bore the primary responsibility for raising the family and supporting their spouse’s careers.  While I may represent high-income individuals and celebrities, I do not turn away other worthy clients.