Category Archives: COVID-19
What If Parents Disagree About Vaccinating a Child for COVID?
When divorced parents share legal custody, each one has an equal say in the children’s medical care. So what happens when parents do not see eye-to-eye over the COVID-19 vaccine? New York State made the COVID-19 vaccine available to children 12 years old and older starting in May 2021, with the goal of making shots… Read More »
Divorce Rates Drop as Pandemic Drags on
During the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, divorce lawyers across the country saw an uptick in filings, with more couples feeling the strain of quarantine and deciding to call it quits. But year-to-year data shows that fewer people are filing for divorce in 2021 than in 2020, suggesting that one side… Read More »
What Does the Data Actually Tell Us About COVID Divorces?
In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic and as the months trudged on, there was considerable opinion that marital relationships and family dynamics would be adversely affected. Now that the worst of the crisis seems to be over and we are returning to normal life, what does the data actually show about how the… Read More »
Special Considerations for Divorce During the Pandemic
Forced closer together by lockdowns, travel restrictions, work-from-home orders and school closures during the pandemic, many married couples have seen their relationships strained to the point of breaking. This has led to a surge of divorces in New York and across the nation. But with the backlog of cases caused by COVID-related court closures, estranged… Read More »
What Does the Pandemic Mean for Couples? Fewer Marriages, More Divorces
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced married and unmarried couples alike to reexamine their relationships, spurring an increase in divorces and a drastic falloff in weddings. Unmarried couples seem to be questioning the wisdom or desirability of tying the knot. Marriage rates in the United States, which had been on the decline since the 1980s, plunged… Read More »
Will the Pandemic Result in More Amicable Divorces?
Everyone knows at least one divorce horror story. It may involve a spouse who hid or stole marital assets or who quit a job to avoid paying alimony. Too often, divorcing couples seem to write off the love and respect they once held for each other and behave as if they are complete strangers or… Read More »
Getting Your Non-Emergency Child Custody Issue Heard During COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has created unique challenges for parents dealing with child custody orders or agreements. Not surprisingly, some parents have simply run out of patience with self-help remedies and may feel like their only remaining option is to go to court, either to enforce an existing arrangement or to seek a formal modification of… Read More »
Tips for Your Virtual Family Court Hearing
Due to the ever-present dangers associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more court hearings are happening virtually these days. These are still relatively new endeavors for court officials and attorneys, and everyone has had to sort of grow more comfortable in the virtual setting together throughout the last year. Here are a few tips… Read More »
What to Do If COVID-19 Has Impacted Your Ability to Pay Child Support
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the U.S. economy, unemployment claims are hovering near 1 million a week, millions of workers have had their hours cut and more than 100,000 business have closed. With their sources of income cut off, many divorced parents are struggling to meet their child support obligations. Unfortunately,… Read More »
Virtual Litigation in Divorces and Family Court
Divorce and Family Court are very personal. Family Court involves, most often, child support and/or custody. During the pandemic, court functions were mostly suspended and appearances in court for non-criminal matters were canceled or did not occur for months. The court system has started to use Microsoft Teams. This is done through IOS, usually an… Read More »