Allan D. Mantel
Divorce Law - New York, NY

There's no doubt that New York City has the most complex and high-stakes divorce cases. For starters, those we represent are usually very intelligent, with high expectations. Emotions are almost always high, and the legal rules here are arcane. All of this makes our city a unique and exceedingly challenging place to practice matrimonial law.

I've been practicing family law in New York City for more than three decades. I provide my clients with a thorough and complete understanding of the law, the legal process, and a sense of what is fair and reasonable. Most of my clients are very accomplished, very demanding, and are used to being the "alpha dog." These are interesting and original people with unique needs and definite points of view. My job is really about helping them transition their lives, in a fair and reasonable way.

Matrimonial clients are often dissatisfied with their lawyer, often for good reason. That dissatisfaction engenders fee litigation and professional grievance disputes. I've never had a client file a grievance against me - and I'm very proud of that.

There are lawyers in the matrimonial field who aren't sufficiently experienced, and make promises they cannot fulfill. I often come into a case that began with another lawyer or firm - often where the problems are more severe because issues have been mishandled or not addressed at all.

The "financial spouse" generally comes in with a lot of knowledge, with a clear understanding of what he or she wants. Increasingly, the spouse with greater financial control is the wife. In any case, the "non-financial spouse" often faces a learning curve in the divorce process, where expectations need to be managed and confronted with reality. Many clients believe that mediation and alternative dispute resolution are panaceas, because they do not want to deal with the "horror stories" of NY divorce. In substantial cases, mediation works only when each side is represented by independent lawyers, otherwise mediation tends to favor the more financially astute and inflexible spouse.

The internet has revolutionized information in divorce law, like everything else. People are doing their homework on the internet, which is a good thing. But the articles and bulletin boards and chat rooms don't provide much perspective, and certainly can mislead people about what to expect in their own case.

I have a reputation as one of the top divorce litigators in the City - most of my cases settle. My reputation helps deter the drawn-out, expensive litigation. In fact, if we have to try a case in order to resolve it, there's a failure in the process. I don't let that failure come from our side.

New York has many very accomplished people, in financial services, in business, in entertainment. There are still plenty of so-called "Masters of the Universe." They usually don't like to take someone else's direction or advice. They are used to giving orders, not taking them. I understand that; however I am not the kind of lawyer who will "yes" a client to death, especially if their demands or expectations will exacerbate the problem or result in unnecessary litigation. Trust and mutual respect have to be established from the start - our clients understand that everything we do is based on a bond of trust. That's how we've built our practice.

Allan  D. Mantel
"Trust and mutual respect have to be established from the start -- our clients understand that everything we do is based on a bond of trust. That's how we've built our practice."
Phone: (212) 599-1515
Fax: (212) 599-6155
 
 
Education
New York University, BA, 1973
State University of New York at Buffalo, JD, 1976
 
2024-01-23 10:09:24