Ilysa M. Magnus

Ms. Magnus began her work life as a secondary school English teacher in New York City, collecting academic degrees while desperately wanting to be an attorney, her life goal. Ultimately, as a single mother and matrimonial paralegal, Ms. Magnus made that leap of faith, attending law school at night while working full time as a paralegal in a prestigious midtown matrimonial department and was, upon completion of her law degree with honors, offered an associate position in that department. During her tenure there and subsequently with another medium-sized midtown firm, Ms. Magnus was involved in all aspects of family and matrimonial law, trial and appellate practice.

Ms. Magnus regularly appears in Supreme Court and Family Court and has prepared for and tried numerous matrimonial and family law cases and negotiated innumerable others to a successful conclusion. Ms. Magnus’s philosophy, shared by many others in the profession, is that it is almost always preferable that the parties find a pathway to resolving their own issues, if possible, rather than having someone in a black robe make those decisions for them. Ms. Magnus has also litigated a guardianship case in Supreme Court, New York County, interacting with the court-appointed guardian on a regular basis, and spearheading the sale of real estate assets and nursing home placement for the incapacitated person. She has also litigated a land partnership dispute in both Bronx and Ulster Counties leading to a full, successful resolution for her clients.

In 2006, after many years of firm-based matrimonial and family law practice, Ms. Magnus opened her own thriving practice in midtown Manhattan. She is delighted now to join the firm and to continue to service her clients and those of the firm applying both the highest professional standards and compassionate lawyering upon which she prides herself.

Past Positions

• Moses & Singer LLP,Of Counsel

Honors

• Journal of International and Comparative Law, New York Law School (appointed but did not serve)

• Martindale Hubbell, AV Preeminent Peer Rated Attorney for Highest Level of Professional Excellence

• New York Metro Area Super Lawyers, 2010-2019

Professional Associations

• New York State Bar Association and its Family Law Section

• New York Women’s Bar Association and Volunteer Attorney for the Pro Bono Matrimonial Law Project

• American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators