Ours is a litigation firm, and we have always been busy. In fact, we are busier than ever. It seems the prospect of a trial isn't deterring people quite the way it used to. If anything, the process has grown more litigious.

Rarely in divorce law do you hear about the "good" stories. The positive and fair outcomes. More often you hear about how the system has gone wrong, about the horror stories. And I can say I've heard them all, and even some you wouldn't even believe. I once had a case in which a client was willing to go to jail before ceding a matter to an ex-spouse.

I think our role as lawyers is important to guiding people to positive outcomes. For one thing, what we do is stressful, challenging, hard work. I have never found "lawyer jokes" terribly amusing.

I've been very fortunate to have excellent professional influences. Rick Keidel was in many respects my first mentor. He truly gave me my wings. His passing (in early 2006) was a great loss to all of us.

It's a great privilege to work with Stephen Gassman. After more than a decade, I can still say I am amazed by his tremendous legal mind, his command for the intricacies of the law. I have sat "second chair" on many trials with him, and we have been a very good team. We bring our firm's superior resources to every case.

A little information can be a dangerous thing. When clients come in and say they read something on the Internet, I say, "Stop right there." Every case, every jurisdiction is different. And I always discourage comparisons, no matter how well meaning: Your girlfriend, who got divorced 10 years ago and whose ex-husband is nothing like yours, is simply going to have a different case from yours. As a smart judge once said, "Every case is its own little snowflake."

One of the most essential aspects of our work is to be realistic with clients. Encouraging or expressing unlikely scenarios doesn't serve the client -- and it doesn't serve you.

We handle many complex cases, and we can never be completely ahead of the work. There are plenty of emergencies late Friday afternoons before holiday weekends. The energy level has to be high, and being well organized is critical: We are keeping pots on a constant boil, never letting them simmer. The key to being successful in our work is to be patient, have a good sense of humor, and maintain a sense of teamwork. Our firm is a real family - we all fit together.

One reward of being a divorce lawyer is that you do foster true friendships with clients. Sometimes I'll get a call, even a year later, and a client says they miss talking to me. People know that we care, and that's very gratifying.