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Patricia Fersch

Patricia Fersch
  • Founding Partner

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Practice Areas

  • Matrimonial and Family Law

Biography

Patricia Fersch is the founding partner of Fersch LLC. She is a graduate of New York University and New York Law School and was admitted to the practice of law in the State of New York and the Southern and Eastern Districts of United States Federal Court in 1994. Immediately after law school, Ms. Fersch opened the Patricia Ann Fersch Family Law Center in 1994. In 2019, she founded Fersch LLC with partners, Maxine Donskoi and Meryl Hoeft.

Throughout her 29 year career in Matrimonial and Family law, she has successfully completed thousands of cases involving families caught in the turmoil of family law conflicts. Ms. Fersch is known for handling high-conflict divorce and custody matters, and frequently represents clients in complicated cases in the Family and Supreme Courts. Ms. Fersch also handled a number of international and high-profile divorce and family court matters.

Ms. Fersch is dedicated to public service and has been honored for same throughout her career.

In 2007, Ms. Fersch participated in an externship program with New York Law School and New York Supreme Court, in which she supervised students assisting pro se litigants with uncontested divorces. She was a recipient of the 2006 Partner in Justice Award from MFJ Legal Services Inc. Ms. Fersch was awarded the 2010 Partner in Justice Award.

In 2007, Ms. Fersch and Ms. Judy White started the Matrimonial Pro Bono Project providing experienced legal counsel to deserving litigants in New York County Supreme Court divorce financial matters. The project is in partnership with the NYWBA and New York Law School.

Both Ms. Fersch and Ms. White remain as the co-chairwoman of the Matrimonial Pro Bono Law Project, sponsored by NYWBA. Ms. Fersch was the recipient of the 2015 Hanna S. Cohn Pro Bono Award from the Women's Bar Association of the State of New York for her work in co-founding the Matrimonial Pro Bono Project in New York and Kings Counties. Ms. Fersch was selected to the New York County Supreme Matrimonial Advisory Committee.

In 2019, Ms. Fersch was awarded the FamilyKind Service Award.Every year from 2014 through 2023, Ms. Fersch was selected to the New York Super Lawyers.

Ms. Fersch currently serves as the Chairperson of FamilyKind Board, not for profit, from January 2021 ongoing. Ms. Fersch is a member of the statewide committee "Woman and the Courts" under Justice Betty Ellerin and co-chair of the committee undergoing recommendations for why women are not believed in court.

Education

  • New York Law School, New York, New York
  • New York University

Bar Admissions

  • New York, 1994
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1994
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 1994

Honors

  • Ms. Fersch was awarded the Partner in Justice Award, 2010
  • FamilyKind Service Award, 2019
  • Selected to the New York Super Lawyers, 2014-2023
  • Justice Award from MFJ Legal Services Inc., 2006
  • "Ms. Fersch was the recipient of the 2015 Hanna S. Cohn Pro Bono Award from the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York for her work in co-founding the Matrimonial Pro Bono Project in New York and Kings Counties"

Representative Cases

  • Chu v. Lin, N.Y.L.J May 29, 2020 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cnty 2020)
  • David S. v. Samantha G. 59 Misc.3d 960, 74 N.Y.S.3d 730 (Fam. Ct., New York County 2018)
  • Vikram J. v. Anupama S., 123 A.D.3d 625 (App Div 1st Dept. 2014)
  • Ponorovskaya v. Stecklow, 45 Misc. 3d 597 (N.Y. Cty. Sup. Ct., Cooper, J. 2014)
  • In re Penny B. v. Gary S., 61 A.D.3d 589 (App Div 1st Dept. 2009)
  • Alix A. v. Erika H., 45 A.D.3d 394 (App Div 1st Dept. 2007)
  • In the Matter of Frankel v. Tregnaghi 30 A.D.3d 183 (App Div 1st Dept. 2006)
  • In the Matter of Lisa W. v. Seine W., 2005 NY Slip Op 51782U (Kings Cty. Fam. Ct., Olshansky, J. 2005)
  • In the Matter of Gordon v. Greene 7 A.D.3d 528 (App Div 2nd Dept. 2004)
  • In the Matter of Mendez v. Hance 1 A.D.3d 265 (App Div 1st Dept. 2003)
  • Weissman v. Weissman 300 A.D.2d 261 (App Div 1st Dept. 2002)
  • In the Matter of Brackman v. Debrest, A.D.2d 483 (App Div 2nd Dept. 2000)
  • In the Matter of Williamson v. Williamson 255 A.D.2d 447 (App Div 2nd Dept. 1998)
  • In the Matter of Smith v. Smith et al 668 N.Y.S.2d 336 (Kings Cty. Fam. Ct., Segal, J.F.C., 1998)

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Matrimonial Pro Bono Law Project, sponsored by NYWBA, 2007
  • Chairperson of FamilyKind Board, 2021 to Present