Myrna Wigod focuses her practice in the often-related areas of family law and trusts and estates litigation. For more than 35 years she has established a client-centered practice dedicated to assisting clients in obtaining fair and equitable results in both of these areas. She has successfully resolved contested family law and trusts and estates matters through alternative dispute resolution as well as through litigation. Currently, she applies that extensive experience to help clients find non-litigation solutions to their issues, through negotiation, mediation and other means of alternative dispute resolution.
Family Law: Myrna’s family law experience ranges from uncontested and amicable divorces to complex, high-net worth and highly disputed matters. Myrna has represented clients in a full spectrum of family law needs, including cohabitation agreements, pre- and post-nuptial agreements and all aspects of divorce, including alimony and spousal support, equitable distribution, child custody and support, parenting time, and child relocation issues, as well as post-divorce issues, including appeals and modification of alimony or child support. She has extensive experience representing individuals who work on Wall Street or their spouses, as well as owners of closely-held businesses or their spouses. She is well-versed in executive compensation, including restricted stock, stock options and deferred compensation, as well as alternative investments such as hedge funds, limited partnerships or other private equities. Myrna has also handled matters involving grandparents’ rights, palimony, cross-jurisdictional issues and civil unions.
Trusts and Estates Litigation: Myrna has represented many satisfied clients in contentious, disputed, or litigated trusts and estates matters. Her clients have included individual executors, trustees and beneficiaries; charitable and other non-profit organizations; and banks, financial institutions and corporate fiduciaries. She has assisted clients in achieving positive results in the areas of will contests and similar disputed matters regarding beneficiary designations, asset transfers and property dispositions, including disputes over capacity, undue influence, fraud and forgery; fiduciary accountability, including contested accounting actions and proceedings for the removal or sanctioning of executors, trustees, agents under powers of attorney and other fiduciaries; interpretation of trusts, wills and other testamentary instruments; and guardianship of incapacitated persons or minors.
Myrna serves on the Family Law Executive Committee of the Essex County Bar Association and is regularly appointed by the Court to the Essex County Probate Early Settlement Panel to assist in the settlement of litigated probate matters.