Barry Abbott
Personal Statement
The COVID crisis forced the courts to adapt. Despite the efforts of court administrators and judges, the processing of cases slowed, adding to the high financial and emotional costs of divorce. It was in the midst of that crisis that I decided to leave my law firm partnership and start my own practice, determined to provide high quality, creative and result-oriented representation. Over time, and with the growing acceptance of video-conferencing, I freed myself from a deadening commute, developed a virtual law practice, and moved away from reliance on an adversarial process in favor of alternative means of resolving family law disputes through negotiation, mediation and arbitration.
Although I spent decades trying cases, I no longer take on clients who need to litigate or are in litigation, although I do consult with clients and their lawyers on trial tactics and trial strategy. If you are a potential client, it is my hope that you will trust me to assist you. And if you are already involved in litigation or are concerned that you are on that path, I will be glad to provide you with an alternative and sane path to resolve your dispute.
I have 40 years of experience trying cases and arguing appeals, mostly in divorce and family law matters in New York City. Over that time I’ve represented hundreds of clients in complex, high income and asset divorce cases, and in international and domestic child custody cases. My analytical and critical thinking skills allow me to sense financial discrepancies, such as when a client is being defrauded by her/his spouse. As they say, although people lie, numbers don’t.
For example, in one case, the assets were much less than what I expected, and in combination with other unusual facts I sensed that my client’s husband was supporting another family. Through analysis by a financial expert we proved that was exactly what had happened. In another case my client was taxed on income that didn’t appear in her accounts. By hiring a forensic accountant we proved that my client’s husband was falsifying business records and diverting my client’s income to his own accounts.
Before I turned my focus to divorce and family law litigation, I had a broader practice that included real estate transactions and closings, estate matters, personal injury litigation and criminal defense cases. Knowing the ins and outs of those areas is invaluable simply because divorce cases require a working knowledge of those practice areas.
Although I no longer take on litigation, my experience serves me well in representing clients who do not want to litigate and prefer to work out settlement agreements through settlement negotiations or mediation, in preparing or reviewing prenuptial agreements, in guiding clients who need to litigate to attorneys that I trust and respect, and in consulting with clients and their lawyers on trial preparation and trial strategy.
I guide my clients by listening carefully and giving them my full attention. By doing that, I give good advice and provide clients with hope for the future. I treat each client the way I would want to be treated - with honesty, empathy, warmth, maturity, and a sense of humor.
MISSION STATEMENT
When not working, I indulge my passion for music, which I fell in love with when I was in grade school. I started playing guitar as soon as I was able to convince my parents that classical piano was not for me – my first successful appeal. While in college I performed as a singer-guitarist-song writer, and I continue to play for friends, my wonderful wife and our family, and for my own enjoyment.
A devoted father, I coached my sons in soccer and baseball, imparting in them my love for athletics, competition and teamwork. Now that they are far from the nest, I enjoy indulging my golden retriever, whose admirable ability to fetch is only surpassed by her inability to “drop it.”