Recent Blog Posts

Preparing for a Child Custody Evaluation

You and your spouse have argued incessantly over who should get custody of your children. You’ve tried negotiations and mediations and cannot reach an agreement. You have now asked a judge to decide. In New York, the court is instructed to decide on a custody and visitation arrangement that is in the child’s best interest…. Read More »

How to Divide the Equity in Your Marital Home

You both deserve part of your marital home, but you cannot cut a house down the middle. Splitting the equity in your home requires strategic planning and creative thinking. Common solutions include: Selling your home and dividing the equity Buying out your spouse with cash or other assets Accepting other property in exchange for the… Read More »

Four Tips for a Successful Child Custody Mediation

As you divide your household during a divorce, you must also determine how to share in your parenting duties and rights. Mediation can help you arrive at a satisfactory child custody arrangement. As with litigation, thorough preparation for your mediation session is essential to achieving your objectives. Here are four tips to help you prepare…. Read More »

Mediation Is an Alternative Method for Your Divorce

In mediation, parties hire a single mediator to negotiate the terms of the dissolution of their marriage instead of going to court. A trained mediator works to resolve the same issues that must be settled in every divorce. Spousal support, property division, allocation of debt, and child support and visitation must all be addressed. The… Read More »

Common Law Marriage in New York

Contrary to popular belief, only a few states recognize common law marriages. Many people still assume that by living together for a period and holding themselves out as man and wife, they attain the rights of being married. Often people think the magic number of years is seven. The reality is that New York does… Read More »

Separation Agreements: Rarely Recommended, They Are Documents Without Teeth

There are many reasons to enter into a Separation Agreement but the one reason rears its head over and over is: one spouse wants to maintain the health benefits of the other spouse while living separate and apart. Any and all other reasons can be handled by Post-Nuptial Agreement. In fact, the above reason can… Read More »

Avoiding a Divorce

Divorce is a difficult process fraught with stress, anger, sadness, and grief. It can take a number of years and be costly if you are dealing with a spouse who refuses to be reasonable or who is vindictive. Some things that you can attempt to do to strengthen your relationship in the hope of avoiding… Read More »

Divorce Disputes

When a couple decides to break up, there are a number of things needing settling between them. Unfortunately, all too often the parties are bogged down in major battles over minor issues. Sometimes anger and bitterness can get the best of one or both of them. A skilled divorce lawyer can help negotiate through the… Read More »

Spousal Support in New York

When a couple splits up, one of the major areas of dissension that must be addressed is spousal support, which is also often referred to as maintenance or alimony. Marriages of a very short duration generally do not involve an award of spousal support. The requirement that one spouse pay the other spousal support, whether… Read More »

What Types of Documents Do I Likely Need to Bring to My First Meeting with My Divorce Attorney?

Your divorce lawyer is there to help you through the divorce process. To assist you, your attorney needs to obtain a full picture of your situation. Why you want a divorce, what you expect out of one, and a snapshot of your financial situation are key to helping your lawyer understand how best to advise… Read More »