Dawn M. Cardi

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.

Dawn Cardi and her associate Robyn Enes assisted with my very difficult and complicated divorce case. They handled the matter professionally and knowledgeably and were able to give me very specific guidance on a million small but important matters along the way. They were very high touch and ALWAYS t...here immediately when truly needed. They were a step ahead on the case, the proceedings, the necessary next steps for me to act on. They were caring as well - a divorce is extremely personal and they took such great care of me and had such consideration for my concerns with regard to custody of my son and other crucial personal matters. I highly recommend Dawn and Robyn. They are a great team and will be your guides and represent your interests as if they are their own.