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Margaret Klaw
Berner Klaw & Watson LLP
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Biography
I love our practice because I care so deeply about my clients and their families. I handle all types of family law matters, and my approach to each case varies greatly, depending on my client’s needs and preferences. The range goes from playing a supportive role for those clients who wish to negotiate their own agreements to serving as a zealous advocate in the courtroom for those who need to submit their disputes to a judge for resolution. In addition to practicing law, I speak and write about family law issues. My first book, KEEPING IT CIVIL: The Case of the Pre-Nup and the Porsche & Other True Accounts from the Files of a Family Lawyer, was published by Algonquin Books in 2013, and I blog regularly for The Huffington Post, Daily Worth, and my own blog: www.familylawunraveled.com.
Education
- Boston University
- B.A. (1987) | Political Science
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- Northeastern University School of Law
- J.D. (1984) | Law
- Honors: magna cum laude
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Professional Experience
- Managing Partner
- Berner Klaw & Watson LLP
- - Current
- Associate
- Law Offices of Joni J. Berner
- -
- Litigation Coordinator
- Women Against Abuse Legal Center
- -
- Assistant General Counsel
- Victim Services Agency
- -
- Associate
- Law Offices of Phyllis Gelman
- -
Publications
Articles & Publications
- 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
- The Legal Intelligencer
- Advice From Those Who Know Small Firms (Thomas E. Rogers)
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Relationship Between Distribution of Assets and Award of Alimony (Chapter) Slicing Up the Pie: Property Distribution in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Bar Institute Press (2010, 2012, 2016)
- Reflections on “Innovations in Family Law Dispute Resolution” (Deborah Thompson Eisenberg)
- University of Maryland, Francis King Carey School of Law
- Same-sex couples in Pennsylvania now cheering ability to divorce too (Alana Semuels)
- Los Angeles Times
Speaking Engagements
- Town Hall: Marriage Equality in PA – What does it really mean? (panelist for LGBT Rights Committee)
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Lessons Learned While Opening Your Own Practice (co-presenter for Solo and Small Firm Committee)
- Philadelphia Bar Association
- Presenter, Field Notes From a Family Lawyer Family Law Society
- Rutgers Law School
- Keynote Speaker, Innovations in Family Dispute Resolution, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
- Co-Presenter, Who Gets the Dog? Prenups 101 Common Cents Club,, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (with the University of Pennsylvania Law School)
Awards
- Best Lawyers in America 2017-2020* (Family Law Mediation)
- Best Lawyers®
- Best Lawyers in America 2016-2020* (Collaborative Law & Family Law)
- Best Lawyers®
- Lawyer of the Year 2017;2020* (Family Law Mediation)
- Best Lawyers®
- Best Law Firms 2017-2019* (Berner Klaw & Watson LLP) Philadelphia – Family Law & Family Law Mediation – Tier 1
- U.S. News & World Report-Best Lawyers®
- PA Super Lawyer 2006 – 2019**
- Super Lawyers®, part of Thomson Reuters
Professional Associations
- Mazzoni Center (current)
- Legal Advisory Board Member
- Current
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- Equality Advocates Pennsylvania
- Board Member
- Current
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- Mock Trial Team, Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
- Coach
- Current
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- Settlement Music School, Germantown Branch
- Board Member
- Current
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- National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women
- Board Member
- Current
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- First Person Arts
- Board Member
- Current
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- Equality Advocates Pennsylvania
- Board Member
- Current
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- Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program (current)
- Volunteer
- Current
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- Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas (current)
- Arbitrator
- Current
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- The Midwife Collective
- Board Member
- Current
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- Pennsylvania Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Member
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Commission of Judicial Selection
- Member
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section Domestic Violence Committee
- Co-Chair
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Women’s Rights Committee
- Co-Chair
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Officer
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Chair
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Board of Governors
- Member/Family Law Section representative
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section Committee on the Legal Rights of Unmarried Cohabitants
- Co-Chair
- Current
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- Philadelphia Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Member
- Current
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Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice
- Pennsylvania
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Fees
- Credit Cards Accepted
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Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
$500 flat rate consultation; $450/hour
Practice Areas
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
- Arbitration & Mediation
- Business - Arbitration/Mediation, Consumer - Arbitration/Mediation, Family - Arbitration/Mediation
Languages
- English: Spoken, Written
Social Media
Margaret Klaw
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