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Negotiationpic-300x207For quite a while now, I have been sharing divorce litigation bullet point guides, summarizing my posts over the years, as a way to assist people looking for more information about the details of divorce. It can be difficult to come to terms with all of the complicated considerations that appear at the end of a marriage. While this blog and my website offer a lot of articles to help you answer some complex questions, you might find these bullet point guides helpful for quick answers to queries.

In this section of our bullet point guide, we will be looking at temporary orders and “pendente lite” orders in a divorce. Pendente lite orders require a party in a divorce to do something “during” the litigation, while the case is pending. This might mean that for the course of the litigation case, a spouse is required to pay maintenance to another. Continue reading ›

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Unhappy-couples-300x200Recently, I’ve been updating my blog with a series of bullet-point guides intended to help people who want to learn more about divorce litigation. This area of law can be a very complicated one for many people, and it’s often difficult to find the answers to all the questions you might have.

This bullet-point series bring together some handy insights on divorce litigation that I have written about over the years, and the concerns that might arise during a case. In this particular bullet point list, we’ll be looking at the concept of marital debt, and how it could be divided in a divorce – just like marital assets.

We’ll also look at the family home, and how the courts approach splitting the value of the home between partners. Continue reading ›

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Mature-Couple-Fight-300x200

Upset couple having a disagreement at the beach

I’ve been updating my blog regularly recently with bullet point lists designed to curate some of my older articles and insights on divorce litigation into bite sized chunks. These guides might prove useful to you if you have questions about divorce litigation and want to get answers quickly. Today, the focus of our guide will be on senior divorces, and the unique issues that need to be addressed when an older couple parts ways.

There are many reasons that a couple may choose to pursue a divorce later in life, and like with younger couples, these individuals may find that alternative dispute resolution options like mediation aren’t suitable for them.  I am always a fan of mediation for couples of all ages, but, when an agreement cannot be reached outside of court, that is the reason we have judges.  If you’re considering litigation later in life, you may need to consider some of the issues I address here. Continue reading ›

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If you’ve been following my blog for a while now, you’ll be familiar with the bullet point series I publish from time toCouplefightphone-300x200 time. These cover everything from child custody lawyer tips, mediation insights, to information about divorce litigation. Today, we’re carrying on with the divorce litigation bullet points, providing an insight into issues like serving summons, and deciding whether divorce is the right choice.

I often find that divorce is a complicated and emotional experience for all parties – no matter how their relationship might be coming into an end. Sometimes, understanding the processes that you need to go through when getting divorced can make the experience a little less stressful and the right choices clearer.

Serving Summons in New York Divorce

As I often remind my clients, while there are certain differences to New York divorces compared to cases in other states, these procedures often follow the same basic steps of most lawsuits. A plaintiff spouse who is filing for the divorce needs to either serve a summons and complaint on the other side together or provide the other spouse (the defendant) with a summons with notice that describes the nature of the lawsuit. Continue reading ›

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Cross-Exam-300x199Divorce attorneys use specific techniques aligned to a certain structure when presenting a case for New York divorce litigation. These presentations often start with an opening statement, where the attorneys on both sides present the case to the court, allowing the judge (there are not juries in matrimonial and family law in New York) to get an insight into what the argument is about.

Divorce litigation trials progress after opening statements with things like direct examination, cross examination, re-direct and re-cross of witnesses. Today, as the ninth guide in our bullet point series for divorce litigation, we’ll be summarizing some of my more in depth articles over the years covering the concepts of storytelling throught direct exam, cross-examination, and closing statements – and the role these things play in the success of a case.

Storytelling and in Divorce Litigation

Continue reading ›

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Swearing-In-300x211Divorce is a complex process at the best of times. Couples need to come to terms on complicated matters, like spousal support (maintenance), child support, and equitable distribution. In the case of divorce litigation, when the case appears in front of a court for judicial guidance, the toughest part of the divorce can be the trial itself.

Many people prefer to avoid facing the court entirely by choosing methods like mediation for alternative dispute resolution. However, there will be cases when this simply isn’t possible. Continue reading ›

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Coupledisputebacktoback-300x205A while ago, I started a blog series to introduce residents of New York to some of the realities of divorce litigation in the current time. After a break where we turned our attention to some of the family law issues during the coronavirus pandemic, we’re continuing these bullet point guides, summarizing my articles throughout the years, to continue offering an easy insight into the world of divorce and family law.

In this particular guide, we will be discussing the concepts of spousal maintenance in New York divorce cases concerning high-income earners. We’ll also discuss the contributions that individuals can make to a marriage, and how the court and judge consider them. Finally, we’ll be asking how the courts can look at marriages as economic partnerships.

High-Income Earners and Spousal Maintenance

In a New York divorce, a judge presiding over a case may ask for one or more parties to provide spousal maintenance to the other party. These payments, known as alimony or maintenance, are calculated according to specific formulas outlined by New York Domestic Relations law. Continue reading ›

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Young-Couple-300x200If you have been following the recent blogs published here this year, then you’ll notice that I have been providing a selection of bullet-point lists, summarizing my prior articles throughout the years  designed to provide quick and easy information about crucial divorce topics. In the latest series, I am concentrating on matters that can arise during divorce litigation.

One of the concerns that is often discussed during divorce litigation, is the matter of spousal maintenance, otherwise known as alimony. These payments can be important to each spouse whose cash flow situation will change following the end of a marriage. Knowing how the New York courts determine spousal maintenance orders, and when they may deviate from set guidelines can help you when planning your divorce case.

Ordering Spousal Maintenance for Set Periods

Continue reading ›

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Couch-fight-300x200Stipulations of settlement are a sometimes confusing aspect of family law.

A final stipulation of settlement is a contract that settles all the aspects of a divorce. Both parties agree on the distribution of marital property in these cases. If there are minor children, custody and parenting time, child support, and the payment or waiver of maintenance (alimony) should all be discussed in the agreement when a marriage ends.

Stipulations of settlement, like many issues in divorce law, require careful consideration by the courts and parties in questions. While couples can often easily submit a stipulation of settlement with support from the correct divorce attorney, it’s up to the courts to decide when a stipulation should be upheld, and when it needs to be set aside upon a proper request by one side of the case.

When is a Settlement Enforceable and Valid?

New York Domestic Relations Law Section 236B(3) highlights that an agreement by the parties, made before or during that marriage, should be enforceable and valid in a matrimonial action (such as separation or divorce), if the agreement is in writing and the parties have subscribed, acknowledged or proven the agreement with the same specific formalities that would entitle a deed to be recorded..  A valid and enforceable stipulation of settlement means that the parties have subscribed to a specific agreement and are entitled to record a deed. Continue reading ›

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Meditation-Coach-300x200Staying together for the kids is often not the choice people make in an unhappy marriage or relationship. For many, the best thing that can be done for both yourself and your little ones, is find a way to move on.  For others it might be continuing to work on the relationship. When the relationship with your children’s other parent doesn’t work, you need to think about how you can move forward without causing excessive discomfort for you and your child.

One common question that you may need to think about is whether it’s better to have the child living equally with you and another child’s parent. Another option could be to limit the amount of time that your child has with the other parent if the other parent might not be suitable for your child. Some parents even need to think about fighting the requests of other parents and making sure that they get adequate parenting time out of the new agreement.  What is the right choice?  What is the best process to use to get agreements or to make court orders?

Addressing Different Perspectives in Child Custody Litigation

Everyone has a different perspective and unique goals with these cases. In one of my first days at law school, my professor said something to our class. This point has stuck with me for over 26 years, and it’s something that resonates more than ever today. He was quoting a legal scholar.  He said that his wish was that he was able to put on everyone else’s glasses and see the world through their eyes.  He meant that true wisdom could come from seeing the world through all perspectives. Continue reading ›

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