
David E. Cherny is a founding partner of the Boston Law firm of Atwood & Cherny, a nationally recognized law firm concentrating in the practice of Family Law. He is a fellow of the International and American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, serving as past President of the Massachusetts Chapter. He is also a member of the American Probate & Family Inns of Court.
Mr. Cherny is a 1978 graduate (cum laude) of Boston University School of Management and received his law degree (cum laude) from Suffolk University in 1981. He is a member of the Massachusetts & Texas Bars and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court, (D. Mass.), United States Court of Appeals, United States Tax Court and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. Cherny is an active member of the Massachusetts, American and Boston Bar Associations. He is a frequent lecturer at law schools and to family law lawyers and judges. He is author of numerous articles in the field of family law, and is co-author of the Massachusetts Family Law Manual. He has been recognized by his peers and certified in Best Lawyers in America, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in American Law. He was recently included in the Law & Politics/Boston Magazine listing of "Massachusetts Super Lawyers" in the field of family law.
Mr. Cherny and his firm have been involved in numerous family law cases and appellate decisions which have had a significant role in shaping family law in Massachusetts. He has made appearances on ABC's Good Morning America, NBC's Dateline and Today, Court TV as well as other television , radio, and newspaper interviews in connection with some of the firm's high profile cases.
He has represented clients in a Writ of Certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States. He has also represented a mother in a case where the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in a unanimous decision, limited a parent's religious freedom and ability to expose a child to the tenants of that religion where there would likely be substantial harm to the child. Most recently, he represented a parent granted sole legal and physical custody of three young children along with the right to move out of state in a ground breaking case involving "virtual visitation" over the internet. His appellate cases also include major decisions regarding child custody, premarital agreements, inherited wealth and division of assets, to name a few.
"I often ask my clients if they have seen the movie, 'War of the Roses'. Danny DeVito says it best that an amicable divorce is a contradiction in terms. During my years of practice, I may have seen one or two amicable divorces; otherwise, they tend to be a roller coaster ride of emotions and feelings for the client. Effective representation requires this understanding coupled with an intricate knowledge of the many facets of the law that go into complex divorce litigation," says Cherny.