Alton L. Abramowitz
Alton Abramowitz
New York
New York (NY)
Family Law
Profile
Recognized by his peers for many years as one of the leaders of New York's matrimonial bar and an accomplished divorce lawyer, he currently serves as a National vice president of the American Academy of Matrimonial lawyers and is listed in both annual publications Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. His opinions and comments on a wide variety of divorce and family law topics are often quoted by the national and local news media. He has lectured and written on a wide variety of family law subjects for numerous bar associations and for various legal publications, and is one of the foremost advocates favoring the reform of New York's divorce laws by the enactment of "no fault divorce." Alton was recently asked by New York State Administrative Judge Ann Pfau to join the Matrimonial Practice Advisory Committee of the State's Judicial Institute. Throughout his career, spanning more than 35 years, Alton has held and continues to hold important positions in leading bar associations, including Financial Officer and Legislation Committee Co-Chair of the Family Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, past Chair of the Matrimonial Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association, past President of the New York Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and past Co-Chair of the Matrimonial Law Section of the New York County Lawyers Association. He is also a diplomate of the prestigious American College of Family Trial Lawyers, which limits its membership to 100 lawyers from across the United States. From the earliest days of his career until the present, Alton has represented clients in divorce and other family law matters, for which he seeks to find well-reasoned and comprehensive solutions to serious problems that have a long term impact on the lives of the people who have chosen him as their advocate. He employs all of the tools that are at the fingertips of matrimonial lawyers - from negotiation to litigation to appeals. His name appears as counsel of record on a wide-ranging group of reported court decisions. When asked why he does this kind of work, Alton often responds that helping people from a wide variety of backgrounds, possessing vastly divergent personalities, while learning the intricacies of all kinds of businesses and professions is interesting, challenging and rewarding. He views himself as extraordinarily fortunate to have had the opportunity to represent individuals, who are prominent in their own fields, including corporate leaders, professional athletes, doctors, politicians, academics, entertainment figures, actors and actresses, singers, artists, and even a Nobel Prize winner. However, Alton never loses sight of the fact that each of his clients is important in their own right. He strives to treat each case with the thoughtfulness that clients expect of him, while keeping in mind the often sensitive issues that must be addressed in a confidential and delicate manner. Alton received his law degree from the Rutgers University School of Law - Camden, he holds a B.A. in Political Science from the School of Government and Public Administration of the American University, and a Master of Laws degree in Trade Regulation from the New York University School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in the State of New York, the U.S. Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. With his wife and daughter, Alton resides in Manhattan, where he has been active in local community organizations, such as service on the board of a local opera company and as president of his cooperative apartment building.
Selected To
New York Super Lawyers 2011 - Metro Edition
New York Super Lawyers 2010 - Metro
New York Super Lawyers 2009 - Metro
New York Super Lawyers 2008 - Metro
New York Super Lawyers 2007 - Metro
New York Super Lawyers 2006 - Metro
Certifications and Credentials
About Alton Abramowitz
Admitted: 1973, New York
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (Elected January, 1982; President-Elect, National 2011- 2012; First Vice President, National 2010 - 2011; Vice President, National 2006 - 2010; Secretary, National 2004 - 2006; Board of Governors, National, 1997 - 1999; 1999 - 2003; Board of Managers, New York Chapter, 1991 - 1994, 1996 - 1997, 2000 - Present; Vice President, New York Chapter, 1994 - 1995; President, New York Chapter, 1997 - 1999); Diplomate of the American College of Family Trial Lawyers (Elected June, 1998); New York State Bar Association (Family Law Section, Vice Chair 2012 - 2014, Secretary 2010 - 2012, Financial Officer 2008 - 2010, Executive Committee 1986 - 1996, 2001 - Present, Co-Chair Committee on Legislation 2001 - 2009, Co-chair Committee on Pensions & Retirement Benefits 1986 - 1989; Special Committee of the Association to Improve Courthouse Facilities 1985 - 1987; Trial Lawyers Section; Special Committee on Balanced Lives in the Law 2004 - 2006); Association of the Bar of the City of New York (Committee on Matrimonial Law 1983 - 1986, 2004 - 2008 [Chair 2005 - 2008]; Committee on Family Court and Family Law 1986 - 1987; Committee on State Legislation 1988 - 1991; Committee on Lectures and Continuing Education 1991 - 1993; Long Range Planning Committee 1993 - 1996; Delegate to New York State Bar Association House of Delegates 1993 - 1996); American Bar Association (Family Law Section, Litigation Section); Westchester County Bar Association (Family Law Section); New York County Lawyers Association (Co-Chair Matrimonial Law Section 2001 - 2004).
Scholarly Lectures and Writings:
- LECTURES: Association of the Bar of the City of New York, "Current Developments in Matrimonial Law - 1985", "Current Developments in Matrimonial Law - 1986", "Child Custody Forensic Evaluations: Science, Art or Neither?" 2004, "Divorce in New York in the 21st Century 'Who Gets What and How Much'" 2007; New York State Bar Association, "Successful Motion Practice in Matrimonial Cases", 1985, "Basic Matrimonial Practice", 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, "Child Support Guidelines", 1989, "How to Handle a Custody Case", 1991, 1998, "Preparing for Depositions and Trials in Matrimonial Cases", 1995, "Child Support Guidelines and Valuing Professional Licenses", 1996, "Matrimonial and Family Law Update", 1998, "Analyzing an Equitable Distribution Case for Settlement or Trial", June 2000, "No Fault Divorce Legislation", November 2003; New York County Lawyers Association, "Geographic Relocation of Children", January, 1992, "Psychiatric Evaluations in Child Custody Litigation - A View from the Couch, Bench & Bar", April 2001, "Drafting Prenuptial Agreements", October 2001, "Everything New York Lawyers Should Know About New Jersey & Connecticut Divorce Law", July 2004; Practising Law Institute, "Matrimonial Settlement Agreements", 1992, "Child Support Standards Act", 1993, "Basic Matrimonial Settlements and Uncontested Divorces", 1996, 1997, "Drafting Matrimonial Agreements", 2000, 2001, "Understanding Child Custody and Support" (Chair), 1998, 2000; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - National, "Hot Tips", November 2001; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Spring Seminar 1994, 1995, 2000, "Cross-Examination of a Child Custody Expert", October 2001; "Child Support Standards Act - New Legislation (License Suspensions and Revocations)", 1995; American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - Pennsylvania Chapter, "Stock Options - The New York Experience", July 1999; Rockland County Bar Association & National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts, "Examination of a Neutral Business Appraiser at Trial", November 2001; Suffolk County Bar Association Academy of Law, "Matrimonial Agreements (Pre-nups, Post-nups, & Everything in Between) March 2007.PUBLICATIONS: "Matrimonial Disclosure" (co-author with Henry S. Berman), Annual Survey of Matrimonial Law, 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 editions, New York Chapter American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; Divorce Magazine, Advisory Board, 1996-1998; New York Family Law Monthly, Board of Editors, 2005 - present; New York Law Journl, Divorce Law column, 2012 - present.
Educational Background:
- New York UniversitySchool of Law, Graduate DivisionLL.M. (Trade Regulation), June 1, 1980. Rutgers - The State University School of Law - CamdenJ.D., June 1, 1972.Moot Court Board; International Law Moot Court Team The American UniversitySchool of Government and Public AdministrationB.A., Political Science, June 8, 1969.
Alton L. Abramowitz:
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