Editor's Note: Since publishing this post, we've heard from Casey Greenfield. Her comments appear toward the end of the post.

Ever wondered what what would inspire someone to jump into the emotionally wrenching world of divorce and family law after practicing in a big firm? For Yale Law School grad Casey Greenfield (at right), the jump seemed to have been prompted by her own experience in chasing child support from a TV pundit.

A former lawyer at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (and the daughter of ABC correspondent Jeff Greenfield), Greenfield just launched her own firm, Greenfield Labby, with another lawyer, Scott Labby. According to the firm's press release, Greenfield is described as a lawyer "with extensive experience representing clients in matters related to child support, child custody, spousal maintenance, equitable distribution, and family court practice."

Then the release says: "Greenfield’s unique personal experience as a parent, litigant, and lawyer in the courts gives her an invaluable insight into her clients’ goals and struggles."

If you've been reading the tabloids, you'll know what "personal experience" means here. According to the  New York Daily News and Above the Law last year, Greenfield was locked in a messy battle over child support with her former married lover, Jeffrey Toobin, the CNN contributor and New Yorker writer. Here's what the Daily News wrote:

In 2008, when Greenfield became pregnant and when she told Toobin the news, he offered her "money if she'd have an abortion," says a source. He also allegedly offered to pay for her to have another child later via a sperm donor.

"When Casey wouldn't have an abortion, Jeff told her she was going to regret it, that she shouldn't expect any help from him," claims another source.

Greenfield underwent a risky DNA test while pregnant, but Toobin didn't provide his sample and stopped talking to her, according to sources. On the day she gave birth, Greenfield e-mailed Toobin, inviting him to meet his son, Rory. A source says Toobin didn't reply.

After Toobin finally agreed to a DNA test that established his paternity, he was ordered by a Manhattan family court to pay child support. Reports the Daily News: "When he refused to pay the full amount, say sources, Greenfield's lawyer threatened to notify his employers and garnish his wages; Toobin then paid up."

Greenfield downplays her personal ordeal. She says she got interested in family law as a first-year associate when she worked on matrimonial matters pro bono. But she adds: "The significance of my own experience is that I know very precisely what it’s like to be involved in a difficult family law dispute. I’ve been in my clients’ shoes; I’ve seen it and felt it. And I have learned an enormous amount, about the practical effect of family law on the individual, along the way."

Anyway, it's an interesting career trajectory. For Greenfield, it's also been a long personal saga. We wish her luck.

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