Rhonda Joan Panken

Rhonda prepared my same-sex prenuptial agreement, and handled my divorce six years later. Her thoroughness in the former greatly facilitated the outcome of the latter, which was complicated by marked behavioral and emotional volatility on the part of my ex, which Rhonda handled with the even-handedne...ss and equanimity of an experienced and skilled professional, who also comports herself with the highest ethical standards. Rhonda anticipated problems and kept the process on track with empathy, sensitivity, energy, patience, preparedness, assertiveness, and fairness. Rhonda was always available to answer my questions and provide reassurances. I am indeed fortunate to have found someone of her talents in shepherding me through both pre-nup and divorce. Rhonda has my highest confidence, and I recommend her without reservation.

Rhonda is an amazing lawyer, and I will be forever in her debt. I hired her for a complex case involving domestic violence and same-sex issues that was resolved successfully in my favor. There was initially some uncertainty about whether my case would take place in NY or NJ, and Rhonda’s extremely fa...ir hourly rate took this into account. She ended up delving into case law in three states, not just two, around issues of jurisdiction, harassment and stalking, same-sex marriage, common law marriage, and LGBTQ domestic partnerships. Rhonda quickly mastered all the various details while simultaneously keeping the big picture in view, and she managed to do this while being extremely conscientious about trying not to spend down my retainer. In addition, Rhonda excels at strategic thinking. She can see clearly what is really at stake at any given moment and showed excellent judgment in the face of my volatile and unpredictable situation. She is emotionally intelligent, which is crucial since so much of legal strategy involves understanding human behavior and anticipating the opposing party’s potential responses. Moreover, Rhonda has top-notch communication skills. She collaborated well with other lawyers we had to consult about my case, and she always kept me up to date, letting me know what to expect, listening carefully to my perspective, and fully explaining her reasoning at each step. In dealings with the opposing party, she was tactful yet assertive; she advocated vigorously for my position without inflaming the situation needlessly. Finally, Rhonda is not only a smart and insightful lawyer, with years of experience and legal expertise, but also someone whose intrinsic strengths enhance her work as an attorney. She is incredibly ethical, and I felt like I could really trust her as a person. She genuinely cares about her clients, and when she happened to see news articles that applied to my case, she would think of me and forward them along. Working with Rhonda gave me comfort during a very stressful time in my life because I knew I was in good hands. I strongly recommend her and would go back to her in a heartbeat if I ever needed to again.

Rhonda was thorough and empathetic while working through my divorce case. She walked me through how the process would work and explained the implications of each step and how we could proceed without frivolously wasting time. She always made sure I was informed and prepared so I would not be caught o...ff guard by any procedures or proceedings. I also appreciated the transparency and frequency of her billing so that I was aware of where I stood in regards to my retainer and how much I was invoiced for our interactions.