After more than 18 years as a matrimonial attorney, I should emphasize this first: Time doesn't make a good attorney less compassionate - to the contrary, my experiences have made me more compassionate with my clients. Divorce is a very difficult and traumatic process, and my job is to work them through that. I'm very people oriented, and that's an important part of doing our job well. In every instance I feel I'm helping people. Cases come to me in many ways; some are through referrals from previous clients, others are referred from fellow attorneys - there is a degree of mutual respect built up over the years among attorneys, and it's gratifying that cases come to me that way. When a client and I speak for the first time, in that first hour we learn a lot about each other. I'll tell them what they should hear - rather than what they want to hear. Sometimes it isn't the right fit - we have to work together, with confidence. In every case, though, my approach is not that complicated; people want to be treated fairly. The bottom line is, I treat clients as I would want to be treated. Often it's just the little things. I return phone calls. Matrimonial law has certainly grown more complex: One case I recently handled involved a spectrum of legal issues: Equitable distribution, bankruptcy, tax issues and proving economic fault. As life has grown complex, so has divorce, and most of my clients understand that. I do a fair amount of custody litigation. Such cases are often very difficult to resolve. But I care deeply about every outcome. I love the law, but I also love being able help at a critical time in people's lives. Down the road I'll hear from people - I receive holiday cards from old clients. They'll let me know they're doing fine. Hearing those kinds of things is very rewarding