I've been practicing family law for just over 14 years now, and even in that time our profession - and the divorce process itself - has evolved. Thanks to the proliferation of social media sites and blogs, people are much more educated than they used to be - they can look up anything, refer to divorce blogs and even do their own online legal research. They review our firm's website, and other sites, to get a feel for what to expect. Sometimes they can get misinformed, and it is important to set expectations from the beginning.

New York divorce law has at least two areas that recently changed - spousal maintenance, and the so-called enhanced earning capacity (EEC). The amount and duration of a final award of spousal maintenance is now set by a formula, which may lead to more certainty and consistency while at the same time making that issue less difficult to settle. With regard to EEC - "enhanced earning capacity" resulting from a degree or professional license is no longer considered by New York courts to be an asset. . Both of these issues can further complicate the settlement of a divorce, adding to the costs and duration of the dispute.

While the State legislature has taken steps to add clarification to the maintenance issues, and eliminated EEC, there continue to be significant issues in divorce law that require attorneys to stay up to date with case law.

I have a strong background and a passion for the law, so I am comfortable with staying abreast of developing case law - that's what is really at the center of all the change, for us and our clients. A lawyer's knowledge of case law helps determine whether litigation is warranted or even a worthwhile strategy for our clients. That's a perfect fit for me. Because the fact is, we do encourage our clients to stay out of court - a negotiated settlement really is proven to be more cost-effective, and more likely to arrive at an agreement that everyone can live with - there are many talented and dedicated judges in our court system, but their courts simply aren't designed to expeditiously resolve matters in a way that both parties can walk away reasonably satisfied with.

Every case is different, with its own set of facts. But we have always found that the clients best able to transition into their "post-divorce lives" did so through negotiated settlements - with responsible, knowledgeable counsel helping them get there as early on in the process as possible. There's really no substitute for that.

I work with a group of first-rate lawyers. Stephen Schlissel and Elena Karabatos are two of the best in our business: Steve is extremely thorough, leaving no stone unturned. And Elena has a style unique to our field - she is thoughtful, practical and direct. I'm always learning from, and taking aspects of Steve and Elena as well as my other partners, Jennifer and Lisa, in my work today.

There isn't a divorce matter or issue anywhere in the US that a Long Island family lawyer hasn't seen or handled. We live in a very diverse practice area, with all types of original issues in a given family law case.

I felt from the beginning that family law was a specialty where I could make a personal difference to my clients, where I could do some good. I wanted that personal connection with my clients. And I wanted to work with a group of professionals who felt the same way. Today we handle many of the toughest and most challenging cases in the area.

Throughout my life I've always been a hard worker - I'm fortunate that I am able to do work that can, and often does, make a difference for others. I'm proud of that - we're a good group of lawyers, and we have the record to prove it.