Best Lawyers in New York, United States for Family Law
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Jill Spielberg is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Jill, who practices law in White Plains, New York, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jill is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
For nearly two decades, Heidi Tallentire has focused her practice exclusively on complex matrimonial and family law matters, from complicated financial issues to pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements to same-sex divorces to custody disputes. Her cases often involve multi-jurisdictional issues, and she has particular experience representing executives (or their spouses) in the hedge fund, private equity, and venture capital sectors, as well as other high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth in...
Kelly J. Mikullitz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Kelly J., who practices law in Latham, New York, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kelly is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Deborah Lans has divided her practice between complex commercial and marital litigation for more than 40 years. She was a founding partner of Morrison Cohen LLP in 1984 and was the head of its Commercial Litigation Department for 15 years, until she left in 2000 to serve as the Executive Director of Mentoring USA, a non-profit organization founded by Matilda Raffa Cuomo to provide one-to-one mentoring to at-risk youth. In 2003 she co-founded Cohen Lans LLP, where she continued to concentrate ...
Martin T. Johnson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Martin T., who practices law in Pearl River, New York, has been recognized since 1997. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Martin T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Eric A. Tepper is a partner in Gordon, Tepper & DeCoursey, LLP, and was born in Schenectady, New York. Mr. Tepper graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. degree, magna cum laude, and from George Washington University Law School with a Juris Doctor degree, with honors. He has been selected for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America" for the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 editions. Best Lawyers has s...
A founding partner of Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, LLP, Barry Berkman received his B.A. degree from Harvard College and his law degree from Stanford University. Specializing in matrimonial law and mediation, he has guided many of his clients to successful, highly satisfactory out-of-court resolutions through the collaborative law process or mediation. He has served on the American Bar Association Task Force on Standards of Practice for Divorce Mediation and has been a member of the Matr...
Ellen Martineau is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Ellen, who practices law in White Plains, New York, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ellen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mr. Clair is widely recognized as one of a handful of elite New York divorce lawyers. While Mr. Clair is skilled at all facets of client advocacy and representation, it is his skill as a trial lawyer and his command of the courtroom that sets him apart. Mr. Clair has a unique ability to communicate and effectively advocate on behalf of his clients in both financial and custodial matters. On account of his courtroom experience, he is an effective negotiator and many of Mr. Clair’s cases ...
Lee Rosenberg is a trial and appellate litigator with over 20 years of experience in all phases of matrimonial and family law practice. This includes the trial of complex custody, support and equitable distribution matters, as well as the important ability to settle these cases. Lee is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys (AAML) where he previously served as National Parliamentarian and as Chair of the AAML's National Chapter Leaders Committee. He is a member of the AAML'...
Dina S. Kaplan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Dina S., who practices law in White Plains, New York, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dina S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Caroline Krauss is a fierce advocate for individuals in all matrimonial and family law matters, from pre-nuptial agreements to custody trials. She often protects the interests of clients whose legal issues are complicated by their significant assets and heightened public profiles. For more than 25 years, Caroline has focused exclusively on matrimonial and family law, earning widespread praise in the area, including designation as a Trailblazer by The National Law Journal. Appreciating the int...
Erik Kristensen is a founding partner of Kristensen Law Group P.C., a law firm devoted exclusively to the practice of matrimonial and family law, serving the New York metropolitan area, and located in White Plains, New York. Mr. Kristensen’s comprehensive practice includes litigating matters from commencement through trial, appeals, settlement through negotiation, prenuptial/postnuptial agreements and post-judgment matters.Mr. Kristensen is a recognized leader in his field, receiving nu...
Francis (Chris) Affronti is a divorce, family law lawyer and appellate advocate. He handles cases where the marital estate might involve two blue collar employees who own a house and have some retirement accounts. At the same time, he handles high conflict custody cases and divorces with complex financial issues and extensive marital estates. He is a meticulous and strategic thinker. He handles child support, maintenance, and family offense cases in Supreme and Family Court. He prepares QDROs...
Olivia S. Lee is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Olivia S., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Olivia S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Patrick C. O’Reilly focuses his practice on matrimonial litigation, handling all aspects of divorce and separation and representing clients in matters related to the modification or enforcement of existing matrimonial judgments and orders. For more than 25 years, Mr. O’Reilly has served as a panelist and speaker on matrimonial and family law topic for numerous seminars, workshops, and symposiums sponsored by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, New York State Office of Cou...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.