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 [...]
Child Support: The CSSA
The Child Support Standards Act (CSSA) imposes a legal obligation on parents to support their children until they are emancipated. This is defined to be the age of 21, unless they demonstrate that they can [...]
Breaking an Impasse
Bob* and Mary* were about halfway through their first mediation session when Bob announced that he was never going to leave the house. He did not want the divorce and did not feel it fair [...]
6 Factors to Consider When Considering a Divorce
As I have said before, I believe that couples who are seeking a legal separation or a divorce do not have a legal problem; rather, I believe they have a practical problem that has legal [...]
The Affordable Care Act and Health Savings Accounts
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) may allow you to open a Health Savings Account (HSA) if you have a “high-deductible” plan. Here’s how it could work and why it might be worth considering. A Health [...]
No Pension? Why an Annuity Might Be Right for You
In my last post, I discussed the concern I have for someone who trades his or her interest in a pension for, most commonly, the house. Despite the fact that I almost always suggest to [...]
Trading a Pension for the House? Think Carefully!
A traditional pension, as opposed to a retirement account such as a 401(k) or an IRA, provides a life-time income stream to the employee, based upon a combination of his or her years of service [...]
The Three Legged Stool of Divorce
I have often thought that there are three components that need to be addressed when a couple is ending their marriage: Legal Financial Emotional All three need to be managed during a divorce or a [...]
The Cost of a Divorce
Ending a marriage is one of the most emotionally difficult things that will happen to someone, often second only to the death of a spouse. And to make matters worse, in New York it is [...]
Why I Require Disclosure of Separate Property
Under the Equitable Distribution Law in New York, only “marital property” is distributed between spouses in the event of a divorce. Marital property is defined as any property acquired from the date of the marriage [...]