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Rosemarie Bruno
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Rosemarie Bruno
The Law Office of Rosemarie Bruno, PLLC
4250 Veterans Memorial Highway
Suite 165 East
Holbrook, NY 11741
Phone: (631) 979-3480 | Fax: (631) 716-7171
http://www.brunolawandmediation.com
http://www.licollaborativelaw.com
Affordable Mediation/Collaborative Divorce-Long Island
Legal Topic
Family Law
Preferred New Clients
I am only taking on mediation and collaborative law cases in this category.
Sub-Categories
Family Law
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Custody
- Visitation
- Civil Unions
- Domestic Partnerships
- Living Together/Cohabitation
Legal Topic
Wills, Trusts & Estates
Preferred New Clients
I have no preference for new clients in this category.
Sub-Categories
Estate Planning
- Drafting Wills
- Living Trusts
- Living Wills
- Power of Attorney
Legal Topic
Divorce
Preferred New Clients
I am only taking on mediation and collaborative law cases in this category.
Sub-Categories
Divorce
- Custody/Visitation Rights
- Division of Property
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR)
- Uncontested Divorce
- Collaborative Law
Legal Topic
Bankruptcy
Preferred New Clients
I have no preference for new clients in this category.
Sub-Categories
Bankruptcy
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 7
- Personal Bankruptcy
Bar Admissions
NY, Feb 2003
Bar Number: 4105664
Other Court Admissions
United Stated District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York; United States Supreme Court.
Association Memberships
New York State Bar Association, Suffolk County Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys, New York State Dispute Resolution Association, Association for Conflict Resolution, New York State Council on Divorce Mediation, New York Association of Collaborative Professionals, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, National Association of Social Workers, Clinical Social Work Association, American Counseling Association, American Psychological Association.
Continuing Education
I regularly attend continuing education courses in the areas of law that I practice. I also attend several conferences and training sessions a year, and keep up to date with all of the literature I receive from the many organizations to which I belong. I always exceed the required amount of continuing education hours.
I have also taught as an Adjunct Professor at Touro Law Center in Central Islip, New York.
Papers and Publications
The only papers I have published in the past were as Editor-in-Chief of the Touro Law Review.
Editor-in-Chief, Touro Law Review, 2001-2002.
Example Cases
I handle divorce mediation and collaborative law cases, which have a different tone than the typical litigation case from the beginning. The participants that choose these types of processes have already decided some of the things that matter the most are emotional well-being and the well-being of the family. That doesn't mean there aren't tense moments during those processes, and sometimes a spouse will break down and need to take time out to refocus. I find that with some assistance, most of my clients are able to use their emotions and true feelings to guide them toward actions and decisions that move them in a positive direction.
In these difficult economic times, I have also been handling a lot of bankruptcy cases. The majority of clients who come to my office seeking to file bankruptcy are good, hard-working people who would rather do anything than file bankruptcy. Unfortunately, by the time they come to my office, there is often little else they can do to get relief from the financial burden they are under. It is obvious that most clients who come to see me about a bankruptcy are feeling a great deal of shame, and many are quite depressed about their situation. I try to let them know that they are not alone and that there is a reason why the bankruptcy code exists. For those clients who qualify, bankruptcy can provide a fresh start to their lives. For many clients, this means learning how to manage their finances differently. For others, such as those who were hit with unexpected and often tragic circumstances, this means being able to go on with their lives without being crushed by crippling debt that was the result of those circumstances.
Education
Degree:
M.S.W.
School:
Stony Brook University
City:
Stony Brook
State:
NY
Year:
2002
Degree:
J.D.
School:
Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center
City:
Central Islip
State:
NY
Year:
2002
Honors:
Graduated summa cum laude.
Focus and Accomplishments:
2nd in Class; Dean's Award for Outstanding Leadership and Overall Academic Excellence; West Publishing Outstanding Scholastic Achievement Award 2000-2001; Award for Exceptional Contributions to the Growth of the Law Center; Special Service Award; CALI Academic Excellence Awards (Civil Procedure I, Legal Methods I, Constitutional Law I.), Editor-in-Chief, Touro Law Review.
Degree:
B.A.
School:
Stony Brook University
City:
Stony Brook
State:
NY
Year:
1997
Honors:
Graduated summa cum laude.
Focus and Accomplishments:
Phi Beta Kappa; Psi Chi and Golden Key National Honor Societies; Undergraduate Recognition Award for Academic Excellence, 2nd Annual Undergraduate Research Conference in Psychology, Stony Brook University, April 12, 1997.
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
New York
Firm Focus and History
The Law Office of Rosemarie Bruno focuses its efforts on providing mediation and collaborative law services to clients seeking a divorce or separation. We also provide mediation and collaborative law services to clients who are working to resolve a family or other civil matter. I opened the firm in May 2007 in order to provide clients with a place they could come to resolve legal disputes without going to court.
The firm specifically focuses on alternative methods of resolving legal disputes, such as mediation and collaborative law, because I truly believe that in certain areas of law, such as matrimonial and family law, these and other alternative methods can and often do produce a better result for those cases that are suited for these processes. That is why I no longer take new cases for litigation in the areas of matrimonial and family law. If I determine the client or case is not suited for mediation, collaborative divorce, or some other alternative method of dispute resolution, I promptly refer the client to litigation counsel in the geographical area.
The firm also provides the following legal services: bankruptcy (Chapter 7 or 13), will drafting and living trusts.
I also offer additional support services to clients by providing pre and post-divorce, marriage, and individual counseling services.
Previous Employment Summary
Before opening my own practice, I spent a number of years as a commercial litigator for a large law firm on Long Island. I have also worked with three judges in the past: a district court judge, a bankruptcy judge, and a family court judge. Before becoming an attorney, I worked as a research assistant at Stony Brook University Hospital and provided social work and counseling services in a number of different settings.
Activities and Awards
In the past I have volunteered as a crisis counselor for a local suicide prevention and mental health hotline. I worked with the League of Women Voters as a group facilitator for a project called, "Balancing Justice Project of New York State," which examined the criminal justice system in New York and made suggestions to the legislature on needed changes.
Currently, I am an active member of the New York State Bar Association's Lawyer Assistance Committee, which seeks to help attorneys with drug, alcohol and mental health problems. I am also a member of the Lawyers' Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse of the Suffolk County Bar Association, and a new member of an organization called Faces and Voices of Recovery, which seeks to educate the public about the benefits of recovery.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
I encourage clients to educate themselves on their own legal issues and I do my best to have lots of literature available to get them started in this process. I feel that when clients are educated about their own legal issues, they can play a more active part in their own case. This is essential in mediation where the participants must be able to advocate their own needs. It is also desirable in other types of cases because people are more likely to honor agreements they knowingly agree to. You can't knowingly agree to something unless you truly understand it. The more education you get on an issue, the more likely you are to engage in an intelligent and informative discussion with your attorney about the issues.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I have entered into limited scope agreements with clients to perform only part of the work on a case, but this depends heavily on the nature and circumstances of the case.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
The same answer applies here as above regarding review of client-prepared documents. I am also known to direct clients to the resources they need to resolve an issue on their own if I feel the cost of my services outweigh the client benefit, such as in certain small claims and child support cases.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I didn't want to be a lawyer when I was a child. I didn't even think about being a lawyer or learning about the law until I was in graduate school, working towards my masters degree in social work. I noticed that many of the social work clients I was working with had legal problems; I couldn't help them unless I learned something about the law. I decided to take an option my graduate school provided: to either get a dual degree (J.D./M.S.W.) or take a year of classes in law school and use them as electives in the M.S.W. program. I entered law school intending to use the classes as electives, and fell in love with the law. My personal goal remained the same - to help people improve their lives, reach for, and achieve their potential.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
I am the mother of four children, two boys and two girls, who are now in their teens and twenties. I have been divorced twice and raised my children as a single parent for most of their growing years, while at the same time working and going to school. I know the emotional turmoil that many of my clients are going through. I know how difficult it is to balance the many competing interests that have to be taken into account when families split apart or are in the middle of a dispute. I also know first-hand how divorce, separation, and other family disputes can affect children. That's why I offer alternatives to my clients. Mediation and collaborative law focus on how to meet the often complicated needs of all involved and seek to minimize the damage done.
In addition to my training as a licensed attorney and licensed social worker (LMSW), I have obtained additional training in mediation skills from the New York State Unified Court System's Certified Basic Mediation Training program, in divorce mediation from the Ackerman Institute for the Family, and in collaborative law from the New York Association for Collaborative Professionals in conjunction with the Center for Mediation in Law. I continue to educate myself in the areas I practice in both law and social work, because I have an obligation to do so for my clients.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I chose to practice mediation and collaborative law because I believe these processes have tremendous potential to really help clients. I chose the areas of matrimonial and family law because that's where there was the most need for legal services in my geographical area. For bankruptcy law, I chose to practice because I was given the opportunity to learn about bankruptcy behind the scenes by working with a bankruptcy judge. I began to draft wills and living trusts because clients were requesting those services, and I wanted to meet the demands of my clients.
What do you like best about your career?
Being a solo practitioner, I have the ability to provide the services I believe will benefit my clients the most, in addition to working with them one-on-one. Most of all, in addition to the satisfaction I get helping clients resolve issues and disputes, I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing I am doing the best I can to help people through difficult times and to improve their lives. These are the things I value the most in my practice. I enjoy knowing I am capable of being faithful to those values.
Tell us about your law firm:
I am the only practicing attorney at the firm so clients work directly with me. My legal assistant, Chris Repetti, provides a great deal of support at the firm. Mr. Repetti is very attentive and sensitive to clients' needs. He is a divorced single father who has seen a lot of adversity in his life and values the close relationship he has with his children. He places a high value on his family and his children's needs. He was also trained as a mediator by the New York State Unified Court System's Certified Basic Mediation Training program.
What are your strengths and style?
I take the time to listen to clients so that I can understand what their true objectives are. I place a high value on client autonomy, and I believe that clients have the ability to make decisions in their own best interest. I see my function as a counselor, providing legal expertise and guidance to clients in order to help them make those decisions. Although my role is different when I am functioning as a mediator, where I must be neutral in the process, I still approach each mediation session with the same core belief that clients are capable of resolving their disputes and of making decisions in their own best interest. As a mediator, I feel it is my job to guide them as they do so.
Personal Interests:
I love to listen to music (pop, classical, rock), watch movies (new and old, drama, action/adventure, science-fiction), read, shop, and travel. I also attend and participate in bi-monthly Toastmasters meetings at a local group, perform community service to help people during recovery from alcoholism and/or drug addiction, and enjoy attending mass regularly at my local parish.
Office Manager/Assistant
Christopher Repetti.
Fax
(631) 716-7171
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Evening & weekend appointments available by request.
Emergency After Hours
No
Foreign Languages
No.
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
Flat rate packages are available for some services.
Hourly Rates
Varies depending on type of service needed.
Free Initial Consultation?
All initial consultations are free of charge. They range in duration from about 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the case.
*Bankruptcy consultations can take up to 2 hours because of the information we must review and the disclosures we must give all clients seeking bankruptcy advice.
Typical Retainer
For cases that require a retainer, the amount ranges depending on the nature and circumstances of the case.
VISA, MasterCard and American Express accepted. Bankruptcy Cases cannot be paid with client's credit card.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
