Matrimonial and Family Law

With combined experience spanning more than fifty years, Sonnenfeld & Richman LLP’s matrimonial and family law practice has earned a reputation for its proven ability to successfully handle a full range of domestic relations issues. Well known throughout the legal community for our thoughtful and creative problem solving, our highly skilled trial advocacy, litigation and negotiation techniques, our proficiency for expert draftsmanship, and our extensive experience with complex, sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional financial estates, we are well-equipped to handle the most sensitive and intricate matters. We bring these same talents to all manners of custody disputes and have successfully guided our clients through intense custody trials, hearings, and forensic examinations across a range of jurisdictions. There are few areas of the law as sensitive as child custody matters, and each matter is unique. Our clients benefit from our vast experience in addressing the delicate matters involving children, parental fitness, developmental or special needs, and our proven record of having favorably resolved (whether through settlement or litigation) even the most extreme and difficult custody cases.

We strive for amicable, non-litigated resolutions, and always remain focused on the individual needs of our clients, developing unique, tailored strategies based on the short-term and long-term objectives of our clients. Using knowledge acquired over many years of representing sophisticated clients, there is very little we have not seen, and we use that experience to help moderate and facilitate constructive results in contentious disputes. Where a positive resolution for our clients cannot be achieved through negotiation, our attorneys are experienced, aggressive litigators, who tirelessly and fearlessly advocate for our clients at every level of State and Federal Courts, from motion practice through trials and the appellate process, as necessary. Our track record of success in handling a wide panoply of matters across New York State, at both the state and appellate level, is well-established and something in which we take great pride.

Our clients include distinguished professionals and leaders of varied industries, including Fortune 500 companies and senior management of financial institutions, large and small business owners, fellow attorneys, and other professionals and their spouses and partners. We regularly provide advice and guidance to high-net worth individuals and their family members, as well as celebrities and other high-profile individuals. Our goal as a firm is to provide personalized, meticulous attention and unwavering devotion to our clients’ needs and best interests.

Among our many successful cases:

Successful litigation spanning from New York State Court to the United States District Court (SDNY) to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, which certified questions to the New York State Court of Appeals for resolution. As a result of our efforts, the highest Court in the State of New York affirmed the import of the Domestic Relations Law, finding that a judgment of divorce does not render ex-spouse’s creditors of one another. Going further, the Court of Appeals confirmed that real property awarded to an ex-spouse in an entered Judgment of Divorce is not subject to attachment by a subsequent judgment creditor that has docketed its judgment and seeks to execute against the property to satisfy a money judgment against the other ex-spouse.
Our firm was retained to represent a celebrity who, before coming to us, had suffered through decades of negative child support and enforcement decisions, which resulted in negative exposure in the press. Through diligent and methodical litigation and trial work, by the close of trial our firm had successfully reversed a series of prior, negative findings, and extinguished decades of improperly levied child support arrears. On appeal, the Appellate Division affirmed the trial results, finding in favor of our client.
In a high-profile equitable distribution trial, our client became the first in the State of New York to be awarded 100% of the marital assets acquired during the marriage, as well as permanent/lifetime maintenance. On appeal, the Appellate Division affirmed our client’s victory and directed her ex-spouse to pay the bulk of our legal fees incurred.
In a multi-year litigation, we successfully obtained an equitable distribution award of virtually all the parties’ marital property. We also successfully protected our client’s separate property from innumerable attacks by her incarcerated, white collar criminal spouse, and further protected her assets from her ex-spouse’s creditors. Litigation included a full equitable distribution trial, successful defenses against numerous appeals to the Appellate Division and the New York State Court of Appeals, and forays into the United States Bankruptcy Court (SDNY).
Successfully negotiated a lucrative settlement in favor of our client in a case where our client’s spouse had been imprisoned for having defrauded multiple Countries around the world out of extraordinary sums and had taken advantage of numerous offshore and overseas banking secrecy laws and tax havens to render himself virtually judgment proof. Through diligent and creative litigation, we were able to exert substantial pressure on the spouse, culminating with our obtaining an order of contempt and arrest warrant after he fled the jurisdiction. As a result, the spouse was forced to negotiate on favorable terms for our client, and we reached a favorable settlement greatly benefitting our client.

Our range of services spans all aspects of Matrimonial and Family Law, including:

Prenuptial, postnuptial, and cohabitation agreements: These agreements are necessarily sensitive in nature and require a balance of thoughtful understanding with a steadfast focus on protecting our client against the unexpected. Having represented numerous high-net worth individuals and families, as well as business owners on the cusp of launching successful ventures, we are skilled in drafting and negotiating agreements that balance the seemingly irreconcilable goals of promoting marital concord with protecting personal and family fortunes.
Divorce and separation: Actions for divorce or separation implicate an extraordinary number of concerns and issues. Our role is to advise, guide, educate and facilitate, and we will do so tirelessly to help you achieve your goals. Again, while an amicable negotiated settlement is always our goal, we recognize that often litigation is required, either as the ends itself, or the means to the ends, creating an opportunity for settlement. Whatever the case, we have an established reputation as indefatigable and talented litigators with an impressive track record. With our long-term experience, we are well-equipped to handle all matters that arise in your case, including:
- Child Custody
- Access/Parenting Plans
- Spousal Maintenance
- Child Support
- Equitable Distribution
- Separate Property
- Asset Division and Disposition
- Asset Tracing and Reconstructing Complex Financial Estates
- Discovery and Related Disputes
- Valuations of Real Estate, Personal Property, Investments, Businesses, Partnerships, Corporations, Family Businesses, Professional Practices, Intellectual Property, etc.
- Accountings
- Counsel and Expert Fee Awards
- Comprehensive Settlement Agreements
- Enforcing Judgments and Agreements
- Modifying Agreements