Sometimes you want to live apart from your spouse, but you do not necessarily want to end your marriage. Other times you and your spouse know divorce is right for you. Legal separation and divorce, however, are not the same thing. Legal separation versus divorce If...
Family Law
Modifying spousal support orders
In some cases, spousal support can provide a critical financial lifeline. But, as often happens in life, circumstances can change, including a person’s need for or ability to pay spousal support. Requesting modification of spousal support Under New York law, a party...
Who pays taxes on child and spousal support?
Parties to a divorce often ask about the tax implications of child and spousal support. With a top federal tax bracket of 37% and top New York state bracket of 10.9%, it is important to consider the tax impact of divorce, including which party is responsible for...
International enforcement of child support orders
It’s no secret that raising children in New York can be expensive. Following a divorce, child support is often a critical financial resource that can play a significant role in a child’s life. When one parent lives outside the country, a common concern is how to...
If the abuse was only directed at you, divorce may change that
Some abusers target their spouses while treating their children gently. However, when the abuse victims realize that this normalizes the deplorable behavior to the kids and that it is not healthy for anyone, then, they seek ways to escape. What these victims may not...
The benefits and challenges of same-sex surrogacy
Surrogacy has long been a viable option for heterosexual couples who have health conditions or an inability to conceive, but social perceptions and acceptance of what defines a family have more slowly evolved for members of the LGBT community. Although the process of...
How can I establish paternity in New York?
Fathers have certain rights and obligations. They have the opportunity to claim custody and visitation rights, enroll their children onto their health insurance and leave them an inheritance. On the flip side, they generally have an obligation to support their...
Income change: Reason for post-divorce child support modification
Child support is an important obligation that survives divorce. When two New York parents end their marriage, they are still obligated to care for and financially support their children. Depending on many factors, parents can have monthly child support obligations of...
Would mediation or collaborative law be right for your divorce?
Getting divorced is often described in terms of war and battle. There is an assumption that a divorce will be (and even has to be) acrimonious. Part of the reason for this belief is that for much of the history of legal divorce in the United States, litigation was the...