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Established in 2000, the Law Offices of David Bliven assists individuals and families in Westchester County and Bronx County with divorce, child custody, and other family law matters. Attorney David Bliven leverages his nearly 30 years of experience, including prosecutor work, to provide comprehensive and strategic legal counsel. He is ranked in the top 5% of Family Law attorneys in the NYC metro area, maintains a 10.0 (Superb) Avvo rating and has the highest possible rating for Legal Ability & Ethical Standards. He has been published in numerous periodicals and has authored several books, including "Navigating Your New York Divorce Case" and "Navigating Your New York Family Court Case" and "Navigating Your New York Contested Divorce Case."
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Practice Areas
29 years | 400 cases
29 years | 275 cases
29 years | 225 cases
29 years | 850 cases
We have not found any cost information for this lawyer
State: New York
Acquired: 1998
No misconduct found
Other places you can find David online.
Showing 51 - 55 of 58 reviews | Professionalism
Posted by Mohamed | September 09, 2020 | Divorce & Separation
Repeatedly asking for money without providing any service in return
I contacted Mr. Bliven's office regrading a post-divorce case. They asked me to schedule a 20-minute consultation. I paid for it but Mr. Bliven called and told me that he went through the documents but there is no enough time to speak with me about it and I should pay gain for 50-minutes call for him...
First, Mr Omar was never a client of mine - and thus his "review" should be judged accordingly. Second, we never "asked him to schedule a 20-minute consultation." Instead, we provided him our consultation options, and he picked from them. Third, our standard intake form - which Mr Omar signed off upon - CLEARLY states that if a potential client requests that I review documents as part of the consultation, then my time in reviewing those documents are counted against their consultation time. Mr Omar provided my office with no less than 23 documents to review as part of his consult - some of them quite lengthy. Quite frankly, taking only 30 minutes to review them was relatively speedy. Fourth, it is grossly inaccurate to say that I "refused to answer a single question about his case." Since Mr Omar himself acknowledges that we spoke for at least 20 minutes, what in his mind did we talk about then? Quite obviously, it was answering questions about his case. As such, anyone looking at his review of me should very much question his credibility. Finally, there is a good reason why Mr Omar was unhappy - I did not tell him what he wanted to hear. Instead, I was honest with him & told him the odds were very much against him winning his case. His case involved him failing to show up in court and the Court declined to find he stated a "reasonable excuse for his default." It is submitted that Mr Omar has sunk himself in his own case - and then is looking to blame everyone but himself for his predicament.
Posted by anonymous | December 13, 2018 | Child Custody
Not good, but I only did a consult
The advice he gave me wasn’t good. And I think he yells you what he thinks you want to hear, so you’ll hire him. I spoke to him about a custody matter and he wasn’t helpful.
As this "review" is anonymous, it should be noted that this may or may not even be a real review. There are absolutely no specifics, so it would be hard to intelligently respond. I can say in general that I'm a straight-shooter - I don't tell people what I think they want to hear just to get their business. Some people nevertheless want that kind of attorney - they have a fixation on their position & no one can tell them they're wrong. And they want to hire the attorney who will tell them they're right & the other side is evil. I'm just not that kind of attorney - nor that kind of person.
Posted by Minx Amun | April 30, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Child Abuse
Horrible!!!!!!!!
My family and I retained him, spent thousands of dollars on my defense for a malicious and illegal CPS case where my 3 children were abused in foster care. Being African American did not help being that Mr. Bliven thought my family was paying for a "comply and conform"'defense when we do not come fro...
No one by the name of Minx Amun ever retained me for any case. Moreover, the facts related in this narrative do not sound familiar as relating to any case I was EVER hired on. As such, this appears to be spam and should be given zero weight by any potential client. It should be noted that I have represented many people of color and they are almost all satisfied - or very satisfied - with my representation. I have NEVER had a single complaint filed against me alleging racial discrimination in 20+ years of practice. Additionally, and on a personal note, I am married inter-racially and nearly all of my staff in my 17+ years of running my business has been people of color. Finally, I consider myself a dedicated anti-racist and work in my community on numerous social justice causes, many of which impact communities of color (including an organization I helped co-found, Justice 4 the Wrongfully Incarcerated). One most recent example is my efforts to help organize the "May Day" demonstration in NYC to protest on behalf of immigrant & refugee rights. Therefore, not only are this "person's" charges fictitious and slanderous, this may be an internet "troll," a person with some form of mental illness or this was done by a competitor to increase their ratings at the expense of mine. Do NOT give this review a second thought.
Posted by anonymous | July 13, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation
Divorce
I retained David in August 2012, since then I tried to make things work out with my wife, moved out moved back in, to make a long story short, in October 2014 we signed a Stipulation of Discontinuance it was mailed to his office , they did not receive it, the usps must still be using horses , they re...
This former client's issues stem from a lack of communication - but not on my offices' part, as I will demonstrate. This person did indeed retain me in August, 2012 on a divorce matter. I scheduled a 4-way settlement conference at his request, and he subsequently asked that it be cancelled as he & his wife were going to marriage counseling. This was in early 2013. My office then sent him 5 letters (7/8/13, 8/21/13, 12/30/13, 1/31/14 & 2/27/14) before he replied at all. Thus, he went nearly a year in completely ignoring his own attorney's attempts to contact him. At the time, he asked us to keep his file "on hold." We did so, but then periodically contacted him to ascertain his desires. He went another 8 months with no contact back to us whatsoever. In the meanwhile, it took another 3 letters just to get any response out of him (6/5/14, 8/4/14, 10/4/14). He finally said in October, 2014 that he and his wife wanted to withdraw the divorce case. Fine. We sent him a stipulation to discontinue the case on 10/21/14. It then took another 3 attempts to contact him over the span of nearly 4 months just to get any response out of him as to why we hadn't received the signed stipulation back from him (those 3 attempts were 11/10/14, 12/4/14, 1/8/15). He claimed he had "sent the stip back a month ago" and questioned why we hadn't received it. We speculated that he may not have written our suite number on the envelope, but nevertheless asked that he send it out again. Should have been simple enough. However, not only did he not send the stip back, but he amazingly went well over another YEAR of completely ignoring our office's numerous attempts to contact him to follow-up (letters sent to him on 3/9/15, 5/8/15, 6/29/15, 8/27/15, 11/7/15, 12/29/15, 3/1/16 & 4/27/16). Interestingly, we finally received his signed stip to discontinue the case in early May, 2016 - and it was the ORIGINAL stip signed back in October, 2014. This completely undercuts this person's credibility as he implied both to our office - as well as in this Avvo posting - that he mailed out that stip in October, 2014 - when clearly he had it at his house the whole time & simply forgot to mail it! Nevertheless, the person sent it back to us, never said anything to us that he did NOT want us to file it with the Court - so we did so. Indeed, we then sent him a closing letter dated 6/6/16, noting his case was withdrawn and the stip had been filed with the Court. He never replied to that letter saying anything like "oh, hey, I didn't want you to do that." Just a couple of days ago, this person contacted my office questioning why we received his stip back "a year and a half" after he mailed it to us. He never stated in this most recent correspondence that he hadn't wanted me to file the stip. He only subsequently questioned why I hadn't contacted his mediator after I received his stip to discontinue the case. Even this concern of his is belied by my letter to him, dated 5/3/16, in which I stated I would "await her contact" if she needed anything from me. Neither he - nor the mediator - ever followed up with me. As such, I believe I've clearly demonstrated this person's present troubles (if any) stem from an inability to effectively communicate. But rather than seeing it this way and attempting to improve himself in this regard, he sees fit to try blaming others from his self-created problems. This review should be seen thru those lenses - and compared to the many, many other people who are very pleased with my services.
Posted by anonymous | May 28, 2015 | Child Support
Mr Bliven was very nasty and condescending
My experience with Mr Bliven was horrible. At no time during my experience with him that I felt he was looking out for my best interest. Any inquiries made by me received a condescending response. Mr Bliven on two court appearance arrived late and didn't appear interested in my case. My case involv...
This review is a good example of an ex-client digging themselves a deep hole, then hiring a lawyer & thinking the lawyer can solve everything. First, I only represented this client for about 3 months, and at no time prior to the decision on his case (5/26/15) did he ever voice any complaint about myself or my services - implicit or otherwise. He only voiced a complaint for the first time when he lost his case. This guy not only acted as his own lawyer prior to hiring me, but also acted as his own doctor. He skipped a court date because he was "in too much pain," yet didn't bother to get a "no work/no school" letter from his Dr. which might have saved him. He also never called the Court or anyone else to say he wasn't coming to Court - just made a self-diagnoses that his pain was too great to travel. What did him in wasn't anything I did or didn't do, but the fact that it came out in the wash (after submitting our motion to dismiss) that he not only texted the other party that same day, but also wasn't in enough pain to stop visiting his children. Opps! The Judge then decided if he could send a text, he should have called the Court to request an adjournment. As for me "arriving late," most NYC Family Court Judges don't start their morning calendar until 9:30a.m. & their afternoon calendar until 2:30p.m. (unless they give the case a "time-certain"). Thus, while the time on the printed calendar may say 9:00a.m., the lawyers are not considered "late" if they arrive at 9:30a.m., since that's the time most of the cases begin to be called in. On the day in question (5/26/15), I arrived to Court just a few minutes after 9:30, but only because an accident had just occurred on the highway I was traveling on (& thus my GPS didn't read it until I arrived at the traffic jam), causing an unexpected delay. It should be noted that, in an ironic twist of the facts (though not mentioned by this ex-client), HE arrived nearly 45 minutes late - and that's 45 minutes AFTER 9:30! If he was holding himself to the same standard as he was holding me, then he would have been 1 hour, 15 minutes late to his own case (and a case he previously lost because he was defaulted). Quite obviously, however, this person would rather blame everyone else in the world for his own, self-created problems. This review should thus be viewed through that lens.
"Mr. Bliven is an excellent advocate for his clients. I would not hesitate to recommend him to a client in need. He is also an asset to the Avvo Community, providing invaluable resources to those seeking help."
"I endorse this attorney, who gives so generously to the AVVO community."
"Exceptional attorney, dedicated to client success. Highly recommended."
"I endorse this lawyer. David Bliven provides his clients with a comprehensive approach. I have had many cases with him and have found him to be well-prepared and professional in all aspects of the case."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Mr. Bliven consistently provides accurate legal analysis to the online avvo community. I endorse this lawyer."
"I highly endorse Mr. Bliven. Truly exceptional and caring attorney who achieves great results in representing clients! I want all people to contact him for help."
"I endorse this lawyer. Such a wonderful spirit and is truly dedicated to clients."
"I endorse this lawyer. It should be readily apparent to anyone dealing with Attorney David Bliven that he is both highly skilled and very knowledgeable in the Matrimonial and Family Law areas. He's clearly a zealous advocate for his clients and a formidable adversary for opposing counsel."
"I wholeheartedly endorse this lawyer. A brilliant, trustworthy and highly respected attorney in the legal community."
"I enthusiastically endorse this lawyer. He is a credit to the family law community."
"Mr. Bliven and I worked on a custody/relocation matter that required extensive pre-trial negotiation and attempts at settlement which ultimately failed despite the attorneys' best efforts. He was a thoroughly professional, courteous, and impressive adversary, without whose efforts would have had no chance of settling. I look forward to our next matter together."
"This attorney has an excellent reputation for providing the highest quality representation to clients. Experience and proven results!"
"I endorse this lawyer."
"Extremely knowledgeable attorney!"
"I endorse this lawyer. I found his answers on AVVO to be thoughtful and informative."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer. Great Custody Attorney. Very prepared and willing to take on any Attorney, Any Judge. Would highly recommend."
"I endorse this lawyer."
"I endorse this lawyer."
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2025
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2024
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2023
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2022
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2021
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2020
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2019
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2019
Top Attorney - NY Metro & Westchester Area, Westchester Magazine
2018
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2018
Certified Financial Litigator, AACFL
2018
Super Lawyers, Thompson Reuters
2018
AV Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
2017
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2014
A+ Rating, Better Business Bureau
2014
Superb Rating, Avvo
2014
Top Contributor, Avvo
2013
Superb Rating, Avvo
2013
Clients' Choice, AVVO
2013
Top Contributor, AVVO
2012
Top Contributor, AVVO
2011
Attorneys for Children - Private-Pay Assignments, Appellate Division, Second Department
2007
Assigned Counsel Panel member, Westchester County Bar Association
2005
Lawyer Referral Panel, New York County Lawyers' Association
1998
SDNY & EDNY Admittance, Federal Bar Association
1997
Cum Laude, New York Law School
1997
Top 15% Class Rank, New York Law School
1993
Cum Laude, Syracuse University
2000 - Present
Attorney, Law Offices of David Bliven
1999 - 2000
Prosecuting Attorney, Nyc Administration For Children's Services
1998 - 1999
Prosecuting Attorney, New York City Corporation Counsel
1997 - 1997
Legal Intern, Lansner & Kubitscheck
1997 - 1998
Associate, Wolfson & Carroll
1996 - 1997
Tutor, New York Law School
1994 - 1994
Legal Intern, Supreme Court Of The State Of New York
1993 - 1994
Legal Intern, New York State Unified Court System
2011 - Present
Attorneys for Children Panel - WestchesterAttorney Member
2010 - Present
Bronx Bar AssociationAttorney Member
2006 - Present
New York State Bar Association, Family Law SectionAttorney Member
2006 - Present
Westchester County Bar Association, Family Law SectionAttorney Member
2005 - Present
Westchester County Bar AssociationMember
2005 - Present
National Lawyers Guild, National Police Accountability ProjectAttorney Member
Member
Member
Attorney Member
2000 - 2005
Attorneys for Children Panel - QueensAttorney Member
Won Appeal!
Adoption Appeal confirmed!
Trial Court reversed
Precedent established
Won appeal
Appeal won
Appeal won.
Appeal won
Appeal won
Custody restored!
1997
JD - Juris Doctor
1993
BA - Bachelor of Arts
2014
2014
2014
2013
Child Abuse
2005
Shaken Baby Syndrome
2022
2021
2020
2018
2018
2018
2017
English
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Top Contributor
David earned significant contribution points in 2020.
What should I do in a child support case where the respondent refuses to provide financial disclosu
21 Feb 2026
How to retain a UCCJEA lawyer to deal with a custody case split between NY and FL?
23 Feb 2026
Custodial parent enlisting in military. Do I risk permanently losing custody?
26 Jan 2026
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS IN DEVIATING FROM GUIDELINES CHILD SUPPORT?
12 Mar 2017
I lost my job - how do I modify child support?
14 Mar 2015
What are the immigration consequences for a Divorce?
26 Feb 2015