A strong foundation

Dawn Kaplan, Esq. & Amy Smith, Esq.
“We had a similar mindset: Failure is not an option.”
From its earliest days, Weinberg, Kaplan and Smith was founded on one principle: Quality over quantity.
“It never mattered how many cases we took on – it mattered how significantly we made an impact on our clients’ lives,” says Dawn Kaplan, partner at Weinberg, Kaplan and Smith.
When Dawn Kaplan and partner Amy Smith started the female-founded firm in 2012, they both were navigating their own personal challenges while trying to build something from the ground up.
“It was overwhelming,” Kaplan says. “We both didn’t come from educated families. There was no college, no law school. So to serve clients at a firm that we founded and grew ourselves is one of the most rewarding experiences. I still look at Amy and say, ‘Can you believe we did this?’”
In 2019, Michael Weinberg joined the firm, which now has 9 attorneys. Together, they have maintained their focus on providing compassionate care, something Kaplan believes comes from their own life experiences.
“At the time, my life was in chaos,” Kaplan recalls. “I was going through a divorce. Both Amy and I had small children. We had a similar mindset: Failure is not an option. Even today, we can look at each other and say, ‘We are a success,’ but we know that’s not guaranteed forever. We never take our eye off the ball. We’re always asking ourselves how we can improve to provide a better service for our clients.”
In family law, success doesn’t always mean clients walk away happy.
“Success looks like accomplishing an outcome that allows families to protect their children, protect their assets, and protect themselves,” says Kaplan. “At the end of the day, we’re here to help clients through one of the most difficult moments of their lives. Our job is to get them through this chapter and onto the other side stronger and healthier.”
“When I sit down with my clients, I tell them there is not a lot I can guarantee, but I can guarantee that you are going to be in a better place when all of this is done,” Kaplan adds “I see people that come in who are completely devastated, blindsided, don’t know how to put one foot in front of the other, who never wrote a check, who never paid a bill, and they’re better off at the end. Sometimes, difficult situations force you to grow – I see it in our clients every day. It’s unfortunate, but it’s also extremely admirable to witness.”
Both Kaplan and Smith are clear that the firm’s mission has remained consistent since its founding.
“These are people’s lives, and it’s important to us that clients feel like they are being taken care of compassionately with empathy and sensitivity to the difficult situation they are in,” Kaplan says. “When you spend a year with someone, you see them change and grow. We know that we were able to invest our knowledge, our expertise, our years of experience to help someone get to the other side and start a new chapter in their life.”
3 Crucial Pieces of Family Law Advice
1. Ask Questions: People love to talk to friends and family, but speak with an attorney who understands your situation.
2. Listen: One of the hardest things you can do is listen to the other party and communicate your side. That’s where we find the best resolutions.
3. Be Realistic: You aren’t going to get everything you want, but if we do our jobs right, we’re going to give you a shot at a future that works for you.
Marlton
856-795-9400
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