What does New York consider when awarding spousal support?
Leaving a marriage and embarking on life on your own is often stressful, and you may find it particularly anxiety-inducing if you have fears about how to support yourself. If you sacrificed your education or professional career for the sake of your spouse or family,...
How separate and marital property impacts property division
A divorce means that you will have to divide your assets. Often, judges will dictate what you can keep and what your spouse can have. In New York, judges use equitable distribution for property division. Before you divide your property, it is crucial to understand...
What are the requirements for a QDRO?
When you and your spouse got married, the expectation may have been that both of you would benefit from his or her retirement plan. Now that you are getting divorced, you may wonder if you still stand to receive your allotted portion of your spouse's pension. A...
What will happen to your New York home in a divorce?
If you purchased the maximum amount of a home that a lender will finance for you, that could mean that 30% of your income every month goes directly to your home. You could accrue substantial equity over the years, making your home the single biggest asset that you...
Why 61% of divorced women wish they hired financial advisers
Your financial future may look quite different than you thought it would when you make the decision to divorce, and you may need to explore new methods of achieving your financial goals. Many women facing similar circumstances have defined financial goals they want to...
How does equitable distribution work?
In New York, the prevailing rule regarding property division in a divorce is equitable distribution. Most states follow this guideline, but some states use community property rules. Equitable distribution means the court fairly divides the assets. The fair division of...
Why do I need a QDRO?
If you and your spouse are getting divorced and one of your primary assets that may be divided is your retirement account, you will want to proceed carefully to protect yourself against unnecessary losses and penalties. As explained by Forbes, you are not typically...
What does a family court order of protection do?
Orders of protection are a tool to distance two people in the interest of preventing harm to one person by the other. This is a broad definition on purpose for the sake of dealing with each case fairly and accounting for each person's best interests. The New York...
The New York courts have a gender-neutral approach to custody
Divorce and family law have always been overshadowed by myths and half-truths. From exaggerated stories depicted in the media to divorced individuals who misrepresent their circumstances to elicit sympathy or pity from others, there are many sources of misinformation...
What do you do if your co-parent is absent?
When parents in New York divorce, their children are at the forefront of their concerns. They figure out matters like child custody and support. They decide visitation schedules. The court makes every decision with the child's best interest at heart. So, what if...
