There are many things people should know entering into divorce. One is that the goal is not to beat or prevail over the other side. The goal is to achieve a fair and lasting result as expeditiously as possible.

I operate with certain rules, and one of them is this: Confirm everything in writing. Whether it's human nature or malice, certain people have selective memory. And it only serves my clients' interests to document the process every step of the way. Still, I maintain a low profile, with my cases and professionally. I usually decline to comment to the press. I think generally that it's rare that a case will benefit from press coverage. Tooting my own horn isn't my style; my record speaks for itself.

Ours is an extraordinarily good family-law system, but it is often an overburdened system. The number of judges required to process cases is simply not enough - with dozens of juvenile and domestic violence cases reviewed every day, the process for a standard divorce case take longer than it should. More and more couples today are choosing the self-help route - some form of mediation to resolve the issues of their divorce.

Today I do a fair amount of mediation-review work, to ensure that the settlement conforms with settlement guidelines. Mediation is appropriate in many cases, but there can be levels of complexity that are really not appropriate for mediation, such as in asset-valuation issues. In most divorce matters in which substantial assets are involved, there is no substitute for a good advisor - and proper representation.

My career as a matrimonial attorney has had a natural evolution: As you grow more experienced and mature, the cases that you handle grow more challenging and complex. Today my inbox is pretty active. I receive 60 to 90 minutes of voice mails every day. And I address every one of them. Being there for the client is essential to doing our job properly. And I care - about my clients, and what results we can.