Articles Posted in Equitable Distribution

Businessdebtpicture-300x200There are a lot of important decisions that need to be made during a divorce. Separating the lives of two people, particularly after a number of years spent together can be extremely complex. Decisions need to be made not just about children and property, but in regard to crucial family planning.

It is possible, today, for would-be parents considering having a child in the future to freeze embryos, or have embryos collected for the purpose of IVF. When these couples are divorced, decisions need to be made about what to do with an embryo.

Embryos, crucially, are not marital assets subject to equitable distribution, like a house or car. Rather, the concept of contract law needs to come into play. Continue reading ›

Arms-Crossed-200x300There are various complicated concepts which apply to legal cases in matrimonial law. Courts must consider the various components of each case on an individual basis, as the situation surrounding those involved can make a huge difference to the order made.

One possible consideration which may emerge in some postnuptial, prenuptial, separation, and stipulation of settlement cases is the choice of law clause. This is a clause in the legal world which can influence decisions of which state laws should be applied to certain cases.

Here, we’ll be exploring the concept of the choice-of-law clause, and how various factors can make a difference to which state’s laws are applied to particular family law cases. Continue reading ›

For some time lately, I’ve been publishing articles, as bullet point guides as quick resources from articles about Couplesofa-300x200divorce litigation I have posted over the year.  These guides are intended to be a quick resource regarding some of the nuances involved in divorce litigation. If you’ve been considering divorce proceedings yourself, you may have found that it can be quite difficult to understand how the process works. Any kind of divorce can be a complicated experience, but litigation is often particularly stressful because it’s such a complex and emotional way to end a marriage.

These bullet-point guides aim to give you quick and convenient information about some of the most challenging aspects of a divorce litigation procedure. In this final divorce litigation bullet guide, we’ll be finishing our series with a discussion of post judgement modifications, and what it means to vacate a divorce.

Enforcing and Modifying Divorce Terms

Even in amicable divorce cases, issues can often arise with the final judgement of a case that need to be addressed by the Supreme Court. As a divorce attorney in New York and Nassau County, I frequently work with clients who need help both enforcing and modifying all kinds of agreements following a divorce judgement: Continue reading ›

Couple-Home-300x200For some time now on this blog, I have been publishing these bullet point guides, which are a blend of my blogs over the years, as a solution for people who need to learn more about divorce. The end of a marriage is a complicated thing, and the complexities of your case may begin to feel overwhelming when you’re approaching litigation for the first time. These bullet guides aim to provide an easy-to-access way to answer some of your most pressing questions.

In this bullet point guide, we will be looking specifically at marital and separate property in divorce equitable distribution, as well as the role that taxes might play in separating assets. We will also touch on the decisions to be made about business ownership during a New York divorce.

Defining Marital and Separate Property

As mentioned in previous blog posts and guides, the process that New York courts use to distribute assets between two parties in a divorce is called equitable distribution. This process involves sharing “marital assets” based on what the court considers to be just and fair.

  • Marital assets are broadly defined by the New York law for Domestic Relations as property obtained after the date of the marriage and before a separation agreement is executed, or the filing of a divorce case.
  • Separate property is not included in equitable distribution considerations under the Domestic Relations Law. Separate property is anything that was kept separate and either acquired before the date of the marriage, or the property that was received by one party as a gift or inheritance. Sometimes, personal, or separate property may also include personal injury awards.
  • In New York divorce cases, marital property can include a range of things, including retirement and pension benefits acquired within the marriage, automobiles, real-estate, furniture, stocks, bank accounts, and even business components. All marital property must be equitably distributed according to the laws of New York, unless there is an agreement otherwise.
  • When determining how to divide marital property between two spouses, the courts will often consider a variety of things, including the current income of each spouse, their age, their earning potential, their health, and the contributions that each person made to the marriage, both financial and otherwise.

Continue reading ›

Unhappy-couples-300x200Recently, I’ve been updating my blog with a series of bullet-point guides intended to help people who want to learn more about divorce litigation. This area of law can be a very complicated one for many people, and it’s often difficult to find the answers to all the questions you might have.

This bullet-point series bring together some handy insights on divorce litigation that I have written about over the years, and the concerns that might arise during a case. In this particular bullet point list, we’ll be looking at the concept of marital debt, and how it could be divided in a divorce – just like marital assets.

We’ll also look at the family home, and how the courts approach splitting the value of the home between partners. Continue reading ›

Finger-Pointing-300x200There are a lot of complicated components in family law that need to be addressed when a divorce takes place. That’s one of the reasons why I’m creating this bullet point guide, to help people find the answers to the questions that are most important to them.

In today’s guide, we’re going to be looking at the guidelines in place for things like health insurance and medical expenses when dealing with divorce.

 

Ongoing Health Insurance Benefits in Divorce

In most cases under New York Domestic Relations law, the courts will consider any assets accumulated during a marriage as “marital property”. However, this can leave a lot of things open to speculation. For instance, a question that often arises is how your divorce lawyer can ask a court to address pension and healthcare benefits in a divorce.

  • Typically, pension benefits can be subject to equitable distribution in a divorce. The pension benefits that a party accrues when married can be seen as a marital asset. However, the portion of benefits of obtained before the marriage and after the filing date of the divorce action isn’t considered an asset of the marriage. Pension plans, however, often contain more than just provisions for future financial compensation. These plans often provide for continued health insurance too.
  • While courts consider pension plans in equitable distribution, that’s not always the case for health insurance coverage. Courts issued an opinion a few years ago that a husband/s pension plan of lifetime healthcare coverage wasn’t a marital asset, and that it shouldn’t be split between the husband and wife. The court also noted that the wife wouldn’t totally lose out in this matter, because “loss of insurance benefits” would be considered in the equitable distribution analysis of other assets.  Keep in mind also, as part of the Automatic Orders involved with a litigated divorce, health and other insurance benefits that were in place before the filing date of the divorce must continue while the divorce is ongoing unless an agreement or court order is made to the contrary.

Continue reading ›

Couchcouple-300x200This blog is a continuation of my bullet point series on divorce mediation that summarizes my past mediation blogs –

Maintenance, also know as alimony, can be discussed with your divorce mediator.  How much money, if any, and for how long one spouse should pay the other maintenance needs to be discussed.  Some couples each feel that they are capable of making enough money to be able to support themselves.  In those cases, waivers of maintenance by each spouse is possible.  Other times there is a feeling that one side of the relationship needs money over a period of time in order to be able to get back on their feet.  If there is not an agreement about maintenance couples can be reminded that there are guidelines in the law, based on income, and the length of the marriage for how much and how long maintenance presumably should last.  But they are just guidelines.  Sometimes, if the couple wants to hear about the guidelines it might be a useful discussion to have regarding the topic of maintenance.  In mediation, though, we are not bound to the statutory guidelines.  The focus of the conversation could be about budgets and how much each side of the table needs in order to transition into their new lives and meet their monthly expenses.

Likewise, if there are minor children (under 21 for child support purposes), the payment of child support needs to be discussed.  This topic too can center around budgets and how is everyone going to meet their monthly expenses and take care of the children.  While couples are not bound by the statutory guidelines for child support, every agreement in child support, even if it deviates from the guideline amount of child support, must spell out what the statutory guidelines are in order for the agreement to be binding.  Therefore, when I draft the settlement agreement the child support section will spell out the guideline amount of child support.  Sometimes we might discuss the guideline numbers in the mediation sessions, but the parties will definitively know the guideline numbers before the agreement is signed.  We can discuss and spell out legally recognized reasons for deviating from the guidelines in our mediations and mediated agreements. Continue reading ›

This blog is Part 4 of my divorce mediation bullet point series. It looks like there will be a couple more to go to Couch-Meeting-300x200continue my summary of my divorce mediation blogs from over the years.

53 – Neutrals can be utilized in divorce mediation to get past sticking points or to help resolve certain issues that agreements need to be made to be able to obtain a settlement on all the issues involved with the dissolution of the marriage. For example, a neutral child specialist, such as a psychologist might be brought in on a mediation to resolve parenting time issues. Financial neutrals, such as accountants or certified financial planners might be used to work with the couple on budgets and how they can transition from one household to two. Appraisals for homes, valuations for business and other aspects can be done by neutral third parties. Many options are possible in mediation. There is no one set in stone formula for how we can solve problems and move forward.

54 – While mediation might be difficult in ultra high conflict situations, such as where there has been domestic violence, there do not have to be hard and fast rules. If both sides are willing to sit in a room with neutral divorce mediators it might be possible. Because of the potential of imbalance of power that may exist in such a situation, it is particularly important for the parties to utilize review attorneys to advise them about the divorce to ensure that there rights are being protected. I don’t believe that there needs to be a per-se exclusion for a couple from using mediation. Continue reading ›

Swearing-In-300x211Assets aren’t the only thing that may need to be distributed between two parties when a divorce takes place. Some couples need to think about distributing their debts too – particularly when there is a dispute about whether the couple agreed to take on those financial commitments together or not. In order to prove to the courts of New York and Long Island that a debt should be split, parties must provide some crucial information. Most commonly, the courts will require some evidence that the debt was incurred either for the benefit of the other party, the household, or with the other party’s permission. This is a way that something may be considered marital debt, rather than just “individual” debt.

In most instances the debt that exists at the time of filing the divorce will be open to consideration by the courts. Usually, any debts that are taken on after the divorce case is filed won’t have any traction in the case. However, I have found some exceptions to this rule. For instance, in the case of G.T. v. A.T., 43 Misc. 3d 500, 501, 980 N.Y.S.2d 255, 256, the court was prepared to consider any debt incurred when the divorce was ongoing. However, the court ended up ruling that it was not going to distribute the debt that was incurred during the pendency of the divorce, simply because neither side was able to show evidence that the debt was made with the other’s permission.

In the case above, the plaintiff had a discover card in their name and a Visa and Mastercard in the name of the defendant. The two parties had accrued debt on all of the cards during the pendency of the case. However, as no evidence was available to suggest that the debt was incurred for the benefit of the other spouse, or with the other spouse’s permission, that debt was not be treated as marital debt. My experience is that if post filing expenses or debt is going to be an issue that the parties would want to attempt to get a Pendente Lite Order from the court. This is an order that provides for payments to be made for support and expenses while the divorce is ongoing. Continue reading ›

Businessdebtpicture-300x200There are many complicated things that a couple may need to address when it comes to managing their divorce. Everything from child custody agreements, to how assets and debts will be shared needs to be considered by the parties involved. In mediation, a mediator such as myself can work with a couple to guide them through their discussions about things like equitable distribution. The process of equitable distribution isn’t just about splitting things 50/50 after all. The parties need to think about how assets and debts can be shared fairly.

The equitable distribution of debt can be particularly complicated. While marital debts need to be shared between both parties, separate debt belongs to a single individual. Determining which debts are marital and which are separate can be difficult at times. Fortunately, when people do not immediate know how an issue should be handled, there are many cases that I can address with parties in divorce mediation or other divorce processes, to help them explore the concepts that come into question during equitable distribution. Continue reading ›

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