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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 41 - 45 of 45 reviews | General Knowledge
Posted by Greg | December 02, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Child Custody
Great attorney who assisted with a very traumatic experience!
Met with David to deal with a child custody suit which involved the mother relocating our child across the country without my knowledge or consent. David was very helpful from the beginning, answering many of questions from the consultation on. He informed me of my rights and what courses of action c...
Posted by Cynthia | March 01, 2016 | Hired Attorney | Divorce & Separation
Gets the job done
I hired Mr. Bliven to represent me in a Divorce. From the outset he was knowledgeable, honest, and presented me with my options. I was cc'd on every correspondence, and kept informed every step of the way, eliminating the need for me to call for regular updates. Monthly bills were itemized, and c...
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 anonymous | March 31, 2017
Gave really horrible consult
I went for a consult and thought his inter personal skills were poor and he gave really bad legal advise.
Preliminarily, be wary of anyone who posts as "anonymous" as this may be a fictitious review, or else the person simply isn't willing to stand by their own review. This therefore leaves me with limited ability to respond, as I cannot definitively identify the poster. However, I strongly suspect who it is, simply because almost everyone who comes into my office is pleased with my advise & services - and the people who aren't stick out like a sore thumb. As such, If I had to guess, this poster was "Carol" who came into my office on a potential police misconduct case. Here are the notes I took of that consult: - "pot clt showed up several min late, then left the office w/o saying where she was going for about 15 min., then re-appeared at close to 5:30 for her 5pm appt.; then took about 15 min to fill out her 3-page intake form, which she largely left blank; then she said she didn't have the money to pay the consult fee [despite being told by the Bar Assoc. of the $40 fee, and receiving 2 phone calls from my office reminding her of the fee); Asst offered that she could utilize the ATM machine in the lobby, as she was previously advised it was cash-only for the consult; as an accomodation to her, we accepted her debit card for payment; she admitted she wasn't even the potential client, it was actually her son who had the case; when I asked why her son wasn't here, she said it was b/c he had a mental illness; she then had no idea what the charges were, nor had an of the docs pertinent to the case; she started shuffling thru her bag; I offered that she find the police report, crim comp. or Cert's of Dispo & if she doesn't have same, to schedule another appt.; by that time it was approx. 6:05 & had had another person waiting for 20 min.; I offered that she wait in the conf. room while she looks for the docs I needed & if she finds them, then I could continue w/ the consult; after I was done w/ my next consult; Asst came back & stated she was raising her voice at her, demanding that I come back; I instruucted Asst to ask if she was able to find the docs needed to properly assess the case & or else she would need to come back when she had those docs; I had given her the list of docs I needed when I was meeting w/ her; Asst came back & stated she was cont'ing to raise her voice & refused to leave; I then went out & ask her to please leave as she was becoming belligerent with my staff for no reason & further that she didn't have the docs I needed to properly assess the case; she then left." A few things are hopefully obvious from these notes: both myself and my staff were professional throughout, it seems likely this person was dealing with some "issues" we could obviously not handle, and much more importantly - this person wasn't even the "potential client" seeking to hire us. This person then ended up attempting to cancel the credit card transaction - thus committing a crime in the process called "theft of services" - after I was nice & bent my rules to accomodate her because she didn't have the cash to pay for the consult. This review is some way to pay me back for being nice, professional & accomodating. Other potential clients should see that nearly all of my reviews on Avvo are positive, 5-star reviews. Moreover, approximately 40 people consult with me every month (hundreds per year over the course of 20+ years) - yet the number of people who express they are dissatisfied is a small fraction of 1% of such consultations (meaning 99%+ of people who consult with me are satisfied - if not very satisfied - with the advice & services I provide).
Posted by Ms. Z. Israel | September 03, 2013 | Criminal Defense
Worst attorney in NYS
He was absolutely one of the worst paid lawyers that I've retained. He's consistently late or sick. He charges you for email inboxes, instead of on aggressive and assertive representation in the court. He provided me with substandard representation. In the end I paid thousands of dollars on him recei...
I never represented anyone by the name of "Israel," so people reading this review are cautioned that this may be a completely fictitious review (I understand Avvo has not received verification from this person that they were an actual client of mine). If I had to guess, though, I represented this person in a Family Court matter. As for me supposedly arriving late, my records reveal the following: 2/27/13 court date I arrived on time for the 9am call, 3/5/13 date I arrived 12 minutes early, 3/15/13 date I arrived on time for the 9:30 call, 5/8/13 date I arrived 6 minutes early and 7/19/13 date I arrived 2 hours late, BUT with permission of the court as I had another appearance in another court (& the client and all counsel were notified of same in advance). On the 8/5/13 court date, I called in sick (which was the only court date or appointment I missed due to illness) because I had just recently been hospitalized due to severe bronchitis. As for supposedly paying a lot of money for subpar representation, this person never raised a single complaint. Indeed, her reasons for releasing me as her attorney had absolutely nothing to do with her dissatisfaction of me as her attorney. I'll quote from her e-mail requesting my release: "I've exhausted all my savings, and can no longer afford to retain you as my lawyer." Additionally, her characterization of an "ACD" (or "adjournment in contemplation of dismissal") being "standard," thus implying it's easy to receive, is completely misplaced. An ACD in my experience is very hard to get as a plea offer from ACS (anyone who doubts that is free to post that question to any of the other lawyers on Avvo). ACDs are given out in less than 10% of all ACS cases - and thus her statement that the worst attorney can get you one is completely baseless. In sum, this person never complained at all about my services and only released me because she could not afford me. I felt bad that she could not continue to afford my services - but certainly this does not give her grounds to post a bogus review about me online.
"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."
Divorce and separation lawyer
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Family lawyer
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Divorce and separation lawyer
Family lawyer
Divorce and separation lawyer
Divorce and separation lawyer
Divorce and separation lawyer
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Divorce and separation lawyer
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Foreclosure lawyer
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