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 effect of the pandemic is…
Traditionally, pets have been treated as property when a couple divorces, which often makes them part of a property settlement agreement or judgment. In New York, judges don’t get into resolving pet custody and visitation battles. To deal with these potential conflicts, some couples started to create “petnup” agreements, setting out clear terms for where a pet will live if…
New York may be passing legislation that gives standing to the Supreme Court to consider “the best interest of companion animals in divorce or separation proceedings.” This legislation would be welcome if the divorce process was working smoothly. It is not. The wait time for divorces can be in excess of two years; and the cost of divorce spirals upwards…
Even though you may have set your mind unchangeably on divorcing your spouse, rushing to file papers could hurt you in the long run. If you try to speed through the process to just get it over with, you may find yourself with poor outcomes that affect your life and the lives of your children for years to come. Before…
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 more steeply when the pandemic…
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 sworn enemies. Parents turn on…
The end of a marriage is an emotionally raw time. For many people it can feel like darkness is setting in and painful thoughts tend to dominate every waking moment. It is common to feel fear, anger, uncertainty or a sense of loss. Getting through the emotional pain of divorce may not be easy, but there are ways of coping.…
Divorce can be difficult even under normal circumstances, but for abuse victims the process can be even more trying, since special protective measures must be taken. A recent study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) found that domestic violence was the seventh most common reason for divorce in the United States. Nearly one fourth of the study’s participants…
If you are a mother with children at home and your marriage is coming to an end, your mind is probably full of uncertainties. Will you get custody of the kids? Where will you live? Will you receive child support or be required to pay any? The answers to your questions will vary depending on your family’s unique situation and…
As part of your divorce, you may choose to keep your married name, or you may choose to go back to a maiden name. Here are a few issues to consider as you make your decision. Making a clean break: It can be nice to make a clean break from the relationship. Shedding the name of your ex can be…