Kelly Berton Rocco, Esq.

Founding Member

Kelly has dedicated her life, both professionally and personally, to empowering both men and women in crisis. She gives them hope for a better tomorrow and helps to equip them with essentials for a fresh start. For over 30 years, she has given back to her community in a variety of ways: Kelly and her family have prepared and delivered meals for homeless men in recovery at Eva’s Village in Paterson; sponsored struggling families by providing them with gas and food cards, clothing and holiday gifts; prepared meals for women and children living in shelters in Bergen and Passaic County and donated clothing, furniture and funds through various charities and organizations. Through the Center for Hope and Safety, Kelly and her family have “adopted” mothers and their children moving out of the domestic violence shelter into apartments, providing everything needed to start over from furniture, clothing, cookware to gifts from Santa.

Kelly’s law firm sponsored the Holiday Wish Drive in 2018 for Passaic County CASA, an organization designed to provide support and advocacy for foster children and their families. The firm also supports the Angel Tree Ministry which ensures every child in foster care gets Christmas gifts. In addition to providing hands on support, Kelly has served on the Board of Trustees for Center for Hope and Safety (formerly Shelter our Sisters), served on the Consistory at the First Reformed Church of the Palisades and for over 30 years, Kelly has committed to annually donating 10% of her gross income to various charities and causes. In 2010, she received the Humanitarian Award from the Center for Hope and Safety and was honored for her work with women and children.

Kelly’s dedication to giving people hope started at home and is what inspired her to become a family law attorney, providing compassionate and aggressive advocacy through the law firm she began in 1993. Her firm is devoted to all areas of family law with a special focus on divorce, domestic violence and father’s rights. Kelly is passionate about her work and will aggressively advocate for the best interests of her clients.

Kelly’s daughters both share her passion – Brittany is a certified paralegal working side by side with Kelly, sharing her mother’s dedication to providing their clients with compassion and empathy. Brittany supports victims of domestic violence and provides support for foster children through Passaic County CASA. After clerking for the Presiding Judge of the Family Division in Passaic County, and working at Big Law’s Millbank LLP, Samantha joined Einhorn Barbarito in their Wills and Estates practice. She carries on the family tradition of helping those in need, providing support to various organizations such as CASA, Center for Hope and Safety and now as an active volunteer at JBWS, the lead partner for the Morris Family Justice Center a coordinated, one-stop domestic violence resource for victim of intimate partner abuse .

In her spare time, Kelly enjoys travel, cooking and spending time with family and friends!

Education & Credentials

  • New Jersey Bar Admission 1988
  • Pace University, J.D. Cum Laude 1988
  • William Paterson College of New Jersey, B.A. 1984

Professional/Community Involvement

  • Active Member of: Women Lawyers in Bergen, Bergen County Bar Association Family Law Section, and the New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section
  • Skills and Methods Course Instructor (a seminar on family law practices)
  • Panel Instructor for Volunteer Training on Legal Issues at Shelter our Sisters from 2006-2010
  • Volunteer Attorney for the Domestic Violence Legal Advocacy Project Alternatives to Domestic Violence
  • Volunteer for Women’s Rights Center

Positions & Awards

  • Certificate of Commendation for Outstanding Service to Victims of Domestic Violence given by the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders
  • Bergen County Department of Human Services, Outstanding Service to Victims of Domestic Violence, 2000 – present
  • the Board of Passaic County CASA, 2020 – present
  • Humanitarian Award in 2010 – Shelter Our Sisters
  • Member: Domestic Violence Working Group Committee, 2006 – present
  • Mandatory Early Settlement Panel Member, Bergen County, 2006-2012
  • Board of Trustees, Shelter Our Sisters, 2005-2009