Palimony is spousal support for couples who are united through common law marriage. A common law marriage is marriage that occurs when two people in a relationship cohabitate a dwelling for an extended period. New York has no common law marriage. As a result, no matter how long two people live together in the state, the court will never see…
Recently, I attended the premiere of The Five Year Engagement at the Tribeca Film Festival. After enjoying the movie, I was asked by the press for my opinion. My response was, “Firstly, I absolutely loved this hilarious romantic comedy.” However, as a divorce lawyer who has seen it all, I couldn’t help but add, “Five year engagements often do not…
The Law Office of Bryan L. Salamone & Associates, P.C. handles almost one thousand divorce cases each year. They are arguably the largest contested and high-conflict divorce law firm on Long Island, New York. In the last two years, the Law Office of Bryan L. Salamone & Associates, P.C. has handled scores of cases involving “Facebook” evidence. The settings of…
Paternity disputes are deeply troubling for anyone. However, for celebrities such disputes are even more difficult to handle because the whole world is watching. Below are a few of the most talked about celebrity paternity disputes: Jude Law: In 2009, a paternity dispute arose between actor Jude Law and his lover Samantha Burke. While speculation that Law fathered the child…
In 2010, New York joined a host of other states that allow couples to obtain a divorce without assigning fault to either party. Recent changes to New York’s domestic relations law allow spouses to more easily obtain a divorce under the new grounds of irretrievable breakdown. This allows a court to grant a divorce simply on the sworn statement of…
You may be surprised to learn that in 2009, New York had among the lowest divorce rates in the nation. According to an NBC report, 8.4 percent of New York residents are divorced—the third lowest rate in the United States and over two points lower than the national average of 10.7 percent. The reason for this is simple economics. Financial…
I’m not just a divorce attorney; I’m also a car rally driver. Which is why I was so pleased to be featured recently in a profile by Manhattan Motorcars. I’ve been a participant in numerous automobile rallies and will be the first person to drive from New York to California in a Lamborghini Aventador purchased from Manhattan Motorcars. There are…
Divorce is a difficult ordeal even for the rich and famous. Celebrity divorces are by no means a new or uncommon phenomenon. But recent trends in social media, especially the rise of Twitter, have given the public new insights into the inner workings of celebrity divorce. Always image conscious, most celebrities try very hard to keep statements about their divorces…
Divorce litigation can be lengthy and expensive. Court and attorney fees are high and waiting for a hearing can take months. Additionally, court-ordered divorce settlements often end up being all-or-nothing arrangements that skew in favor of one party or the other. For divorcing couples who are still able and willing to work together, litigation alternatives such as settlement, mediation, or…
In some particularly contentious divorces, it is all too common for one spouse to make false allegations of abuse in order to gain an upper hand. The presence of abuse by one spouse can have a huge impact on divorce litigation, especially insofar as determining custody of minor children, and can lead to criminal charges in some cases. While wise…