I have been continuously active in the practice of law for the past forty years (40), and for the last thirty seven (37) years have devoted my practice, almost entirely, to that of matrimonial and family law. I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Secretary of the New York Chapter and a previous chair of the National Legislation Committee. I have chaired many committees in that organization. I am a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Vice President and Former Secretary of the American Chapter of that organization. I am a member of the National Panel of Marital Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association. I am also a member of the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the New York Bar Association. In addition, I was a member of the Executive Council of the American Bar Association's Family Law Section, and a member of various matrimonial law committees both in New York State and American Bar Associations. I chaired the Federal Kidnapping Committee of the Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and I was liaison to ABA Parental Abduction Project. I was the Chairman of the Mentoring Committee of the International Child Abduction Attorneys Network (ICAAN), funded by the Dept. of Justice OJJDP in conjunction with ABA Center on Children and the Law and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I have been an expert witness before the United States Senate Armed Services Committee on issues relating to military pension, the House Ways and Means Committee on issues relating to child support, and before the New York State and New Jersey State Assembly's Judiciary Committees on the subject of surrogate parenting and have advised the U.S. State Department on various occasions including speaking in the North American Symposium on International Child Abduction. My experience in the matrimonial field is extensive and varied and includes the handling of all types of matrimonial actions and proceedings in the trial and appellate courts of the State of New York and elsewhere including almost four hundred (400) cases under the Hague Convention. I have been a Lecturer at Various Institutes on Interstate and International Child Custody, including American Family Conciliation Courts National Conferences, American Bar Association's annual winter and spring meetings, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Association of Trial Lawyers, Hispanic Bar Association, New Jersey Continuing Legal Education Institute, COURT TV, and various other bar associations. My firm has handled many international custody actions and many interstate custody actions involving the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act and the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act.
Expert Witness on various court cases throughout the nation on Interstate and International Child Abduction Cases.
Liaison to International Child Abduction Project sponsored by the ABA Center on Children and the Law - Department of Justice OJJDP, (1993-96)
Chairman of the Mentoring Committee of the International Child Abduction Attorneys Network (ICAAN), funded by the Dept. of Justice OJJDP in conjunction with ABA Center on Children and the Law and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
Consultant to the United States State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Children’s Issues Department and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (MCMEC) on International Child Abductions Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Department of State- March 1996
Participant in Hague Convention Meetings on Implementation of Treaty, Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Netherlands, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007
Member of United States delegation to the Hague-1996
Expert Witness before U.S. House of Representatives; House Ways and Means Committee, Child Support Amendments, 1984, 1988, Social Security Amendments, 1989
Expert Witness before Senate and Assembly Judiciary Committee of New York on Hearings of Surrogate Parent Bill, 1986
Expert Witness before U.S. Senate, Committee on Armed Services, Uniform Services Former Spouses Protection Act, 1982
Classes & Seminars
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, Second World Congress on the Rights of Children (1997)
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, American Bar Association's Annual Winter and Spring Meetings
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (1997; 1992)
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, American Family Conciliation Courts National Conferences
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, American Association of Trial Lawyers
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, Hispanic Bar Association
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, New Jersey Continuing Legal Education Institute
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, COURT TV
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2002, 2006)
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (2004)
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, Hague Convention Delegate on the Implementation of the Treaty on Child Abduction September, 2007
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, Fairfield County Bar Association, Connecticut , 2007
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, Cross Border Mediation and the Hague Convention on International Parental Child Abduction, University of Miami School of Law, February, 2008
• Interstate and/or International Child Custody, How to try a Hague Convention Case- International Academy of Matrimonial Layers June, 2008 Boston, Mass
Published Works
• Understanding & Litigating Under the Treaty, The Hague Convention
• Educating the State Court Judge, The Hague Convention
• The Need for Reform, Distribution of Military Benefits
• Congressional Reform, Distribution of Military Benefits
• A Proposal, Interjurisdictional Enforcement of Matrimonial Orders
• Domestic Relations Tax Reform Act, Divorce Law in China ,1984
Past Positions
• Law Offices of Robert D. Arenstein
• Arenstein & Huston, P.C.,President,1980 to 1984
• Shapiro, Weiden & Mortman, P.C,1974 to 1975
• Hofheimer, Gartlir, Gottlieb & Gross ,1973 to 1974
Professional Associations
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Secretary ,1999 to Present
• International Academy of Family Lawyers, Secretary Delegate
• American Bar Association ,Council Member (1996-99; 1985-91)
• American Bar Association ,International Law and Procedures,1991 to Present
• American Bar Association ,Federal Legislation & Procedures, Chairman/Member,1989 to Present
• American Bar Association ,Federal Task Force on Legislation, Vice Chair/Member,1992 to Present
• American Bar Association ,Parliamentarian,1995 to 1996
• American Bar Association ,Liaison to International Child Abduction Project ,1993 to 1996
• American Bar Association ,Bankruptcy Committee, Co-Chairman,1992 to 1994
• American Bar Association ,Advisory Committee ,1991 to 1994
• American Bar Association ,By-Laws Committee, Chairman (1990-91; 1982-84)
• American Bar Association ,Law and the Fifty States ,1985 to 1994
• American Bar Association ,Scope & Correlations Committee, Chairman/Member,1987 to 1990
• American Bar Association ,Ad hoc Committee on Surrogacy ,1987 to 1988
• American Bar Association ,Family Law Quarterly, Editorial Board,1987
• American Bar Association ,Research Committee Member, Chairman,1986 to 1986
• American Bar Association ,Annual Meeting Coordination Committee, Member,1985 to 1986
• American Bar Association ,Policy & Procedures Handbook Committee, Member,1982 to 1986
• American Bar Association ,Membership, Chairman,1983 to 1985
• American Bar Association ,Interstate/Federal Support Laws & Procedures Committee, Chairman,1981 to 1985
• American Bar Association ,Divorce Laws and Procedures Committee, Vice Chairman,1980 to 1982
• American Bar Association ,Alimony, Support and Maintenance Committee ,1977 to 1980
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter,Fellow,1984 to Present
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Kidnapping Committee, Chairman/Member,1994 to Present
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Meeting Committee, Chairman,1986 to 1998
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Legislation Committee, Member,1991 to 1998
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Parliamentarian (1991-92; 1995-96)
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, National Budget and Finance Committee, Member ,1994 to 1995
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, National Legislation Committee, Co-Chairman,1990 to 1991
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Committee on Surrogate Parenting, Chairman,1986 to 1986
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Board of Managers, (1986-90) (1993-1996) (1999-2002)
• American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers - New York Chapter, Specialization Committee ,1985 to 1985
• International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Chapter , Vice President ,2010 to Present
• International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Chapter, Board of Managers,1996 to Present
• International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, American Chapter, Secretary,1994 to 1995
• International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Counsel to the President ,2006 to 2008
• New York State Bar Association, International Custody Committee, Chairman,1995 to 1998
• New York State Bar Association, Executive Committee ,1979 to 2009
• New York State Bar Association, Annual Meeting, Program Chairman,1985 to 1991
• New York State Bar Association, Committee on Surrogate Parenting, Co-Chairman,1986 to 1987
• New York State Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, Program Chairman,1985 to 1985
• New York State Bar Association, Long Range Planning, Family Law Section, Chairman,1979 to 1985
• New York State Bar Association, Executive Committee, Young Lawyers Section, Liaison ,1979 to 1982
• New York State Bar Association, At Large Delegate,2006 to Present
• New Jersey Bar Association ,Specialization Committee Member, Co-Chairman,1983 to 1984
• New Jersey Bar Association ,Legislation Committee ,1984 to 1984
