Dawn M. Cardi

Dawn Cardi and Jessica Friedrich helped me through my divorce case. I can vouch for their knowledge, hard work and interest in their client. There were moments when I felt lost and the pain of divorce overwhelmed me. Dawn was a real human being, never a legal machine and ready to discuss my issues i...n a direct, careful and thoughtful fashion. She worked hard to get me a good settlement, showing genuine care and respect. She is savvy, articulate and forceful, yet also surprisingly gentle--so that she could convince the other side and work with them. Jessica always followed through what needed to be done and was also easy and helpful in our dealings. I am happy I was introduced to them.

Divorce is a lonely road no matter how big your support network is - a good advocate you trust is priceless. My high conflict divorce lasted a little over 4 years and it involved an angry ex and two children, one newborn and the other 16 months when we began our journey. Despite having had 3 succ...essive presiding judges admonish my ex for dragging divorce unnecessarily, ex refused to settle and we had two trials, one each for custody and child support. Dawn advised me to settle when terms were fair and appropriate and advised me to hang tough when we needed to fight back. With every emotional punch my ex threw, I am thankful I had Dawn (and her team) a phone call / email away. She was accessible at all hours of the day/night/weekends/holidays, even when I specifically noted that my issue was not urgent. I am often asked why having passed the NY bar myself, I cannot manage my own divorce. I need Dawn for her decades of experience (to advise me on what's customary, what's fair, what I should expect, how to present my case, which fact patterns are material, which we should prioritize) and I need Dawn as my emotional buffer to deal with my ex (and his attorneys) because my two babies deserve a sane mother. At various points these last 4 years, I needed a negotiator, a litigator, a financial expert and a psychologist. I had all four in Dawn and her team. My ex actively hid assets. I needed counsel who's financially savvy, asked the right questions and able to argue my case succinctly to judge. I had that in Dawn and her team. Her associate Joanna spent weekends poring over boxes of financial statements and building spreadsheets so that Dawn can articulate her arguments and cross examinations clearly so judge "gets it". My ex changed attorneys several times, often right before trial date. Given the length of time my divorce took, I also had 3 different judges presiding. I needed a lawyer who can adapt and get the opposing counsel and judges up to speed. I had that in Dawn and her team. My ex buried me in debt and sued for full custody to pressure me to give up. I needed counsel whose judgment I can trust when I couldn't think straight. I had that in Dawn and her team. My ex plays mental games and visibly enjoyed sparring with Dawn while on witness stand. I needed someone who can handle all the drama. Dawn was sympathetic to the psychological toll that a divorce and a hostile ex impose and Dawn dealt with my ex’s mind games without losing her focus. I am grateful that Dawn has decades of experience with cases of all shades to put my experience in perspective, that Robyn has social work background to help me make sense of my chaos and that Joanna had the mental wherewithal to help me articulate myself to parent coordinators, to forensic evaluators, even to myself when I am drowning in hurt, anger and helplessness. Proof of their value are in my children, who are growing up nicely despite the hostilities they experienced practically since they were born. Conflicts heat up most often during wkend/holidays (i.e., Xmas handoff, wkend access) and I never had to question Dawn's dedication - always available. Lastly, cost. Dawn does not double bill. Yes, lawyers are expensive but the outcome of this divorce will dictate my children's life for 10+ yrs and I need to survive sane. I cannot put a price on that. A smart experienced attorney who you trust, who's your partner from beginning to end, is worth every single penny. When I started this journey, I received advice that I shouldn't worry too much about who to hire because you can always change lawyers but I disagree. Changing lawyers mean you pay for new lawyer to get up to speed and you may still not be happy with the new lawyer. Get a lawyer who can navigate your case when things hit sideways - just in case. I was fortunate to have found Dawn from the get-go. I will be forever indebted to Dawn and her team - I recommend them wholeheartedly.

When reading review sites, please consider the average reviewer's motivation for writing a review. When is the last time you went out of your way to give a positive review? Negative review? Dawn Cardi helped me with not one but two cases. She billed down to the minute, no extra padded minutes or char...ges! She charged at a lower rate when an assistant did work. (Most ethical practice!) She was referred to me by a powerful attorney (and $$$) who had come up against her in court and respected her skills and ethics. Dawn stood up to a tough law firm and achieved an excellent outcome for me first time and recently suggested (at the expense of passing on a potentially lucrative case) I go to mediation for a second case. She also contributed great legal advice and the process turned out well for everyone. She has helped me see the long picture, to take the high road and she was a fierce advocate for my kids. Dawn is a tough NYC attorney, fair in her billing and a rare gem among the sludge in the NYC legal world. I'd hire her again anytime I need an attorney. "Things are always darkest before the Dawn!"