Michael E. Ratner is a Partner in MSF’s Matrimonial and Family Law Group.
As a rising attorney in his field, Mr. Ratner was elected a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) in 2016, and was recently elected as Treasurer for the AAML’s New York Chapter. Mr. Ratner has also enjoyed designation as a Super Lawyer each year since 2014, a distinction achieved by no more than 5% of the lawyers in the state.
An active member of the Nassau County Bar Association (NCBA), Mr. Ratner just completed his term as the Dean of the Nassau Academy of Law, the educational arm of the NCBA. In this capacity, Mr. Ratner oversaw hundreds of continuing legal education programs to attorneys all over the State and in every area of law. Currently, Mr. Ratner is serving a 3-year term on the Board of Directors for the NCBA.
Mr. Ratner is also the Program Administrator for the Nassau County Parent Education and Custody Effectiveness Program (P.E.A.C.E.) for the past twenty (20) years. This program is designed to educate parents going through custody and parenting time issues in relation to divorce and/or separation. He has lectured to over 7,500 parents during his tenure as an administrator.
In addition to his practice, Mr. Ratner is actively involved in numerous legal organizations and associations. Shortly after being admitted to the bar, Mr. Ratner became involved in the Jewish Lawyers Association of Nassau County. He was selected to serve as an officer in the association in 2005 and continued through the chairs becoming the youngest President in the history of the Association in 2010.
Mr. Ratner has lectured for the NCBA, New York State Bar Association, the AAML and the New York State Council on Divorce Mediation on various topics, including the impact of divorce/separation proceedings on health insurance coverage, the “no fault” divorce laws, changes to spousal support/maintenance guidelines, contested support/maintenance guidelines, contested support/enforcement proceedings and other recent developments in the law.
In 2013, Mr. Ratner was presented with the Rising Star Award from The Queens Courier, which recognized “40 Under 40” Rising Stars and was selected to the 2013 Super Lawyer New York Rising Stars list. Mr. Ratner is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and was a founding member of its New York Chapter. Mr. Ratner was also recognized by Long Island Business News as “One to Watch” in 2011 and was named a LIBN Leaders in Law recipient in 2024.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Ratner was a Partner at Abrams Fensterman, LLP.
Mr. Ratner received his B.S. in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Albany, and his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law. In law school, he was elected Managing Editor of Articles for the Family Court Review, where he published a student note in the October 2001 issue, entitled “In the Aftermath of Troxel v. Granville: Is Mediation the Answer?”
