Our job - more than many people realize - requires creative thinking. That's especially so to be successful at it. We always seek the appropriate solution for the appropriate individual, and that process calls for good ideas. It's true, there are guidelines for how a case should be resolved, but within that framework there's plenty of room for creativity, which can contribute to a favorable outcome, a long-term solution.

When it came to choosing a career, I'm not sure I chose matrimonial law -- more accurately, it chose me. I have always been interested in politics, and somehow my work in it introduced me to others who needed my skills - and some of them were getting divorced. It's a very personal area of the law, and I get a tremendous amount of satisfaction knowing that I am helping a client at a decisive moment in their lives.

There's no question that my own career has grown and evolved with the law itself, when the first equitable distribution statutes were enacted. We have since grown a substantial practice. The cases have grown more complex, the issues more elusive and more difficult to identify. We're seeing more and more post-settlement litigation, after major changes occur in a person's livelihood. It can be extremely complex. It's not like putting your head down and running off left tackle.

I am not known for always sugar coating advice to my clients. Clients may not like what I say, but I'll never give them false expectations. I have no problem saying what's on my mind. Around this office, I never raise my voice - but everyone knows where I stand.

The hardest cases to settle, sadly, are the smaller ones, the ones with fewer assets involved. The plain fact is that there are never enough resources to go around. Small cases often can make bad law.

Divorce cases may get exacerbated by issues including a loss of income, the presence of another person (an affair), and alcohol and/or drug abuse. They certainly add to the emotional stress of a case. Our job is to recognize all those issues, and stay focused on achieving an appropriate settlement.