Ms. De Shong is one of Pennsylvania’s leading family law attorneys. In practice for 36 years, Ms. De Shong has counseled hundreds of people on all aspects of divorce, child custody, distribution of assets, support and alimony, as well as marital settlement agreements, pre and postnuptial agreements, cohabitation and partnership agreements, family business agreements, protection from abuse matters, and more. She provides practical guidance and support for her clients, even those who may not be certain that divorce is appropriate for them. Ms. De Shong wants her clients to be fully informed of their legal rights and options without being pressured to divorce or separate. While she provides strong advocacy to her clients when required, Ms. De Shong recognizes that negotiation of a mutually satisfying outcome is more often in her clients’ emotional and financial best interests than costly litigation.

Ms. De Shong is recognized by other attorneys as being a preeminent family lawyer and litigator. Since 2003, she has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), a national organization of more than 1,650 highly skilled family law litigators and negotiators. This year, Ms. De Shong was elected President of the AAML Pennsylvania Chapter. Ms. De Shong was also named a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a national trial lawyer honorary society, in 2019. She has been selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America by U.S. News and World Report for family law since 2012. Additionally, Ms. De Shong has been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers List for many years, to which no more than five percent of the attorneys in the Commonwealth can be named.

Ms. De Shong was named the Best Lawyers® 2022 "Lawyer of the Year" for Family Law in the Philadelphia region. The "Lawyer of the Year" recognitions are awarded to individual lawyers with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific practice area and geographic region. Only one lawyer is recognized as the "Lawyer of the Year" for each specialty and location.

Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Lawyers are not required nor are they allowed to pay a fee to be listed. Additional details can be found at www.bestlawyers.com.

A past Chair of the Montgomery Bar Association Family Law Section and its Continuing Legal Education and Law Reporter Committees, Ms. De Shong lectures, writes, and plans courses on family law matters for the AAML Pennsylvania Chapter, the Montgomery Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Bar Association. A 1986 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Ms. De Shong received her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College (B.A. 1983).

AAML PA Officers

Chapter President-Elect
Kerri L. Cappella

Chapter First Vice President
Michael E. Bertin

Chapter Secretary
Helen E. Casale

Chapter Treasurer
Mary Vidas

Immediate Past President
Sophie Paul

Chapter Delegate
Charles J. Meyer

AAML PA Board of Managers