The Not-So-Golden Years, Part 2
{3:00 minutes to read} In Part 1, I outlined a mediation I conducted whereby the wife had left the workforce for several years to care for the children, which left her in a very tenuous financial [...]
The Not-So-Golden Years, Part 1
{3:36 minutes to read} I had a recent mediation that has caused me to consider how to address the future consequences that face a spouse who left the workforce for many years during the time [...]
Who Sets and Enforces Ground Rules in Mediation?
{2:42 minutes to read} My friend, Chip Rose, is a mediator in California. One of the things he believes is that it is the responsibility of the mediator to control the process while the clients [...]
Grounds for Divorce in New York
On October 12, 2010, New York joined the other 49 states and now allows a divorce without alleging and proving “marital misconduct”. So, instead of claiming that your spouse is “guilty” of adultery, cruelty or [...]
Equitable Distribution
The basic premise of the Equitable Distribution law is that marriage is an economic partnership. Upon the dissolution of that partnership, the assets and liabilities that were accumulated during the marriage are divided between [...]
Real Estate
It has been my experience that more time is spent discussing real estate than any other asset. That is partly because real estate is likely to have the greatest amount of value as an asset. [...]
Retirement Accounts & Pensions
If you worked at a job that provided these benefits while you were married, they are considered marital property and are subject to Equitable Distribution, even if the payouts are not available until long after [...]
Custody & Parenting of Minor Children
When we create a Parenting Plan for our clients, joint legal custody generally means that both parents have control over decision making while sole custody gives the decision-making ability to one parent. Shared parenting generally [...]
Child Support in New York
Under the Child Support Standards Act (CSSA), both parents have an obligation to support their children. The specific amount of child support is based upon the combined income of the parents up to an income [...]
Maintenance
In New York, what used to be called “alimony” is now called “maintenance”. On January 23, 2016, New York adopted a law that creates “guidelines” that are designed to assist a court in determining the [...]