In this episode of Lawyers Who Care, host Andrew Samalin speaks with Jackie Harounian, managing partner of Wisselman Harounian Family Law in Carle Place, New York. Since 1976, Jackie's firm has been recognized as a leader in matrimonial and family law, representing clients throughout Long Island, Westchester County, and New York City. Jackie also holds a graduate degree in psychology, a credential she draws on daily in one of the most emotionally charged areas of legal practice.

Jackie shares how more than thirty years of experience has shaped her approach to divorce, from setting realistic expectations with clients early on to understanding what motivates opposing counsel to recognizing when emotion, rather than strategy, is driving a case in the wrong direction. She reflects on how her practice has evolved toward mediation, negotiation, and prenuptial agreements, and why she now views litigation as a last resort rather than a default.

She also walks through the realities of high-conflict divorce, the cost of multi-day depositions, the three-year wait for a trial date in Nassau County, and why clients who go all the way to trial rarely end up satisfied, and explains what lawyers and clients alike can do from the very beginning to avoid that outcome.

Topics covered:

- Thirty-plus years of matrimonial and family law on Long Island and New York City

- How psychology informs Jackie's approach to divorce strategy

- Setting client expectations and managing the cost of litigation

- Mediation, collaborative law, and litigation, and when each is appropriate

- Why fifty percent of cases in New York are good candidates for mediation

- The hidden costs of high-conflict divorce and the three-year trial wait in Nassau County

- Why litigation should be a last resort, and how to choose the right lawyer

Connect with Jackie Harounian:

Phone: (516) 773-8300

Email: info@lawjaw.com

Website: lawjaw.com