Our cultural vision of divorce court is very different from reality. We fantasize about justice and imagine that the judge will take our side. But the truth of the matter is that most cases settle, and in those that do make it to trial, the judgement has little to do with who is morally right. So, if trial decisions are an urban myth, what does divorce really look like?
Jacqueline Newman is a matrimonial law expert and divorce attorney based in New York City. As the managing partner of Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, a top-tier Manhattan firm, her practice consists of litigation, collaborative law and mediation. Jacqueline provides expert legal commentary for national media outlets, including ABC, NBC and FOX, and her work has appeared in numerous publications such as US News & World Report, Business Insider and The Huffington Post. Jacqueline is the author of Soon-to-Be Ex and Soon-to-Be Ex for Men, and she has been named one of Thompson Reuters New York-Metro Super Lawyers Top 50 Women Attorneys for five years running.
Today, Jacqueline joins Katherine to explain why she always wanted to be a divorce lawyer and how the realities of the profession differed from her expectations. She discusses her motivation for writing Soon-to-Be Ex and Soon-to-Be Ex for Men, sharing some of the practical advice she includes in those resources. Jacqueline and Katherine speak to their work with couples considering divorce, the long-term impact of the decision to divorce and the divorce lawyer’s role in providing an objective point of view. Listen in for Jacqueline’s insight on the urban myth of trial decisions and learn how a good divorce attorney can support you in making informed choices.
Why Jacqueline always wanted to be a divorce lawyer
How the realities of divorce law differ from expectations
Jacqueline’s insight on the urban myth of trial decisions
The very small number of couples who don’t settle
What inspired Jacqueline to write Soon-to-Be Ex
The practical advice included in Jacqueline’s books
The value in meeting with a divorce lawyer for a consult
How divorce impacts every aspect of your life
The challenge to think long-term when emotions are high
Jacqueline’s role in providing an objective point of view
Jacqueline’s experience managing a divorce law firm
Jacqueline’s take on the attributes of a ‘good client’
Soon-to-Be Ex: A Woman’s Guide to Her Perfect Divorce and Relaunch by Jacqueline Newman
Soon-to-Be Ex for Men: Preserving Wealth, Fatherhood, and Sanity during Divorce by Jacqueline Newman
The Center for Understanding Conflict
The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller
Email katherine@westchesterfamilylaw.com
Call (914) 738-7765