Mary Cay Trace
Divorce Law - Cherry Hill, NJ

Of all of the important steps in the divorce process, perhaps the most important is the initial conversation with a client. That's when we establish a good sense of a client's situation, and I can convey how I see the case being resolved. If there's a great gap between how a person sees the outcome of their divorce, and how I see it - based on the information I've received - I'll be blunt. I'll encourage them to seek more opinions.

It's important for a person to know how the divorce agreement will be reached in the end, and equally important for the client and their attorney to have the same outlook -- and work for the same objective -- on their case. The consequences can last for years, even the rest of your life. That kind of understanding doesn't always make the process easier. It's an emotional ride comparable to little else experienced in life.

Each person has to give up certain things in divorce. Your circle of friends may narrow, or even be entirely different. But of all the issues we face in divorce, the children's best interests are always paramount. I often say it's not the children who create the problems that the parents come to us with. It's our obligation to see that, and with that in mind, to keep moving the case forward.

A lot of what we do involves getting everyone to focus on how the case can and should be settled. The central question is, where do they want their lives to be - two years, or five years from now? I do try my share of cases, but usually I don't recommend that a divorce be settled by a judge's ruling. For one thing, it can be very difficult to know how the law will rule a particular case. If I don't think it's in the client's best interest, I'll say so - promptly and clearly.

Ours is always challenging work, and some attorneys make it more difficult than it has to be. But most divorce attorneys are wonderful people. Gloucester County's is a close-knit group of attorneys; I feel fortunate to be a part of it.

Do I ever hear that I was hired "because she's a woman?" Almost never, in fact. Your reputation as an effective attorney is what brings people through our door. We have a great team, and we have a top-flight staff; everyone really cares about and responds to everyone we represent.

Mary Cay Trace
"It's important for the client and attorney to have the same outlook - and work for the same objective - on their case. The consequences can last for years, even the rest of your life."
Phone: (856) 424-3444
Fax: (856) 424-3690
 
 
Education
Douglass College, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. 1978
Widener University, The Delaware Law School, Wilmington, Del., J.D., 1984

COMPILED DECEMBER 2003
UPDATED 2009, 2015, 2020
 
2020-06-03 13:38:05