Karen G. Silverman has more than 20 years of experience as a matrimonial attorney on Long Island. Her law practice is strictly limited to matrimonial and family court matters. These include divorce, separation, annulment, child custody, visitation, child support, maintenance (formerly called alimony), spousal support, orders of protection, restraining orders, relocation, Family Court matters, mediation, collaborative law, and more.
As the immediate past President of the Suffolk County Matrimonial Bar Association (2009), Karen is well-versed in the law and has established herself as an aggressive and successful litigator in the field. This knowledge and experience allow her to readily understand and thoroughly evaluate her clients’ cases at the outset which, in turn, lends itself to their swift, amicable, reasonable and affordable resolution.
Karen began her career in 1986 with the 80-attorney Manhattan law firm of Kronish, Lieb, Wiener & Hellman. As part of the firm’s commitment to pro bono work, she represented an indigent client in need of a divorce and, in the process, found her true calling. She has practiced matrimonial law on Long Island ever since.
She is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association and serves on its committees on Matrimonial & Family Law and Alternate Dispute Resolution. In September 2008, the Suffolk County Bar Association named her its Pro Bono Attorney of the Month for her significant work in the matrimonial field (read more). In 2009, she was also recognized by the United States Congress for her pro bono work.
A seasoned and respected practitioner, Karen is often called upon to speak to various organizations and write on current topics in Matrimonial Law. The Women’s Bar Association of Suffolk County published her article analyzing some of the unintended consequences resulting from New York’s failure to adopt No-Fault Divorce. (read more). She is also a member of the Women’s Bar Association of New York.
Aside from being its President, Karen has served on the Board of Directors of the Suffolk County Matrimonial Bar Association for the past 15 years and has been the organization’s Vice President (2006-2008), Treasurer (2004-2006) and Secretary (2002-2004). Earlier in her career, she was chosen by the Suffolk County Supervising Justice of the Dedicated Matrimonial Part to be a Facilitator and Presenter of the PEACE (Parents Education and Custody Effectiveness) program. The PEACE program teaches people how to best navigate the divorce and family court system in a way that minimizes pain and suffering to litigants and, most importantly, their children.
Karen is also a member of the the Collaborative Law Association of New York, Inc., (www.collaborativelawny.com) a not-for-profit organization comprised of a limited number of skilled matrimonial attorneys who are devoted to providing a no-court, fixed-fee alternative for couples seeking to resolve their matrimonial and family law disputes peacefully and affordably through mutual cooperation.
Karen received her undergraduate degree from the State University of New York at Albany ('magna cum laude', and with Faculty Honors) and her law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo ('cum laude'; and having served as an Editor of the Buffalo Law Review ). She has completed intensive training in mediation with The Center for Understanding in Conflict & The Center for Mediation in Law (www.mediationinlaw.org), and is certified in Collaborative Law.