Princewill recalled a client who tried to reconcile with a partner by sending flowers and jewelry. “For the other side, it was just annoying. Their biggest issue was how little time their partner was spending with them as a family. Being at work and sending gifts was insulting.” Their partner made assumptions about what they wanted without understanding the core issue. “Sometimes I wish I could be a fly on the wall early on in a relationship,” Princewill said, “because maybe then we could avoid some of the conversations we have to have when it’s too late.”
Pay careful attention to how they speak about their previous partners, too. “I think some people came from a bad breakup with a need for an audience or an ally,” said Cary J. Mogerman, partner at Carmody MacDonald and president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, who has been practicing for 37