How Rebecca Zung Helps Women Reclaim Control from Narcissistic Opponents

Women's Journal Staff on November 26, 2025

By: One World Publishing

Top 1% Lawyer and Globally Acclaimed Leverage Lawyer Offers Women Strategies for Navigating High-Conflict Divorces and Toxic Power Dynamics.

Women are often encouraged to “play nice,” but as top trial lawyer Rebecca Zung knows, being overly agreeable may not always lead to favorable outcomes in negotiations. Zung helps her clients gain access to knowledge, methods, and strategies that can lead to more favorable results and pave the way for a fresh start.

For women dealing with a narcissistic partner, boss, or ex-spouse, life can feel like a constant struggle. Zung, drawing from her extensive experience as a trial lawyer handling high-conflict cases, has seen how manipulative, controlling individuals can twist facts, gaslight emotions, and manipulate charm for their benefit.

As a top 1% trial attorney specializing in high-conflict cases, Zung has spent years studying narcissism to better understand how to counter these behaviors in the courtroom. Now known as the Leverage Lawyer, she has become a globally recognized legal expert, sharing her approach on how to improve outcomes even when dealing with difficult adversaries.

Today, Zung’s methods are empowering many victims of narcissistic abuse, including a large number of women.

According to Zung, “Narcissists don’t seek peace—they seek control, and they often use chaos to maintain that control. If you try to negotiate with them the way you would with someone more reasonable, it can be a significant challenge.”

Through her online programming, bestselling books, and conflict resolution courses, Zung aims to help women not only navigate these difficult encounters but also shift the power dynamics in their favor.

Manipulation in the Legal System

Many women enter divorce court or mediation believing fairness will prevail. However, for those dealing with a narcissist, the experience can be far different. Narcissists may distort the truth, manipulate joint finances, and even use children as pawns, all while presenting an image of calm rationality. Unfortunately, the true victim may be unfairly labeled as “difficult” simply for reacting to these deceptive tactics.

The worst part is that these manipulative strategies often go unnoticed within the legal system.

“Judges don’t always see the abuse because narcissists are skilled at maintaining control and charm,” Zung explains. “This can make it difficult to identify the lies and manipulations occurring behind the scenes. Additionally, judges are often overworked and make snap decisions in order to clear cases quickly.”

Lawyers may also be part of the problem. Many lawyers rely on strategies that work with more reasonable parties, not realizing that high-conflict individuals follow different rules. They don’t care about fairness—they care about maintaining control.

As a result, lawyers may miss the narcissist’s lies, delays, sudden shifts, and smear campaigns. They might believe they are defending justice, but they could inadvertently be helping the narcissist maintain power through chaos.

Narcissistic cases often take much longer to resolve—sometimes up to three times longer—and cost significantly more. It’s not unusual for a victim to spend more than $100,000 on legal fees and still find themselves at a standstill in their high-stakes case.

Why Negotiation Is a Feminist Tool

At the heart of Zung’s work is an important realization: women are often socialized to avoid conflict, especially with men. This social conditioning can make them more vulnerable in narcissistic relationships.

From romantic partners to workplace supervisors, narcissists thrive on control, and women who prioritize harmony may become easier targets.

Zung’s mission is to reframe this dynamic.

“Negotiation isn’t about aggression,” she states. “It’s about knowing what you want, building leverage, and communicating in a way that protects your power. It’s about crafting a strategy that brings you closer to your ideal outcome.”

Zung helps people regain their strength through her online conflict resolution courses, which incorporate her highly regarded SLAY AI® and SLAY negotiation methods (Strategy, Leverage, Anticipate, You). These tools are designed to help anyone who feels trapped by a manipulative personality, whether it’s a toxic boss, controlling partner, or difficult co-parent.

The best part? Women don’t need to be lawyers or psychologists to benefit from these methods. Whether they’re negotiating custody, a workplace promotion, or exiting a toxic relationship, Zung’s strategies are widely applicable.

Connecting Women to Legal Support

In recent years, Zung has noticed a shift: more and more women are seeking lawyers who understand narcissistic abuse. These women aren’t just looking for someone to file paperwork—they want an advocate who truly understands the challenges of narcissistic abuse and can navigate the emotional and legal complexities.

Unfortunately, many lawyers still rely on strategies that work with rational clients, failing to recognize that narcissists follow a different set of rules.

Zung advises women filing legal claims to “use your lawyer as a tool, not your savior.” She adds, “Lawyers understand the law, but they don’t know the specifics of your life. It’s up to you to organize the facts and present them in a compelling way that helps frame your narrative.” Zung helps women ask the right questions to find a lawyer who understands narcissism and knows how to use leverage to their advantage.

But the work doesn’t stop there. Once women find the right lawyer, they must partner with them to meet their goals.

Zung’s SLAY AI tools help women organize key documentation—such as emails, texts, witness statements, journals, and financial records—and identify patterns. These tools can create court-ready exhibits like summaries, timelines, and graphs. They also help women prepare for meetings with their lawyers by creating agendas, subpoenas, rebuttals, and even anticipating arguments from the opposing side.

The result is an empowered attorney, a more effective legal case, and a clearer path forward.

Why Zung’s Message Resonates with Women

Rebecca Zung’s personal journey gives her a unique perspective. She has navigated her own difficult break from a business partner and successfully broken through male-dominated spaces. Through these experiences, she has developed a winning playbook that women can follow.

Her authenticity, sharp legal insight, and empathy have made her a trusted guide for many women. Thousands are following her methods to break free from fear, manipulation, and silence.

“I spent over six years navigating a complex legal battle against several narcissists, including a former spouse and even lawyers. Thanks to SLAY AI and Rebecca’s program, I now know how to create motions and appellate briefs. I even won my appeals! It’s invaluable!” said one SLAY client.

Another shared, “Our lawyers told us we saved over $200,000 in attorney fees because of the SLAY program. It saved us a significant amount of money!”

These women, along with many others, have benefited from Zung’s strategies, knowledge, and tools. Thanks to her insights, they are realizing that negotiation isn’t just a skill—it’s something every woman can master to create the life she desires.

You’re Not Powerless, You Just Haven’t Been Trained Yet

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering how to negotiate with a narcissist or whether you’re even allowed to push back, Rebecca Zung is the mentor you need. Her message is simple: you are not crazy, you are not alone, and you are not powerless.

Through her podcasts, YouTube videos, bestselling books, and online courses, Zung offers women the tools they need to take charge of their lives. And with the right resources, survival doesn’t have to be the goal—it can be freedom.

About Rebecca Zung

Rebecca Zung has been a top trial attorney for more than 25 years, specializing in high-stakes, high-conflict cases. She was designated a “Top 1% Attorney” by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel and recognized as a Best Lawyer in America by U.S. News. She is a USA Today bestselling author, creator of SLAY AI®, the SLAY® negotiation method, and a premier global expert on high-conflict negotiations. She is also a sought-after contributor to major media outlets and publications, including NPR, CBS, ABC, Newsweek, The Huffington Post, Extra, Time, and Forbes. Learn more at www.RebeccaZung.com.

Bridging Law and Humanity: Sahar Maknouni’s Compassionate Path to Modern Justice

Women's Journal Staff on November 26, 2025

In the often unrelenting world of law, where precision rules and empathy is treated as a luxury, Sahar Maknouni stands apart as both an advocate and a reformer. As the founder of Maknouni Family Law Firm, APC, she brings something rare to the courtroom — a fusion of intellect, compassion, and authenticity.

The calling to law, for Sahar, emerged from life itself. There was a time when she stood on the other side of the table. That human weight of separation motivated her to not only provide legal expertise to her clients but also to offer gentle confidence. Her practice is not merely about statutes or filings; it’s about restoring stability to people whose lives are in transition. It’s law practiced with purpose — rooted in expertise and guided by empathy.

When Compassion Becomes Counsel

Sahar’s approach to law begins with listening. She firmly believes documentation is the latter step of the process. The foremost is to allow her clients to share their stories without fear of judgment. For many, the path to her office begins in heartbreak. But once there, they find not just legal guidance, but the quiet stability of someone who truly listens. She becomes both a guide and a grounding force, ensuring that every client feels seen, not just represented.

Her compassion is deliberate, not decorative. She knows that restoring a life begins with restoring a sense of inner calm. Her work starts in the fragile spaces of transition, guiding clients from emotional unrest to renewed stability. In her hands, family law becomes less about the end of a chapter and more about the beginning of restoration.

The Strength of Stillness

In a profession often defined by confrontation, Sahar has mastered the art of composure. Her power does not come from volume. It lies in the quiet assurance she brings—a presence that steadies the emotional upheaval of family disputes.

This quiet power transforms the dynamic of her practice. It teaches individuals that one can be firm without being harsh, and that real power often comes from measured responses. Her presence in the courtroom demonstrates that authority need not overshadow compassion, and that true persuasion is born from grace.

The Blueprint of Understanding

Sahar’s education in Business Law and Management at California State University, Northridge, and her Juris Doctor at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law, gave her the ability to combine logic and compassion. Her business experience contributes to her unique and valuable skills to exercise logic and empathy. Beyond understanding family law from an emotional perspective, it also enables her to manage the nuanced aspects of finances, assets, and long-term planning.

But what truly matters is her artistry of personalizing that structure. She uses strategy not to complicate lives but to simplify them—to bring order where chaos once lived. Every plan she builds is both tactical and tender, designed to protect what matters most while restoring a client’s sense of agency. For Sahar, understanding is not a theory—it’s a blueprint for rebuilding lives with purpose and precision.

Justice with a Gentle Hand

Sahar’s compassion extends beyond her firm and into her community. Through her volunteer work with the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law, she provides pro bono legal services to individuals who might otherwise be left without representation. For her, justice should never be a privilege—it should be a shared right.

It’s not simply a charitable act but an essential part of her identity as an attorney. Every case she takes on through the Center reminds her that the core of the law lies in service. By sharing her expertise, Sahar solidifies her belief that kindness and fairness can both be a part of the same legal purpose and justice, when given gently, has the ability to restore not just lives, but hope.

Rebuilding the Stories Left Behind

Every family law case leaves behind more than paperwork—it leaves a story in transition. Sahar’s long-term vision is to help rewrite those stories, turning what feels like an ending into a beginning. She envisions a practice model that integrates emotional wellness, education, and empowerment, helping clients move from legal closure to personal renewal.

Through technology, transparency, and compassionate innovation, Sahar is reimagining how legal support can feel. Her future vision isn’t just about expanding her firm—it’s about expanding the definition of what justice can do. She wants the law to be a space where people don’t just find answers, but rediscover their strength.

Closing: Where Law Becomes Love in Action

Sahar Maknouni stands as part of a quiet revolution within family law—one that replaces intimidation with understanding, and process with purpose. Her work at Maknouni Family Law Firm APC, reminds us that the law, when practiced with heart, is not merely about resolving disputes but rebuilding lives.

In her hands, justice becomes something profoundly human—a partnership between empathy and intellect, structure and soul. And in that balance, Sahar is doing more than representing clients. She’s restoring faith—in the law, in healing, and in the possibility that even through endings, something compassionate and enduring can begin again.

Disclaimer: The content provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading or responding to this article. For legal advice specific to your situation, please consult with a qualified attorney.