Stephanie I. Blum

Stephanie I. Blum said she was drawn to family law because of how rewarding it can be to help clients and their children navigate the traumatic experience of divorce.

“It is likely a time when they have to make life altering decisions and they are least capable of doing so,” she said, adding: “I have remained engaged in this practice because no two clients are the same, every case involves its own unique set of facts and challenges, and almost every day I am called on to be thoughtful, creative and strategic.”

In one recent paternity case, she represented a mother. The matter started with the father filing an emergency request for sole custody of the trial, Blum said. The father tried convincing the court that the mom frustrated his custodial time with the child and that the child’s best interests were served by awarding him custody. and obtained orders for sole legal and physical custody, while the father received limited, professionally monitored visitation.

“The matter ultimately went to trial and I prevailed,” Blum said. “I obtained orders providing mom with sole legal and sole physical custody and dad with limited professionally monitored visitation.”

She noted the challenge was obtaining admissible evidence to support her client’s position, which she overcame by using the father’s own mother.

“We deposed the paternal grandmother and ultimately called her as a witness to provide the court with unbiased and firsthand accounts of her son’s failings as a parent to corroborate my client’s testimony,” Blum said.

In another post-judgment matter, she represented a husband whose ex-wife filed a motion to set aside their judgment.

“She essentially was looking for a do-over in over to obtain more community property and more spousal support since child support was coming to an end,” Blum said. “She claimed that [her] husband committed fraud and violated his fiduciary duties. Not only did I prevail on the merits with the court denying all of [the] wife’s requests, but I secured an order requiring [the] wife to reimburse [the] husband for all of his attorney’s fees and costs in this frivolous action.”

Blum is also interested in the potential impact of artificial intelligence on family law practice.

“How do we use them and still protect our client’s privacy?” She asked. “Will the use of this technology create efficiencies? Is it trustworthy? How do we best marry our knowledge, skills and abilities with this new technology to obtain the best possible result for our clients?”