Every Step we Take is Taken With Care
A Meticulous Advocate
DONNA P. LEGBAND
Donna Legband is a partner in the firm and has devoted her practice exclusively to family law for over 25 years with a focus on mediation, litigation and collaborative divorces. She represents clients in all types of matrimonial and family law matters whether simple or complex including matters involving high net worth. Ms. Legband is a strong advocate for her clients and takes pride in exploring creative solutions to assist her clients in reaching a resolution of the issues.
Donna is a past President of the Somerset County Bar Association, has served as Chair of the Somerset County Family Law Committee and Chair of the District XIII Ethics Committee. She was a co-founder of the custody mediation program in Somerset County as well. Ms. Legband has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America and a Superlawyer for numerous years.
Extremely Favorable Results
MICHELE D'ONOFRIO
Michele D’Onofrio has spent her legal career ardently advocating for her clients exclusively in family law matters. She represents a myriad of clients from high-level executives to hard-working stay-at-home parents in navigating the complexities of the legal system.
Ms. D’Onofrio prides herself on staying current not only in the law, but in legal trends in family law. In order to do this, Ms. D’Onofrio is a member of the Family Law Executive Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Family Law Section. She is a past President of the Somerset County Bar Association and former co-chair of the Family Law Committee. Ms. D’Onofrio has been appointed to serve as a panelist for the Early Settlement Panel in Somerset County to assist the courts and litigants in settling family law disputes.
Compassionate Litigator
KATHLEEN L. WOOD
Kate has been committed to the practice of family law for the past fifteen years. During that time, Kate has handled countless numbers of complex contested and uncontested divorce cases and has handled every aspect of litigation. Kate has also negotiated marital settlement agreements in all types of cases from simple to complex, high conflict, high net worth divorces. Kate has extensive experience litigating family law issues including, but not limited to, matrimonial trials, custody and parenting time disputes, modifications of alimony or child support, enforcement of Judgments and Orders, cohabitation, removal cases and domestic violence trials. Notwithstanding her experience as a litigator, Kate believes strongly in the process of mediation and encourages her clients to explore Alternate Dispute Resolutions when appropriate. However, not all cases are suited for mediation, and in those instances Kate is devoted to vigorously representing her clients via litigation.
Kate is a member of the Somerset County Bar Association, Mercer County Bar Association and New Jersey Bar Association, Family Law Sections. She regularly serves as an Early Settlement Panelist in both Somerset and Mercer counties. Kate has also served as a Co-Chair for the Somerset County Young Lawyer’s Division. She currently serves as a Co-Chair of the Somerset Family Practice Committee and has done so for over ten years. Kate was named by New Jersey Family Magazine as one of “New Jersey’s Best Lawyers for Families” in 2019.
Lifting You Up To New Beginnings
A Breathe of Knowledge
TAM ABITANTE
Tam Abitante is “Of Counsel” to the firm with over 15 years of experience practicing family law. For nearly a dozen years, Ms. Abitante has honed her legal research and writing skills by teaching seminars for Fairleigh Dickenson’s paralegal studies program. She is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst and licensed realtor and brings that knowledge to the table.
While clients often express appreciation for Ms. Abitante’s breadth of knowledge and meticulous attention to detail, they frequently express gratitude for her compassion and patience during what is often the most difficult times of their lives.
Ms. Abitante is admitted to practice in New Jersey and New York and before the United States District Court for State of New Jersey. She is an active member of the New Jersey Bar Association and serves as an Early Settlement Panelist for Hunterdon and Somerset Counties. She is a former board member and treasurer for the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators and since 2018, she has been a board member and treasurer for the New Jersey Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts.
Ms. Abitante received her undergraduate degree with Honors from Rutgers University where she was elected to Omicron Delta Epsilon, the International Honor Society for Economics. Following graduation, she worked as a financial analyst and real estate professional. At graduation, Ms. Abitante received the pro bono award for her work with the Rutgers Law School Domestic Violence Victims Advocacy Project.
After graduation, as law clerk to the Honorable James B. Convery (Ret.), the lead dissolution Judge in Essex County, Ms. Abitante gained first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of the court system. It was these experiences that solidified Ms. Abitante’s desire to work in family law.