Long Island Family Law and Mediation Blog

Divorce isn’t just a legal step. It changes your whole life. It doesn’t really matter who wanted it or why it’s happening, it still takes a toll. You’ll have to deal with money, kids, property, and a dozen other things you didn’t plan for. Trying to do it all alone usually makes things harder. Getting help matters. But there are different ways to get support.

Sometimes, the best option will always be taking your case to the courts. Working with a licensed attorney and taking the traditional route is sometimes the choice when there’s high conflict or safety concerns to think about.  I represent people in the Long Island and New York City area in court proceedings, or out of court negotiations or as a behind the scenes consultant (I can be hired as a negotiator when there is not a court case or a behind the scenes consultant for upstate residents as well.) Continue reading ›

Divorce has a way of pulling in every part of your life at once. It’s emotional, of course, but it’s also about money, children, property, and paperwork. I’ve sat across from clients who were exhausted before we even started, not because of the marriage ending, but because the legal steps felt endless.

Court litigation has always been the default, and sometimes it has to be, when there’s real conflict, or when safety is an issue. But it isn’t always necessary. Divorce Mediation gives couples another route. Instead of arguing in front of a judge, you can sit down with someone neutral and work through decisions together. The tough decisions still have to be made, but the process often feels different.

In Cayuga County, though, this route isn’t always easy to take. If you live outside Auburn, chances are you’ve had to look to Syracuse or Rochester for divorce mediation. That means an afternoon off work, child care to arrange, and hours on Route 34 or the Thruway. In the middle of February, with snow blowing sideways, it can feel impossible. Some people have delayed divorce for months or longer because just getting to mediation seemed out of reach. Continue reading ›

Divorce affects every couple differently, but it’s never easy, or straightforward. Even when both parties agree that parting ways is the best way forward, the complexity mounts up. Sometimes, dividing up assets isn’t even the most difficult part. The challenge comes from sitting across a table from someone you planned to spend your entire life with, and trying to agree on what’s next.

There was a time when ending a marriage followed one “common route”. You and your partner went to court, and hoped a judge, who didn’t really know your family, would outline a fair path. In some cases, that’s still the best strategy. Many couples find litigation to be the only way to cleanly and objectively navigate the end of a marriage.

However, there are alternative options now, like mediation – a more collaborative, less formal approach to divorce that often appeals to couples who want to maintain an amicable relationship with their ex, cut costs, or simply avoid spending too much time in court rooms. The challenge, though, comes in finding a divorce mediator that actually fits your needs. That’s where virtual mediation is becoming increasingly valuable as a New York State Divorce Mediation process, for couples that want flexibility and freedom. Continue reading ›

There’s a reason why divorce is described as one of the most disruptive and stressful things a person can go through. It’s painful on an emotional level – even if you and your ex-spouse agree that the best path forward should take you in different directions. But there’s another side to it too, filled with endless paperwork, complex decisions, and sometimes appearances in court you’d rather avoid.

The traditional way of handling divorce, with litigation and attorneys (like me), is still valuable today, particularly in some situations, like when couples have a hard time finding common ground. However lately, alternative dispute resolution methods like mediation have been gaining more attention.
Even before the New York courts started pushing couples to work through their issues with a mediator (prior to speaking to a judge), many couples found divorce mediation less stressful, time-consuming, and expensive. Unfortunately, many also struggled with limitations, like finding a divorce mediator that was available, had the experience they needed, and happened to be close to home.

Now, virtual mediation is helping to expand the reach of flexible mediation services to all kinds of Cattaraugus county couples, giving them the freedom to take the next step in their journey with confidence, clarity, and a little more control. Continue reading ›

I say this to clients a lot, wherever they may be with a New York case, but it’s still true: divorce isn’t just a legal process. It’s an emotional journey, a financial transition, and a personal turning point most people would rather not face. For many couples in Sullivan County, it’s not the worry of figuring out parenting time, or maintenance orders that causes the biggest headaches. It’s figuring out the best way to navigate the process.

The most traditional option is still to take your case to the New York courts, and ask them to decide on a fair, equitable outcome. For a lot of couples, that path still works. But many others find themselves looking for something else – something more collaborative, and less stressful.

Mediation can offer that alternative – but even that has suffered from caveats in the past. In Sullivan county, couples were often limited in the variety of mediators they had access to. Finding someone who was available, and close to home (for face to face sessions), who still aligned with their personal preferences and needs wasn’t easy. Continue reading ›

We’ve come a long way from the days when the only way to end a marriage was to spend hours, weeks, or months presenting cases in court. As an experienced family law attorney myself, I know there are always situations where the traditional “litigation” approach still makes the most sense. But for many couples across New York, alternative dispute resolution methods are often a lot more appealing. Mediation, for instance, doesn’t completely eliminate the stress of divorce, but it is, for many, a superior process.

Divorce mediation gives couples an option to take a more collaborative approach, one that can help them to preserve amicable relationships, avoid hefty fees, and even maintain some control over what happens next in their separate lives. The problem in the past, is that although the New York courts support mediation, couples haven’t always had the most choice when it comes to deciding who they want to work with on their case.

Location rather than “true fit” usually formed the basis of most decisions. After all, no-one wants to travel for hours every time they need to attend a face-to-face mediation session. The good news is that mediation services are evolving. Virtual mediation sessions skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic, and have continued to provide Chemung county couples with more freedom ever since. Continue reading ›

Ask anyone who has been through it, and they’ll tell you nothing can ever make divorce “easy”. Even if you and your partner are happy to be moving in separate directions, ending a marriage takes a toll. But the process used to be a lot tougher. Once, the only path forward was standard litigation or negotiations between parties and/or lawyers. Then, mediation made its way into the matrimonial and family law landscape, offering a new method of dispute resolution.

However, while the concept of divorce mediation – a more collaborative, and arguably less stressful approach to divorce appealed to many Wayne County couples, even accessing that route wasn’t easy for everyone. Most mediation services were typically delivered face-to-face, meaning couples could sometimes struggle to find a partner that was close, convenient, and right for their needs.

Fortunately, now the family law space is changing again. Virtual mediation for Wayne County residents (otherwise known as online or digital mediation), is a far more flexible option. There’s no need to travel to an office (local or otherwise) unless you want to. Plus, you get the freedom to choose any mediator you feel comfortable, and confident with. Continue reading ›

Virtual Divorce Mediation in Steuben County: The Low-Stress Alternative to Litigation

Divorce can be draining. Even if you and your (soon-to-be-ex) partner mutually decided to part ways, there are a lot of loose threads to tie up before you can move on with the next stage of your life. But divorce doesn’t always have to mean courtrooms, conflict, and chaos.

There will always be situations that demand the input of the courts, but many couples throughout Steuben County, and across New York have discovered a gentler, more collaborative way to negotiate through mediation. This method of alternative dispute resolution, working with a divorce mediator, has become incredibly popular, particularly for those who want to avoid the headaches of endless court appearances.

Divorce Mediation gives you a chance to resolve issues privately, respectfully, and efficiently. Sometimes, it can even help preserve crucial family dynamics, and shield children from the negative side effects of adversarial litigative proceedings.

The biggest challenge for most couples, is simply finding a mediator they feel comfortable working with throughout the process. Not so long ago, mediation sessions happened almost exclusively in-person, meaning many couples were limited to choosing mediators that operated directly within Steuben County. Now though, virtual mediation, through channels like Zoom, has paved the way to more freedom and choice for every couple.  Continue reading ›

Litigation isn’t the only way to approach divorce in New York. In fact, many couples find that they prefer alternative dispute resolution options – particularly if they’re trying to avoid stressful courtroom appearances, or maintain amicable relationships for the sake of their children.

For residents of Putnam county, divorce mediation can be a convenient, collaborative way to make decisions at the end of a marriage. I’ve even seen situations where this process can save couples time, money, and heartache. The New York courts themselves even advocate for mediation – provided the circumstances are right. The only problem is finding the right mediator.

New York is home to at least hundreds of divorce mediators, all from different backgrounds and walks of life – but only a handful of those are local to Putnam county, and not every mediator you meet with is guaranteed to be the best option for your specific situation.

The good news is that virtual mediation offers a flexible alternative to working with a local professional – allowing couples to choose the support that resonates with them – regardless of location. Here’s why Putnam County residents might choose me as their virtual mediator. Continue reading ›

Getting separated or divorced is an emotionally charged experience to say the least.  It can seem like an incredibly complicated process, but working with the right professionals can make it as smooth as possible.  Ending a marriage, whether it’s an amicable split or not – creates a lot of headaches – from figuring out how you’re going to divide assets, to determining parenting time strategies.

For some couples in Tompkins County, the best option is to hand the case over to the New York courts, hiring their litigators, and trusting in them to identify an outcome that meets everyone’s best interests. However, other couples prefer to avoid court rooms, or maintain more control over the decisions made about their future lives – and that’s where mediation comes in.

I’ve found mediation to be an incredible solution for many of the people I work with– one that helps them to avoid the stress and headaches of standard divorce procedures, and even maintain some of the amicable relationship they have with their ex-spouse. Continue reading ›