Smooth Landing
Divorce is rarely easy, but going into it with the right mindset and a capable team can ensure a smooth transition once the turbulence has ended.
by Bill Donahue

Almost everyone who walks into an attorney’s office to take the first step toward terminating a marriage hears some iteration of this sentence. While some of those who have gone through the process describe it as of one of the most difficult days of their lives, it can also be quite freeing. Assuming a reconciliation is out of the question, a divorce represents not only an end but also the promise that comes from a new beginning. 

The decision to divorce often begins long before walking into an attorney’s office, following weeks, months, and even years of hand wringing and introspection, as they try to answer the big question: “Am I doing the right thing?” If the answer is yes, so begins the task of assessing prospective attorneys based on their competence, knowledge, and overall personality.
 
When going through the vetting process, a would-be client should get a sense of whether or not they can trust a prospective attorney. Are they truthful? Are they direct? Are they responsive? Are they setting realistic expectations? One rule of thumb offered by those who know best: Seek the counsel and expertise of an attorney who devotes all or at least most of their practice to family law.
 
Attorneys also advise assembling a “support system”—family members and close friends, to begin with, as well as a counselor, a Realtor, and a financial advisor who can provide perspective on another important question: “Am I going to be all right, financially speaking?”
 
Of course, even the most straightforward divorce is bound to have moments of pain, fear, and profound sadness. Having qualified resources in place, however, should help to ensure as soft a landing as possible.
Earlier this year, we compiled our 2022 Top Attorneys list, which included many of the area’s finest attorneys who specialize in divorce, custody, and other aspects of family law. Their names are included here with a few gentle edits. We acknowledge that the Philadelphia area has an abundance of highly capable family law attorneys, not all of whom are listed here.
 
2022 FAMILY LAW ATTORNEYS
Robert E. Angst
Valerie Rosenbluth Angst
ANGST & ANGST P.C.
Doylestown and Harleysville
angstlaw.com
 
Joni J. Berner
BKW FAMILY LAW
Philadelphia
bkwfamily.com
 
Michael E. Bertin
Tara Burns
Julie R. Colton
Samantha J. Evian
W. Frank Johnson Jr.
David L. Ladov
Hillary J. Moonay
Michelle L. Ringel
Leslie B. Spoltore
Adam Tanker
Shari B. Veisblatt
Robert I Whitelaw
Stephanie H. Winegrad
OBERMAYER REBMANN MAXWELL & HIPPEL LLP
Multiple offices
obermayerfamilylaw.com
 
Jennifer A. Brandt
COZEN O’CONNOR
Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, New Jersey
cozen.com
 
Catherine M. Cardozo
PETRELLI PREVITERA
Multiple offices
petrellilaw.com
 
Lee A. Ciccarelli
CICCARELLI LAW OFFICES
West Chester
ciccarelli.com
 
Patricia H. Cooley
Kevin J. Handy
COOLEY & HANDY ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Doylestown and Bala Cynwyd
cooleyhandy.com
 
Jennifer Courtney
THE LAW OFFICES OF JENNIFER COURTNEY
Yardley
courtneylaw.net
 
Marie I. Crossley
Lance J. Nelson
MACELREE HARVEY
Multiple offices
macelree.com
 
Christina M. DeMatteo
LAW OFFICE OF CHRISTINA M. DEMATTEO LLC
Blue Bell
dematteolawoffice.com
 
Amy P. De Shong
WISLER PEARLSTINE LLP
Blue Bell
wislerpearlstine.com
 
Anthony D. DiFiore
DIFIORE LEVIN
Conshohocken
difiorelevin.com
 
Mary Cushing Doherty
HIGH SWARTZ
Multiple offices
highswartz.com
Peter J. Dolan
DOLAN RAY LAW LLC
Pottstown
1876law.com
 
Susan Levy Eisenberg
SUSAN LEVY EISENBERG ATTORNEY AT LAW P.C.
Langhorne
susaneisenberglaw.com
 
Ellen S. Fischer
BLOOM PETERS LLC
Horsham
bloompeters.com
 
Ann M. Funge
FUNGE FAMILY LAW LLC
Philadelphia and Radnor
fungefamilylaw.com
 
Kevin L. Hand
Marisa M. Perini
Joseph M. Ramagli
Marc I. Rickles
Abigail F. Tuttle
KARDOS, RICKLES & HAND
Newtown
krhlaw.com
 
David N. Hofstein
Charles J. Meyer
HOFSTEIN WEINER & MEYER P.C.
Philadelphia
hwmfamilylaw.com
 
Sarah A. Jones
LAW OFFICES OF GREGORY J. PAGANO P.C.
Philadelphia and Media
paganolaw.net
 
Shannon Kanavy
Robert T. Repko
REPKO LAW LLC
Doylestown
repkolaw.com
 
David S. Kaplan
O’DONNELL, WEISS & MATTEI P.C.
Phoenixville and Pottstown
owmlaw.com
 
Lydia Fabbro Keephart
PELLETTIERI, RABSTEIN & ALTMAN ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Newtown and Princeton, New Jersey
pralaw.com
 
Kimberly J. Krzyzaniak
KJK LAW
Wayne
lawkjk.com
 
Christin Kubacke
Kim Denise Morton
MORTON & KUBACKE FAMILY LAW LLC
West Chester
mortonfamilylaw.com
 
Michael Kuldiner
THE LAW OFFICES OF MICHAEL KULDINER P.C.
Feasterville and Doylestown
phillyesquire.com
 
Gregory P. LaMonaca
LAMONACA LAW
Media
lamonacalaw.com
 
Jeffrey A. Liebmann
Mindy J. Snyder
David J. Sowerbutts
LIEBMANN FAMILY LAW
Newtown
liebmannfamilylaw.com
 
Scott A. Lisgar
KELLER, LISGAR & WILLIAMS LLP
Havertown
klwllp.com
 
Carla Marino
LAMB MCERLANE PC
Multiple area offices
lambmcerlane.com
 
Tina Mazaheri
MAZAHERI LAW LLC
Doylestown
mazaherilawllc.com
 
Clare L. Milliner
BRUTSCHER, FOLEY, MILLINER, LAND & KELLY LLP
Kennett Square
bfmlk.com
 
Carolyn R. Mirabile
Lawrence J. (“Skip”) Persick
John Zurzola
WEBER GALLAGHER
Norristown
webergallagherfamilylaw.com
 
Robyn E. Musi
Michael A. Raffaele
RAFFAELE PUPPIO
Media
raffaelepuppio.com
 
Colleen M. Neary
SWEENEY & NEARY LLP
Media
sweeneynearylaw.com
 
Suzann Ordile
ORDILE LAW AND MEDIATION
New Hope
ordilelaw.com
 
Rebecca Kolsky
Brendan McGuigan
Erin Nease
E. John Pagnanelli
Maria N. Testa
TESTA & PAGNANELLI LLC
Multiple locations
tpfamilylaw.com
 
Andrea B. Pettine
PETTINE LAW OFFICES
West Chester
pettinefamilylaw.com
 
Sheryl R. Rentz
LAW OFFICES OF SHERYL R. RENTZ
Ardmore
srrentzlaw.com
 
Jennifer J. Riley
LAW OFFICES OF JENNIFER J. RILEY
Blue Bell and Wayne
jjrlawfirm.com
 
Carla V. Risoldi
RISOLDI LAW OFFICES LLC
Langhorne
risoldilawoffices.com
 
Susan J. Sacchetta
PLATT, DIGIORGIO & DIFABIO
Paoli
pddlaw.net
 
Jacqueline G. Segal
FOX ROTHSCHILD LLP
Exton and Philadelphia
foxrothschild.com
 
Lori K. Shemtob
SHEMTOB DRAGANOSKY TAYLOR
Blue Bell
shemtoblaw.com
 
David J. Steerman
KLEHR HARRISON HARVEY BRANZBURG LLP
Multiple offices
klehr.com
 
Jill E. Trayer
TRAYER LAW
Doylestown
trayerlaw.com
 
Karen Ann Ulmer
KAREN ANN ULMER P.C.
Langhorne
ulmerlaw.com
 
Joseph D. Visco
LAW OFFICES OF JOSEPH D. VISCO
Doylestown
viscolawoffice.com
 
Randi J. Vladimer
RANDI J. VLADIMER P.C.
Radnor
vladimerlaw.com
 
Lori A. Walker
FAMILY LAW CORP.
Philadelphia
thefamilylawcorp.com
 
David Woosley
WOOSLEY NARAGON LLC
Doylestown
woosleynaragon.com
 
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, November 2022.