Laura Wasser Quotes

#1. I don't know that human beings were meant to mate for life or be monogamous. But, for me, the aspect of marriage that is troubling is that it's a contract that is governed by the state, and I don't want the state to have control over my personal affairs.

Laura Wasser

#2. To find a pool of lawyers from whom to choose, solicit referrals from other professionals you know or deal with - an accountant, banker or business leader. Check out Bar Association listings as well, and don't neglect Internet research.

Laura Wasser

#3. I think it is really important that people at least have some potentially difficult discussions about what their expectations are - and not just financially - prior to getting married. It should really even happen prior to people living together or casting their lot together.

Laura Wasser

#4. There is probably no such thing as a good divorce, but clinging to an old idea of how relationships are unraveled can make a bad thing even worse.

Laura Wasser

#5. In seeking a lawyer, you are looking for an advocate, an expert advisor on the law and on your rights and responsibilities, a strategist, a negotiator, and a litigator.

Laura Wasser

#6. One client's wife managed to steam the labels off all of the several hundred bottles in her husband's prestigious wine collection, so the collection was worthless. The husband hosted 'What's that wine?' dinner parties.

Laura Wasser

#7. My dad once said that in criminal law you see terrible people on their best behavior; in family law you see great people on their worst behavior.

Laura Wasser

#8. Sometimes, just the act of venting is helpful. Counseling provides a safe haven for precisely that kind of free-ranging release: You can say things in the therapist's office, with the therapist present, that would be incendiary or hurtful in your living room.

Laura Wasser

#9. For me, I don't participate in the filming when I represent a reality show star in a case, because that would mean waiving my right to attorney-client privilege, and that would hamper my ability to mount an effective case.

Laura Wasser

#10. As a society, we've evolved, and we've recognized that the American family structure has undergone enormous changes. Divorce is all around us, and who among us doesn't know someone who is divorced or has been impacted by divorce. It's not as scandalous as it was.

Laura Wasser

#11. I don't try to be sexy, but I do want to look as good as I can.

Laura Wasser

#12. You don't want to move in with someone and find out that they don't have auto or health insurance. That's a rude awakening.

Laura Wasser

#13. Everybody should get married - once. I was 25.

Laura Wasser

#14. A woman - even if she is the primary breadwinner - really needs to keep in mind that at some point, she may have a diminished earning capacity because of the fact that she will bear children. Of course, this is case by case. I had two kids, and it didn't really slow me down at all.

Laura Wasser

#15. Like the marriage contract you entered into, your divorce is a legal transaction. Treat it that way. Try not to let emotion, hurt, fear or anger dictate the circumstances of your discussions or negotiations.

Laura Wasser

#16. Dissolution and custody matters are the great equalizers. Having done this for a while, you do realize that everybody has the same issues. It doesn't matter how much money you have or how much power you have, you are always afraid you're never going to see your child.

Laura Wasser

#17. Couples counseling gets many couples back together. But not all, and not always. For your own sake and that of your children, however, I recommend it - I almost insist on it - as the first step for anyone unhappy in a relationship.

Laura Wasser

#18. There's something about sitting face-to-face with an attorney in an office that enables people to come to grips with the very idea of divorce - or to reconsider the idea. Like a number of my colleagues - not all - I offer that preliminary consultation for free.

Laura Wasser

#19. I'm not a divorce monger by any means, but if you're not happy in a relationship, and you've grown apart, it's not healthy for a couple to stay together. It's better for kids to see two happy parents than two miserable parents.

Laura Wasser

#20. Just as you go to the gym regularly to keep your body fit, regular couples counseling can keep your relationship fit as well.

Laura Wasser

#21. The only thing that's different between high profile or celebrity divorces is that you have to do all you can to keep your client and the details out of the media.

Laura Wasser

#22. My go-to jeans are old Levi's I've gotten from boyfriends; they're worn-in and really yummy and perfect.

Laura Wasser

#23. Especially where financial matters are concerned, when it comes to dissolving a marriage, any dissembling at all is strictly against the law - on penalty of perjury. You need to disclose fully and factually, which is precisely what the discovery process is all about.

Laura Wasser

#24. If one person is spending all of their income on clothes, travel, hobbies, and entertaining, and one person is saving it, that may not be quite fair if and when you guys split up, depending on what the law is and what you decided to do.

Laura Wasser

#25. Just about every therapist or counselor or social worker is practiced in dealing with people going through failing relationships, ending them, and confronting issues of custody and support.

Laura Wasser

#26. I'm known for having crazy shoes. I have a total Napoleon complex - I'm only 5'4, and every heel I have is four inches or more.

Laura Wasser

#27. Evening bags should be just big enough for my phone, lipstick, house key, and credit card.

Laura Wasser

#28. I'll tell you, I never thought I'd ever be going into law, and certainly not the same kind of law as my dad.

Laura Wasser

#29. I represent celebrities, but I am not a celebrity.

Laura Wasser